This is an interesting piece of hardware made to expand the capabilities of the most powerful PC Engine model made: the Supergrafx. It wasn't only a simple controller: this huge peripheral was an entire line-up of analogic and digital controllers that the user could have used with great versatility! From what I know this expansion was only announced but never distributed since the SG wasn't a huge success...
Late news on this peripherals: one of my readers (Nam) claims that it was in fact distributed since he saw it in Hong Kong. Apparently was distributed at nearly 300 US$ but there was only one of it in the shop. Maybe it was only a mock up? This is the first time someone claims that... anyone could confirm that?
The only thing we can say for sure is that it's development was complete: on the pics you could see on this page you could clearly see a man playing one of the few games made for the systezm with the controller!

The system in all its glory! It appears to be very big. I am sorry but the pic was across two pages, so it's not very clear...

Joystick, digital clock, numeric keypad, cloche... what you want more? Also, the Power Console was meant to be compatible with the (never released ?) PC Engine Computer expansion... Another pic across two pages... sorry...

A developer (?) plays Battle Ace (it could be clearly seen on the TV screen) with the Power Console - Supergrafx system. On this pic you could see clearly how the SG was meant to be connected with the Power Console. Probably was used the connector that is in front of the SG. I never understand what is the black thing that there was on the SG in this photo: I don't know if it is a game in pre-release form (before any cartridge was produced) or if it is part of the Power Console.

NEWS

PC ENGINE SG

The consoles war is hotting up! Looking like something out of a science fiction movie, the PC Engine Super Grafx is released in Japan at the end of this month. Just how good is this latest super console? Julian Rignall (Note: actually working for IGN) has the story...

Inside the beast

The PC Engine Super Grafx is a stunning-looking machine which resembles a piece of high-tech military gadgetry. And beneath its rugged exterior beats a mighty heart. The machine uses a similar processor to the normal Engine, but has the addition of special video and blitter-style chips to shift sprite data around very quickly, allowing up to 128 sprites to appear on-screen simultaneously, compared with the Engine's 64. The sound chip is the same as the Engine, but since Super Grafx cartridges feature more memory than their PC Engine counterparts, there will be much more room for sampled sounds and speech.

The games

First and foremost, the PC Engine SG is compatible with all existing PC Engine titles, a feature that has become increasingly important in the design of new consoles, as it gives the user an instant games library while newer titles are developed. There are details of only three SG games at the moment, a conversion of Capcom's Ghouls 'n' Ghosts (which looks as good as, if not better than the Megadrive version), an amazing Rastan-style arcade adventure (Note: Grand Zort), and a stunning 3D flying game that looks similar to Lock-On (Note: Battle Ace). The latter two have untranslatable Japanese names. Reports state that there are another seven games currently being developed.

The whopper add-on

An incredible piece of hardware that is being released simultaneously with the Engine SG is the Power Console, (Note: it was not compatible with other models of the Engine) a control unit which makes the Konix Multisystem (Note: a never-released console made in the UK. From the basic design of that system, Atari Corp. developed the never-released Panther and then the Jaguar) look very ill indeed. It features a full steering yoke, rather like the controls on the Star Wars arcade games, complete with top-mounted fire buttons, a gear stick/throttle, an LCD clock/timer, an LED radar-type display, a numeric keypad, and a plethora of buttons and knobs! The Engine SG slips neatly inside it, and once installed, you've got a control system that a 747 pilot would be jealous of! (Note: Probably the steering yoke and/or the joystick were analog but I am not sure)

What about the Engine?

The immediate thought is that PC Engine software will dry up when the SG is released. Rubbish! With over 1.9 million Engine users in Japan alone, the American version of the Engine, the TurboGrafx just released, and a European version on the way (rumours currently state that it'll be available by autumn 1990) (Note: NEC never released an European version of the PC Engine) (Additional note: maybe NEC released something in Europe... look here!), there's going to loads of new Engine games. What's more than likely to happen is that games will appear on both systems, with the SG game being a very enhanced version of the normal PC Engine title.

In conclusion

The Engine SG is a brilliant new machine, especially when you take into account the amazing Power Console. PC Engine titles already hold their own when compared with games on other systems - with its extra chips, SG games should be simply stunning!

When and where

The PC Engine is yet to be officially released in Britain, so the PC Engine SG is a long way off appearing. The release date in Japan is later on this month and it'll retail at just under £180 - if things go the same way as they did with the Engine, you'll probably be able to buy modified imported versions early in the new year for around £250...