NEC --- If you could have any 30 games on your shelf

[alienjesus]

I got a PC Engine Duo for Christmas. I have about 20 games for the system.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I have 46 games for NEC consoles. Wish I could get deeper into this stuff. I theoretically like the TG-16/CD about as much as I like the Genesis/CD, just wish the games weren't so expensive and obscure.

[marurun]

Blame NEC America for poor advertising and support. Certainly wasn't an obscure system in Japan. Then again, the Megadrive was, so there is that.

[JoeAwesome]

Blame NEC America for poor advertising and support. Certainly wasn't an obscure system in Japan. Then again, the Megadrive was, so there is that.

The stories about NEC America are hilariously awful. Like at one point deciding what to release based on some young daughter's preferences.

[KalessinDB]

Blame NEC America for poor advertising and support. Certainly wasn't an obscure system in Japan. Then again, the Megadrive was, so there is that.

Always interesting seeing the regional trends...

SMS strong EU and South America, practically unheard of US
Genesis/Mega Drive strong in US/EU, dead in JP
TG16/PCE strong in JP, obscure US, all but nonexistant EU

[BoneSnapDeez]

Neo Geo popular worldwide and in outer space.

[the7k]

I've tried to avoid getting into PC-Engine/TG-16 because I'm already blowing what little money I do have on completing my Saturn collection as well as getting more arcade machines/boards...

... but I know Sapphire would be at the top of my list, I played that and it was a ton of fun. I'd also have to get Cotton and Magical Chase due to being a Cotton fanboy.

Currently the only TG-16 game I own is Side Arms, which I actually enjoy but I never see much talk of it.

As for Steam Hearts', I've heard the PC-E version is inferior to the Saturn version, but I can't comment in any way other than to say I really do enjoy the Saturn version.

[ninjainspandex]

It was very hard to narrow my list down to just 30, 3 months ago I only had 3 games for the system, now I have over 50 and have spent countless hours scouring the web for the best games to be had for the system. I had to make some tough choices but this is my list of 30 that I could not live without on my shelf. This is not really the top 30 best games of all time but my personal 30 favorites and in no real particular order. I have very few Hu card games since most I am completely happy just playing on the Everdrive.


#1 Dracula X- Let's get this one out of the way, yes it is the most cliche choice but the hype and praise for this game is deserved. In my opinion it is the best looking game on the PCE, the gameplay is perfect, tight and responsive. The music is the best on the system, totally rocking. It is a perfect 10 out of 10 game.

#2 Ys Book 1 and 2- This is my favorite RPG on the system, the story is great the graphics are great but it is the combat that I love the most. The combat is incredibly simple, you simply bump into your enemies to do damage, but there is a catch if you run into them straight on you will end up taking damage as well so the trick is to sideswipe your enemies to do damage to them without them doing damage to you. I find this game incredibly relaxing due to it's simplicity. The music is also rocking so that just adds to the awesomeness.

#3 Soldier Blade In my opinion this is the best shooter on the system, and that is high praise considering the system has a mind boggling amount of shooters. The graphics are incredibly good, this could pass as a Sega Saturn shooter. The music is awesome, oh man dat music I hum it at work. The weapons are huge and impressive. The gameplay is challenging but not to the point where it is frustrating. In edition to the normal arcade mode there are 2 and 5 minute caravan time attacks, where the gole is to get as many points as possible in the limited time allowed. A must own game for any shooter fan

#4 Star Parodier Hudson's Soft's answer to Konami's Gradius parody Parodius, a parody of their flag ship shooter series Star Soldier. A well done not overly challenging vertical "Cute Em Up" A very charming game with lots of fan service to PC Engine lovers.

#5 Doraemon: Dorabian Nights A Simple yet well programmed platformer based on a popular Japanese kids cartoon. Doesn't do anything special but is enjoyable.

#6 Macross 2036 A nice shooter based on the anime, graphics are nice. Nothing too special but a fun game none the less

#7 Psychic Force Another nice shooter that isn't too challenging, large weapons and you transform into an unstoppable killing force. A good game for people bad at shooters such as myself

#8 Far East of Eden 2 What an RPG in Japanese on your shelf? But you don't read a lick of Japanese. I know, I know. But the game is great and there is a well done walkthough on the web, the animation is great the story is apparently incredible (yes I actually haven't played it yet) supposedly there is a fan translation in the works and is pretty far along I am waiting for

#9 Kaze Kiri A 2D plane platformer/beatemup that will scratch that Shinobi itch. The sprites are really detailed and the animation is good, only real negative is that it can get a bit repetative.

#10 Valis IV Basically the whole Valis series is a Castlevania ripoff but with women power. The 4th isn't the best in the series but it is still very enjoyable, and aparently it is much better than the SNES version. Hmm I am seeing a similarity to the PCE version of Dracula X PCE version being better than the SNES version.

#11 Spriggan This is the PCE version of MUSHA, why? Because it is made by none other than Compile, so the graphic style is very similar. The power up system is cool, you can mix and match colored orbs to get different weapons, and can use them as bombs if needed.

#12 L-Dis I think this is a rather hidden gem shooter on the PCE, a very competent Cute Em Up. And can be had for around $20, which is a steal when it comes to shooters now days. Only negative is the power up drops are written in Kanji so you will have to learn a tiny bit of Japanese to fully play the game.

#13 Winds of Thunder another cliche pick, graphics are rocking and the tunes are kicking. And apparently better looking graphically than the Sega CD port.

#14 Bomberman '94 When looking up the best bomberman game on the web the two most common answers will either be Saturn Bomberman or Bomberman '94. A well polished game that has a decent single player game but the multiplayer is where the game shines. This game makes the multitap and 5 controllers a necessity. Game was also released on the genesis under the name Mega Bomberman, but the game is a bit better looking on the PC Engine original. It also has the honor of being the last released hucard game.

#15 Gunhed/Blazing Lazers Unofficially this is a game in the Aleste series, the powerups are plentiful and the game is not too difficult until the last couple levels, a great entry level shooter. And it is Kanye West approved

#16 Street Fighter 2 Dash By far the best 16 bit port of the arcade game, really impressive and the PCE is pretty light on fighting games. But make sure you have a multitap and a couple 6 button pads, the game is not enjoyable with the standard pad.

#17 Super Star Soldier Not quite as good as Soldier Blade but still a classic, not much to be said here.

#18 Cotton The OG Cotton game where it all began, a great cute em up with nice big sprites. Unfortunately your sprite is pretty big too so it can be pretty darn challenging.

#19 Super Raiden Sure the game may not be arcade perfect but it has a nice arranged CD soundtrack and a couple new stages.

#20 Nexzr Man this is a gorgeous looking game, I would say it looks even better than the famed Sapphire and is a third of the price. Music is great, the cute scenes are beautiful. It is a hard game the bullets come hard and fast, unfortunately the power ups are pretty basic, but none the less the game is fun and challenging. If you are more the score attack kind of guy there was a special Caravan version released that added timed score attack modes but removed the story mode. And the version is a bit cheaper than the original release.

#21 Cho Aniki A rather homoerotic shooter, the gameplay is nothing special but it makes up for it in it's strange Japanese weirdness. I really really enjoy the music in this game, I have the soundtrack on my phone and I listen to it often in the car.

#22 Panic Bomber Hudson Soft's answer to Tetris, but with a bomberman twist, match colors and chain with bombs. Game was also released on Neo Geo MVS format but the PCE original is much cheaper and more accessible.

#23 Ys IV The game went back to it's original roots after doing a sideview game in the 3rd installment, and for the better in my opinion. This time the game is on Super CD Rom and makes use of the extra horsepower of the 3.0 card with better graphics and huge talking character portrait sprites. This is one of the few RPGs on the system that has seen a fan translation, and with full english voice acting too!!! A must play, but play the original first so you understand the plot more fully.

#24 Turbo Duo 4 in 1 (Gate of Thunder, Bonk, Bonks Revenge, and Bomberman) Ok this choice is kind of cheating, it is actually 4 games in one (Original Bomberman can be unlocked using a cheatcode). But is 4 of the killer apps on the PCE/TG16. Gate of Thunder is a top tier shooter with high paced action with a kickass soundtrack, though the sound effects seemed to be mixed poorly and are way too loud compared to the music. Bonk is a classic and the unofficial mascot of the sytem, though I feel like the second game Bonk's Revenge is the best in the series with more power ups and better graphics. Bomberman is well Bomberman.

#25 Valis: Legend of the Fantasm Soldier This game is actually a remake of the first game which was released only on a Japanese computer system. But it is actually the last game in the series released on the PCE, unlike the other games in the series it is a Super CD game so it utilizes the extra ram for better graphics, and the gameplay is much more balenced and less frustrating the the previous installments.

#26 Last Alert The gameplay is decent, plays much like Ikari Warriors or Shock Troopers. But it is the voice acting that really makes this game special and not in a good way. The English voice acting is so horribly bad that is good, definitely worth playing through for a really good laugh that comes from the bottom of your soul. Seriously did they just grab people off the street that day and tell them to just read off the teleprompter?

#27 Shubibinman 3 Now here is a nice platformer that won't make you want to break your controller in a fit of rage, can easily be beaten in a couple hours. You know sometimes it is nice to play and easy game when you are having a bad day.

#28 Son Son 2 Another really well done platformer by Capcom, where you jump, collect fruit, buy powerups and poke things with a stick. Based on the Chinese folklore of Journey to the West.

#29 Monsters Lair Now here is a really unique game on the system, I really am not sure if there is anything else like it. It is a platformer and shooter hybrid, tons of power ups and tons of fun. Also it won't break the bank.

#30 Asuka 120% The best fighter on the system not named Street Fighter. All girl cast of schoolgirls. Plays well even though it only utilizes two buttons, looks great. A really late release from 1995 that utilizes the 3.0 card (Really surprised it doesn't use the Arcade card since it is such a late release)

Well there you have it, my 30 must have games, hopefully this helps some people learn more about the awesomeness of the PCE

[marurun]

If you like spastic fighters and don't care much about character balance, Flash Hiders is lots of fun. When playing in story mode you can power up your characters' stats and even bring those boosted characters into VS play. A few characters have moves that are somewhat broken when sped up. You can basically lock someone down and take them out with chip damage and they simply cannot respond. Avoid doing this to your friends or they will not play with you. Some of the character designs and moves are awesome looking. Great for farting around. Seriously, though, don't piss off your friends.

[JoeAwesome]

If you like spastic fighters and don't care much about character balance, Flash Hiders is lots of fun. When playing in story mode you can power up your characters' stats and even bring those boosted characters into VS play. A few characters have moves that are somewhat broken when sped up. You can basically lock someone down and take them out with chip damage and they simply cannot respond. Avoid doing this to your friends or they will not play with you. Some of the character designs and moves are awesome looking. Great for farting around. Seriously, though, don't piss off your friends.

Reminds me of MvC2. Good times pissing people off.