PC Engine CoreGrafx CoreGrafx 2 – The Threesome

I didn’t know anything about these machines when I was living back home, and honestly even after moving to Japan I still had no idea what they were. It was only when talking with some of the crazy hoarders over at AussieArcade (I’m looking at you here Frank) did I find out that these almost pocket sized little gaming machines kick serious arse! Ever since then they have been a serious obsession of mine.

So what are they? Basically the PCE, CG, and CGII are 16bit consoles with an 8bit processors. Yep, you read that right. This little beast was a collaboration between HudsonSoft and NEC and it featured a MOS Technology 65SC02 8bit processor, a 16bit GPU (hence the advertised 16bit) and also a colour encoder chip.

The three models I am talking about here play HuCards only (HuCards being the small credit card sized game cartridges).

pc-engine-coregrafx-nec-a

The PC Engine:
The first console released by NEC in 1987 had a very successful run in Japan. This unit supported RF output only, but an add-on came later to allow AV output.

  • Release – 1987
  • Price then – 19,000yen approx
  • Price now – from $10 to $120
  • Output – RF
  • Format – Hucards

pc-engine-coregrafx-nec-e

The CoreGrafx:
The next NEC console to fit this form factor was the CoreGrafx being released in 1989. The main difference between the CoreGrafx and the original PC Engine (other than the new colour and blue logo) was the inclusion of AV output as standard.

  • Release – 1989
  • Price then – 19,000yen approx
  • Price now – from $50 to $120
  • Output – AV
  • Format – Hucards

pc-engine-coregrafx-nec-b

The CoreGrafxII:
The third and final NEC console that fits with the design of the original PC Engine was the CoreGrafxII. Just how it differs internally I have no idea…. If you guys have any details on that please feel free to post. This particular iteration was released in 1991.

  • Release – 1991
  • Price then – 19,000yen approx
  • Price now – from $50 to $120
  • Output – AV
  • Format – Hucards

pc-engine-coregrafx-nec-d

The controllers are quite comfortable to use, and having the optional turbo switches for the later models is a nice touch. I have had many of these pass through my hands, and I have never had any that don’t work.

pc-engine-coregrafx-nec-g

I for one absolutely love these little machines for the gaming fun they provide. There are so many games that fall into the quirky ‘only in Japan’ category (some of which I will give reviews on in the future) and owning one, or two, or three is a no-brainer for any gamer. 🙂

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2 comments

  1. Damn sexy machines aren’t they.

    No difference between the original CG and CGII aside from cosmetics. Perhaps NEC released the CGII in orange to match the Super CD-ROM2 device.

    If you leave out the CD equation, it’s actually a cheap system to game on. A loose HuCard console can be had for as little as $40 delivered (if you don’t mind a bit of dirt and scratches) and aside from the elite titles, most HuCard games are rather cheap, especially for loose titles.

    Your CG console looks to be in immaculate condition, nice score!

    1. Yep, damn sexy! I think I was impressed by the weight of them the most when I first got them – they cram a heap of goodness into the small body.

      I didn’t think there was any difference between them either, but I just wasn’t sure. I might have to crack them open and take some pics when I get a chance to really compare internals.

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