Last US Games?

[jlued686]

What were the last games for both formats (CD, Turbo Chip) released in the US?  I always thought they were Magical Chase and Super Air Zonk.  But this article lists Bomberman '93 and Bonk III CD.
http://www.huguesjohnson.com/features/closing_time/index.html#atari5200

[VestCunt]

I have always read that Bonk 3 SCD was the last US release, so the article is right on that account.  Besides Mindrec's releases of Implode and Meteor Blaster, it's worth noting that Hudson made a second printing of Dungeon Explorer 2 in 1996 or 1997 sold through TZD.

I don't know what the last turbochip was.  (the last turbochips with JEWEL CASES were Night Creatures and Gun Boat.)

Anyone know what the last US game was for standard CD?  I know it would be one of these five:  Vasteel, Sherlock Holmes 2, Terraforming, Splash Lake, Buster Brothers.

[neofan]

Well Bomberman 93 was by no means the last one....
from memory

SCD's
Might and Magic III
Godzilla
Terraforming
Bonk III CD
Dynastic Hero

I'm no even going to guess about the TurboChips...tho Magical Chase, and Bonk 3 were some of the last ones I saw on the shelves at EB....stopped getting HuCards at the end because the difference between them and the SCD's were just too big. I was all about the cool new CD-format....
Oh and I was pissed that the "last" TurboChips didn't even come in a case, just a crappy plastic tray

[ParanoiaDragon]

Bonk 3 CD was indeed the last cd in the US.  It came out, after TTI had totally closed up shop.  IIRC, TZD started selling it around December of 94.  I remember it being my senior year, so, it must've been 94.

[VestCunt]

Sooo...how bout that last hucard?
Of the final releases, I suspect it is one of these four:
--
Bomberman 93
Bonk 3 hucard
Magical Chase
World Sports Competition
---------
Any guesses?

The contenders:
Air Zonk
Bomberman 93
Bonk 3 hucard
Chase HQ
Darkwing Duck
Dead Moon
Falcon
Ghost Manor
Hit the Ice
Jackie Chan
Legend Hero Tonma
Magical Chase
Neutopia 2
New Adventure Island
Order of the Griffon
Samuria Ghost
Shockman
Soldier Blade
Somer Assault
Time Cruise
World Sports Competition
-------

[kenomac78]

i would wager it to be bonk 3, for the turbochips.

damn it to hell that i had to throw away  all my VG and CE , my mom thought it would catch fire and our brand new house would be gone forever.

but i recall a small blurb there where turbochips were being rebraned as 'duosoft' starting with bonk 3. bonk 3 is also the first last and only game to adopt the TTI DUO style packaging with the artwork bordered around the TTI logo on the bottom and hucards on the side. also looking at japan bomberman 93 is vol 56 and bonk 3 is vol 58 this likely pins it as the final usa card game.

with the same packaging only a handful of games were made this way on CD. they are

beyond shadowgate
bonk 3 cd
dungeon explorer 2
dungeon mastre therons quest
dynastic hero
godzilla
madden
might and magic 3
riot zone
sherlock holmes 2
super air zonk
terraforming

so its automatically narrowed down to these if you believe the TTI labeling was the last batch of games. its my opinion that the last few were also made in severly low numbers. games  still available at turbo zone direct, i believe are not the last ones because many more are still available.

sherlock holmes 2 is labled as a CD and super CD. terraforming, a listed by pcecp.com lso has the feature, but its not on the case as such. the last true cd rom2 only game has to be buster bros. as it has a copyright date of 1993.

the only printed proof of an release dates i have seen recently was i found a scan of EGM from 1993 that lists beyond shadowgate as released in 1993. while this may have changed, its the only solid evidence i have seen of any games. (yea i could speculate on all the things i remember but in not lionel hutz where heresay and conjecture are kinds of evidence.)

these links are here

http://www.planetnintendo.com/shadowgate/game_beyond-tg-egm-ad.html

http://www.planetnintendo.com/shadowgate/game_beyond-tg-egm-review.html


the second one dos not hae a date listed on the magazine but it is next to a 3do games which means it must have been after  10/93.

i have seen some text transcripts of egm reviews and they have reviewed all the games it looks like, i think VG and CE did too, as for gamepro,who knows and who cares, and i think die hard game fan may have had some too. so if anyone has acces to these magazines they can crack the secret.

TZD had  put on their page at one point that bonk 3 cd  was put out in dec 94, by them not TTI and dead of the brain was the last NEC game as a ppoint of reference as to when it all stopped. bonk 3 cd also had no japanese release.  i you want to call it that you can, but it was not truly officially TTI.  out of the blue i would say it is dynastic hero as it has the highet catalog number. maybe 12-93 or anytime in 1994


also that page has some inaccuracies. the final snes game was yoshis story in 98 (unless i am wrong) N64 was powepuff girls or madden for that year and for PSX its also madden as or atari 2600 it not secret quest, is sentinnel in 1990. he also seems to mix up last games produced and last for sale. and there is also the matterof japan or euopean releases for places where systems still have/had life

[turbofan1]

I think the last game released for the Turbo was Keith Courage.Just kidding.I think the last turbochip game was Was Magical Chase.And the last cd game was either Super Air Zonk,The Dynastic Hero,Might and Magic III,or Terraforming.Does anybody no the the last pc engine game released?Im guessing it was probably Dead Of Brain.

[nat]

Dead of the Brain, for sure.

[cho_aniki]

   On Hu-card I also think Bonk 3 was the last release as it is the only one packaged with the TTI Duo logo on the box.  If Magical Chase was the last release I suspect it would have had similar packaging, although I could be wrong I suppose.  Magical Chase is certainly the rarest of the two, but isn't that simply because it was less popular and hence sold less copies?


   As far as the last CD release is concerned, I am really not sure, but my guess would be Bonk 3 CD. 

   On Pc-engine it is definitely Dead of the Brain on CD (1999), and 21 EMON ( December 1994) on Hu-card.

[VestCunt]

Ok, I dug through all of the flyers, ads and catalogs TTI mailed to me in their final days.  Here are my findings:

Magical Chase came out in July and Bonk 3 hucard came out in August, making it the last turbochip.  This supports the theory about its different packaging.

Terraforming came out after Sherlock Holmes 2 (June) which came out after Buster Bros (January) which came out after Splash Lake (92), making Terraforming the last CD (I don't care what the case says).  I think this follows a logical progression--the first two have SCD-style packaging but are still labeled as standard CD-roms, SH2 has logos for both disc formats and by the time Terraforming finally came along they wanted everybody to upgrade to SCD and labeled the game as such.

I've read in a number of different places that Bonk 3 was the last SCD.  I think Steve may have mentioned it in the TZD interview Aaron did with him.  I forget.  There is no mention of Bonk 3 SCD, Dynastic Hero, Super air zonk, or
Terraforming in any of the last catalogs, so they were probably the final releases ending with Bonk 3.

[VestCunt]

One sticky point:  does Battle Lode Runner now hold the title of last/latest US release even though it was released on VC?

[ParanoiaDragon]

From memory, it seems like I picked up Beyond Shadowgate around February & Dynastic Hero around March or April.  Just to give some more info on release dates, since I bought them right when they came out.  As for Bonk 3, it came out either on the same day, or a week later, as Darkwing Duck.  Because I remember picking up Darkwing Duck right when it came out, but then returned it immediatly for Bonk 3.  Infact, I may have had a choise between the two initially, & opted for DW unfortunatly.  So, DW & Bonk 3 might be the last 2.  But, World Sports Competition sticks in my mind as being pretty late in the game as well.

[CrackTiger]

I bought Bomberman '93 and Bonk 3 HuCard long before the last games were released.

The last ones I saw in a store were Magical Chase and Cotton, which were at the next town over. But I checked their Turbo stock on a regular basis and MC at least, I for sure didn't find there until the very end.

[turbofan1]

I think P D may be wright about World sports competition being the last game.Even though for years I thought that Tv sports baseball had been released.I was disappointed to find out it wasn't.Going off topic,I remember reading in A magazine that Cinemaware or TTI was planning on doing sequels to those games.Anyways releasing A sports game as the last game wasn't A great way to go out.If they would have released Fantasy star Soldier that would have been better.

[ParanoiaDragon]

But, Fantasy Star Soldier was a cd game, unless, you mean last game ever.  Which I still believe is Bonk 3 CD.  I even remember Eun Lopez(that secretary of TTI I was friends with) telling me that it was going to be released after TTI closed shop, & that TZD would handle it.  And I'm pretty sure all the other games were released by TTI, as she didn't mention any others that were coming out, after TTI's last day.

[CrackTiger]

I remember World Sports Competition being released before other HuCards and CDs in my (Canadian) hometown.

[kenomac78]

and world sports comp has a copyright date of 1992!

so who is the person who worked at TTI? and what was the last day of TTI? Mrch 2, 1994? April 17 1994?  it could be any day, but i have a feeling TZD was started officially the day after TTI shut down.

[ParanoiaDragon]

I have no idea of the actual day.  I do remember talking to her on the last day, as I recall her talking about packing up all the last of her things she kept at the office.  Her name is/was(I heard she got divorced) Eun Lopez, & she was the last secretary of TTI.  She hooked me up with a bunch of games, some Bomberman hats, PC Genjin pins, a Sherlock Holmeds matchbook calcuator, an NEC watch, a LoT shirt, & probably more I'm forgettting about.  My dad, at the time, thought she was trying to "hook up" with me.  And, at the time, I thought there was no way, but looking back, I kind of wonder.  Especially after hearing about her supposedly cheating on her husband

[kenomac78]

id love to see some of that merch! or buy it!

[Turbo D]

wow, you had a fling with a tti secretary, lucky   

[ParanoiaDragon]

 

[jlued686]

Ok, so far we know that we know nothing.   

Last in Chip format: Magical Chase?
Last in (S)CD format: Bonk III?

Does that seem to be the consensus, or is it still up in the air?

[nat]

The last game released in the US market, period, was Bonk 3 CD. This also makes it the last SCD game.

This information comes straight from Steve @ TZD, so as far as that final SCD release, there shouldn't be anything "up in the air". If there's anybody that knows, it's Steve.

I remember "knowing" a long time ago that Magical Chase was the last HuCard released but that's a pretty hazy memory.

[VestCunt]

Ok, so far we know that we know nothing.   

Last in Chip format: Magical Chase?
Last in (S)CD format: Bonk III?

Does that seem to be the consensus, or is it still up in the air?

These are my reckonings:

US
Last Turbochip:  Bonk 3 or Magical Chase
Last CD:  Terraforming
Last SCD:  Bonk 3 (94)
Last Official Printing:  Dungeon Explorer 2 (96 or 97)
Last Homebrew:  Meteor Blaster (04)
Last US Release, Any Format:  Battle Lode Runner, VC (07)

Japan
Last SCD:  Dead of the Brain (99)
Last Hucard:  ???

[VestCunt]

The last game released in the US market, period, was Bonk 3 CD. This also makes it the last SCD game.

This information comes straight from Steve @ TZD, so as far as that final SCD release, there shouldn't be anything "up in the air". If there's anybody that knows, it's Steve.

I remember "knowing" a long time ago that Magical Chase was the last HuCard released but that's a pretty hazy memory.

I agree that Bonk 3 CD was the last US release.

[turbofan1]

Ok, so far we know that we know nothing.   

Last in Chip format: Magical Chase?
Last in (S)CD format: Bonk III?

Does that seem to be the consensus, or is it still up in the air?

Well there`s alot of experts in here that will disagree with that .Think we have it narrowed down to either Magical chase or world sports competition for the last hucard.And everyone seems to think that Bonk III was the last cd game.

[jlued686]

Awesome, guys.  Thanks for all the insight.

[NecroPhile]

These are my reckonings:

Last Official Printing:  Dungeon Explorer 2 (96 or 97)

Do you know if the silk screened label is identical to the original?  How about the disc bar code?  It doesn't really matter - I'm just curious to know if the reprints can be identified.

[VestCunt]

These are my reckonings:

Last Official Printing:  Dungeon Explorer 2 (96 or 97)

Do you know if the silk screened label is identical to the original?  How about the disc bar code?  It doesn't really matter - I'm just curious to know if the reprints can be identified.

I don't know.  Maybe MrFulci or offsidewing can tell us.  They both mentioned that they received the reprint version from TZD in the late nineties.
(https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=2577.30)

[nat]

What happened to offsidewing? He just up and disappeared.

[MrFulci]

Yeah, offsidewing's game-time must be expired...

About the Dungeon Explorer 2. I never had both to hold up and compare to each other, however, from what I recall the CD looked no different than the earlier release. The later release had the same quality printing on the CD.

TZD sold it in a plain jewel case with a xerox of the instruction manual.

[Turbo D]

I seen one of those on ebay about a week or 2 ago, haha.

[NecroPhile]

Cheap bums should have sprung for printed manuals and liner - any competent disc replicator will print 'em up dirt cheap.  I wonder if TZD retained the rights to reprint any other games, or if they even had the legal right to reprint DE2.

[VestCunt]

Cheap bums should have sprung for printed manuals and liner - any competent disc replicator will print 'em up dirt cheap.  I wonder if TZD retained the rights to reprint any other games, or if they even had the legal right to reprint DE2.

IIRC, Steve said that Hudson reprinted the game and that TZD "talked them into it".  I'm surprised that they didn't even bother with rear insert.  I would have been pissed.  Does anyone have an image of the reprinted disc?

[kenomac78]

so then what would it take to get TZD to start reprinting more CDs? mabe with the succes of the wii VC then maybe we could see some new CDS hit the street

[offsidewing]

Everyone relax, I'm here!

The disc of my DE2 re-print from the late mid-90's looks like the original disc.

[shubibiman]

The last japanese hucard game was 21 Emon, released in 1995.

[VestCunt]

Well there`s alot of experts in here that will disagree with that .Think we have it narrowed down to either Magical chase or world sports competition for the last hucard.

I dug up a few old flyers and mailings I received in 93 that may shed some light on this.

One is the issue of TurboForce that came out January 93.  In the back there is a calendar that lists upcoming games.  Obviously, this isn't a definitive source and they didn't stick to the schedule, but here is what they listed for Turbochips:
Feb:  Darkwing Duck, Hero Tonma, and World Sports Comp.
March:  Bomberman 93
April:  Magical Chase and Battle Lode Runner.  Also the SCD version of Bonk 3 was scheduled this month.  No mention of the Bonk 3 Hucard is made anywhere in this issue. 

I also have a flyer from TurboZone (?) advertising the "New TG-16 Software Line-Up!"  Out of the 19 Hucards, Darkwing Duck and Hero Tonma are included but not World Sports.  This indicates that World Sports Competition probably came out later than February, or at least later than DD and HT.  Bonk 3 and Magical Chase are also missing from this flyer.

Another release schedule, this comes from the Club Duo Video Game Catalog, Vol. 1, 1993 (only turbochips are listed):
Jan:  Darkwing Duck
Feb:  Hero Tonma, World Sports
March:  Bomberman 93
July:  Magical Chase
August:  Bonk 3, hucard
October:  Battle Lode Runner

I believe that the Club Duo catalog was printed after the January issue of TurboForce because Bonk 3 SCD is strangely absent from the listings of cd games and because the release dates are later than the Turboforce list.

If this is true, the Club Duo catalog is the most accurate and Bonk 3 was the last turbochip on its schedule that actually came out.  The fact that Bonk 3 also has a different box design from any other hucard seems to support this.  After the Turboforce issue was printed, they probably decided to release Bonk 3 as a hucard first and the SCD version was pushed back, finally being released in 94 after the demise of the Duo.

US
Last Turbochip:  Bonk 3--Aug 93(?)
Last CD:  Terraforming
Last SCD:  Bonk 3--94
Last Official Printing:  Dungeon Explorer 2--96
Last Homebrew:  Meteor Blaster--04
Last US Release, Any Format:  Battle Lode Runner, VC--07

Japan
Last SCD:  Dead of the Brain--99
Last Hucard:  21 Emon--Dec 94

[esteban]

Well there`s alot of experts in here that will disagree with that .Think we have it narrowed down to either Magical chase or world sports competition for the last hucard.

I dug up a few old flyers and mailings I received in 93 that may shed some light on this.

One is the issue of TurboForce that came out January 93.  In the back there is a calendar that lists upcoming games. ..

Here you go...

[Turbo D]

that link said that I was forbidden to view it

[ParanoiaDragon]

Well, I do remember buying Darkwing Duck, beating it & returning it(getting my 50 bucks back in the process) & getting Bonk 3.  So, I know, if not the same week, they had to be maybe one week after the next.

[kenomac78]

but that only means that the store had darkwing duck in stock at the same time as bonk 3 it does not prove the order of what came out at what time .

[esteban]

that link said that I was forbidden to view it

Is anyone else having trouble viewing the page scan? Tell me what error screen appears (do you see a stack-of-HuCards image?).

[Turbo D]

I see a stack of Hucards and it says:

 " this page is unavailable (sorry mate) You don't have permission to access to this document on this server, but you can return to www.tg-16.com if you'd like. Error 403: You are forbidden to see this page. "

[nat]

From work using Internet Exploder under Windows X-Crap I can't see it (shows the HuCard stack image and says I'm forbidden) just like these other gimps.

But from HOME, using Firefox under Mac OS X I can see the page scan just fine.

Go figure.

[NecroPhile]

No soup for me!  403 Forbidden in Firefox on XP.

[ParanoiaDragon]

but that only means that the store had darkwing duck in stock at the same time as bonk 3 it does not prove the order of what came out at what time . 

No, cuz I bought Darkwing Duck, right when it came out.  Or atleast very soon after it came out.

[kenomac78]

you can just go thru the webpage to find these magazines, but all the pages themselves of the  later issues  link to nothing

[guyjin]

In the interest of not starting a new thread (and the PCEFX tradition of not allowing a thread to remain on topic) I may as well ask here: Does anyone know how many TG16s/duos were ever sold?

[kenomac78]

yea i would like to know the amount of sales for he tg 16base system. cd add on duo and express as well as top selling and worst selling games