I Miss the TurboGrafx-16

When I was a kid, I had a Super Nintendo. Looking back, I realize it was the perfect system for me, because it had an abundance of JRPGs, many of which are still considered the best in their genre.

But my step-brother had a TurboGrafx-16, and I sure did have a lot of fun with that thing, even though all the games I tried on the system were platformers. The Legendary Axe II felt interesting and different, though I never did like the titular axe weapon. (My favorite was the chain.)

Then there was JJ & Jeff, which was just bizarre. You play as one half of the JJ & Jeff Detective Agency. Apparently, though, one detective is more important than the other.

You then run through the stages, kicking everything in order to find hidden items, power-ups, and bonus stages. Sometimes, your partner is trying to cause you problems. Other times, your partner is banging on a drum and giving you power-ups. I don’t get it either. The enemies are random obstacles, bugs, rodents, and birds dropping shit on you.

That’s not a euphemism for “random stuff.” I actually mean shit.

There were other games, of course. Splatterhouse is a classic. There were a number of shoot-’em-up and pinball games, as well.

So, even though my Super NES was a huge part of my childhood, I’m glad I had access to other gaming consoles. The TurboGrafx-16 was a good one.