Finally got a PC Engine! Gimme some game recommendations

[TruxtonTatsujin TruxtonTatsujin]

got the full set-up, OG model with Turbo Everdrive, RGB expansion board and HD Retrovision cable. Ready for some primo PC Engine gaming. Now I just need some game recommendations so I don't just replay Rondo for the 100th time I know the console has a fantastic library but not really sure where to start, what are some of ya'lls favourite games? I can read some basic Japanese so stuff like RPGs are welcome.

 

[Super Funky Piece]

Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys
it's basically just the best of the first two games with much improved presentation all around. same bump combat with the ring and magic systems simultaneously. fantastic 90s soundtrack and fun sprite animations throughout. still not without its quirks and obtuse moments of progression, such as an outright grind room at one point in case youre underlevelled for a boss. there's a full translation and fandub patch floating around as well. i wouldnt know if the hardware runs burnt discs that easy though

 

[DunkeyKong]

That's awesome man. Anyway, I wanted to say Soldier Blade and Rabio Lepus Special. But there's like over a hundreds of great shoot em ups so try checking out for the other stuff as well. But other than that, I'd say Ninja Gaiden, Splatterhouse and City Hunter

 

[Eclipse14]

Neutopia I & II.

 

[TruxtonTatsujin TruxtonTatsujin]

Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys
it's basically just the best of the first two games with much improved presentation all around. same bump combat with the ring and magic systems simultaneously. fantastic 90s soundtrack and fun sprite animations throughout. still not without its quirks and obtuse moments of progression, such as an outright grind room at one point in case youre underlevelled for a boss. there's a full translation and fandub patch floating around as well. i wouldnt know if the hardware runs burnt discs that easy though

sick, I'm a stickler for playing things in order so I'll probably play the first 3 first tho. Never got into Ys but the PC engine seems like a great console to do it. This flashcart plays the CD games straight off the sd card so no burning needed. It's kind of picky which cards it likes but finally found a good one.

 

[OpenVMS]

Parodius! I hope you like shooters, because the PC Engine has a bunch!

 

[UnDubious]

Exile (side-scroller/RPG hybrid)
Coryoon (easy but fun shmup)
Psycho Chaser (more hardcore shmup)
Double Dragon 2 (very different from NES version)
Gate of Thunder (great space shooter)
Xak III (action RPG, 1 & 2 aren't translated but this one is)

 

[Glimbo]

Here's my favorites.

PC Engine
Bloody Wolf (shooter)
Bonk's Adventure, Bonk's Revenge, Bonk's Big Adventure (platforming)
Dragon's Curse (metroidvania. This is Wonder Boy III on SMS with a few changes.)
Gekisha Boy (photography. English patch available.)
Mizubaku Daibouken (platforming)
Ninja Sprit (action)
Operation Wolf (lightgun)
Soukoban World (puzzle)
Splatterhouse (beat 'em up)
Valkyrie no Densetsu (action. English patch available)

PC Engine CD
Gate of Thunder (shmup)
Kaze Kiri - Ninja Action (action)
Lords of Thunder (shmup)
Mugen Senshi Valis - The Legend of a Fantasm Soldier (action / platforming)
Ys Book I & II (RPG)

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

Unfortunately due to the absolute FLOP the PC Engine was in the west, the majority are Japan only.

-Renny Blaster
-Blazing Lazers
-Gate of Thunder
-Bonk series
-Zonk duology
-Galaxy Princess Yuna (Galaxy Fraulein Yuna)
-Legendary Policewoman Sapphire (Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire)
-Lords of Thunder
-Super Star Soldier
-Final Soldier
-Nexzyr (not Special)
-Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
-Legend of Xanadu duology
-Dragon Slayer franchise
-dunno if it can run Supergrafx games but if so, 1941: Counter Attack and Battle Ace
-Alien Crush and Devil’s Crush
-Burning Angels
-Bomberman
-Bravoman
-Coryoon
-Psychosis
-Maerchen Maze
-Exile franchise
-Wonder Momo
-Valkyrie no Densetsu
-Might & Magic
-Valis franchise tends to have better PC Engine versions than other consoles
-Star Parodier
-Sylphia
-Tengai Makyou: Ziria
-Super Darius I & II
-Ys: Book I & II
-Ys III: Wanderers of Ys (solely for the best version of the soundtrack)
-Ys IV: Dawn of Ys (as a game in general)
-Kai 1943 (a port of 1943: The Battle of Midway with extra content)
-Ai Cho Aniki
-After Burner II
-Aldynes
-Soldier Blade
-Asuka 120% Maxima Burning Fest
-Bomberman 93
-Bomberman 94
-Cho Aniki
-Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams
-Detana Twinbee
-Gradius
-Gradius II
-Kiki KaiKai
-Magical Chase
-Ordyne
-Puyo Puyo CD
-Puyo Puyo CD Tsu
-Rabio Lepus
-Raiden
-Riot Zone

 

[NotGodlike]

Everything Hudson made, specifically Star Soldier series, the amount of replay value and action they have is totally worth owning a console for

 

[TruxtonTatsujin TruxtonTatsujin]

Unfortunately due to the absolute FLOP the PC Engine was in the west, the majority are Japan only.

True, It was actually much cheaper to import the PC Engine that try and find a Turbografx locally because of it. Which was fine by me, I much prefer the look of the OG Small white model over all the others anyway. The library being mostly tailored for just Japan makes it feel very unique compared to the other popular consoles of the time. Plus having to play some many games that are only in Japanese helps me learn a few more works here and there.
btw the flashcard can run supergrafx, but only if you put it in a supergrafx console. Other than that I can run pretty much everything else.

 

[Cu-Neo]

Neutopia

 

[bjork]

No Ri Ko is worth seeing at least once
I like Tricky Kick
Also, Energy is worth seeing just to hear the cool music, the game itself is pretty abysmal.

 

[Zooey]

Blazing Lasers - maybe my favorite

Air Zonk

Both of those Crush pinball games

 

[UnDubious]

Oh, I forgot one of my favorite PC Engine shmups, Down Load. This one is fast and frantic but pretty forgiving (infinite credits + passwords IIRC). Cool setting too, kind of cyberpunk with the game beginning on a Akira-style hoverbike. Down Load 2 is decent too but the first one is better.

 

[TruxtonTatsujin TruxtonTatsujin]

this cover is pretty sick. I'm immediately sold. Never heard of this one looking forward to checking it out.

Oh, I forgot one of my favorite PC Engine shmups, Down Load. This one is fast and frantic but pretty forgiving (infinite credits + passwords IIRC). Cool setting too, kind of cyberpunk with the game beginning on a Akira-style hoverbike. Down Load 2 is decent too but the first one is better.

 

[SecretStrategist]

Aside from the games already mentioned above, you should also check out these ones as well:

Original:
The Kaizou Choujin Shubibinman Trilogy (the third game is CD exclusive)
Dead Moon
Dinoforce
Mashin Hero Wataru (localized as Keith Courage in Alpha Zones)
Genji Tsuushin Agedama
New Adventure Island
Marchen Maze
Fushigi no Yume no Alice
The Ninja Warriors
Terra Cresta II
The Legendary Axe duology
Street Fighter II: Champion Edition

CD:
Advanced Variable Geo
Ane-san
Art of Fighting
Asuka 120% Maximum Burning Fest.
Bomberman: Panic Bomber
Bonanza Bros.
Buster Bros.
Chiki Chiki Boys (Mega Twins)
Cosmic Fantasy 2
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari (River City Ransom)
The Dynastic Hero
Fatal Fury Special
Faussete Amour
Final Zone II
Fray CD: Xak Gaiden
FX Unit Yuki: The Henshin Engine
Galaxy Keiji Gayvan
Hellfire S: The Another Story
Hihou Densetsu: Chris no Bouken
Horror Story
Image Fight II
Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action
Kiaidan 00
L-Dis
Last Alert
Macross 2036
Mad Stalker: Full Metal Force
Martial Champion
Metamor Jupiter
Monster Lair
Moonlight Lady
Motteke Tamago
Mystic Formula
Nexzr
Princess Minerva
Psychic Storm
R-Type Complete CD
Rainbow Islands
Rayxanber III
Seirei Senshi Spriggan
Space Fantasy Zone
Splash Lake
Spriggan Mark 2
Star Parodier
Strider
The Super Darius games
Super Raiden
Summer Carnival '92 Alzadick
Syd Mead's Terra Forming
The Tengai Makyou games
World Heroes 2
Xak III: The Eternal Recurrence

 

[UnDubious]

Oh man yeah, Legendary Axe is one of my favorite games in its genre. Great action-platformer. LA2 is alright too, but again the first game is better. Splatterhouse is cool too.

 

[Varyag]

There are many great games there. My ROM library isn't too big, but I went mostly for the exclusive shmups I didn't already have on MAME.

 

[DanCalibur]

I have only beaten Tengai Makyo: Ziria. It's an incredibly advanced game in some aspects and at the same time full of old quirks from the 80's, a very fun combination. Also the fan translation is better than many of professional ones

 

[UnDubious]

Ziria was promising but I completely burned out on the random encounters after a few hours. It's very much a 8-bit RPG in that sense, just relentless with overlong dungeons and little story. Takes forever to get another party member too. I hope the second game and the gaiden get translated, they were released during the 16-bit era so I would expect them to be more my style.

 

[tigg]

Curious, does the PC Engine games play in english?

 

[OpenVMS]

Curious, does the PC Engine games play in english?

AFAIK it is not region locked, so if you get your hands on a JP PC Engine game it works fine on the US TG16 and the other way around works too.

EDIT: I am wrong... there are products like this: https://www.tototek.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_5_41&products_id=211

 

[stealthRUSH stealthRUSH]

SonSon II
Mr. Heli no Daibouken
Gomola Speed
Legend of Hero Tonma
Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III
Atomic Robo-Kid Special
Dragon Egg!
Aero Blasters / Air Buster
Somer Assault
Momotaro Katsugeki
Cadash
Makai Prince Dorabocchan
Toy Shop Boys
Hana Taaka Daka!?
Metal Stoker
Battle Lode Runner
Chew Man Fu / Be-Ball
Tiger Road

CD:
Fausseté Amour
Galaxy Deka Gayvan
Bakushou Yoshimoto no Shinkigeki
Forgotten World
Pop'n Magic
Gain Ground SX
Flash Hiders
Iga Ninden Gaou
Steam Heart's
Hyper Dyne: Side Arms Special
Zero Wing

 

[Pinballbuzzbro]

Wont do a massive lost and just recommend you the best of the best games imo

Blazing lasers
Castlevania: Chi no Rondo
Gradius II
Double Dragon II
Sapphire
Bonk/bonk’s revenge