As a kind of test run, Shogakukan would publish three special PC Engine-focused issues under their Corocoro Comics line. The goal was twofold: to gauge interest in a dedicated monthly publication and to introduce the system to their existing readership. Since Corocoro Comics primarily targeted a younger audience, this also presented an ideal opportunity to hook that demographic early.
This article is not intended to be a retrospective history of the publication, but rather an in-the-moment examination. We’ll approach it as though we’ve just picked up the issue ourselves, armed only with the knowledge available at the time. We don’t yet know how far the PC Engine will go, what it will ultimately be capable of, or which games will become classics and which will fade into obscurity. Instead, we’ll take the information presented at face value, as a contemporary reader would have.
With that in mind, let’s dive into this first special issue.
THE COVER & CONTENTS
The cover highlights several of the book’s main selling points. R-Type Part II is set to release at the beginning of the following month, and this issue features in-depth coverage of both it and the original R-Type Part I. At the time, the arrival of the second half of R-Type on PC Engine was a major milestone, as it represented the continuation (and completion) of what was widely regarded as one of the systems shining examples of arcade perfection in the home, further cementing it's arcade accuracy compared to the competition.
The cover also marks the first appearance of this monkey character that would go on to serve as one of the book’s mascots. While it’s unclear whether the character was ever officially named, it appears repeatedly throughout the publication in a wide variety of outfits and situations. The illustration itself was drawn by Ryō Iwana, with cover design handled by Tomō Murata.
Translated headings from top to bottom:
PC Engine Special Rescue Team
1. Jaseiken Necromancer
2. Youkai Douchuuki
World Stadium
Certain Victory data book (Special Issue)
Special supplement
Desk mat with original design by HIBINO
Let's Play
Nakayama Shinobu's Playful Life
PC Engine World Fully Revealed!!
PC Engine Core Concept Q&A
Full Stage Maps R-Type Part II Complete Walkthrough
New Game Special Attack
- Galaga 88'
- Fantasy Zone
- Power League
1. Jaseiken Necromancer
2. Youkai Douchuuki
World Stadium
Certain Victory data book (Special Issue)
Special supplement
Desk mat with original design by HIBINO
Let's Play
Nakayama Shinobu's Playful Life
PC Engine World Fully Revealed!!
PC Engine Core Concept Q&A
Full Stage Maps R-Type Part II Complete Walkthrough
New Game Special Attack
- Galaga 88'
- Fantasy Zone
- Power League
The book opens, unsurprisingly, with a two page spread advertising various games and hardware. Which makes sense, as the magazine likely served as many readers’ first introduction to the console. Very boastful as well, saying things like:
The Era of the PC Engine has finally arrived! Have you experienced it yet?
"The beauty of its graphics, the power of its sound, and the sheer fun of playing it; the PC Engine has completely captivated us. Game software keeps arriving one after another, and its world is expanding at an accelerating pace. Don't get left behind."
The following page is the contents proper, but we'll refrain from going over it in detail for now. We'll cover it as it comes up. More importantly it features the first appearance of a certain PC Engine headed man, the other mascot character of the magazine. A Comic featuring him appears later in the book.
Ay yo who dat?
PC ENGINE NEW GAME SPECIAL ATTACK
This is pretty self-explanatory. This section focuses on upcoming releases, offering general overviews along with a few deeper looks at gameplay and core mechanics. The goal is to give you a sense of what to expect when you finally get your hands on each game, while highlighting what makes each title stand out. For the purposes of this article (and my own sanity), we won’t be going into extensive detail. If you want to see more I encourage you to take a look at the magazine yourself. I'll just translate a few key excerpts to give you an idea of how the magazine is trying to sell you on each game.Galaga 88'
| Namco | July 15th Release | 4900円 |
The 1988 version of ‘Galaga’ arrives on the PC Engine!
Annihilate the entire Galaga Army!
The Galaga Army has returned! This time we'll destroy them for good!
"Just the other day I wiped them all out, and now they've come back to life already?!? Complaining like this won't do me any good. At any rate, it's certain that the Galaga Army
have started to appear in the universe once again.
Odd phenomena occur where the Galaga emerge, celestial bodies that are suppose to be there vanish, and planets never before seen materialize. Surprisingly, the Galaga have gained the ability to move freely between dimensions. And so, the protagonist Yeager goes to investigate the mysterious resurrection of the Galaga and embarks on a dimensional journey towards the Galaga Star.
Galaga 88' has a total of 29 rounds. The reason it remains such a smash hit in arcades even now is surely down to its absolutely gorgeous graphics, such as it's firework effects and unique enemy characters, for example. Plus, it's not just another shooting game where you mindlessly mash buttons in hopes to rack-up a big score.
Alright then, let's finally head to the Galaga Star. This time, we'll wipe out the entire army!"
The book shows off the boss you'll face in each dimension. From left to right: Nyuhoho boss, daidai boss, Kamehame boss, hāihāi boss
Fantasy Zone
| NEC Avenue | July Release | Expected Price 4900円 |
“Fantasy Zone” is coming to the PC Engine!!
Pilot the cute and comical Opa-Opa and charge into Fantasy Zone!!
After all, the Engine's graphical power is explosive!
"The arcade smash hit Fantasy Zone is coming to the PC Engine this July. After all, it's adorable characters and pastel-coloured graphics proved hugely popular, with girls' voices echoing throughout the arcades, it's a truly legendary game. Up until now, the Famicom and Sega Mark III versions where a big hit, however true Fantasy Zone fans where a little disappointed. That beautiful opening scene couldn't been seen, and the frontline bases don't crash after being shot down (They vanish in a flash and turn into money), The way the boss characters appear on screen with no background during the battle, and so on. However, please rest assured.
To all Fantasy Zone fans across Japan, the PC Engine version is, quite frankly, amazing. These graphics!! This music!! Yes, even the most brazen who think NEC Avenue is irrelevant will be apologising at this level of perfection. Without a doubt, you'll be hooked this summer. A world of pastel colours unfolds within your dreams, and with a bang bang bang a Stumpalon might just appear." (TL note: Stumpalon is the name of the first boss)
"Here's the whole map at once!!"
The right shows off the frontline base that appears in each scene. The top right apologises for the absence of scenes 2 & 8, as they weren't finished in time for publication.
Power League
| Hudson | June 24th Release | 4900円 |
You're the one to conquer the Power League!
A level of realism, speed and intensity never before seen in a baseball game. All of this made possible by the PC Engine, this is Power League. The screen following the ball from above is just like the top camera of the Tokyo Dome. You'll be overwhelmed by the sheer intensity, as you feel yourself getting more fired up day by day. Now let's aim for the championship and PLAY BALL!!
Sengoku Mahjong
| Hudson | July Expected Release | 4500円 |
On a table that feels more authentic than ever,
how high can you climb with your winning hands?
Your opponents are 12 men and women who shaped Japan's Sengoku period.
Place your dreams upon the mahjong tiles and conquer the whole of Japan.
R-TYPE PART II COMPLETE WALKTHROUGH
When I said this book covers R-Type Part II in depth, I wasn’t kidding. The following twenty pages are dedicated to walking you through all four of the game’s stages (and that’s not even counting the coverage Part I receives later in the book). While we won't be going through all of it, I hope to give you an idea of what these pages entail. There was clearly a tremendous amount of hype surrounding this release. I suppose I should explain why this got the "Part II" moniker. Early HuCard games couldn't hold much, so in order to faithfully port the arcade version, R-Type had to be split across two separate releases. It was a compromise that ultimately paid off, the PC Engine version was widely praised for it's arcade accuracy, making the two-part structure feel more like a feature rather than a drawback.R-Type Part II
| Hudson | June 3rd Release | 4900円 |
A relentless onslaught of terrifying enemies is about to strike the whole of Japan.
Amidst the tense atmosphere just before release, we exclusively reveal its strategies and clear methods!!
The Game difficulty is super A-class!
"The PC Engine version of R-type is basically a perfect port of the arcade version. Consequentially, not only are the graphics and enemy patterns unchanged from the original, but the level of difficulty remains as well.
The arcade version is said to be a "very hard shooter," and the difficulty level of R-TYPE II, which contains its latter stages (5 to 8), is super A-class!! Even those skilled in games will find it quite challenging to clear without considerable practice.
In this special feature, we've included a comprehensive strategy guide with complete maps to help you complete the game.
For shooting games, it's quite difficult to convey complete strategies in just a magazine, but we've tried to make it as easy to understand as possible, so we hope it helps you as you play. Of course, it goes without saying that ultimately, your efforts and technique will determine whether you win!
Now then, into the shooting world!!"
Graphic illustrating the Force’s power-up progression and its behaviour in both combined and separated states
The next page reviews the core mechanics before moving into strategy. Holding the fire button charges the beam gauge; releasing it unleashes a shot whose power depends on charge level, with the fully charged Wave Cannon delivering the equivalent of twenty normal shots.
Power-ups come from destroying POW Armour, which drop various Units used to strengthen your ship the R-9. Of these, the three Laser Units; Anti-Air (red), Reflect (blue), and Ground (yellow), are the most important, as collecting them equips and upgrades the Force weapon (similar to an option in other shooters). Additional units include Speed, Missiles, and the Bit (an invincible option that absorbs shots and can ram enemies).
The Force evolves in stages depending on how many Laser Units you collect, growing larger and more powerful. It can be combined with the R-9 or separated at the press of a button, allowing flexible offense and defence. Combined, it enables powerful laser attacks (including rear attacks when positioned behind the ship). Separated, it fires beams in increasingly complex patterns as more units are collected, ranging from a single directional beam to multi-directional fire. Mastery of switching between these states is key to success.
Success depends on smart Force management. choosing whether to attach it to the front or rear, selecting the right laser type, and knowing when (or when not) to separate. Enemy waves attacking from the front favour a forward-mounted Force, while rear attacks call for mounting it behind as a shield. Anti-air lasers handle side threats best, reflect lasers work well for enemies above or below, and ground lasers should be used sparingly (while it has it's uses, they're few and far between). Beginners are encouraged to rely mainly on combined attacks until they get the hang of manoeuvring the separated Force.
In games where you power-up, recovering from a death can be quite the uphill battle. This is true for R-type too, being dropped into a difficult stage without your Force unit can make mounting a comeback extremely difficult. To address this, the guide features a section entitled the "Restart Clear Method", where it goes over how to recover from each of the game's checkpoints, walking you through how to re-arm yourself quickly.
Example of what one of the stage guides look like. As you can see it's very involved
A similar section appears a little later in the book focusing on Part I. Its presentation closely mirrors the coverage here, so I won't dwell on it too much. What is kind of interesting is the mention of a password system that allows you to carry your progress over into Part II. Something that hadn’t been brought up prior. There’s also a small amount of behind the scenes information here.
Let's enjoy the ultimate port to the fullest!!
"As everyone knows, R-TYPE I & II is a port of last year's arcade hit "R-TYPE" for the PC Engine, split across two cartridges. So, as a bonus to the strategy guide, here's a behind the scenes story about the "R-TYPE" port, as told by Hudson's development staff.
To create a "perfect port that looks exactly like the real thing from every angle", the staff worked non-stop for about six months. They faithfully reproduced not only the graphics, including the terrifying enemies, but also every minor bug. There were even some "not-so-funny" stories, like a programmer working desperately shouting, "I just can't get this bug to port!" The most challenging aspect was memory compression. The arcade version had no memory constraints, but the PC Engine, being cartridge-based, naturally had limitations. This necessitated a two-cartridge release, but their efforts paid off: everything fit onto two cartridges, even including bonus PCE original characters. Technically hailed as the "ultimate port", R-TYPE; enjoy it to the fullest!!"
World Stadium Certain Victory Data Book
Before coming to the PC Engine as "World Stadium", the series was already a massive hit on the Famicom under the name "Family Stadium". The book features complete data on all the teams and players present in the game, along with strategies on how to beat them. Before that though, there's a section that showcases World Stadium and all it has to offer, similar to how the "New Game special attack" section was handled. The book directly compares it to Family Stadium 87', highlighting just how much of an improvement World Stadium is.World Stadium
| Namco | May 20th Release | 4900円 |
A homerun flies out like a bullet at 200 meters!
This superpowered baseball game has been enhanced by the PC Engine!
Homeruns and fumbles happening left and right, what a thrill!!
"The popular Family Stadium series has been brough to the PC Engine! It's been crammed full with the latest player stats and registered player data. Naturally, the game plays the same as Family Stadium. You can use all the techniques you've honed up until now. Not only that, as you'd expect for the PC Engine, the game has been enhanced. The ball can be hit even further distances and the occasional fumble or dropped ball will occur, making for an even more thrilling experience. In addition, In 1 player mode, three legendary teams of extraordinary abilities make their appearance. They're here to challenge the skilled player who dares face them. Furthermore, there's also a ton of other things to see and hear, including more realistic graphics and voice synthesis. This is truly the ultimate baseball game!!"
Data on "All Dreams", the strongest of the aforementioned legendary teams
The "Certain Victory" book covers complete data on all 13 teams separately with each having four main sections. Strategies when batting, strategies when pitching and two data tables for both pitchers and batters. Teams are also given an overall rating based on median batting average, home runs, running ability and defensive power to directly compare to the others. There's also a small section at the beginning of the book that gives you 6 basic techniques on how to win (pitching, batting, running etc.)
All About PC Engine World
This section exists solely to hype up the system itself, and that it does. Boldy declaring it as a "Super Machine". Having debuted spectacularly on October 31st of last year. What is it capable of and what does the future hold? The time has come to fully dissect it!A Super Machine Developed to Expand the Possibilities of Gaming!!
the PC Engine is framed as the inevitable next step after six years of rapid technological progress in the home console space. As electronics advanced and games grew more sophisticated, both players and developers were left wanting more. Bigger thrills, richer worlds, and experiences that simply weren’t possible on existing hardware. The PC Engine is introduced as the long-awaited answer to that hunger.
The Four Major Features of the PC Engine
These are the four strengths of the PC Engine as a game console.
This machine is a cut above the rest!!
Arcade Quality Graphics
"First and foremost are the console's graphic capabilities. As you can see with R-TYPE, the console's ability to recreate arcade quality graphics is simply amazing! Compared to other game consoles, the colour palette and processing speed have seen an upgrade, allowing for more large and detailed characters to be displayed. In other words, it's a perfect fit for porting arcade shooting games. What's more, character animation has also seen a dramatic power-up."
Stereo Sound
"Not just graphics, but sound too has been upgraded. When it comes to game consoles, sound is synthesized internally to create music. When that happens, the console utilises it's 6 Memory + 2 noise channels, totalling 8. This is twice as much as the Famicom, and with the currently available AV booster, you can enjoy games in stereo sound. Since the sound in recent games keeps getting better and better, this feature should not be underestimated."
5 Player Simultaneous Play
"Connect multiple pads simultaneously to play with up to 5 people at once! Considering the number of simulation games will likely increase, this feature that allows you to play with lots of friends is a welcome one. Perhaps you could even daisy-chain Multitaps together and play with 10 or even 15 people? Look forward to the action RPG “Dungeon Explorer” for five players, coming around autumn."
Impressive Expandability
"The fourth feature is the console's expandability. The expansion port at the back of the unit (the area with many pins) can output 26 different signals, allowing it to be connected to a variety of devices. This expandability is covered in detail in the section “All About the Core Concept” starting on the next page, so be sure to read it thoroughly."
All About The Core Concept
This section is mostly just a bit of fun by the editorial staff, imagining all the possible "Cores" that could be connected through the expansion port. 3 core concepts are theoretically presented, with the 4th being the actual CD-ROM attachment that would soon release. They would then go on to explain the benefits of the CD format and it's technical specifications.Concept art for the theoretical LCD, printer and modem cores
Concept #1
PC Engine + LCD Television = Portable TV Gaming
This concept imagines the PC Engine as a fully portable, battery powered system by docking it with an LCD screen. Though they say the current size of LCDs available now are a bit to small, so they hope to see a bigger one used for this. The editorial staff argue that portability isn’t just about playing outdoors, but about fitting games into daily life. Places where killing time is difficult, like Long train commutes. The LCD also doubles as a television, letting users switch between gaming and watching broadcasts depending on their mood. They also speculate about experimental uses such as camera equipped remote control cars that you can view live on the screen.
Concept #2
PC Engine + Printer + Tablet = DT Printing
The next core concept is a system that uses the PC Engine for printing. Using a "Mouse Tablet" as the input device. Drawings made on this tablet are then printed using a "plotter printer". They then go on to explain what these two devices are, as they assume the readers are not familiar with either. The tablet would be a transparent glass-like plate, which you could place over things like manga to trace over them. The ‘Plotter Printer’ is a printing device where the pen moves freely across the paper to draw the input. By swapping the pen tip (which would probably happen automatically), it can even do colour printing. Graphic design software would also most likely be released in HuCard format.
Concept #3
PC Engine + Modem = Personal Computer Communication
This one is definitely the most interesting of the theoretical cores shown, as it's essentially conceptualizing online multiplayer. "The multitap is great and all, but what if I want to play with more than 5 people?" That's the question posed at the beginning of this section, and this potential communications system is their answer. With the modem connected through the expansion port and hooked up to a phone line, multiplayer games where dozens or even hundreds can play simultaneously become possible. They highlight the potential advantages RPGs could gain from this, having vast worlds with multiple parties; fighting over items, teaming up to defeat enemies and even forming parties all with people met online. In the interview coming up, they further discuss these possibilities.
Concept #4
PC Engine + CD = CD-ROM
The CD-ROM is presented as the ultimate highlight of the PC Engine’s core concept. Saving the best for last. It's much like a regular CD (compact disc) player, though this one connects to the PC Engine and software is stored on discs. A single CD-ROM can hold about 540 megabytes. Previously, when discussing game size, they would simply say “2 mega,” but this actually referred to 2 megabits. Since 1 byte equals 8 bits, a single CD-ROM could theoretically hold over 2,000 2-megabit games! This is, quite frankly, a tremendous amount of space. With this much storage, developers could not only increase game size, but also include far more graphical data. Ports previously abandoned due to capacity constraints could finally become possible. Furthermore, we could see this system used for other purposes beyond games. Using the PC Engine's graphical capabilities and the CD-ROM's large storage, other types of electronic publishing become possible. illustrated encyclopaedias, picture books, manga, and more; enhanced with sound and animation. (Actually, this project is already underway! For details, see the next page!) At any rate, this is a super machine the likes of which have never been seen before. Make sure you keep your eye on this one!
With such huge capacity available, it puts more of a burden on the programmers. That's why they're considering introducing CD singles (a.k.a. mini CD). This will lower production and development cost, and result in games being cheaper. However, rest assured, even as a single the storage capacity is still many times greater than previous games. Standard music CDs can also be played, and you can expect games to feature real recorded audio such as orchestral music and spoken dialogue. There may even be more innovative uses such as a puzzle game where the sound itself provides clues!
Development is targeting a release around autumn, however the price is yet to be determined. Though it's expected to be considerably cheaper than CD-ROM drives used in personal computers. (So now might be a good time to start appealing to your parents) Four launch titles are announced: Tengai Makyou, an ambitious RPG showcasing CD-ROM strengths with voiced characters and rich audio-visuals; Fighting Street, a port of the arcade Street Fighter; Bikkuriman Daijikai, a voiced and animated CD-ROM encyclopaedia marking the start of electronic publishing; and a fourth, unrevealed title rumoured to be an idol game.
PC Engine Man Manga
To close things out, here’s a scanlation of the debut issue of PC Engine Man! This first issue focuses on the potential of the CD medium, trying to predict what amazing advancements it could bring. The character of PC Engine Man himself is presented as a very loud, goofy, and brutish character, who's only goal is to promote NEC's gift to the earth: the PC Engine and the upcoming CD-ROM drive. This manga was written and draw by Oohashi Yoshihiko, who is credited here under one of his pen names, Uoryaa Ohashi. He's done other manga for Shogakukan in the past, primarily creating comedic and educational comics aimed at children.*This manga is read from left to right
Conclusion
Well, my original goal was to cover the entirely of this first issue's contents, but due to both workload and the limitations of this site I'll have to call it here, at least for now. Honestly when I set out on this I very much underestimated how much work this was going to be, so the site stopping me from making this any bigger is kind of a blessing. However, before I realized the article was too big I had already translated the interview with Mr. Nakamoto, so it had to but cut due to the character limit. I'll post it on it's own at a later date.If you want to see any more coverage of old Japanese gaming publications, let me know. As for the PC Engine, Shogakukan would go on to do 2 more special issues before going into a monthly publication proper in January of 89' as Gekkan PC Engine. Also around that time two other publications would start-up as well, PC Engine Fan and Marukatsu PC Engine. So there's still much more to dig through on that front.
Unfortunately, Mr. Nakamoto had too much to say and had to be cut from this article :(
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