View source for TurboExpress

{{Short description|1990 handheld game console by NEC}}
{{About||the software library|Turbo Vision}}
{{Original research|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name = TurboExpress/PC Engine GT
| logo = [[File:TurboExpress Logo.png|230px]]<br/>[[File:PC Engine GT Logo.png|150px]]
| image = NEC-TurboExpress-Upright-FL.jpg
| image_size = 230px
| caption = TurboExpress handheld
| manufacturer = [[NEC|NEC Home Electronics]]
| type = [[Handheld game console]]
| aka = HES-EXP-01
| generation = [[Fourth generation of video game consoles|Fourth]]
| releasedate = {{vgrelease|JP|December 1, 1990<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pc-engine.co.uk/?section=systems|title=PC-Engine|date=23 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623210846/http://www.pc-engine.co.uk/?section=systems|access-date=29 December 2018|archive-date=2018-06-23}}</ref>|NA|December 1990}}
| discontinued = {{vgrelease|NA|1994<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=17673|title=TurboGrafx-16 TurboExpress - Overview - allgame|date=14 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114094414/http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=17673|access-date=29 December 2018|archive-date=2014-11-14}}</ref>}}
| price = $249.99, ¥44,800
| unitssold = 1.5 million units
| media = [[HuCard]]
| power = 6 [[AA batteries]] or 6 volt [[AC adapter]]
| cpu = [[HuC6280]]
| CPUspeed = 7.16&nbsp;MHz or 1.79&nbsp;MHz
| memory = 8&nbsp;KB [[RAM]]<br/>64&nbsp;KB [[VRAM]]
| display = 2.6 in. TFT active matrix backlit LCD, 336×221 pixels, 512 color palette, 481 colors on-screen
| graphics = 2x [[HuC6270A]] VDC
| sound = [[HuC6280]], 6-channel wavetable synthesis and PCM playback, monophonic speaker, 3.5mm stereo output jack
| connectivity = TurboLink
| related = [[TurboGrafx-16]]
}}

The '''TurboExpress''' is a [[16-bit]] [[handheld game console]] by [[NEC|NEC Home Electronics]], released in late 1990 in Japan and the United States, branded as the '''PC Engine GT''' in Japan and '''TurboExpress Handheld Entertainment System''' in the U.S. It is essentially a portable version of the [[TurboGrafx-16]] home console that came out one to three years earlier. Its launch price in Japan was ¥44,800 and {{US$|249.99|1990|round=-1}} in the U.S.

The TurboExpress was technically advanced for the time, able to play all the TurboGrafx{{nbh}}16's [[HuCard]] games, featuring a [[Backlight|backlit]], [[Active matrix|active-matrix]] color [[LCD]] screen, and optional [[TV tuner]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.defunctgames.com/history/21/the-turboexpress-has-won-the-war|title=The TurboExpress Has won the War|last=Lachel|first=Cyril|date=February 22, 2012|website=Defunct Games|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623193643/http://www.defunctgames.com/history/21/the-turboexpress-has-won-the-war|archive-date=June 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The TurboExpress primarily competed with [[Nintendo]]'s [[Game Boy]], [[Sega]]'s [[Game Gear]], and the [[Atari Lynx]]. With 1.5 million units sold, far behind its two main competitors, NEC failed to gain significant sales or market share in the handheld market.<ref name="gamepro">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.gamepro.com/gamepro/domestic/games/features/125748.shtml|title=The 10 Worst-Selling Handhelds of All Time|last=Snow|first=Blake|date=July 30, 2007|magazine=[[GamePro]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012194600/http://gamepro.com/gamepro/domestic/games/features/125748.shtml|archive-date=October 12, 2007|access-date=January 17, 2008}}</ref>

==History==
The TurboExpress's [[Project code name|codename]] was ''Game Tank''. A working prototype was revealed in the April 1990 issue of [[VG&CE]].<ref>{{cite magazine|date=April 1990|title=Game Tank|url=http://archives.tg-16.com/VGCE/VGCE_1990_04_024.jpg|magazine=[[TurboPlay]]|page=24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623194636/http://archives.tg-16.com/VGCE/VGCE_1990_04_024.jpg|archive-date=June 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> It was eventually released in December 1990 in both Japan and the U.S. Its price in the U.S. was briefly raised to $299.99 in March 1991 due to higher costs of the display,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archives.tg-16.com/TURBOPLAY/TP-05-11.jpg|title=TurboExpress release|date=March 1991|publisher=TurboPlay|via=tg-16.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623205845/http://archives.tg-16.com/TURBOPLAY/TP-05-11.jpg|archive-date=June 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> before dropping back to its launch price of $249.99, and lowering the price again to $199.99 in 1992.{{Citation needed|date=September 2018}}

Regardless of its technical advantages upon its release, the TurboExpress was not widely recognized or adopted by consumers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=5:17673|title=TurboGrafx-16 TurboExpress|last=Marriott|first=Scott Alan|publisher=[[AllGame]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406021702/http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=17673|archive-date=April 6, 2009}}</ref> In addition to NEC's marketing issues, the handheld was initially released for $249.99, significantly higher than popular competitors.  Because of this price tag, it was labeled as the "[[Rolls-Royce Motor Cars|Rolls-Royce]] of handheld systems".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://most-expensive.net/handheld-video-game-system|title=Most Expensive Handheld Video Game System|date=October 14, 2006|publisher=The Most Expensive Journal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130119143432/http://most-expensive.net/handheld-video-game-system|archive-date=January 19, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> On the other hand, the ability to run the same software as its console counterpart meant that additional portable system specific software did not have to be purchased if already owning the console, resulting in a (oftentimes substantial) cost savings.

==Hardware==
[[File:PC Engine GT.jpg|thumb|left|The PC Engine GT]]

The screen is sized 66&nbsp;mm (2.6 in.), the same as the original [[Game Boy]]. It can display 64 [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]]s at once, 16 per [[Scan line|scanline]], in up to 481 colors from a [[Palette (computing)|palette]] of 512.{{Citation needed|date=June 2008}} It has 8 [[kilobyte]]s of [[Random Access Memory|RAM]], and it runs a [[HuC6280]] [[Central processing unit|CPU]] at 1.79 or 7.16 [[megahertz|MHz]], same as TurboGrafx-16.{{Citation needed|date=September 2018}}

The TurboExpress had a [[backlit]] display. Handheld market leader [[Nintendo]] did not have a backlit handheld until the release of the [[Game Boy Light]] in 1998. Its keypad layout is similar to that of the original [[Game Boy]], with the unique addition of two "turbo switches" that engage two levels of high-speed controller button re-triggering to assist the player.{{Citation needed|date=September 2018}}

Due to a problem with faulty [[capacitor]]s (an industry-wide issue in the early 1990s), sound failure is a frequent problem with the TurboExpress, sometimes even in new systems.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=702.0 |title={title} |access-date=2008-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408105248/http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=702.0 |archive-date=2008-04-08 |url-status=live }}</ref> The screen used in the TurboExpress was another source for problems, though it was state of the art when it was released. The [[Liquid-crystal display|LCD]] technology used was still fairly new and the rate of [[Defective pixel|pixel failure]] was very high. Brand-new TurboExpress systems often had several bad pixels. Text is also difficult or impossible to read in certain circumstances, as many times fonts were written to be seen on a television screen, not on a small LCD screen. As a result, certain [[Role-playing game|RPGs]] and [[adventure game]]s can be difficult to play on the unit.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

The TurboExpress plays the same [[game cartridges]] as the TurboGrafx-16 home console.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://ew.com/article/1991/03/15/1991-gadget-guide/|title=1991 Gadget guide|work=EW.com|access-date=2018-09-10|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001084323/http://www.ew.com/article/1991/03/15/1991-gadget-guide|archive-date=2015-10-01|url-status=live}}</ref> Some TurboGrafx-16 [[HuCard]]s save game data to the internal memory of the [[TurboGrafx-CD]] unit, [[TurboDuo]], or TurboBooster Plus (a peripheral for the core TG-16 console). The TurboExpress lacks this internal memory and, as a result, is not capable of saving in this manner. Most games provide a [[Password (video games)|password save]] mechanism as an alternative.

The battery life is about three hours for 6 [[AA batteries]]. This is also a problem for other color and backlit or sidelit handhelds of the time, such as the [[Game Gear]] at 5–6 hours, the [[Sega Nomad]] at 2–3 hours, and the [[Atari Lynx]] at more than 4 hours. Nintendo's Game Boy had a 12- to 40-hour lifespan on 4 AA batteries.

===Specifications===
*[[Central processing unit|CPU]]: [[HuC6280]]
*[[Clock rate|CPU speed]]: 7.16&nbsp;MHz or 1.79&nbsp;MHz (switchable in software)
*[[Display resolution|Resolution]]: 400x270 [[pixel]]s
*[[Palette (computing)|Color palette]]: 512 colors; 9-bit [[RGB]]
*Max simultaneous colors: 481 on screen
*Max [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]]: 64
*Audio: 6-voice [[wavetable synthesis]]

===TurboLink===
[[File:NEC-TurboExpress-COM-Link-Cable.jpg|thumb|right|The TurboLink cable]]
The TurboLink allows two-player play. ''[[Falcon (video game series)|Falcon]]'', a flight simulator, includes "head-to-head" [[dogfight]] and cooperative modes that can only be accessed via TurboLink.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Review Crew: Falcon|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=36|publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=July 1992|page=24|url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_036|access-date=2018-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729080951/https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_036|archive-date=2018-07-29|url-status=live}}</ref> This technology was also used for ''[[Bomberman '93]]'' Com-Link multiplayer. Although it was released after the TurboExpress launch, very few TG-16 games offer co-op play modes especially designed with the TurboExpress in mind.{{Citation needed|date=September 2018}}

===TurboVision===
[[File:NEC-TurboExpress-wTurboVision.jpg|thumb|upright|The TurboVision TV tuner]]
TurboVision is a [[TV tuner]] adapter for the TurboExpress converting the TurboExpress into a [[handheld television]].<ref name=":0" /> The accessory was available at launch for {{US$|100|1990|round=-1}}.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://archives.tg-16.com/PLAYBOY/Playboy_1991_04.pdf|title=PlayBoy Collection|magazine=Playboy|publication-date=April 1991|via=tg-16.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105223547/http://archives.tg-16.com/PLAYBOY/Playboy_1991_04.pdf|archive-date=January 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> It allowed a player to either watch television, or go back to playing games with the flip of a switch; in other words, one may use the TurboExpress as a video monitor. It includes an [[RCA connector|RCA audio/video input]] for external [[composite video]] signals. Due to the widespread adoption of [[digital television]] and the [[HDTV]] standard, however, the adapter will no longer function as a television in most places due to the lack of any HDTV digital processing circuitry (the tuner can only process an [[analog signal]] for television). Due to this limitation, the TV tuner adapter is now relegated to a collectible for most people, although its RCA audio/video input function will still be operational (albeit limited with its low screen resolution).

==Reception==
''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' favorably compared TurboExpress to the Game Boy, but stated that the NEC handheld "gobbles power like crazy ... almost forcing players to ''immediately'' purchase an [[AC adapter]]". The magazine nonetheless praised its compatibility with TurboGrafx games, and concluded, "to see this machine in action is to fall in love with it".<ref name="adams199101">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=78|title=Firing Up the TurboExpress / NEC's Hot New Hand-Held System|author=Adams|first=Roe R. III|date=January 1991|magazine=Computer Gaming World|access-date=17 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623205300/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=78|archive-date=June 23, 2018|url-status=live|pages=64}}</ref>

''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' praised the new [[16-bit|16 bit]] computer architecture of the system and the graphics of the games, but warned that the small screen is a downgrade for those used to playing the games on a big screen.<ref name=":0" />

== See also ==
* [[TurboGrafx-16]]
*[[TurboGrafx-16 Mini]], a home video game console with a TurboExpress display option.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Other sources==
*''The Electronic Gaming Monthly 1991 Video Game Buyers Guide''.

{{NEC video game consoles}}
{{Fourth generation game consoles}}
{{Handheld game consoles}}

[[Category:Handheld game consoles]]
[[Category:TurboGrafx-16]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1990]]
[[Category:1990s toys]]
[[Category:Discontinued handheld game consoles]]