Ep.218 – Turbo PCs: Exploring the History of the NEC PC Engine
A Trip Down Memory Card Lane · David Kassin and Robert Kassin
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Show Notes
In 1987, NEC and Hudson Soft teamed up to release the PC Engine, a console that pushed technology forward while staying small enough to fit in your hand. In this episode, we explore how an electronics giant and a software studio joined forces to challenge Nintendo and Sega at the height of the console wars. We discuss the console’s compact design, its unique HuCard media, and how it became the first system to introduce CD-based gaming. Our conversation also dives into why the PC Engine thrived in Japan but struggled as the TurboGrafx-16 in North America, and how NEC’s tech quietly powered the next generation of consoles. Join us as we plug in our HuCards and revisit the story of the PC Engine on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.