Peripheral Vision: Turbopad

If you owned a Turbografx-16 you’ll certainly remember this controller

» PLATFORM: Turbografx-16 » RELEASED: 1989

» COST: $19.99 (launch), £40+ (boxed, today), £15+ (unboxed, today)

When revising the PC Engine controller for the North American market, NEC decided not to make too many changes. The most obvious and least functionally significant is the aesthetic overhaul. While the basic shape and style of the controller remain unchanged from the Japanese original, ensuring that it retained the familiarity of the

NES layout with slight ergonomic improvements, the colour scheme was revamped – black, orange and yellow to match the Turbografx styling.

The other two changes are more substantial. Firstly, turbo switches were added to the I and II buttons, allowing players to enjoy rapid fire and further supporting the console’s new name. These switches offered two different rates of fire for greater flexibility than most turbo controllers, so they were a welcome addition. Secondly, NEC inexplicably decided to change the controller connector. The circular design is similar, but the Turbografx port is larger and has a different pinout, creating a regional incompatibility between PC Engine and Turbografx pads. This actually gets worse, though – when the Turboduo was introduced to North America, it returned to the original PC Engine controller connector style. This means that the original Turbopad requires an adaptor for compatibility with the Turboduo.