The (Known as the TurboChip in regions where the PC Engine was marketed as the

TurboGrafx-16 The TurboGrafx-16, known in Japan as the , is a home video game console developed by Hudson Soft and manufactured by NEC. It was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1989. The first console of the fourth generation of video game con ...

) is a

ROM cartridge A ROM cartridge, usually referred to in context simply as a cartridge, cart, cassette, or card, is a replaceable part designed to be connected to a consumer electronics device such as a home computer, video game console or, to a lesser extent, ...

in the form of a card, designed by Hudson Soft for

NEC is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered at the NEC Supertower in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It provides IT and network solutions, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Inte ...

's PC Engine and PC Engine SuperGrafx

video game console A video game console is an electronic device that Input/output, outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can typically be played with a game controller. These may be home video game console, home consoles, which are generally ...

s, which were originally released in 1987 and 1989, respectively.

Development

The HuCard is an evolution from an earlier Hudson Soft technology, the Bee Card, which it developed in the early 1980s as a distribution medium for

MSX MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, the director at ASCII Corpo ...

software. The Bee Card is an EEPROM device that is slightly thinner than the HuCard. It has 32 connectors whereas the HuCard has 38. In July 1985, Hudson approached and pitched

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...

a new add-on for the Famicom that played games using the patented Bee Cards. Nintendo liked this concept, as it had the ability to store full games and overwrite existing ones. However, as the technology for it was expensive, and that they would have to pay royalties for each card sold, Nintendo decided to pass on Hudson's proposal and would go on to develop the Famicom Disk System instead. Hudson next approached NEC, who would end up partnering with Hudson to use the HuCard on its consoles. Most video game cartridges have a large plastic housing to protect the PCB while providing enough space inside for radiant heat and, in some cases, a button cell battery. The PCB in a HuCard or Bee Card is protected by a rigid, glossy polymer that conducts heat; since one side of the card is left partially exposed while inserted in the console, heat disperses with less obstruction.

Releases

Video game developer A video game developer is a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large business with em ...

s made new releases on HuCard until December 1994, when ''21 Emon: Mezase! Hotel Ō'' was released in Japan for the PC Engine. It was the last official release for the platform in any region. Hudson Soft, NEC, and other vendors published seven HuCard games specifically for the PC Engine SuperGrafx. Hudson Soft called this enhanced medium the Super HuCard. ''Atlantean'', an independent game released on a HuCard, was made available in August 2014. ''Jessie Jaeger in Cleopatra's Curse'' is a new title in development with a planned release in 2022.Reddit
Access date: September 10, 2022.

References

{{NEC video game consoles Computer-related introductions in 1987 Solid-state computer storage media TurboGrafx-16 Video game distribution Video game storage media

Development

Releases

See also

References