TurboPlay

TurboPlay is a magazine devoted exclusively to NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and TurboDuo consoles and games. It was the first magazine in the US devoted exclusively to the TG16, and its unique place in magazines and close resemblance to VideoGames & Computer Entertainment helped it enjoy a multi-year run despite the console's poor US performance.

History

Much like the original Electronic Games seemed to hold a special love for Magnavox's much-maligned Odyssey2, VG&CE was a frequent devotee of the TurboGrafx, giving extensive coverage to its launch and regularly featuring full, detailed reviews of nearly every game released. The magazine's cozy relationship with NEC was further reflected by the 1990 launch of TurboPlay, a 32-page magazine that always included at least four pages of advertising from the company or its successor, Turbo Technologies Inc. Since each issue was set at 32 pages and no newsstand distribution was available (the magazine was subscription-only and advertised chiefly via VG&CE house ads), it was easy for LFP to make a small profit with NEC's guaranteed income.

Each issue of TurboPlay reads like a miniature edition of VG&CE, with sections devoted to letters, news, reviews, previews, and strategy. With the PC Engine being far more popular in Japan, extra coverage was frequently given to Japan-only titles and trade shows starting with the fourth issue.

The magazine was initially written mostly by Andy Eddy, Donn Nauert, and Jim Allee, with Chris Bieniek joining the team in 1992. The Japan coverage was mostly handled by Victor Ireland, both before and after he founded Working Designs, his own publishing house that originally concentrated on TG16 releases.

The magazine was shuttered in the late summer of 1992, when TG16 magazine publication rights shifted to Sendai Publishing's TurboForce. It was resurrected in 1993 under the name Duo World.