Okay all - here is the definitive technical breakdown of the NEC 
Turbografx-16 and Sega's Genesis, updated to reflect the latest
information available for both machines as of 07/01/90
  
The NEC does not have an 8088 as it's central processor - it has a 
modified 6502 processor (apple II computers used a plain 6502) running 
at 7.16MHz.  Yes, it is an 8-bit processor, BUT the important term here 
is MODIFIED.  This baby hums as it never did in an Apple.  It is 
customized for a video game environment and is rated at 1.5 MIPS 
(Million Instructions Per Second), Sega Genesis is only rated at 0.7 
MIPS (7.67 Mhz).  Yes, Genesis has a 68000 16-bit, but it is only a plain
vanilla 68000, not optimized for a video game environment - yes, it can
take two byte (16 bit) instructions at a time, but it is only running
LESS THAN HALF AS FAST as the TurboGrafx-16, so in the same period of 
time the TG-16 will move more information than the Genesis.  Sega Genesis 
uses a customized 16-bit video Graphics and Video Display Processor and 
the NEC uses a custom 16-bit Video processor and color encoder.  SEGA's
central processor also inserts up to 2 wait states, while the NEC 
CPU runs at 0 wait states.
 
TurboGrafx has 6 sound channels, Genesis has 11. They are broken down
as follows:  Genesis - 3 PSG's (Programmable Sound Generators), 6 FM
(Frequency Modulated channels, music mostly), 1 PCM (Pulse Code
Modulated, best suited for voice synthesis, but high memory overhead),
and 1 White noise channel.  NEC has all their sound channels as PSG's,
the type of generator best suited to all around use.  These can be used 
as Voice synthesizers, Sound effect generators, or music generators.
 
NEC's TurboGrafx can display up to 512 from a 512 color palette of 
colors simultaneously on the screen with a little work.  It's default 
mode (ie no 'tricks') allows 482 colors simultaneously (2 palettes of 
16 colors each, 30 palettes of 15 colors each).  Genesis has a palette
of 512 colors available, but can only display 64 (4 palettes of 16
colors each) of these at any given time. 
 
TG-16 has 64k of video RAM that is 16-bits wide (can be taken in 
16-bit chunks), however SEGA's '16-bit' GENESIS has it's video RAM (64k),
the most important part of the machine, arranged 8 bits wide - that's 
why the minimum sprite (character, bomb, villan, etc) on the NEC TG-16 
game screen is still larger and easier to see than on SEGA. 
     
NEC's TG-16 has 8k of program RAM - that's not to say that maximum 
program size is 8k - it only means that the game machine uses 8k of the 
information on the HuCard (Game Cartridge) at a time.  Genesis has 64k of
program RAM.   The larger system memory is more or less necessary on the
Genesis because you cannot update the Video RAM on the Genesis except during
VBLANK, or in between each sweep of the screen, so the extra memory is 
necessary to use as a buffer between the CART and the Video RAM.  The Turbo
does not have that limitation.  You can update it's video RAM anytime, so 
8k of system RAM works just fine.  Currently the standard HuCard size is 256k
(2 megabit).  The Maximum Hucard size on the NEC is 1 megabyte (8 megabit), 
although NEC has provided the CD option for LARGER more challenging games that
can be up to 568,000K (568 MEGABYTES!, not bits, BYTES (that's bits X 8) in
bit terms like you see in gaming magazines it would be 4544 meg or 4.5
gigabit), Whereas SEGA Genesis is currently limited to 1024k (1 MEGABYTE or 8 
megabit) games with the current cartridge design and 2048k (2 MegaBYTE or 16 
megabit) games with a cart re-design, although a ROM game of that size would 
cost more than the Genesis itself. 
      
NEC has optional RCA-jack output adapter for Right & Left stereo & 
video output, available from all retailers that carry the TurboGrafx. 
The TurboGrafx adapter costs about $30 and includes all necessary RCA 
cables that plug into the rear of the unit.  Genesis requires the 
purchase of a Y adapter for the headphone jack in the front of the 
machine & RCA cables for it IN ADDITION to the purchase of a DIN-to-RCA 
video adapter for the rear of the machine.  Total cost $12-15. 
  
NEC's TurboGrafx has the following options available: Joystick, CD
Player, Joystick Extension Cord, TurboTap (which allows up to FIVE
players to play at the same time on games that allow it), the
TurboBooster mentioned above, which allows direct video & stereo 
hookup, and the TurboBooster+, which has backup RAM in addition to 
stereo output.  Genesis current options are:a video cable, Joystick, and
the Power Base Converter which allows you to play 8-bit Master System 
Games.  Sega has also announced plans for a Modem (reportedly to work with
CyberBall) and a CD player is rumored, but the modem is not yet released,
and the CD is not even announced, with  about a year of waiting expected
for decent amount of software to accumulate after (IF?) it is released.
  
The maximum Sprite (moving game component on screen) size on SEGA's 
Genesis is 32 x 32 (pixels), the maximum size on the NEC TG-16 is 32 x 
64.  Maximum colors per sprite are 16 on both machines.  The screen 
resolution on Genesis is fixed at 320 x 224.  TurboGrafx has a screen 
resolution that is programmable, from 256 x 216 all the way up to 512 x 
262. The maximum number of sprites per scan line, that is the most 
moving characters that can be displayed in the same row before flicker 
is 16 (16 x 16) sprites on the NEC TG-16 and 10 (16 x 16) sprites in 
SEGA's GENESIS (or 20 8 x 8).  In minimum sprite size mode, the GENESIS 
can display 4 more moving things on screen, but they are HALF THE SIZE 
OF THE TG-16.  Now, in maximum sprite size mode, Genesis can display 5 
(32 x 32) sprites on the same line MAX, but the TG-16 can display 8 (32 
x 64) sprites that are still BIGGER THAN GENESIS, so they have more 
detail and are easier to see.   A direct same-size comparison of the Genesis
and TurboGrafx sprite capabilities is difficult because the Genesis only has
8x8 and 32x32 sprites, and the Turbo can have 16x16, 16x32, 32x32, 32x48, and
32x64.  The only place where a DIRECT comparison can be made is in the 32x32 
size.  In that size, the Genesis can have 5 sprites on the screen, and the
Turbo can have 16!  Basically, you can have 16,384 pixels worth of sprites in
16x16 chunks on the TurboGrafx and the Genesis has 5,120 pixels worth of 
sprites in 8x8 chunks.  As you can see from breaking it down to the pixel 
level, the Turbo has THREE TIMES the number of pixels active as sprites.  
Don't just look at the number of sprites, look at the SIZE!
           
The the most ridiculous argument I've heard is that SEGA has all 
these games in Japan ready to be translated and brought here.  Well, 
truth is, SEGA GENESIS has 25-30 games out in JAPAN and NEC PC-Engine 
(Turbo's cousin) is approaching 200 games, only the best of which will
be brought to the U.S.  At last count in the U.S. NEC had 33 games and 
SEGA only has 23 widely available. 
         
So, the processor bit-count does not necessarily guarantee superiority.
Remember the intellivision? It had a 16-bit central processor, but the
graphics processor was sub standard, and where is it today?  What counts
is the support and vision of the company behind the product.  By 
putting the emphasis on the Graphics processor, NEC has shown that 
vision.  The 8-bit processor, the workhorse of the system still moves 
data to and from the graphics processor FASTER than it's 16-bit 
counterpart on the Genesis, and that will become readily apparent as 
developers take advantage of it's advanced graphics processor.  As you 
can see from the above, NEC has the game unit technically best suited 
to do the job, along with the support AND obviously the vision to guide 
their product to success. 
            
                                Don't believe the Hype - 
                                        Vic


Victor Ireland 72004,1700

