Johnny Turbo
Encyclopedia
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
character created to advertise the Turbo Duo, a hybrid of the Turbografx-16
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
console and its add-on, the TurboGrafx CD, in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The character was conceived by Turbo Technologies Inc. (a venture of NEC and Hudson Soft
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
) as a mascot of the console.
Previously, NEC used Bonk (who debuted in the game Bonk's Adventure
Bonk's Adventure
Bonk's Adventure is a 2D platform video game developed by Red Company and Atlus and released in 1990 for the TurboGrafx-16. In Japan it was released as PC Genjin in 1989, a play on the Japanese name for the system, 'PC Engine'. The game was re-released for the TurboGrafx-16 in the U.S. in 1992 on...
) as the TG-16's original mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
. Later, continuing this theme, TTi would adopt Air Zonk
Air Zonk
Air Zonk is a side-scrolling shooter released for the PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 video game consoles in 1992 and was developed by Red Company and published by Hudson Soft...
(a cyborg-Bonk who starred in horizontal shooters Air Zonk and Super Air Zonk) as the mascot for TurboDuo. Air Zonk was featured on the TurboDuo console packaging, appeared in countless advertisements, all brochures and catalogs, trade show appearances (i.e. the Consumer Electronics Show), etc., until he was eventually phased out in favor of Johnny Turbo.
Unlike Bonk or Zonk, Johnny Turbo never starred in any games. Instead, his only appearances were in three comic book-like advertisements published in gaming magazines of the day, such as Video Games & Computer Entertainment
Video Games & Computer Entertainment
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment was an American magazine dedicated to covering video games on computers, home consoles and arcades...
and Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
.
Johnny Turbo and his partner Tony were pitted against monsters or androids from a company called "FEKA" (a thinly veiled parody of Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
), which, in the comics, mislead children into wasting their money by claiming that its CD system could work by itself. In reality, Sega never made such a claim with their real-life console
Sega Mega-CD
The is an add-on device for the Mega Drive video game console, designed and produced by Sega and released in Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The device was also released in North America under the name Sega CD, for the Sega Genesis...
, which was always marketed as an add-on to the Genesis. Ironically, NEC itself had previously sold the TurboGrafx CD add-on, which, like the Sega CD, could not function alone. The advertising campaign failed; in 1992, when the comics appeared, the TurboDuo system, competing against the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, was already a distant third in the market.
Johnny Turbo is the alter-ego of Jonathan Brandstetter, who is based on a real life game developer, John C. Brandstetter. Tony, the sidekick of Johnny Turbo, is based on Tony Ancona.
Plot
Three issues were published in Electronic Gaming MonthlyElectronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
(and possibly other video game publications). Each issue consisted of four, full-color pages. The issues were numbered 43 through 45.
The first issue (#43), "The Master Plan!," opens with Mr. FEKA and some sinister-looking FEKA agents discussing the company's master plan: to convince children their system is the only CD console available. "Computer expert" John Brandstetter learns of this, and, as Johnny Turbo, confronts FEKA agents selling their console on the streets. He says the Turbo CD was the first to market, says that FEKA have CD games of which already appeared on the Turbo CD, defeats the FEKA agents and reveals them to be "not even human" (the FEKA minions have glowing red eyes).
The second issue (#44), "Let 'em Dangle!!," opens with Mr. FEKA assuring his underlings that they can get rich as long as kids are convinced the FEKA CD is a complete system. Johnny Turbo, coming fresh from a comparison between the TurboDuo's pack-in software (Gate of Thunder
Gate of Thunder
Gate of Thunder is a scrolling shooter by Hudson Soft and Red Entertainment for the PC Engine CD-ROM originally released in 1992. It was also a pack-in game for the TurboDuo in North America. It was released on the Wii Virtual Console on October 15, 2007 in North America and on December 4, 2007 in...
) and the FEKA's (a game which "doesn't even compare" -- Sol-Feace
Sol-Feace
is a shoot 'em up developed by Wolf Team. It was first released for the Sharp X68000 in Japan in 1990, and was later ported in to the Sega Mega-CD in 1991, with rearranged Redbook music. This version was available as a pack-in with the Sega CD when it was first released in North America. In Europe...
), interrupts a FEKA sale at a local toy store, reveals the truth about the FEKA system, and promises that Mr. FEKA can't hide from him. Observing from a control room, Mr. FEKA decides it's time to teach Johnny Turbo a lesson. Johnny Turbo appears at the end of the issue to pitch the "CD shooter" Lords of Thunder
Lords of Thunder
Lords Of Thunder is a shoot 'em up by Hudson Soft and Red Entertainment for the TurboGrafx-CD which was released in 1993. It was ported to the Sega CD later the same year.. It was released on the Virtual Console on February 7, 2008 in PAL regions, February 11, 2008 in North America and in Japan on...
(The screenshot shown is in fact from Gate of Thunder
Gate of Thunder
Gate of Thunder is a scrolling shooter by Hudson Soft and Red Entertainment for the PC Engine CD-ROM originally released in 1992. It was also a pack-in game for the TurboDuo in North America. It was released on the Wii Virtual Console on October 15, 2007 in North America and on December 4, 2007 in...
).
The surrealistic
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
third issue (#45), "Sleepwalker," opens with Tony heading to bed, and in his dream he hears Johnny Turbo's voice, telling him about Gate of Thunder
Gate of Thunder
Gate of Thunder is a scrolling shooter by Hudson Soft and Red Entertainment for the PC Engine CD-ROM originally released in 1992. It was also a pack-in game for the TurboDuo in North America. It was released on the Wii Virtual Console on October 15, 2007 in North America and on December 4, 2007 in...
and Lords of Thunder, and telling him a code to access Bomberman
Bomberman
Bomberman is a strategic, maze-based computer and video game franchise originally developed by Hudson Soft. The original game was published in 1983 and new games in the series are still being published to this day. Today, the commercially successful Bomberman is featured in over 70 different games...
on a three-in-one disc.
Reception
Jonathan J. Burtenshaw, who wrote an essay appearing in the Classic Gaming section of the GamespyGameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
website, described the advertising campaign as seeming "petty" and "overly confrontational." Burtenshaw believed that the campaign contributed to the demise of the gaming system.