NEC is the best example of a one hit wonder in the video game console industry. Their original system, the Turbografx-16 (PC-Engine in Japan) may have been a dud in North America but in the land of the rising sun it went toe to toe with Nintendo. It was an astronomical hit. Unfortunately NEC just couldn’t re-create the magic. First they tried to release the SuperGrafx which was kind of a super charged PC-Engine. Unfortunately it was a huge dud. Then came the PC-FX. It was one of the first 32-bit platforms to hit the scene but had some major problems. For one thing it lacked the ability to push polygons. Instead NEC focused on video playback which was a poor decision. The system only had a handful of titles released for it. Today I’m here to highlight the top 10 best PC-FX games.
#10. – Sparkling Feather
The PC-FX was big on RPGs and dating sims. A lot of titles combined these two genres into one. Sparkling Feather is one of these such games, but it’s a lot of fun. Tis is a grid based strategy RPG where you command various characters across a battlefield to engage enemies. What’s strange is the fact that you can issue commands, but it feels like they don’t always listen. Because of the language barrier I wasn’t totally sure about this mechanic. Honestly I used the google translate camera app on my phone to get through this one (that’s how I played the majority of these titles) so I definitely had some trouble. Is it a good game? Somewhat. Is it one of the best PC-FX games of all time? Yes.
#9. – Blue Breaker
Here’s another RPG that will give you issues with the language barrier. Even using google to translate the text I still struggled a bit. Blue Breaker is more similar to the Tales of series than anything else. You move from location to location via a single screen where everything is displayed from a side view. What’s interesting is the fact that almost all locations are open to explore right from the beginning. Unfortunately this leaves you with a lot of guesswork to figure out where you need to go next. Battles are semi-real time (hence the Tales comparison) where you issue commands and your characters move around. Like in so many other PC-FX games Blue Breaker makes use of heavy dating sim elements. I could take it or leave it, but it’s still one of the best PC-FX games of all time.
#8. – Der Langrisser FX
Now we’re cooking with gas. Der Langrisser is one of the best strategy RPG series that was almost never released stateside. The solo outing on the PC-FX is actually an enhanced port of the second installment. You control up to 8 different generals at once in each scenario. You take turns moving these guys across a grid based battlefield. When you get in range of enemies you can attack, cast spells, etc. It’s pretty standard fare, but what’s interesting is the battle sequences. These consist of little armies clashing together and they’re really charming in my opinion. The language barrier here isn’t as bad as in the prior games on this list. That fact alone makes this one rank higher on this list of the best PC-FX games than the previous two.
#7. – Fire Woman Matoi Gumi
Weird title, right? Well it’s pretty fitting given how bizarre this title is. I really want to classify this one as an RPG but it’s not quite that. It’s something different that I can’t quite describe. You play as a new transfer student to a Japanese high school. You explore the campus, manage relationships with characters, and engage poorly behaved students in combat. In these battles you chain together up to four different attacks at once to perform combinations. Honestly I couldn’t figure out this battle system very well but I made it pretty far just at random, and enjoyed every minute of it. Honestly I wish developers focused on something more for the platform rather than just dating sims.
#6. – Tengai Makyou: Karakuri Katutoden
Honestly it was between including either this one or Battle Heat on this list. They’re both FMV fighting games and play almost identically. It seems like it would be redundant to include both on a list of the best PC-FX games. In this title you watch short video snippets and press combinations of buttons once a meter charges. From here the video cuts to another one where your character is performing the selected action. Enemies can also counter, and these have their own FMV sequences as well. It’s kind of a hands off experience, especially as a fighting game. Regardless I had some with it and this one gets extra points for belonging to the Tengai Makyou series. If you’re a weirdo and enjoy these sort of games then this one is probably your best bet on the platform.
#5. – Super Power League FX
This game has the honor of being the only sports title released for the PC-FX. I’m not the biggest fan of baseball, especially in video game format. When almost everything else in the console’s library is a dating sim or FMV game however I take notice. Super Power League FX is pretty standard fare for it’s time. Everything is rendered nicely in sprites with a dynamic camera. It’s pretty impressive for a 2D console, but pales in comparison to what more powerful hardware was doing at the time. I also have issues with some of the scaling the game does. When the camera moves overhead I get light motion sickness. It also looks very strange. If you want to play a sports game on the PC-FX then this is your only option. It’s a decent game.
#4. – Chip Chan Kick!
Now we’re getting to the good stuff! While the PC-FX never had Bubble Bobble or Parasol Stars Chip Chan Kick fills the void for single screen arcade action games. Here you play as a little girl armed with a slime character with large eyes. You can throw this little guy forward to attack enemies. It’s your only attack, but it’s effective. Your goal here is to clear every single screen of monsters at which point you move on to the next. What makes this one so enjoyable is the fact that it’s one of the few PC-FX games that offers simultaneous multiplayer. Fighting through the adventure with a friend makes it much more enjoyable. Chip Chan Kick doesn’t quite reach the same heights as it’s contemporaries but it’s still one of the best PC-FX games of all time.
#3. – Team Innocent
Many are surprised to learn that the PC-FX had it’s very own survival horror title. It’s exclusive to the console as well and even pre-dated Capcom’s classic series. While it’s no Resident Evil or Silent Hill I did enjoy my time with Team Innocent. The game has you exploring a space station dispatching genetically altered monsters. It even has tank controls and clunky combat. Unfortunately this one is filled with fan service (that’s par for the course with PC-FX titles) and it’s entirely in Japanese. I completed it using a guide and translating a lot of the text, but it was definitely still pretty frustrating. Team Innocent is a decent title if you can get past those issues, and it’s clearly one of the best PC-FX games released.
#2. – Tyoushin Heiki Zeroigar
The PC-Engine was full of amazing shooters. It’s surprising then that NEC and it’s third party developers didn’t continue this lineage on the PC-FX. With that said there’s still one shmup on the platform, and it’s pretty decent. Zeroigar is a vertical shooter where you man a plane and shoot down all enemies that stand in your path. It uses some pretty unique RPG elements for progression but besides that it’s pretty traditional with power-ups and high scores. The main drawback here is that your ship moves too fast. This takes a lot of getting used to because you’ll find yourself crashing into the enemies a lot when you first set out. I realize the console doesn’t have analog controls but this still should have been toned down. If you’re hungry for a shmup on the platform this is your only choice.
#1. – Kishin Doji Zenki: Vajura Fight
Zenki is objectively the best PC-FX game. I can’t imagine anyone who has played it having any disagreement with this sentiment. This is the only beat ’em up title released for the PC-FX. It goes toe to toe with many of the best in the genre in my opinion. The graphics are absolutely incredible and this is the only case where the hardware was shown off in any significant way. The characters animate absolutely beautifully and the backgrounds are lush with a ton of detail. I even like the anime art style and colorful aesthetic. Gameplay is smooth, fast, and furious. You punch, kick and jump in 2D space defeating all enemies on screen. The only thing holding it back is the abundance of voice overs. Even that’s easy to look past however. If you’re looking for the best PC-FX game then this is it by a country mile.
