Released in 1994, the PC-FX was a 32-bit home video game console developed by NEC and Hudson Soft. The PC-FX was preceded by the TurboDuo (PC Engine Duo in Japan) and the PC Engine SuperGrafx (never released outside of Japan), and both were 16-bit fourth generation systems. The PC-FX’s computer tower-esque aesthetic of its console and its liberal use of full motion video in its games made it stand out among the fifth-generation video game consoles. Ultimately, however, its high price point and lack of third party support led to the system being a commercial failure. NEC, who had previously made beloved consoles like the PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16 in regions outside of Japan), quietly bowed out of the video game console scene after discontinuing the PC-FX in early 1998.
At The Strong Museum, we have a complete collection of every game released for the PC-FX, as well as the console itself, complete in box. Because the PC-FX was never released outside of Japan, much of the information on many of these titles in English ranges from limited to none. As I began working through the two boxes that held the system’s entire library, consisting of 62 games (plus one additional game demo of Yuna FX), it became more and more clear why this console failed—but also why this console was beloved. Its divisiveness makes it worthy of a deeper dive, so let me show you some of our holdings.
The PC-FX had no shortage of anime tie-in games. The early-mid 90s was one of the golden ages of anime, and anime series like Ah! My Goddess, Tenchi Muyo, and Cutie Honey, are all represented here in game form. Beyond the literal anime tie-in games, nearly every game used the mid-1990s anime art style as part of its aesthetic, giving nearly every PC-FX game a similar branding, and a consistent vibe both in aesthetic and genre.
These anime games had elements of being a digital comic (visual novel), the Ah! My Goddess game has a matching card minigame as well. Visual novels were becoming hugely popular within PC gaming releases in Japan at this time, so it’s no surprise that they bled heavily into NEC’s PC-FX library, with most of the titles having elements of visual novel gameplay present.
In addition to straight up anime tie-ins, there are also six game volumes of something called Anime Freak FX. This is perhaps the most quintessential PC-FX console-specific series of games as it was a first party (NEC) release. They play like an interactive anime-centric magazine. The CD-ROMs contained photo galleries, anime episodes, trailers for video games, interviews, news, minigames, etc. The effect is not dissimilar to what we do when we are bored on our phone now. So in many ways NEC was ahead of its time putting together a package like that for the average anime fan in 1994.
Visual novels, dating sims, digital comics, electronic magazines, otome games, adult games, and role-playing games. This was the PC-FX experience, a mix of mid-1990s internet usage meets genres growing popular in Japanese personal computer circles. Fushigi no Kuni no Angelique (aka “Angelique Special”), shown above, is a classic example of otome gameplay. Otome games are story driven and targeted to female audiences. The games are often text heavy, with interactive romance elements.
The PC-FX was also home to a not insignificant number of 18+ games as well, something that many traditional consoles steered away from, making the library closer to a PC rather than a traditional console of the era. In Doukyuusei 2 (translation: Classmates 2), a male high school student has fifteen wooable girlfriend candidates to choose from. In Super Real Mahjong P.V FX, it’s a mahjong game where losers of said game, slowly disrobe. Censored versions exist on other consoles, but the PC-FX in keeping with its PC-like marketing, keeps the uncensored strip mahjong game intact here.
Role-playing games were prevalent on the system as well, including some that have crossover with previous genres mentioned (visual novel, 18+ games), like Dragon Knight 4, an erotic Japanese roleplaying game. A censored version would be released on consoles like the Super Famicom, while ports to other PC’s (like the NEC PC-9801) maintained the uncut version. Farland Saga is a Japan region exclusive RPG favorite with beautiful 2-D graphics.
The PC-FX was a unique system in which many of the games had genre crossover elements involving dating sim, visual novel, interactive comic book, simulation, and role-playing games. They boasted gorgeous 2-D anime graphics and, like the above example of Comic Road, even highlighted the amount of full motion video present in the game. In red and black text on the back of the Comic Road jewel case, it reads: “Contains over 180 minutes of animation!” The divisiveness of the console is obvious—if you value the style of graphics, the presence of animation, the crossover dating sim/visual novel/RPG, the novelty of an interactive magazine, then this was the video game console made for you. It appealed to things a niche corner of Japanese PC gamers at the time may have liked, but wasn’t as broad in its appeal as other systems of the day. It took a lot of risks, and as a result fills a unique void in the (retro) video game world.