Video game:Turbo CD Shape Shifter

Released in 1992, the NEC TurboDuo combined the TurboGrafx and the TurboGrafx CD into a single video game console. It also included an additional 192 kilobytes of RAM and new Super System bios enabling its use. The TurboDuo was a markedly more powerful system than its predecessor, yet could use the same games and CDs. New Super CDs took full advantage of the added horsepower, but even the older games benefited from the extra oomph.

The TurboDuo was a flexible machine, able to access five different media formats (audio CDs, CD+Gs, TurboGrafx games, Turbo CDs, and the new Super CDs). Like its predecessor, the TurboDuo's CD drive was not region encoded, letting American gamers use many Japanese games. An easily obtained converter opened up the rest of the library, as well as games for the Arcade Duo.

Unfortunately, the TurboDuo was released at a too high price tag. NEC attempted to overcome this by packing in six games with the system. A seventh game was available as a hidden "easter egg." In 1992, however, the Sega vs. Super NES Console Wars was heating up to its fever pitch. NEC's expensive new system could not compete with this intense competition.