Here it is, the last issue I have of the The HuBee Network USA newsletter. Released in the winter of 1993, this issue shows an incredible change in layout over the past issues. Gone is the use of cheesy clipart and crude layout design; this issue actually looks quite professional! This issue also utilized red ink to add a bit of color to what would otherwise be a drab, black and white newsletter. It really helps make the newsletter more appealing and eye-catching.

But enough about my general thoughts on this newsletter--let's get to the info inside! Read on for the page by page breakdown...

Continue reading "The HuBee Network USA Newsletter (Winter 1993)" »

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Continue reading "The HuBee Network USA Newsletter Vol.1, Issue 3 (December 1992)" »

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Hudson (who will be releasing the Bonk series on the Nintendo Wii) has recently been taking a look back at the history of their company. Their website  has some great articles such as an article titled "The Definitive Bonk", and an interview with Hudson president, John Greiner. After reading some of said articles, I became a bit nostalgic and dived into my archives to see what I could contribute to this rememberance...

What I found is what you see here, perhaps one of the least ambitious-looking newsletters in my collection, The HuBee Network USA newsletter.  While other companies went all out and created full-color newsletters or used high-quality paper, Hudson went the economic route. It looks as if they used a simple computer program like Print Shop to create this. Don't get me wrong, the information within the newsletter is actually decent for its time period, but it's hard not to knock the cheesy clip art.

Continue reading "The HuBee Network USA Newsletter Vol.1, Issue 2 (March 1992)" »

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As promised, here's issue 3 of Working Designs' newsletter, Direct Line. This issue builds upon the model of the second issue with two more pages of information! Lots of neat information here, such as Working Designs' intent on bringing over Cosmic Fantasy 3 and Exile 2. They even mention that they'd bring over Cosmic Fantasy 1 if interest and sales are good. Other titles mentioned are Cyber Twins (possibly Kaizou Chounin Shubibinman 2 or possibly 3), and Ghost Warrior Spriggan. Of course, Exile 2 (Exile: Wicked Phenomenon) was the one out of all of those games that were released here in the US. I wonder how far along the localization for Cosmic Fantasy 3 was, as that would have been the one game I would've liked to see most.

So when was this issue mailed out? Well, we know that the drawing for the contest results on Page 1 occurred on or around May 16th, 1992, so this issue had to be released well after that. This issue also implies that Exile had not been released yet and that it was scheduled to be released in October. So we're looking at a time frame of around June through September of 1992.

Continue reading "Direct Line, Issue 3 (circa Summer 1992)" »

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Now that Working Designs is gone, what better way to honor the company's memory than by taking a look back at their old newsletter, Direct Line. I think part of what made WD a fan-favorite was their willingness to connect with their fans. Direct Line was a great way to let people know that they were listening and that they relied on the feedback of us, the game players. While other companies' newsletters had a more 'corporate' feel to them, Direct Line felt more personal and down to earth. Unfortuately, I was a little late realizing what a great company WD was, and missed issue 1 of Direct Line (if anyone has it, please let me know!).

Continue reading "Direct Line, Issue 2 (circa December 1991)" »

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The third and final issue of TurboEdge is here! Released in the spring of 1992, this issue continues the look and layout of Issue Two, and likewise has some great information. There's an article to answer all the frequently asked questions about the CD-ROM format, a list of new games coming out (Valis III being the best one), and an all new contest to win a TurboGrafx CD system! This issue also includes the announcement of the formation of Turbo Technologies, Inc. (or TTI for short). Turbo Technologies, Inc. officially began operating on April 1st, shortly after this final issue of TurboEdge, and was made up of employees from NEC and HudsonSoft. Naoyuki Tsuji, former president of HudsonSoft USA and president of TTI, has a welcome letter on page eight.

Once TTI was operating, I didn't receive new issues of TurboEdge. It is safe to say that TTI decided not to publish and create new issues, and instead focused on other ways to promote the TurboGrafx, such as the Club Turbo catalogs and other mailings which will be explored on this site in the future.

Continue reading "TurboEdge Volume 2, Issue 1 (Spring 1992)" »

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Continue reading "TurboEdge Volume 1, Issue 2 (Fall 1991)" »

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For the first "real" entry on the website, I'm proud to present something special--scans of the first issue of TurboEdge! Before the Internet, game companies had only a few options to inform the public about new products. They had television commercials, print ads, in-store displays, and newsletters that were mailed out to people who registered their games or systems, or had sent in business reply cards from game magazines stating that they'd like more information about a certain company. Nearly every major game company had their own newsletter, and TurboEdge was the official newsletter for NEC Technologies Inc.'s TurboGrafx-16. Published in 1991-1992, it was supposed to be a quarterly newsletter but ended up being published biannually. There are only three issues of TurboEdge: Spring 1991, Fall 1991, and Spring 1992.

Continue reading "TurboEdge Volume 1, Issue 1 (Spring 1991)" »

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