As the first wave of TurboGrafx-16 classics arrive on the Virtual Console, now is as good a time as any to look back on what has to be one of the weakest video game mascots ever created. That's right, we're talking about TTI's Johnny Turbo, a hero so lame he was put out to pasture almost as soon as he arrived on the scene.
In case you need a little history lesson, the TurboGrafx-16 is the North American version of the popular PC Engine system, a joint venture between electronics giant NEC and game developer Hudson (the latter of which is now sadly defunct). The PC Engine was a massive success in its native Japan and even put Sega's Mega Drive in the shade, and it was inevitable that the machine would see release in the US. Rebranded as the TurboGrafx-16 (even though it was not a true 16-bit console) and marketed by Turbo Technologies, Inc (a joint venture between NEC and Hudson), it struggled to make an impact despite some excellent conversions and some notable technological party tricks - one of which was being the first major "all-in-one" CD-ROM games console.
The TurboDuo fused the core console tech with the CD-ROM2 add-on which had launched in Japan in 1988. This sleek, all-in-one design offered the machine a big advantage over Sega's own CD unit, which required a Genesis / Mega Drive to function. Seizing on this, TTI created Johnny Turbo, a mascot whose sole aim was to fight the evil "Feka" corporation and tell anyone who would listen that the TurboDuo was the only true all-in-one CD system. The big issue is that no one really cared as by this point Sega had stormed ahead in the console race and CD gaming hadn't really taken off. The other big issue is that the campaign was painfully lame and felt quite petty when compared to Sega's more stylish efforts.
Our friends over at Slope's Game Room have put together an excellent video which looks at Johnny Turbo more closely, so be sure to give it a look if you're interested in what has to be video gaming's worst mascot.
Comments 33
Let me try to think of a worse mascot. Don't think it's possible. That comic is laughably bad and that was a very interesting video. Great article @Damo. Here's a list of some other bad mascots but they can't top Johnny Turdo.
http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2011/07/28/top-10-most-pathetic-video-game-mascots
Boogerman?
I could think of many worse, but I don't want to go into obscure territory.
Jurnos at "work".
JJ & Jeff
He looks like a nerdy "hero" version of Doc Ock! Lol.
Do they still count as mascots even if they didn't appear in any games?
Thanks for posting my video again Nintendolife. You guys RAWK!
I can think of a worse mascot. Try SEGA.
Yes @rjejr I'm not even capable of positive thought now. Everything is crap and hate bandwagon are the way forward! Why try and like something if all it does is make you mentally ill amirite?
Crash Bandicoot is the worst mascot.
Johnny Turbo may be dumb, but there is this misguided earnestness to what it is... and they had a comic at least.
Crash Bandicoot is the result of cynical corporate suits trying to copy the formula of mascots like Mario, Sonic, and Megaman, and then add superficial "attitude" and sunglasses like Poochie from that classic Simpsons episode.
Everything about Crash is stolen almost directly from Sonic, and what's left is an ugly, poorly designed, shallow mascot that should have died in the mid-90s with it's fellow horde of ill-conceived mascots, but it survived due to Sony's sheer market muscle and nostalgia.
@BLPs I don't even know what's going on in here BLPs, I don't have single shred of videogame nostalgia in me and don't care much for VC.
@rjejr Gonna become a run of "Which video game mascot is the worst" and I'm just throwing in the towel of the eventual winner because lets be honest, its the bloody internet.
@Action51 I don't think Crash was intended as a mascot, as much as Sony just made him one when they got the publishing rights to the game.
@KingMike - They sure pushed him as one.
They had those obnoxious commercials and used him in a lot of their marketing materials. I was alive back then, and I had a Playstation. The Crash games were terrible as well.
@Action51 Sony didn't even make Crash. That was Naughty Dog. Sony only published his games. Actually, out of all the mascots of the '90s, Crash is still fondly remembered by plenty of fans who grew up with his games and still like them. There's a reason why there was a large demand for his comeback.
@Action51 Ermmm... The original Crash trilogy were awesome (especially Cortex Strikes Back and Warped). The visuals and music are nice, the controls are good, there are different stage types like biplane, motorcycle, animal riding, underwater, the boss fights are decent, and they're challenging without being cruel (well maybe the save system in the original was messed up), and they have genuine personality... It didn't feel like Sonic to me. Anyway, I can't see how you can say they're terrible. After all, they were a whole lot better than any Sonic games being released at the time.
I'll just leave this here.
http://sardoose.rustedlogic.net/reviews/jturbo/index.htm
@ProfessorToad I can see how he can say they are bad. I despise Crash 1, and Super Mario 64. Why? Opinion. You get over it. And yes, anything is better than Sonic, remember you aren't allowed opinions kids!
@Action51 I was thinking the same thing about Crash as soon as I saw the headline.
Guru Larry = Money. You owe it to yourself to watch this one.
@Action51
Totally agree about the Crash-Poochie parallel. Very good. I think the nostalgia for him is down to the quality of the games (especially Warped and Team Racing on PS1).
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/JohnnyTurbo
@MrWarner14 Him and Spyro.
TURBOTASTIC!
Johnny Turbo wouldn't be nearly as memorable without the weird, patently obvious homosexual subtext in his comics, especially the later ones. No, really, what were they thinking?
It's been said many times, but the REAL hero is that kid with that logo Photoshopped into his hands.
@Action51 say what you want about crash as a mascot but crash bandicoot 2 is an outstanding game.
that nerd guy has a pretty weird stand
@Action51 Crash, Spyro, Sly Cooper, Ape Escape... all of these Sony series had more heart than Mario ever did.
I remember having 1 with Bonk's Adventure head bunting everything
@ProfessorToad You do realize you're on a Nintendo News site talking smack about Mario, right? I like Crash, Spyro and the Mario series. Though that said, I think Mario himself is kind of a boring character.
@CrimSkies97 I want Spyro to make a comeback so BAAAAAD...
@MrWarner14 Yeah, I love Mario too and objectively I suppose games like World, 64, and Galaxy are better than the aforementioned series, but I just find myself more interested with the... aforementioned... aforementioned series.
@ProfessorToad I don't believe in objectivity in opinions (like reviews) even though I've enjoyed the Mario games I played. Our likes and dislikes are subjective. People just follow what they feel is their honest thoughts.
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