Last week, I reviewed Turbo Overkill, a futuristic boomer shooter that was heavily inspired by Blade Runner and Cyberpunk 2077. In it, you play this character named Johnny Turbo, a half-man/half-metal superhero with a chainsaw for a leg. I loved it, but there was one thing I couldn't get over – the hero's name. If you're like me, a survivor of the 16-bit console wars, then you know Johnny Turbo not as a futuristic killing machine, but rather as a chubby superhero who was dead-set on selling you the TurboDuo.

Today we're taking a look at the history and comic book adventures of Johnny Turbo, an ambitious three-part advertisement from Turbo Technologies Inc. that ran in the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro and Video Games & Computer Entertainment. This is the story of Johnny Turbo – the TurboDuo's superhero spokesman.


The year is 1993, and the 16-bit console war is in full swing. While many went into the new generation expecting Nintendo to continue their dominance in the home console market, Sega surprised everybody with a strong ad campaign and an impressive line-up of games. But while Nintendo and Sega were locked in a bitter fight for dominance, Turbo Technologies Inc., the video game arm of NEC, could see that the TurboGrafx-16 was destined for a third-place finish. So, with both time and market shares slipping away from them, TTI decided to try something new – create a comic book hero!

Now, to be fair, that idea wasn't completely unheard of at the time. While not the norm, it was fairly common to see games and accessories advertised in magazines using comic book panels. This was a strategy Culture Brain employed when they released Flying Warrior on the Nintendo Entertainment System, and games like Mick & Mack's Global Gladiators and The Combatribes had followed suit in the 16-bit era. Hell, even the good doctor himself decided to sell his cartridge cleaning kits by using this comic book style, so gamers were more than accustomed to seeing this type of marketing in their favorite magazines.

But TTI took this concept one-step further by spreading out the story of Johnny Turbo over several different issues. They created a whole universe where the TurboGrafx would use a superhero to spread the word, all while fighting off Sega's evil goons. And that's only scratching the surface of what happens in this 13-page story. Let's dive into this three-month-long advertisement and see we can glean all these decades later.


It all starts with episode 43, The Master Plan, where we learn that Feka, the comic's stand-in for Sega, has implemented the dastardly plan to trick the public into thinking that they are the first and only console with CD-ROM technology. This, of course, directly mirrored real life, where the TurboGrafx-CD hit the market in 1989, a full two years before the Sega CD powered-up the Genesis.

Now, you would think that this wouldn't be earth-shattering news to computer expert Jonathan Brandstetter, because he has the new shoot ‘em up Gate of Thunder on the TurboDuo, which really has that “arcade feel.” But when the radio interrupts their “Whoomp! (There It Is)” marathon to bring us breaking news about the Feka CD system causing a commotion downtown,” Jonathan is incensed. “They keep saying that their game system is the first and only system of its kind!! But it's NOT!” he tells his roommate Tony, who wonders if there's anything they can do to stop Feka. “I'm not sure, but I've got to do something to loosen their grip on the minds of the public.”

Down on the streets, we see that Casey Kasem wasn't wrong, Feka is selling their CD system to unsuspecting children, even promising them a bounty of free CD games. And to be fair to Sega, that's true. When the Sega CD came out, it not only came with a CD filled with random music videos and an audio CD with trippy CD+G visuals, but it also came with a copy of Sherlock Holmes, the shoot ‘em up Sol-Feace and a disc filled with Genesis hits, like Streets of Rage and Golden Axe. There was actually a lot to see and play right out of the box.


Back to the comic, we see a pair of Agent Smiths bragging about how much money they've earned from selling the Feka CD. “It's a good thing nobody knows the real truth about us, ‘cause if people knew that the TurboDuo was already out with games already available, we'd be in big trouble.”

And that's where our hero, Johnny Turbo, shows up. Yes, he kind of looks like 90s-era Kevin Smith and he comes out of nowhere waving a gun around a bunch of kids, which isn't great, but he's not wrong to point out that Sherlock Holmes came out on the TurboGrafx-CD a full two years earlier.

“I'm bringing out the TRUTH about who's CD system was here first,” Johnny yells as he fires his gun around a bunch of children, which again, is not good. “The TurboDuo was available first, and our games are more intense than yours.”

As our tubby hero fights the Feka goons, the crowd begins to slowly realize that the shady-looking agents weren't even human. A bunch of kids handed their hard-earned money to machines, and Johnny Turbo saved the day. But don't celebrate too soon, because the game's not over yet and Feka will be back in the next exciting episode.


And that brings us to Let ‘Em Dangle, which starts with Feka regrouping and devising a new plan that is intended to trick gamers into thinking that the Feka CD is a standalone system, like the TurboDuo. It's not, of course, the Sega CD needed the Genesis in order to work, but, as the head of Feka says, “Kids don't know that, you fool! They'll buy our CD system and then have to spend another $100 on our 16-bit system.” See, it's an air-tight plan.

Now, back at Jonathan Brandstetters apartment, we see that he's still obsessed with Gate of Thunder, which comes free with the TurboDuo. Of course, Tony has already heard all this before and is at the point where he's basically just ignoring Johnny. In fact, he interrupts the computer expert with breaking news – the Feka CD system is failing in Japan. Shots fired!

Back at the toy store, we see that Feka has somehow taken the place of the usual employees and enacting their newest plan – to make gamers think that the Feka CD is the lowest priced CD system available. You see, once a kid buys the Feka CD for $300, they sinisterly reveal that you still need to buy a $100 game system to make the blasted thing run. This makes a small boy cry.


Thankfully, Jonathan Brandstetter is in the store playing Gate of Thunder, a game he already owns. As Feka gets rich, he sneaks off to change into his alter ego. And that is when Johnny Turbo, and his way-too-long one-liners, comes out swinging. He punches, his kicks and he smashes heads together, all ranting that “I'm tired of you guys trying to fool these kids. The truth is, your CD system doesn't even work without your 16-bit system, so kids have to pay $400 for a complete CD game system, while the TurboDuo is a complete system for only $299!!”

With the kids watching on from a distance, Johnny Turbo shouts at the last goon, hoping to never again see the glowing red eyes of the evil corporation. As you can imagine, this is not going over well back at Feka. The big man huffs and puffs, ready to teach Johnny Turbo a lesson. But that, dear viewer, will have to wait until next episode.

The final chapter in our story is called Sleepwalker, and it employs a decidedly different tactic. This episode is all about Johnny Turbo's roommate, Tony, who we don't really know that much about. I mean, we see that he's tired and spent the entire day in the kitchen for some reason. And then when he heads to bed, we get a glimpse of his book collection, which includes The Joy of Wax, The Feminine Mystique, Good Boy and Bad Girls, Lace and Feather II and, of course, American Psycho.


Perhaps the most troubling thing about Tony is that he dreams about Johnny Turbo. And you want to know what Johnny Turbo is talking about? That's right, either day or night, Johnny won't shut up about Gate of Thunder. Holy microprocessors, just look at those graphics ... and the soundtrack really rocks.

But here's the big twist – while dreaming, Johnny reveals the newest shoot ‘em up for the TurboDuo, Lords of Thunder, and it blows Tony's ever-loving mind. “Oh my gosh, this game is so incredible, I've got to tell Jonathan.” But hold up, Tony, because there's still more you need to know.

In his dream, he learns that the pack-in CD that comes with the TurboDuo doesn't just feature three games, but also a secret fourth. If you press up, right, down, left and then the II button, you'll unlock Bomberman. Not just in the dream, but also in real life. That's a real code. Here's hoping that Tony is good at remembering his dreams.

And with that, he wakes up, shouting Jonathan's name as loud as he possibly can. He stumbles out of his bedroom excitedly telling Johnny Turbo about Lords of Thunder and the secret code. But Johnathan doesn't seem surprised. “Relax,” he says, “and tell me about it.” But when we look at the table, we see that he already owns a copy of Lords of Thunder and has a folder marked “Bomberman Code Book.” This was his plan all along. It's clear that by spending all day and night spreading the word about the TurboDuo, Johnny has somehow incepted Tony's dreams. I don't know why, but it feels like that crosses a line.


And now that I'm thinking about it, I have to admit that Johnny Turbo is kind of a terrible superhero. Let's break it down. He's a computer expert that doesn't have a job. He gets into first-fights over game systems. He shoots a loaded gun around a bunch of kids. He won't shut up about Gate of Thunder. And he'll go as far as to incept your dreams, if given the opportunity. Johnny Turbo is not a good guy, and this was not a very good ad campaign.

As you can imagine, this didn't do much to move the needle. TII would end up throwing in the towel one year later, discontinuing the system in North America in May of 1994. They were only able to sell 5.62 million units worldwide, a fraction of the 31 million Genesis and Mega Drive consoles Sega was able to move.

Three decades after the 16-bit console war, the TurboGrafx-16 is looked back on fondly. Millions more gamers were able to discover the system's rich and varied library through emulation, the Virtual Console and other compilations. Johnny Turbo, on the other hand, has been forgotten. Or, perhaps he was secretly frozen and then thawed out in the future, where they replaced his body with metal and gave him a chainsaw leg. I mean, stranger things have happened.