Should You Buy the LevelHike HD Video Cable for the NEC Turbografx 16

In this video, we unbox and test out the LevelHike HD Video Cable for the TurboGrafx 16.

Check out Patrick from Show-Me Retro at https://www.youtube.com/user/ag763s

Growing up, I was a Nintendo kid. I had an NES, later in its life, and a SNES as well. I loved these systems, but there was always one system I kept an eye on, always curious about, and that was the NEC TurboGrafx 16. It promised better graphics and audio than my NES, with these weird looking cards for games. I wanted one, I didn't know anyone who had one, so I've never had a chance to play one.

At the 2020 MoGameCone Jr, I finally managed to pick one up from Patrick at @Show-Me Retro. He gave me a killer deal, however, it didn't come with any cables, games, or controllers. I've been chomping at the bit to be able to play it, and finally, thanks to Stone Aged Gamer, I have the ablity to test out the LevelHike HD Cable for the TG-16.

Similar to the SNES cable I tested out recently, the TG-16 cable is a dongle design, meaning you can use whatever length HDMI you need to connect to your TV. In the box was the dongle itself, a 4-foot HDMI Cable, and a Micro-USB power cable. Connecting it to your Turbo is pretty easy, just plug it into the back of the system and you're done! Now, you need to make sure it is securely plugged in; you should hear an audible "SNAP" when it makes proper contact.

My only previous experience with the TG-16 was with the Turbo Mini I bought several months ago, and I absolutely love it. From the first moment I turned the system on, I noticed a few things. First, as Mike Chi from RetroTink has pointed out, the video outputs in 480i, not 480P. Not the best quality, but not terrible. The audio sounded crisp, and the fonts on-screen looked really good. Initially, I was very excited at what I was seeing and experiencing.

The first game I finally got to play on MY TG-16 was Keith Courage and, similar to the SNES cable, the reds seemed to be over-saturated and pretty hot. I also noticed some shimmering in scrolling backgrounds, something known to be an issue with 480i displays. It wasn't hideous, but once you see it you can't unsee it. As someone new to the platform, I really had fun getting to play this system for the first time. Responsiveness felt good. I hit a button, my character reacted, just as it should.

Why it Rox:
- Plug & Play
- Under $40
- Dongle design lets you use whatever length HDMI cable needed
- Good Audio
- Responsive
- 4:3 & 16:9 switch

What Could Be Improved:
- 480i vs 480p leads to shimmering effects
- You really need to push hard to get the dongle plugged in
- Reds are over-saturated

Should You Buy One?
The TurboGrafx is a challenging system to play on modern TVs easily. The LevelHike HD Cable made it super-easy for me to connect my system to my capture card so I can record or stream footage, and the quality was ok. No, it's not 480P, and that is a bummer. But at the same time the images were pretty crisp, the games were responsive, and most importantly, it allowed me to have fun with the TG-16 for the first time. I had a blast playing this system and I really want to add to my library now more than ever. Games like Adventure Island and the Bonk series are both calling my name. While there are other ways to get component video out of the TG-16, this is a budget-friendly way to help you determine how deep you want to invest into a relatively expensive system to collect for.

#TurboGrafx16 #LevelHike #StoneAgeGamer

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The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)