The PC Engine is a video game console that was first released in Japan by NEC and Hudson Soft on October 30, 1987. The system was released in the U.S. market in late August 1989 under the name TurboGrafx-16. It was originally competition for Nintendo’s Family Computer console, but ended up competing with SEGA ‘ s SEGA Genesis / SEGA Mega Drive and later Nintendo’s Super Nintendo Entertainment System. A PAL version based on the American redesign was also released in some European countries (including Spain) in 1990 under the name Turbografx (without the “16” in the American name and with the “G” of “Grafx” changed to lowercase), but it was very difficult to find the console as very few units were manufactured as European plans for a large-scale release were cancelled. France, on the other hand, received legally imported Japanese consoles. The PC Engine was an 8-bit system with a 16-bit graphics chip, capable of displaying 512 colors on screen. It was discontinued in 1994.