After the release of the first 16-bit video game console, the PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16 in North America), NEC was notorious for bringing up gaming to new frontiers. In 1988, NEC wanted to step things up with the release of the PC Engine CD-ROM2, which was the first video game console ever to make advantage of the Compact Disc format. The console was extremely popular in Japan after its release, with up to 400 games featuring 512-color sprites and audio of high fidelity. The console, however, did not fare too well on the American market, considering its expensive price range and very limited national library. NEC would later replace the PC Engine CD-ROM2 with the PC-FX in 1994.
