ATBW A16

The ATBW A16 is a game console released by ATBW Label Networks in 1988 until 1994, due to its successor having cd-based technology instead of floppy disks. It was first released in 1987 as a demo console for testing with sales being confined to ATBW City before its actual release in 1988.

The console at the time was 16 bit instead of 8 bit like the NES and Master System consoles within the same era, which allowed better quality games and more detailed graphics and better sound. Games were on floppy disks, which are inserted into a slot in the front, but these disks were as durable as cartridges and were scratch resistant. Most of these floppy disks still work today.

The console ended up failing after the release of the SNES sparked a war with the Sega Genesis and consumers were going only with either of the latter and not the A16 itself, but the A16 itself still continued to be sold until being discontinued in 1994 and being replaced by the ATBW A64, itself an initial failure before becoming a successful console later on, though despite being 64 bit it was still not able to win the competition between Nintendo and Sega, as well as Sony and eventually Microsoft.

Some PC games at the time have been ported on the A16 as well, but also had limited ATBW Blog games in its later life and SynDev Studios was the main distributor of games on it from 1990 to 1993. Merrill Studios and Signature Studios also published games on the console until the system was discontinued in 1994.

Release By Region
Even though the TurboGrafx-16 is the first 16 bit game console ever released (August 1987), the A16 is the first of such released worldwide. It was released in North America on March 15, 1988, Europe and Japan on March 21, 1988, and everywhere else on May 7, 1988. It was discontinued worldwide on July 8, 1994. It was released in October 1987 exclusively to ATBW City as a demo console before its actual release.