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Some video game collectibles make sense immediately. A boxed game. A strategy guide. A store display. Easy.
Then there are items like this: ⤵️ ⤵️ ⤵️
A promotional VHS tape for Lords of Thunder.
At first glance, it looks like a random anime fantasy tape from 1993. Then you see the TurboDuo logo, the wild Masamune Shirow style artwork, and the whole thing starts feeling like a tiny time capsule from the “CD gaming is the future” era.
And honestly? That is exactly what it is.
So, What Is Lords of Thunder?
Lords of Thunder is a side-scrolling shoot ’em up 🕹️🔫 originally released for the NEC TurboDuo in 1993. Instead of the usual spaceships and lasers, it throws you into a heavy metal fantasy world with armor, dragons, monsters, fireballs, and huge boss fights.
It also has one of the most beloved soundtracks in retro gaming. Big guitar riffs 🎸. Loud energy. Very “someone at the game studio owned several leather jackets.” Embroided. Probably even bedazzled! ✨
The game later came to Sega CD in 1995, which is why Sega collectors sometimes recognize the title too. But this VHS was promoting the TurboDuo version first. This seems so unfortunate that the game was released on the two not "greatest" performing consoles at the time. However, if you like rarity and an expensive hunt - this game needs to be in your library! According to Pricecharting.com - a CIB copy of Lords of Thunder for Sega CD runs around $550 USD as of 8/2026 and for the TurboDuo also known as the TurboGrafx CD a CIB copy is running around $278. I was able to locate only one sealed copy for PC and $125 was the sold price on Ebay.com. (condition is key).
Wait, What Was the TurboDuo?
The TurboDuo was NEC and Hudson Soft’s all-in-one version of the TurboGrafx-16 with the CD-ROM hardware built in.
Quick timeline:
- PC Engine released in Japan in 1987
- TurboGrafx-16 released in North America in 1989
- Sega Genesis also hit North America in 1989
- Super Nintendo came to North America in 1991 (Year I was born... Oh Lord!...s of Thunder!"
- TurboDuo launched in North America in 1992
So by the time the TurboDuo arrived, it was competing against the Genesis and SNES while also trying to convince people that CD games were the next big thing.
Why Isn’t the TurboGrafx Better Known?
In Japan, the PC Engine did great. In North America, the TurboGrafx-16 had a much harder time. Sega marketed the Genesis aggressively, Nintendo had the household name power, and NEC struggled to make the system feel essential to American buyers.
Basically, it was cool, but it got buried between Nintendo and Sega throwing elbows in the console aisle.
Why Does a Video Game Have a VHS Tape?
Because this was before YouTube, before TikTok, before game trailers autoplayed in your face every six seconds.
If a company wanted players to see a game in motion, VHS was one of the best ways to do it.
Promo game tapes could be mailed out, given away, passed around, shown in stores, or used to hype up hardware. This Lords of Thunder tape was doing exactly that: showing people why the TurboDuo was worth paying attention to.
It was not just selling one game. It was selling the whole idea of CD gaming.
Why Collectors Care About This Tape
The game itself is already respected by shooter fans, but the VHS has its own charm.
It is:
- A physical promo item from 1993
- Connected to the TurboDuo, a less common North American console
- Tied to one of the system’s most famous games
- A crossover collectible for VHS, retro gaming, and TurboGrafx fans
- Weird enough to make people stop and say, “Wait, what is that?”
That last part matters. The best collectibles are not always the most expensive ones. Sometimes they are the ones that start a conversation.
The Artwork Is Part of the Appeal
The cover art is often credited to Masamune Shirow, the manga artist best known for Ghost in the Shell. That gives the tape even more collector flavor, especially for fans of 90s anime, cyberpunk art, and Japanese game design.
Even if you have never played Lords of Thunder, the cover screams early 90s import energy.
Final Thoughts
The Lords of Thunder promotional VHS is one of those oddball pieces that reminds you how physical video game marketing used to be.
Today, a trailer disappears into a feed.
In 1993, it could land in your hands as a tape.
That is what makes this piece fun. It is not just a VHS. It is a little chunk of the era when companies were trying to convince players that CDs, animated intros, big soundtracks, and full-motion hype were the future of gaming.
And for the TurboDuo, Lords of Thunder was one heck of a sales pitch and that is a very small reason why the game holds such a high value today for a long forgotten or even unheard of system.
As for the value of a clean pre-owned copy of Lords of Thunder on VHS with slipcover and the cassette tape - anywhere from $25 to $40 ... ish buckaroos this 27th day of august in the year 2026 per Ebay solds!
We have some mainstream treasures and some oddities on our Michigan based gaming website. Click here and go peruse!
Share your thoughts in the comment section below! 😊
🔥 XOXO - Lauren 🔥
"The day you know everything is the day you know nothing at all."
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