Steve 'Flash' JuonThe PC Engine outsold the Sega Mark III in Japan. While it couldn’t rival the Famicom (what could) it certainly had a large enough install base for Hudson Soft to innovate and experiment with. Perhaps you can think of Artist Tool as a prototype for Mario Paint, sans the mouse, but it did apparently come with options like an illustrator pad and a printer if you were so inclined to buy them.
Either way as The PC Engine Software Bible notes, it’s an intriguing idea for console owners, but it’s woefully under powered compared to any actual personal computer and paint software that was available at the time. I don’t think “artists” would be using this “tool” if they were really serious about making computer art. Subscribe to Mistah MegaManFan for The PC Engine Files every Tuesday at 8 PM ET! Like, share and comment to help the channel grow. As always thanks for watching!