Poll: The first console wars

[Matthew Jabour]

Right now, Sony and Microsoft are locked in the 'console wars', a battle between two fundamentally equivalent consoles. It seems as though Microsoft just pulled a hamstring, so that might change soon, but right now that's how it is. But today we go back to the first console wars, Nintendo and Sega. I'd like to know, what side were you on in this battle? What did you think of the two sides, and what did your friends say at the time.
Basically, I'm wondering if this new console war is playing out about the same as the last one. Please be honest in your answer. This is the internet, nobody will judge you.
Bonus round: +3 internets to the person who can arrange their thoughts in limerick form.

EDIT: All right, second console wars. I'd forgotten about Atari vs. Coleco, mostly because Atari obliterated Coleco, then itself.

 

[Smeggs]

Nintendo, but then that's because my father bought me a SNES. I had never even known such things as video games existed until then, so it's not really my choice. And I was young, back in the good old days when people weren't stupid and argued over what was better, and instead I just enjoyed all games, on SNES or Genesis or what have you.

 

[scorptatious]

I wasn't gaming back in the days of the SNES and Genesis. My first console was a PS1.

That being said, I would probably choose the SNES since it looked like that's where most of the JRPG's were at the time.

 

[Fappy]

I played both as a kid and I don't think I really had a preference. If it matters I do have significantly more NES and SNES games than I do Genesis.

 

[80sboy]

Nintendo... but my Dad was into Sega, and he was the one with the income since I was only 8 at the time... lol

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

I had a Megadrive and I loved it to bits. I have both now, but still play the Megadrive more because most of the SNES' best games weren't released in the UK. We didn't get any Final Fantasy, no Earthbound no Chrono Trigger. We did get all of Nintendo's big first party games, Megaman X and Secret of Mana, though, so I definitely don't regret owning the thing. There were just more quality games available for the Megadrive in my region (plus the Megadrive could run Genesis games, where the SNES was region locked).

 

[Sir Christopher McFarlane]

In retrospect I prefer the Nintendo side of the aisle. Back then I didn't own any consoles. My first console that wasn't a Polystation was a SEGA Saturn. It had great games, but I've come to strongly prefer JRPGs to anything, so I would likely get the SNES if I could go back.
I still would have skipped the Nintendo 64 though.

 

[Jamash]

Neither, back in the day I was a proud card carrying member of the Amiga Master Race.

Some of my friends had Nintendo and Sega consoles, but to be honest I didn't really see the appeal. Most of the games I played on them seemed quite basic (like poorer versions of coin-op arcade games) and considering the price of console games at the time, they certainly didn't seem worth it or good enough to only be able to get a few games a year.

In fact that was my parents prime reason for not getting even entertaining the idea of getting a console, the games were ludicrously expensive compared to Amiga games and a lot more limited in variety (especially as most Amiga magazines had a monthly disk with lots of games, demos and other programs on it), not to mention that the Amiga had quite an extensive library of other programs, freeware and Public Domain games that could be had for the price of a disk and postage.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Nintendo. Just because it was my mum that bought me a SNES.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

I still remember booting up the old IBM my parents had and navigating via DOS commands to start up a game.

 

[sXeth]

I put Nintendo, though that really wasn't in any way the first console war. Even if you don't consider some of the older single game screen mat machines, you'd still have Atari vs Coleco or whatever.

 

[Voulan]

I only voted Sega because I had a Genesis and didn't know anything about consoles back then, but I really enjoyed it.

It's probably why I'm more of a Sonic person than a Mario fan.

 

[Strelok]

I was a PC gamer, having left consoles behind as my primary gaming system after the Atari and Colecovision, I did however get a NES eventually, but it was really late, I think the the N64 was already out.

 

[King Kazma]

My old man was killed in the 1st great war, many, many times over. Don't understand how he kept getting extra lives though. Cause he's kicking today.

 

[RevRaptor]

Wait wasn't the Sega Nintendo thing the second console wars. Well either way as a kid I wanted both. I didn't take a side I just wanted to play games

 

[Aesir23]

I wasn't even aware of the console wars back then since I was still quite young. We didn't even own an NES until I was roughly 4 in 1992 (SNES in 1994).

We had both an SNES and Sega Genesis at once but I was mostly playing on SNES since, even back then, I was a big fan of Legend of Zelda.

I probably would have started on PC gaming earlier but my parents didn't even think of buying one until roughly 1997. Saving up for a PC was out of the question since most companies look down on hiring employees under the age of 10.

 

[Sealpower]

I actually had no idea that SEGA even existed back then. All my friends had Nintendo consoles and all the magazines in the local shop was about Nintendo or PC gaming. So for the earliest years of my gaming life console gaming and Nintendo were pretty much synonymous.

 

[J Tyran]

I had a Sega Megadrive so I voted for Sega, I would have voted PC but I didn't exactly own one. I had an Amiga instead which I much preferred over the Megadrive, Amigas where not technically PCs though.

I put Nintendo, though that really wasn't in any way the first console war. Even if you don't consider some of the older single game screen mat machines, you'd still have Atari vs Coleco or whatever.

Some of those early consoles actually had adapter peripherals you could plug in that gave extra cartridge slots and allowed you to insert and play their rivals games. Pretty funny really, if one of the console manufacturers tried that now all hell would break loose.

 

[krazykidd]

Wow . Was i the only kid that had both consoles ? Yeah i was spoiled as fuck as a child . Anyways . I have fond memories of both . But i had my most fond memories of the NES/SNES . But i did come to own the Nes , sega masters , snes , sega genesis , n64 , playstation , dreamcast , ps2 , game cube , wii , Ps3 . All before i moved out of my parents house whe when i was 19 . That's without counting the handhelds made by nintendo and the sega game gear . Thinking about it now i was spoiled as fuck . And no wonder why i consider myself a console gamer .

Anyways. There are jrpgs on the nintendo system , and since that is my favorite genre , i vote nintendo.

 

[ShipofFools]

I got a NES for my 5th or 6th birthday. Now you must understand, it wasn't just my first console, it was the first time I even saw a video game!
I got four games with it, Mario/Duckhunt, Solstice, Doctor Mario and Kabuki: Quantum Fighter.
Hahaha, oh the memories, man. It was 6 in the morning when my dad hooked it up to the TV, and my little brother and I had so much fun our mum called the school and said we were ill, so we could play all day.
Quantum Fighter was the most played game that day, no idea why.

My little brother got a Sega Mega Drive... when I was 12. So yeah, Nintendo! NINTENDO! NINTENDOOOOOO!