What is the most obscure console you bought on release, and what was your experience?

[Terramax]

Heya,

So a friend was telling me that they were a proud owner *chuckles* of an Ngage when they were first released. He described how he genuinely loved the console, and had it in his pocket every day for about a year and a half, before listing the games that he thought were good for it.

Now, this gets me thinking. Even though most obscure consoles die a painful death, they always have some people buy them. Are any of them on these forums, and care to share their experience owning an underdog console?

I'm talking something like the 3DO, 32X, CDI, Wonderswan, etc. Consoles where, chances are, you were the only one that owned them. Possibly only one to have even heard of them.

For me, I bought a Sega Mega-CD (Sega CD) on launch, and I loved it. Several of my favourite games to this day are on that system, including Sonic CD, Keio Flying Squadron, Lords of Thunder, and Pitfall.

My fondest memory was getting the infamous 'Night Trap', although I was too young to understand the controversy around it. Being able to watch live action videos, and seemingly be able to choose the fate of the victims was a wholely different idea for me. Many of my friends enjoyed the system too, and all envied me for having one. We were too young to understand the concept of money, so didn't realise it wasn't worth the daft money Sega asked for.

So, anyone else?

 

[Strelok]

~Snip~

Can't believe no one else has anything to comment on this, it's a pretty good topic. Well I will show you the mistake I made, way back in 1987, keep in mind I went for this rather than an NES so that amps up the embarrassment. Anyway before I change my mind say hello to the Action Max and behold my shame.

Spoiler

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_Max

So that is it, instead of NES I had minutes of enjoyment, and months of regret with the amazing Action Max. I owned Sonic Fury which I am sure came with the thing, The Rescue of Pops Ghostly which was kind of creepy and .38 Ambush Alley. They are posted on youtube if you wish to laugh at me harder. Just as a side story I recently went back to visit my parents, and I was going through some old boxes, when out of no where I found my old Colecovision and Atari, oh the memories. I pulled them out of the box to check their condition and who was lurking at the bottom of the box to mock me? That's right Action Max... Queue the Darth Vader Noooooooooooo!!!!

 

[Branovices]

I got the Sega 32X on release... I remember it being very annoying to set up but also that I had a lot of fun with Star Wars. Ultimately, looking back, I can see why it failed. At the time I thought of it as upgrading my Sega Genesis, like one might a computer.

 

[Pharsalus]

I had a Game.com from tiger. Light's out was fun, king of fighters was not, the touchscreen and organiser funtions were cool but not really usefull for someone my age.

 

[Cipher1]

Well I didn't technically buy it, it was the first console I ever owned and probably the only console I ever played with my parents and it ate double A batteries like no ones business.

 

[Limecake]

The only console I purchased on release was the original Wii however I did play a virtual boy before it was well known.

The console seemed pretty fun for the 5 minutes I played it. The game was wario though and I heard that was the only good game on it. I didn't even know it was supposed to be a portable system when I looked at it though.

 

[Tanis]

My grandma got me one of those knock off 'all in one' Atari things that hooked up to the tv.

For the life of me I can't even think of what it's called.

 

[The_Scrivener]

Sega Saturn.

I loved it. I thought it was one of the most amazing things I've ever owned. Virtually everything worth its weight on that console has been put on PSN for download somewhere with infinite improvements, but I still own some of the Saturn-versions because I can't look at my Saturn (still have one) without remembering that wonderful day I stayed home all day playing it.

 

[ZombieDarwin]

TurboGrafx 16. i can still remember playing Bonk's Adventure at a Hill's department store WAYYYY back in the day & knowing i HAD to have one. it came with Keith Courage In Alpha Zone and i expanded my collection for it every chance i could get. i still pop in the gold-pinned game-card for Air Zonk from time to time for some vintage chiptune bullet-hell. a classic.

 

[ThriKreen]

I have a NeoGeo Pocket Colour.

Best d-pad design ever. Batteries last forever on 2 AAs. SNK vs. Capcom. Faselei.

I'm just going to end it there.

 

[Yopaz]

TurboGrafx 16. i can still remember playing Bonk's Adventure at a Hill's department store WAYYYY back in the day & knowing i HAD to have one. it came with Keith Courage In Alpha Zone and i expanded my collection for it every chance i could get. i still pop in the gold-pinned game-card for Air Zonk from time to time for some vintage chiptune bullet-hell. a classic.

Actually a decent system I love Dungeon Explorer and the Ys games.

Growing up far, far, far away from electronics store I never even saw a console for sale before Nintendo 64 was released. Even then you wouldn't ever see anything except N64 or PS. I guess the strangest console I own might be a Game&Watch, but even that isn't something I'm sure I'd call obscure, just old...

 

[Terramax]

Can't believe no one else has anything to comment on this, it's a pretty good topic.

Thanks. Sad to say, I post a lot of these kinds of threads and they end up not getting any replies sometimes.

Well I will show you the mistake I made, way back in 1987, keep in mind I went for this rather than an NES so that amps up the embarrassment. Anyway before I change my mind say hello to the Action Max and behold my shame...They are posted on youtube if you wish to laugh at me harder.

So, I decided to look on youtube and 'Oh dear...'

That being said, back in 1987, I can understand why you were convinced. Many consoles (including the aforementioned Mega CD) sold the idea of an interactive movie, and many a naive thought it was the way forward (so much so that many companies invested millions of their own money making consoles exclusively for these kinds of games).

Just as a side story I recently went back to visit my parents, and I was going through some old boxes, when out of no where I found my old Colecovision and Atari, oh the memories. I pulled them out of the box to check their condition and who was lurking at the bottom of the box to mock me? That's right Action Max... Queue the Darth Vader Noooooooooooo!!!!

Well, I wish I had an old Sega Mastersystem, Gamegear, and MegaCD waiting for me in an old box at my parent's house. Sad to say, I sold them all off years ago.

Sega Saturn.

I loved it. I thought it was one of the most amazing things I've ever owned. Virtually everything worth its weight on that console has been put on PSN for download somewhere with infinite improvements, but I still own some of the Saturn-versions because I can't look at my Saturn (still have one) without remembering that wonderful day I stayed home all day playing it.

Whilst I adore that console, I wouldn't say it was that obscure. Sure, it didn't sell well in the west as much at the PSX and N64, but it was still seen in stores for a rather long period of time, with some sense of existence on the market. I'm intrigued to know what games you mentioned are on PSN? Because, as far as I'm aware, next to none of the great Saturn games have been re-released since.

 

[The_Scrivener]

Can't believe no one else has anything to comment on this, it's a pretty good topic.

Thanks. Sad to say, I post a lot of these kinds of threads and they end up not getting any replies sometimes.

Well I will show you the mistake I made, way back in 1987, keep in mind I went for this rather than an NES so that amps up the embarrassment. Anyway before I change my mind say hello to the Action Max and behold my shame...They are posted on youtube if you wish to laugh at me harder.

So, I decided to look on youtube and 'Oh dear...'

That being said, back in 1987, I can understand why you were convinced. Many consoles (including the aforementioned Mega CD) sold the idea of an interactive movie, and many a naive thought it was the way forward (so much so that many companies invested millions of their own money making consoles exclusively for these kinds of games).

Just as a side story I recently went back to visit my parents, and I was going through some old boxes, when out of no where I found my old Colecovision and Atari, oh the memories. I pulled them out of the box to check their condition and who was lurking at the bottom of the box to mock me? That's right Action Max... Queue the Darth Vader Noooooooooooo!!!!

Well, I wish I had an old Sega Mastersystem, Gamegear, and MegaCD waiting for me in an old box at my parent's house. Sad to say, I sold them all off years ago.

Sega Saturn.

I loved it. I thought it was one of the most amazing things I've ever owned. Virtually everything worth its weight on that console has been put on PSN for download somewhere with infinite improvements, but I still own some of the Saturn-versions because I can't look at my Saturn (still have one) without remembering that wonderful day I stayed home all day playing it.

Whilst I adore that console, I wouldn't say it was that obscure. Sure, it didn't sell well in the west as much at the PSX and N64, but it was still seen in stores for a rather long period of time, with some sense of existence on the market. I'm intrigued to know what games you mentioned are on PSN? Because, as far as I'm aware, next to none of the great Saturn games have been re-released since.

The Saturn isn't obscure other than in a relative way because of its predictable death, but it was still the most obscure console I bought upon release. Nights, Virtua Fighter-titles, Fighting Vipers, Daytona USA are on PSN off the top of my head. I'd have to look for more.