The 'also-ran' consoles

PostThe 'also-ran' consoles by **Outrunner** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:00 pm

We've all probably owned or played the mainstream consoles but did anyone here bother with the less successful or niche consoles? Maybe the PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 was your console of choice. Or perhaps the Jaguar was your go to console of that generation. Or maybe your family were fabulously wealthy and you had a Neo-Geo.

I've dipped my toe into the world of more obscure consoles when I started collecting a while back. I've mainly concentrated on mainstream consoles but I have owned a Jaguar (which I sold), the Sega SG-1000 and the Sega Pico.

I had an Atari Lynx. It was great.

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **Vermilion** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:10 pm

Never really had the chance to play any of the more niche consoles, the most obscure one i owned was the Mega CD.

I had the (not particularly unpopular but distant second place) Game Gear and traded it for a (rather more unpopular) Atari Lynx.

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **SEP** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:18 pm

For a brief time, I had this:

It was a blurry, unplayable mess that made the original Game Boy screen look like an OLED display.

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **OrangeRKN** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:19 pm

I have a WiiU and a PS Vita

The console market seemed to have a lot more competition in earlier generations, I get the impression these kind of also-ran consoles were more common in the past.

That said I'm currently waiting on my Playdate to ship, which should be imminently. That's probably going to be the obscurest console I own.

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **Ironhide** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:26 pm

The Neo Geo Pocket Color is the most 'obscure' system I've owned, only got one game for it at the time (Samurai Shodown 2) as both GAME and Gamestation only had some of the launch games I didn't want (Crush Roller, Biomotor Unitron and Pacman).

I also had a 32X.

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **Cuttooth** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:28 pm

SEP wrote:For a brief time, I had this:

It was a blurry, unplayable mess that made the original Game Boy screen look like an OLED display.

I desperately wanted this when I was a kid.

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **Preezy** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:30 pm

I got a Gamecube when it came out, that's about as close as I've to also-ran.

Also had a PS3 hur hur hur

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **Moggy** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:41 pm

I've always avoided the also-rans. Not out of any premonition, just because as a teenager we didn't have the money to buy the latest gaming machine, so by the time I could get a console it was obvious which was the success.

I remember desperately wanting a Jaguar though. And I was so excited about maybe getting a 3DO one day. :lol:

Oh, I had an Atari 2600 jnr. In like 1987 or something.

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **Herdanos** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:47 pm

I got a Game Boy Player for my Gamecube, which meant it 'also-ran' Game Boy games. Does that count?

I think it might have to given the lack of variety we have managed to display so far.

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by KK » Thu Aug 04, 2022 4:06 pm

I suppose it would have to be the TV-Boy in the mid '90s. I think it was purchased from Argos for around £30, and included a compendium of 127 games from the late 70s and 80s but with their licenses removed (so you were definitely not playing Space Invaders, you were playing 'Blast the alien bastards' or whatever it was called), most of which were complete dog gooseberry fool. It was a rather large controller that plugged directly into the TV.

Worth noting that I don't have it now, as it caught fire. In hindsight, more exciting than any of the games.

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **SEP** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 4:12 pm

KK wrote:I suppose it would have to be the TV-Boy in the mid '90s. I think it was purchased from Argos for around £30, and included a compendium of 127 games from the late 70s and 80s but with their licenses removed (so you were definitely not playing Space Invaders, you were playing 'Blast the alien bastards' or whatever it was called), most of which were complete dog gooseberry fool. It was a rather large controller that plugged directly into the TV.

Worth noting that I don't have it now, as it caught fire. In hindsight, more exciting than any of the games.

I remember wanting one of those!

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **OrangeRKN** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 4:23 pm

Herdanos wrote:I got a Game Boy Player for my Gamecube, which meant it 'also-ran' Game Boy games. Does that count?

I laughed!

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **Herdanos** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 5:23 pm

Phew.

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **Balladeer** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 5:38 pm

I rolled my eyes, does that count?

Nintendo fanboy here. Closest I've had to an also-ran is the Wii U.

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **Outrunner** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 5:52 pm

Herdanos wrote:I got a Game Boy Player for my Gamecube, which meant it 'also-ran' Game Boy games. Does that count?

As OP, I'll allow it :lol:

PostRe: The 'also-ran' consoles by **SEP** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 6:22 pm

I'm just ashamed that I didn't think of that joke myself, to be honest.

The 'also-ran' consoles

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