The Konix Multi System

[Zap!]

I so wanted one of these in 1989. It's really a shame that it was cancled, it was such a unique looking system. There were so many pictures of them, so do any working prototypes exist? I've never heard of one floating around, but there must be a few.

http://www.retrogames.co.uk/stock/assets/images/Mach_-_Konix_Multi_System.jpg

[Steve W]

I don't think so. According to Retro Gamer Magazine, the ones they were showing off at conventions were just shells with all the bulky prototype hardware underneath the table, since they hadn't gotten to the point of fitting it inside the console.

If they didn't try to do that motion chair they were planning to make available with the Multi System, they could have used that wasted research and development money to get the system out the door. And if the owner of the company hadn't been so proud and wanting to keep it British, he could have co-partnered with LucasArts and gotten the thing on the market. Who knows how the game industry could have turned out if a LucasArts backed game console had been released.

[Bojay1997]

I don't think so. According to Retro Gamer Magazine, the ones they were showing off at conventions were just shells with all the bulky prototype hardware underneath the table, since they hadn't gotten to the point of fitting it inside the console.

If they didn't try to do that motion chair they were planning to make available with the Multi System, they could have used that wasted research and development money to get the system out the door. And if the owner of the company hadn't been so proud and wanting to keep it British, he could have co-partnered with LucasArts and gotten the thing on the market. Who knows how the game industry could have turned out if a LucasArts backed game console had been released.

Everything I've ever seen on the subject seems to support the fact that there was never a working version that actually fit in the special controller housing that become the mold for that controller pictured in the first post. Based on what I know about LucasArts, however, I don't think they were ever serious about licensing the multisystem technology. Like a lot of game companies, they made some inquiries and had some discussions, but it didn't get very far. The story seems to get a lot of play because it is LucasArts and imaginations run wild with what they would have done with their own console, but I honestly believe they never would have gone through with any deal.

[Steve W]

Still, it's great to think about what LucasArts could have done with the technology. Imagine Rescue on Fractalus II running on it's 16-bit hardware, or Ballblazer II. It makes me weep thinking about what could have been. And that's not even counting the crazy-ass amounts of Star Wars games they could have made that would have been far superior to anything the NES/SNES could do.

[Bojay1997]

Still, it's great to think about what LucasArts could have done with the technology. Imagine Rescue on Fractalus II running on it's 16-bit hardware, or Ballblazer II. It makes me weep thinking about what could have been. And that's not even counting the crazy-ass amounts of Star Wars games they could have made that would have been far superior to anything the NES/SNES could do.

I don't know, after the Atari 8-bit era, LucasArts kind of put out some mediocre IPs with the exception of their excellent adventure games which probably wouldn't have made sense on a system designed around unique controllers. There already are two sequels to Ballblazer, including one on the Amiga/ST and it wasn't all that good.

[A Black Falcon]

Lucasarts had a few clear misses, like Masters of Teras Kasi and a few others (Defenders of Dynatron City, probably), but you underrate their non-adventure games.

Totally Games' Star Wars flight sims among the best games ever, particularly TIE Fighter, the best DOS game ever made... the space sims are spectacular. Totally Games' WWII sims before that are supposed to be good too, though I haven't played those.

And on the SNES, Zombies Ate My Neighbors was great. They also had Big Sky Trooper, Metal Warriors, and Ghoul Patrol on the SNES, to mixed reviews. Still, most reviews of those games were at least decent. There was also Rebel Assault on PC, 3DO, and Sega CD, which many people hate but I've always liked, for some reason... probably because it was one of the first CD games I owned. :)

And then, of course, there was Dark Forces and its sequel Jedi Knight, great, great FPSes on the PC, as well as good console games like Herc's Adventures. Oh, and Rebel Assault 2, which I didn't like quite as much as the first one, but still largely enjoyed, on PC at least, with a joystick (I've heard it's awful on PSX, but haven't played it there). Lucasarts was a great developer even beyond adventure games, where of course they were the best in the industry. Of course, in 1999 the company tragially completely fell apart, but before then they were great.

The point is, Lucasarts having their own console would have been very interesting... but yeah, it's hard to see the thing actually happening.

[Rob2600]

It makes me weep thinking about what could have been. And that's not even counting the crazy-ass amounts of Star Wars games they could have made that would have been far superior to anything the NES/SNES could do.

Was the Konix Multi System more powerful than the SNES?

I remember the screenshots from the 1990 EGM Buyers Guide and the graphics looked good, but not better than the SNES. Am I wrong?

[Zap!]

I don't think so. According to Retro Gamer Magazine, the ones they were showing off at conventions were just shells with all the bulky prototype hardware underneath the table, since they hadn't gotten to the point of fitting it inside the console.

If they didn't try to do that motion chair they were planning to make available with the Multi System, they could have used that wasted research and development money to get the system out the door. And if the owner of the company hadn't been so proud and wanting to keep it British, he could have co-partnered with LucasArts and gotten the thing on the market. Who knows how the game industry could have turned out if a LucasArts backed game console had been released.

Ok, but are any pieces of the shell floating around? At the very least, they made several. The one in the pic above is black, while the earlier ones are grey. I would love to own one for my collection.

Likewise, are any prototypes out there of the seperate system? Shots were taken of games, so the hardware was made. It just apparently never was made to fit inside the shell.

[Bojay1997]

If you get a chance, take a visit to this website:

http://www.konixmultisystem.co.uk/

It's the most comprehensive archive dedicated to the Konix Multisystem anywhere.