which console is the most underrated ?

[howdoin]

This is not a poll because I am interested in opinions : why do you think one console is under rated compared to its peers?
Is it because of a game (or a serie) or because of technological prowess ...


My most underrated console choice is the VIRTUAL BOY.
I really think this system deserved better, the technology, although limited because of the monochrome screen, was very interesting and is still bluffing. The 3D effect is really fun and does bring a new dimension to lots of games (Wario, Space Squash, Bowling...).
I also find that the few games released are indeed entertaining and fit perfectly my gaming habits (that is 12mn to 2 hours max of playing).
Space Squash, Galactic Pinball, Nester's Bowling are really entertaining and catchy.

If I had to pick a second runner I'd pick the Atari Jaguar with CD add-on : technologically ahead of its time (Those who played AVP at the time know what I'm talking about).

[DJ_DEEM]

im deff gonna have to say jaguar i personally love mine, the games are just great, awesome ports of doom and wolfenstein, alien vs. predator rocks, attack of the mutnant penguins, and who could forget one of my all time favorite games temtest 2000 sooo much fun!


also one of my fav. puzzle games, Flip out

[Raedon]

Ehh.. The VB needed an Asprin despenser.

SMS
Saturn
Neo-Geo (RPG's would have been killer on that system)
GC (great hardware, great controllers, no games)

[rarecube]

Ehh.. The VB needed an Asprin despenser.

SMS
Saturn
Neo-Geo (RPG's would have been killer on that system)
GC (great hardware, great controllers, no games)

I dont think Neo Geo is been underrated.
But i agree with Virtual Boy.

[Raedon]

good point, it was just not fully used to it's potential.. Like the VB.

[tony_good]

Dreamcast.

[bargora]

Well, who did the "rating"?

[drewbrim]

Turbo Grafx, if for no other reason than I personally love it and it didn't do so well in the states. I'll also say the Dreamcast. It' not underated on DP or anything but every time I pull it out my friends are always "amazed" at the games and overall performance of it. I get quotes like: "Wow, look at those graphics" and "this game came out when?" and my two favorites. "No way this title was released in 1999" and "I wonder why the DC didn't do better"

Then I explain to them that it's there fault etc...If they weren't sheep etc.., maybe it would still be alive :bad-words:

[NeoZeedeater]

Easily the Sega Master System. The SMS had a lot of the best games of its time and Sega(along with games they published from developers like Westone and Compile) managed to fill nearly every genre with something great.

While I do think the NES is the better overall system for quantity/third party reasons it doesn't deserve to have 10 times the popularity of the SMS. I just really wish all gamers could appreciate both sides.

[blissfulnoise]

GameCube.

It pains me to no end to see all the bashing on this system. Sure, there aren't that many exclusives to the console, but the ones we have are so outstanding it more than justifies its place in any gamers collection.

Eternal Darkness
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
Super Smash Brothers Melee
Resident Evil 4
Animal Crossing
Metroid Prime 1 & 2
Cubivore
Pac-Man Vs.
Pikmin 1 & 2
Super Mario Sunshine
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

All fit that category.

[RCM]

I was thinking Saturn at first. But that system is more for the hardcore crowd than anything. The system that truly deserved better is Dreamcast. That system had/has something for everyone but it still failed. Too bad.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[vintagegamecrazy]

I can second the Gamecube, it has so much power, not too many games but the ones on it are top notch and everyone that hates it says "because it sucks" when you ask then why they don't like it. Typical fanboy answer that never has any good backup. I also have to say the Jaguar, most of the time I've found out that everyone that says that its the most terrible system out there and tears into it hasn't played it before. Go figure. I love the controller though, gotta be one of the most comfortable controllers ever, and Tempest 2000 and Battlemorph just rock!

[Snapple]

Well, who did the "rating"?

That's what I'm wondering too. If you want to talk about among the hardcore, internet-based gaming community, there's no way you count count Saturn and Dreamcast as underrated. If you're talking market success, that's totally different.

I'll go with Saturn if you're talking about Sales-wise, and I'll go with Lynx otherwise.

[goatdan]

The Jaguar is easily my top pick (I've been talking about the Jag a lot today, yeesh). It is constantly raised up by magazines as one of the "best" examples of a failure because of one of the following claimed reasons:

It doesn't have any good games, only Geni/SNES ports. If you own a Jaguar and a decent number of games, you realize that most of them actually couldn't have been done on the SNES or Genesis. For each crappy port, you have a title that is impossible. The Jaguar version of NBA Jam TE? Maybe the best ever, and definitely better than the Genesis / SNES counterparts. Ultra Vortek? Looks and moves faster than any other 2D fighter from the time. And then there were the 3D games like Cybermorph, Missile Command 3D and Iron Soldier... all that couldn't have been done without more power.

It didn't have any games that excited gamers. This is dead wrong. Cybermorph was the first go-anywhere, explore-everything 3D flight game, and was given some awards for innovation in the year of release. Alien Vs. Predator was a totally immersive title. Tempest 2000 was absolutely mind-blowing, and is a true hardcore gamer's game. There was definitely a few great games... just not enough to get people's attention for long.

The controllers suck. They were way too big. The Jaguar's controller is nearly the same dimensions in the way of length as a Xbox, GameCube, Dreamcast or N64 controller. The button placement is nearly the same as the other ones. And the numerical pad that people 'hated' unlocked great possibilities in some titles that used it (like Iron Soldier). Sure -- it didn't have analog control, but neither did the 3DO, Saturn or Playstation from the same era... and the Jaguar had the ability to process analog built in, so who knows what the future may have held.

It wasn't really 64-bit. Which means what exactly? It means that the expected graphical leap wasn't there, but it doesn't mean that the games were or were not actually 64-bit. If that's the case, I assume my Xbox better be at least 256 bits, since it is leaps above my N64 visually... but my Xbox is 32 bits. So, while the Jaguar at the core is 64-bits, it doesn't matter... but it another reason that people cite as to the reason that it "sucked."

So after looking at these points, I would definitely say that the Jaguar is one of the most underrated platforms ever. There are some definite jewels there, and some stinkers, but that's the same with every console... and most of the games are at least enjoyable :)

[FlufflePuff]

I'm going to agree with the Virtual Boy. I never played it when it was new, but I recently picked one up and I'm loving most of the games I have. It fits my gaming habits of short spurts of gaming better than my traditional fare of RPGs and I really don't get a headache at all from the screen.

[Captain Wrong]

I was thinking Saturn at first. But that system is more for the hardcore crowd than anything. The system that truly deserved better is Dreamcast. That system had/has something for everyone but it still failed. Too bad.

I agree with this 100%. Even when the PS2 was new kid on the block, firends came over to play Dreamcast. Why? Fantastic library that you couldn't find elsewhere. I still probably have more hours on my DC than my PS2.

[packratshow]

I gotta go with the Dreamcast also. It's the only console I've even bought new. Out of the box it's still ahead of modern consoles. You can surf the web on it! It's easy to send game saves over the internet! The VMU!

My favorite part(besides the unique games) has got to be the VGA box. I'm still shocked that no other console maker has given users this option.

[Ernster]

NINTENDO 64

N64 was way better than that crappy ass, slow loading, blocky/jagedy graphics, boring PSX.

N64 made good 3D graphics and the best 3D controll at the time. Plus the Rumble Pak was new and cool.

PSX is basically a Nintendo console made by Sony, since Sony copied everything from the N64 and for the most part did it worse :angry:

[classicb]

Is it just me or does it seem that all the systems that seemed to fall through the cracks are great systems. (i might exclude the 3DO, CDi, and Game.com) I missed out on SMS, TG-16, and the Saturn when they were new but I've picked them up as a collector and they are great systems that stand the test of time even playing them now. I was there for the Dreamcast and that is where I would place my vote since the system had such a great library that too few people got a chance to play. Right now as a N-Gage fan I feel that it's getting underated since it had a horrible launch. The games have gotten much better and very few know what they are missing out on. I would think every system has at least a few games that make it worth getting which is why none of us have any free space these days in our game rooms.

[kirin jensen]

A machine with game levels you could create...in the early 1980's.
Non-flicker graphics.
Better controls than the Intellivision or 2600.
The Master Strategy Series.
The Challenger Series.
The Voice.

I'm buyin' me an O2! Really! :rocker:

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I'll be in the car with Kirin Jensen.

[XxMe2NiKxX]

Saturn. Good variety of games that would have been better if it sold as well as it should have. Though it's been eaten up by the hardcore crowd, the mainstream never got to enjoy the magic that is to be had on that console, and if they had, it would have lasted so much longer.

[crazyjackcsa]

Well lets see. My last three systems have been the underrated of their Generation. I bought a Saturn, Dreamcast and Gamecube, all within 12 months of their release. The Saturn has the worst reputation in the eyes of the casual gamer, the Dreamcast got stuck with the "Good system, too bad it's a Sega" Label, and the Cube is saddled with, "It's for 6 year olds" All underrated, and no doubt all systems for the more hardcore gamer.

[Jared_Vibelicious]

I have to go with the TG-16 / Duo ... had 3rd parties jumped on the wagon I think they would have had a fighting chance. The whole system and games just have a 'feel' about them that sets it apart.

[James]

Atari 7800
Phillips CDI
Atari Jaguar

The Atari 7800 was released during the great video game crash of the early 1980's and as such wasn't given much of a chance from both the few remaining developer's and the gamers. It wasn't a weak system by any means, it was actually quite powerful for the time probably half as powerful as the NES. Its only technological shortfall was its weak sound chip. It used the same audio technology as the 2600 did. This system was released to close to the 5200 and wasn't getting the marketing power it needed because no one was interested.

The Phillips CDI originally the fabled CD add-on for the SNES was released under a somewhat lackluster marketing campaign and as such didn't get the support it needed to be able to survive in the console market. The only big name games for it that most people know about are the four licensed titles it received when it was in development for the SNES.

The Atari Jaguar was a very good powerful system much like the 3DO and had a lot of good ports along with a bunch of good first party titles but not too many third party exclusives. The reason it failed was again the lack of good marketing, the fact that most of the good games required you pay extra for the CD add-on which should have come built on and the fact that it was overshadowed by bigger fish just like the CDI, Dreamcast, a plethora of good handhelds and the PCE/TG-16 outside of Japan.

The Virtual Boy was an excellent idea from Nintendo's creator of the Game Boy Gunpei Yokoi. But here are the problems with the implementation of the system that disqualifies it from the list.

1. The screens. The two screens were only red therefore were harsh and unrealistic on the eyes and after a while you would feel dizzy and be unable to see red for a while, but I don't remember getting headaches from it.

2. The one player only screen which means only one person can view the action at once.

3. The total lack of support. This system has the smallest library in Video gaming history at just 11 games I think. Someone correct me if there are more or less.

I still like the Virtual boy but the screens kill the system by default. It was a decent idea but at the end of the day that sort of implementation is just impractical and unrealistic, Nintendo did the right thing by dropping it almost immediately after its launch.

[James]

Easily the Sega Master System. The SMS had a lot of the best games of its time and Sega(along with games they published from developers like Westone and Compile) managed to fill nearly every genre with something great.

While I do think the NES is the better overall system for quantity/third party reasons it doesn't deserve to have 10 times the popularity of the SMS. I just really wish all gamers could appreciate both sides.

I really do like the SMS. Phantasy Star, its Ninja Gaiden game, Bart Bart vs. the Space Mutants and Bart vs. the World both much better and cleaner looking than the NES versions.

Now that aside I strongly disagree with your statement about the NES not deserving 10 times the popularity and support of the Master System. The NES deserves more like 100 to 1000 times the popularity of the SMS. Do you not realize what the NES did for the video gaming world? Without the NES there would be no SMS no Playstation, no Japanese oriented video gaming systems, period. Hell we might not even have an industry today although I seriously dought that, someone would have rejuvenated the market eventually. Nintendo's release of the NES in North America and Europe was a God send for the game players and makers alike, its equivalence to video gaming is what World War II did for the Great Depression although I hate to make war sound like a good thing, it did restart everyone’s crashed economy's during and afterwards it's just too bad so many people had too die because of it. Well back to the point Sega saw Nintendo's success and jumped right in after with a more powerful newer system. Sure the Graphics look better than the NES, sounds a little better too but the functionality isn't there. The 1 D-Pad 2 button controller is less useful than the NES's 4 button 1 D-Pad controller which is why I'll always pick the NES as the better system technologically over all. Sega also dropped support for it too soon just like they did with so many other promising systems.

[James]

I have to go with the TG-16 / Duo ... had 3rd parties jumped on the wagon I think they would have had a fighting chance. The whole system and games just have a 'feel' about them that sets it apart.

I agree there really is just something different about the Turbo Grafx that makes it really really good.

[NeoZeedeater]

Now that aside I strongly disagree with your statement about the NES not deserving 10 times the popularity and support of the Master System. The NES deserves more like 100 to 1000 times the popularity of the SMS. Do you not realize what the NES did for the video gaming world? Without the NES there would be no SMS no Playstation, no Japanese oriented video gaming systems, period. Hell we might not even have an industry today although I seriously dought that, someone would have rejuvenated the market eventually.
You can't actually believe that. Japanese consoles existed before the Famicom(Epoch Cassette Vision, SG-1000). The Master System would almost certainly have been released in the West regardless. It was released in mid 1986 not long after the nationwide NES release. The NES wasn't huge yet.

You're buying into the whole "gaming was completely killed off and only our saviour Nintendo saved it" BS. Gaming was alive and well in the arcades and on the Commodore 64 during the crash period.

None of this matters because my praise for the SMS is based on its games not its market share. I would rather credit game designers than marketers. Nintendo had better marketing than Sega in North America. On the other hand Sega had better marketing in the UK. In that respect you can credit both Nintendo and Sega for repopularizing console gaming.

[sabre2922]

when concerning the mass public it is most certainly the Dreamcast. of course not here on DP ;)

I have to go with the Turbographix16 overall.

and the Jaguar was not THAT terrible it just never had a chance in hell back when it was released and had next to NO third-party support.

[cr0n0]

I'll vote for the gamecube. Great games but the fact that it's considered a kid's system is what hurts it. A shame most folks just look at the games and see lots of colors or something along those lines and run away in disgust. I think nowaday, if it isn't a Grand Theft Auto clone game, or a world war something FPS (or ANY FPS), it is not cool enough to warrant attention. Gamecube is sorely missing out on these types and therefore is also lacking audience. Shame.

[Tron 2.0]

TG16/Turbo Duo
Saturn
DC

Poor suport in the U.S but in Japan it was better.

[squidblatt]

Back in the days of 8 bit, my friends scoffed at my PC gaming habits. True, CGA graphics did not always compare well with what console gamers were used to, but the games were so much more intelligent and immersive. What Nintendophile could ever hope to match the experience of Starflight or even Empire? Some people had a Commodore 64, and that's definitely a great gaming system, but the most complex and deep games were for the PC. Yet, aside from a few great names like Infocom, fewer people seem to remember them - at least from that era.

[anagrama]

I'll echo those that have said the Saturn & Dreamcast can't be described as 'underrated'. Under-appreciated by the mainstream, certainly, but both systems are rightfully 'rated' by anyone with half a clue.

[jdc]

Well.....I wish that the public's attitudes towards the N64 (doesn't anyone remember the mind-blowing games that Rare did?), GameCube and Dreamcast weren't as baseless and poor as they are.

That's why I hang out here on DP. I'm one of those freaks who happens to like the N64....."that gay kiddie system with the prehistoric cart format and useless f*ckin' controller". I can find like-minded supporters of "stupid" systems here. :D

[briguy578]

Easily the Sega Master System. The SMS had a lot of the best games of its time and Sega(along with games they published from developers like Westone and Compile) managed to fill nearly every genre with something great.

While I do think the NES is the better overall system for quantity/third party reasons it doesn't deserve to have 10 times the popularity of the SMS. I just really wish all gamers could appreciate both sides.

Its an easy choice, and NeoZeedeater is completely right. Heck, I didn't even know about the master system until I accidently bought a cart for it in 1995. Its a great system, and the fact that both the Genesis and the Game Gear are backwards-compatable with it makes it incredibly great.

Not as good as the NES, but it deserved at least a 30% market share. Too bad Tonka messed it up.

[fishsandwich]

NINTENDO 64

N64 was way better than that crappy ass, slow loading, blocky/jagedy graphics, boring PSX.

N64 made good 3D graphics and the best 3D controll at the time. Plus the Rumble Pak was new and cool.

PSX is basically a Nintendo console made by Sony, since Sony copied everything from the N64 and for the most part did it worse :angry:

LOL

You so funny!

Compare the N64 architecture to that of the PSX and you'll see that they are NOTHING alike. Sony built the PSX from the ashes of the SNES CD add-on and added their own custom processor that is totally different from anything Nintendo put on. The N64 is complex and difficult to program while the PSX has a steamlined, elegant design that affords easy programming. No doubt the N64 is a better machine from a power standpoint, but its cartridge format and programming curve did it no favors against the juggernaut PSX. That being said, I like the N64 better than the PSX ;)

I think the N64 got its due somewhat, especially in the States, It did quite well here, even with its limited library.

The SATURN, on the other hand, is a wildly unappreciated beast (outside of Japan, that is, where the Saturn was quite successful.)

I vote SATURN.

:D

[RCM]

Now that aside I strongly disagree with your statement about the NES not deserving 10 times the popularity and support of the Master System. The NES deserves more like 100 to 1000 times the popularity of the SMS. Do you not realize what the NES did for the video gaming world? Without the NES there would be no SMS no Playstation, no Japanese oriented video gaming systems, period. Hell we might not even have an industry today although I seriously dought that, someone would have rejuvenated the market eventually.
You can't actually believe that. Japanese consoles existed before the Famicom(Epoch Cassette Vision, SG-1000). The Master System would almost certainly have been released in the West regardless. It was released in mid 1986 not long after the nationwide NES release. The NES wasn't huge yet.

You're buying into the whole "gaming was completely killed off and only our saviour Nintendo saved it" BS. Gaming was alive and well in the arcades and on the Commodore 64 during the crash period.

None of this matters because my praise for the SMS is based on its games not its market share. I would rather credit game designers than marketers. Nintendo had better marketing than Sega in North America. On the other hand Sega had better marketing in the UK. In that respect you can credit both Nintendo and Sega for repopularizing console gaming.

Gaming wasn't completely killed off, but i've never heard anyone argue that the NES didn't reinvigorate the industry. The NES did save the industry. Don't doubt that.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[Psyleid]

Dreamcast.
I'm pretty sure that most people here think it's under-rated. Has great games and good graphics. Kind of pathetic when PS2 graphics aren't much better or not better at all.

I play my Dreamcast alot more than my PS2... Partly because the games still are fun with good graphics, while the PS2 seemed more based on graphics than fun. Not to mention I can go to Game Exchange and get games for $3 - $15.

When my Dreamcast broke and I had to get a new one I went to Game Crazy. When I asked the store guy if he had any Dreamcasts he said, "Dreamcasts....." as I walked away I swear I heard a "Pffft." As if I were asking for a pile of shit.
Also on the way out I noticed they were trying to sell a Genesis for $25 dollars, then I made a note to myself never to go there again.

Went to Game Exchange and they sold me a barely used Dreamcast for $15.

I hate the stigma that Dreamcast holds with the new-asshole-douchebags... The ones that obsess over Xbox and Playstation 2 as if they were presents from gods.

[ROBOTRON]

TG-16 or DreamCast

[sabre2922]

I completely relate to your experience in looking for Dreamcasts or DC games in my area ths $hithead clerks almost always say something like "Dreamcast? uhhh I havent seen one of them for a long time" IM like no shit Sherlock :angry: LOL

Anyway I have to put another vote in for Saturn I think its even underrated here at DP to a certain degree.

Now I have to say that I TRIED for soo long to like the N64 Ive actually owned 2 of them, but I think there are a number of reasons that it is looked upon the way it is both by the casuals and here at DP and weve all heard many of them time and time again but I will always be impressed with Mario64 and the Gems that RARE created on Nintendos last cart system ;)

[TheRedEye]

The Atari 7800 was released during the great video game crash of the early 1980's and as such wasn't given much of a chance from both the few remaining developer's and the gamers.

Um, no it wasn't. It was released after the NES, in a desperate attempt to make the name "Atari" mean something again. It failed, for obvious reasons.

[ozyr]

A machine with game levels you could create...in the early 1980's.
Non-flicker graphics.
Better controls than the Intellivision or 2600.
The Master Strategy Series.
The Challenger Series.
The Voice.

I'm buyin' me an O2! Really! :rocker:

Couldn't have said it better myself. The O2 has my vote!

[InsaneDavid]

I say the Virtual Boy as well. However I feel the need to address some comments from this post...


The Virtual Boy was an excellent idea from Nintendo's creator of the Game Boy Gunpei Yokoi. But here are the problems with the implementation of the system that disqualifies it from the list.

1. The screens. The two screens were only red therefore were harsh and unrealistic on the eyes and after a while you would feel dizzy and be unable to see red for a while, but I don't remember getting headaches from it.

2. The one player only screen which means only one person can view the action at once.

3. The total lack of support. This system has the smallest library in Video gaming history at just 11 games I think. Someone correct me if there are more or less.

I still like the Virtual boy but the screens kill the system by default. It was a decent idea but at the end of the day that sort of implementation is just impractical and unrealistic, Nintendo did the right thing by dropping it almost immediately after its launch.

The reason Nintendo had to use red was because multicolor VR display technology was still too expensive then (is still too expensive now) for a home gaming system. Of red, green, and blue you get the best contrast with red - so that was the choice taken. (although I occasionally wonder if Sega developed this system instead of Nintendo if it would be blue instead LOL)

Many VB games benefit from being in there all alone, especially games like V-Tetris where you're IN THE ZONE while playing and everything else drifts away.

Number 3 and your comment at the end are one in the same. You can't complain about lack of support and then be glad Nintendo pulled the plug. There were more games released in Japan and many creative ideas for games in development that were canned.

I've always said the Virtual Boy was Nintendo's biggest mistake - but not for creating it - for killing it. It didn't even have a full game development cycle, it was only out for eight months if I remember correctly. Of course the first few games weren't going to be SPECTACULAR but that's because it was uncharted territory. You have to cut your teeth somewhere! If the Virtual Boy would have gotten at least two years with Nintendo behind it and doing some REAL development it could have been a decent success story. If not successful at the very least it could have acted as a springboard for more similar developments and we'd have another class of platform by now. (Consoles, Handheld, etc.) Nintendo killed it off before it even got to utter it's first word.

Finally a moment of silence for Gunpei Yokoi, you will live forever in the hands of millions...

[ ]

[Ed Oscuro]

My picks, hmm...Sega CD/Turbo Duo (CD-ROM attachment) were used for some really cool games...mostly in Japan, though.

I often don't SEE SMS games I really enjoy...but there's enough (Musha/Power Strike and Alex Kidd in Shinobi World come to mind right away; I've only played a little of Golden Axe Warrior and...NO Phantasy Star...yet! :O ...but anyhow) to give it a vote. Had the system gotten better support...

[nate1749]

Dreamcast has the best gameplay in my opinion for their entire library. I play it more than all my other systems combined. I've even had some friends who have picked up a DC after playing or seeing it over at my house.

Definitely not "underated" in the gamer scene though, I've never seen a system that has been officially abandoned still be supported so long in the online community. I think xbox will be the same way though, with all the emulation that's possible how could it not be.

[Damon Plus]

I have to go with the Dreamcast. When I told a friend I bought the system, he said "Is it any good?" He tought it would be another 16-bit systems, as they are mainly what I play.

When he saw Soul Calibur in movement, his jaw dropped ;)

[Trevor Belmont]

Sega CD for me. Yes there were a lot of crappy titles released for the system. But at the same time, a lot of classics were released as well: Snatcher, Popful Mail, uh ... Snatcher ... umm ... Road Avenger?

Okay. Maybe this is more of a guilty pleasure system for me.

I'd agree with the DC, Saturn, and Turbo Duo as well ... if we're not talking about the hardcore gaming community, because if you were to go by our opinions, DC, Saturn, and Turbo Duo would be ruling the gaming world today!

[Moon Patrol]

Its an easy choice, and NeoZeedeater is completely right. Heck, I didn't even know about the master system until I accidently bought a cart for it in 1995. Its a great system, and the fact that both the Genesis and the Game Gear are backwards-compatable with it makes it incredibly great.

I believe you're forgetting you have to have ADD-ONS for them to be backwards compatible. The NOMAD was capable of doing master system AND genesis games, it was the only true backwards compatible system by Sega.

Have you ever tried to fit a Master System cart in a Genesis? Talk about mission impossible....

[burnt toast]

i would agree with the support for the dreamcast, its a great console with some brilliant games on it, but everyone has heard that already. and i would second the votes for the mega/sega cd, it gets a real bum rap generally and its not really deserving of it in retrospective. hook this beast up to a decent sound system and its amazing, but a few games on it are way too over rated, like sonic cd. robo aleste, now thats a game...

[AB Positive]

It's hard to pick just one...

1) Odyssey 2

Mine is A/V modded, and no other pre-NES system has such clear, crisp graphics. No flicker, the ability to make your own levels, PICK AXE PETE, and the inherent ability to store high scores with up to 6-character names, something you didn't see at that time.

I had a babysitting session with some 8-9 year olds, and with my PS2 and XBOX sitting there, the favorite by far was Smithereens! with the voice add-on. Two straight hours of O2 fun. Earl, you would have been proud.


2) Virtual Boy

This system has one of the worst reputations in gaming, yet it's filled with such gaming goodness. Red Alert, Panic Bomber, Wario Land, Mario Tennis... and it's the one system that just doesn't work in emulation. You NEED to play one. I love the VB.


3) Sega Saturn

The sega system most gamers will say absolutly sucks. However, if you're brave enough to tap the import market, you're bound to find something you'll be stuck in front of for hours. Even domestically... you got NiGHTS into dreams, the Street Fighter Alpha series, Magic Knight Rayeart, Shining Force III... there's some great gems on a system usually looked upon with disdain.


4) Neo Geo Color Pocket

This is literally the only handheld I own. I pull it out and people think it's a GBA then get confused when the look at it more closely. I love this thing, fighters, RPGs, a Sonic title and the most addictive games on the planet - Card Fighter's Clash 1 and 2.

Oh... and hentai mahjong on the move isn't too bad either *cough*


5) TG-16/Duo

This system is just all around 'neat'. Hu-Cards and CD-Rom games, you could have a library of loose games that would fit the palm of your hand. It's where I cut my teeth on the glorious Bomberman series, and it still doesn't feel right playing a Bomberman game unless I have that two-button Turbo controller in my hand. Another great system for imports, and the sound is so unique. If I could create an instrument based on the Turbo sound chip system, i would.



-AG

[Fuyukaze]

While I want to say the Dreamcast, even I think there were other systems that were over looked. The Dreamcast's launch day alone should keep it out. Systems like the Virtua Boy, Jag, and Lynx to me apply.