Are they systems? Or not?

[Zap!]

OK, after reading different views about whether the 32x, Sega CD, Turbo Grafx CD, etc. should be considered systems or not, I'm going to create a poll to see where most of you stand. All throughout the 90's, I never had the slightest thought in my mind that these would be counted as "systems" one day, but in many systems lists and systems polls, they are added. So, what do you guys think? Do you consider the 32x a system? An add-on? Personally, I'm not sure I even consider the Vectrex or Virtual Boy systems, but that's a whole new ballgame...

[miaandjohnrule]

I think they are just Add-ons.

[Mianrtcv]

HEY! Where's the intellivoice?!?!? Where's the e-reader?!?!!?!(people wigged on an ereader thread I had) LOL

For me a console can be purchased, plugged in, cartridge/disc inserted and game on. With the 32x can't do it, same for the sega cd and even the intellivoice. JMO

[sabre2922]

They are add-ons

[Jumpman Jr.]

I'd call them consoles. Sure, they're add-ons, but if they require a differnet type of media to play a game, then its an entirely different console than the original.

[BrokenFlight]

I consider them to be separate consoles. Mainly for the reason Jumpman Jr. said. The games for them are completely separate to the main console games.

[alec006]

Hmm they are add ons,but each of them have a seprate CPU,and rely on the main systems,but i still see them as consoles. Remember The CDX is the Genesis and CD combined and the Neptune would have been the Genesis and 32X combinded.

[Brian_Provinciano]

Well... they are definitely "platforms".

[zerohero]

I say they are basically both. They are add ons to systems that are pretty muched used to try to stay on top technology wise. They are also their own little systems, because you can't play a Sega CD game without a Sega CD attachment. So you can take the yen and yang aproach to them.

[Jumpman Jr.]

Since I've posted in this topic, I've been thinking of it a little bit more.
Here's the difference.

Intellivoice: Add on - You can still play Intellivoice games on the Intellivision, and vice-verca. Whether or not they are capable of doing what the Intellivoice does, thats a different matter.
32X: You cannot play 32X games on your Genesis. Completely different hardware.

[njiska]

I say they are basically both. They are add ons to systems that are pretty muched used to try to stay on top technology wise. They are also their own little systems, because you can't play a Sega CD game without a Sega CD attachment. So you can take the yen and yang aproach to them.

Exactly. They're complete consoles, but because they require other systems they're addons. The only possible definition is this:

The are all add-on systems.

[TurboGenesis]

In the case of the turbo duo I'd have to call it a console. TTI marketed it as a whole console and Turbo Grafx/Turbo CD ceased production.

In the case of the Sega hardware I would call them add on's. Yes there were concepts(neptune) and alternative combo systems(X'eye, CDX) but the consumer still had the option of buying a bone stock genesis where in the case of the duo it was the only choice.

Yes there was the system card 3.0 but this was offered to folks who had already owned a Turbo Grafx/CD combo system. Someone wanting to buy a new system at the time was left with only the $299 Turbo Duo system and no stock turbo grafx 16 console. Thats my take on it.

[DTJAAAAMJSLM]

I like to think of them as systems.

[goatdan]

They fall into a special "add-on" category, I think. What is an add-on otherwise? These fall into that category because they need the original system to function, and without it they can't do anything. Yes, the games are different, but the fact that they cannot be played on a system that stands alone means they cannot be a system.

You cannot play a Jaguar CD without having a Jaguar attached. Add-on.

You cannot play a 32X or Sega CD game without having a Genesis attached. Add-on.

The Game Boy Advance can be played either through the GBA add-on for the GameBoy, or in a real Game Boy Advance, which means that games for it are a different "system."

For clarity sake though, you need to list them seperately. You can complete a Genesis collection without having every Sega CD, for instance.

[tholly]

while you do indeed add the on to an existing system....owning them is the only way to play the games made specifiically for it, so i categorize them as systems.....

[Aussie2B]

They're both add-ons and systems. I mean, you wouldn't make a game collection page and mix together your Genesis and Sega CD games, would you?

Straying slightly off-topic, you know what bugs me? When people say that the Game Boy Color is a completely new handheld, separate from the original Game Boy and Game Boy Pocket. I personally see it as an improvement, while the Game Boy Advance was the truly new handheld (and so is the DS these days). I wouldn't even know where to begin in making separate lists for Game Boy and Game Boy Color. Yes, some games are black and white and others will only work on the GBC, but where would you place the black-shelled games that were designed for both in mind? The existence of those games is why I can never see the two handhelds as completely separate. I mean, when GBA and DS came out, you didn't see any games designed for the new handhelds that could also work on the original.

[goatdan]

Straying slightly off-topic, you know what bugs me? When people say that the Game Boy Color is a completely new handheld, separate from the original Game Boy and Game Boy Pocket. I personally see it as an improvement, while the Game Boy Advance was the truly new handheld (and so is the DS these days). I wouldn't even know where to begin in making separate lists for Game Boy and Game Boy Color. Yes, some games are black and white and others will only work on the GBC, but where would you place the black-shelled games that were designed for both in mind? The existence of those games is why I can never see the two handhelds as completely separate. I mean, when GBA and DS came out, you didn't see any games designed for the new handhelds that could also work on the original.

The Game Boy Color is a different system though because of the games that you mentioned -- the ones that ONLY work on the color system. The games that can work in the GBC or the original GB is up to the collector to decide whether they count as Game Boy games or Game Boy Color games. The fact that I can't take my GBC copy of Donkey Kong Country and play it on my original brick GameBoy means that they are seperate systems.

[Aussie2B]

Well, I resolve the fact that some games can only be played on GBC by making the list for my games "GB/GBC games", but I still lump them all together. The only difference between the black-shelled games and the GBC-only games was usually the GBC-only games were a bit more color-intensive than they would be if they were designed for both handhelds in mind, so I still just see it as an improvement.

[CrimsonNugget]

In my opinion they're systems because of the seperate media argument. Can't get the full Sega CD or 32X experience on the Genesis.

[ubersaurus]

Well, I resolve the fact that some games can only be played on GBC by making the list for my games "GB/GBC games", but I still lump them all together. The only difference between the black-shelled games and the GBC-only games was usually the GBC-only games were a bit more color-intensive than they would be if they were designed for both handhelds in mind, so I still just see it as an improvement.

The GBC-only games also take advantage of the improved specs of the GBC in other, less obvious ways.

[Slimedog]

Well, I resolve the fact that some games can only be played on GBC by making the list for my games "GB/GBC games", but I still lump them all together. The only difference between the black-shelled games and the GBC-only games was usually the GBC-only games were a bit more color-intensive than they would be if they were designed for both handhelds in mind, so I still just see it as an improvement.

I never had a problem placing GBC games in their own collection. The front of the box clearly denotes Gameboy or Gameboy Color and the fact that some GBC games are forwards compatible with the GB is just a feature of the individual game.

The only games I had trouble placing are my CD based 32X games. Even the box styles of these games are different from each other. Grumble, grumble, damn nuisance.

Another "System" that might be worth considering is the Ram Expansion for the N64. There are plenty of games that don't play at all without it. I wouldn't consider this a system personally, but it does tie into this topic.

[Aussie2B]

Donkey Kong 64 and Zelda: Majora's Mask are the only games that won't play at all without the expansion pak. Although, Perfect Dark barely lets you do anything without it.

[Zap!]

They're both add-ons and systems. I mean, you wouldn't make a game collection page and mix together your Genesis and Sega CD games, would you?

I do exactly that with my Turbo Grafx cards and CD's. However, for some super strange reason, I think that's more acceptable than doing the same to a Sega Genesis list. Perhaps because the Sega CD came out late in the Genesis' life? Perhaps because the TG-CD was a major part of the TG-16?

[James]

They are all add-ons and consoles because of the differect hardware and media type but they are not seperate systems because of the requirement of the original stand alone console except for the CDX and the Turbo-DUO which combined the two.

[Zap!]

Thanks for the input and opinions, guys. I know I would be in the minority, but I am standing strong for now.

[Buyatari]

If the 32X is a "system" then the Atari 2600 supercharger is a system.

[donkeykong1]

They are systems because they require different media to play on them.