Difference between revisions of "Strange and forgotten consoles"

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|style="text-align:center;"|A 1983 console pulled from shelves very quickly. Like many others, its titanic failure makes it a rarity nowadays. Good support in MESS.
 
|style="text-align:center;"|A 1983 console pulled from shelves very quickly. Like many others, its titanic failure makes it a rarity nowadays. Good support in MESS.
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|Commodore 64 Games System
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64_Games_System Commodore 64 Games System]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Good
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Good
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Hacked up console version of the regular C64, released only in Europe. Failed hilariously due to its outdated tech (1984 hardware in 1990!), the fact that the normal C64 was already a sufficient game console, and a bad case of the nogaems. Good MESS support.
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Hacked up console version of the regular C64, released only in Europe. Failed hilariously due to its outdated tech (1984 hardware in 1990!), the fact that the normal C64 was already a sufficient game console, and a bad case of the nogaems. Good MESS support.
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|Commodore CDTV
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_CDTV Commodore CDTV]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Preliminary
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Preliminary
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|Dendy
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendy_%28console%29 Dendy]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Decent
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Decent
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|The NES, but for slavs. Only [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kne6AKyYUuM Kinaman] can properly explain this one (turn on CC). Has decent support in MESS, and its status as an NES clone means its "exclusives" can be played on NES emulators that support broken pirate carts.  
 
|style="text-align:center;"|The NES, but for slavs. Only [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kne6AKyYUuM Kinaman] can properly explain this one (turn on CC). Has decent support in MESS, and its status as an NES clone means its "exclusives" can be played on NES emulators that support broken pirate carts.  
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|FM Towns Marty
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM_Towns_Marty FM Towns Marty]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Preliminary  
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Preliminary  
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|An early fifth-generation console released by Fujitsu in 1993. It failed due to its astronomical price. Another version called the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQs7zyn4uVQ Car Marty] was also released, designed to be a GPS for automobiles. Preliminary MESS support for both.
 
|style="text-align:center;"|An early fifth-generation console released by Fujitsu in 1993. It failed due to its astronomical price. Another version called the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQs7zyn4uVQ Car Marty] was also released, designed to be a GPS for automobiles. Preliminary MESS support for both.
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|Mattel Hyperscan
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperScan Mattel Hyperscan]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Something you would expect to see under a bargain bin at Wal-mart, the Mattel Hyperscan was a card/disc based system released in 2006 to appeal to some poor child's aunt at Christmas. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv2-M78m_qI CGR Review] No known emulators.
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Something you would expect to see under a bargain bin at Wal-mart, the Mattel Hyperscan was a card/disc based system released in 2006 to appeal to some poor child's aunt at Christmas. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv2-M78m_qI CGR Review] No known emulators.
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|Memorex VIS
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_Video_Information_System Memorex VIS]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|A beautiful monster sold only at RadioShack in the early 90s. No known emulators, but its software may be playable on Windows 3.x emus, as the console's OS was an altered version of that.
 
|style="text-align:center;"|A beautiful monster sold only at RadioShack in the early 90s. No known emulators, but its software may be playable on Windows 3.x emus, as the console's OS was an altered version of that.
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|Nintendo iQue Player
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQue_Player Nintendo iQue Player]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|An official Nintendo game console released in China in an attempt to stop piracy in the region. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work. It's basically an N64 clone with no original titles. No known emulators.  
 
|style="text-align:center;"|An official Nintendo game console released in China in an attempt to stop piracy in the region. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work. It's basically an N64 clone with no original titles. No known emulators.  
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|Nuon
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuon_%28DVD_technology%29 Nuon]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
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|style="text-align:center;"|A hybrid NES/Famicom arcade box distributed to hotels in Japan. The hotel would set the amount of time you could play on one token, and choose the games available. There was also the Super Famicom Box, for playing SNES. No known emulators, but the Super Famicom Box ''may'' work in MAME, as its BIOS is available.  
 
|style="text-align:center;"|A hybrid NES/Famicom arcade box distributed to hotels in Japan. The hotel would set the amount of time you could play on one token, and choose the games available. There was also the Super Famicom Box, for playing SNES. No known emulators, but the Super Famicom Box ''may'' work in MAME, as its BIOS is available.  
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|Playdia
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playdia Playdia]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|A disc based system released in Japan by Bandai in 1994. Notably, it had a wireless controller and all of its titles were interactive movies like Dragon's Lair. No known emulators.
 
|style="text-align:center;"|A disc based system released in Japan by Bandai in 1994. Notably, it had a wireless controller and all of its titles were interactive movies like Dragon's Lair. No known emulators.
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|RDI Halcyon
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halcyon_%28console%29 RDI Halcyon]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
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[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeI5zKeGELA Demonstration]
 
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeI5zKeGELA Demonstration]
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|Sega Pico
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Pico Sega Pico]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Good
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Good
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Child's edutainment console released in 1993. Was actually fairly successful. Has good support in [[MESS]].
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Child's edutainment console released in 1993. Was actually fairly successful. Has good support in [[MESS]].
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|Super A'Can
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_A%27Can Super A'Can]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Preliminary
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Preliminary
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|An extremely rare Taiwan-only console released in 1995. Some preliminary support in [[MESS]].  
 
|style="text-align:center;"|An extremely rare Taiwan-only console released in 1995. Some preliminary support in [[MESS]].  
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|View-Master Interactive Vision
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/View-Master_Interactive_Vision View-Master Interactive Vision]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|1988 edutainment VHS console that used two audio tracks on each tape, the player choosing one of two options on screen, to create interactivity. No known emulators.
 
|style="text-align:center;"|1988 edutainment VHS console that used two audio tracks on each tape, the player choosing one of two options on screen, to create interactivity. No known emulators.
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|Zemmix Series
+
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zemmix Zemmix Series]
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|None
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|

Revision as of 22:29, 10 August 2014

Tired of the same old high-selling commercialized crap? Do you yearn for the unnatural, unloved, and potentially unholy world of knockoffs and failed consoles? Well we have just the section for you. Note that not everything on this page can be emulated. If it exists and technically classifies as a video game console from gen 3 and beyond, it's on this page for your viewing pleasure.

Consoles

Name MESS support No-intro collection Description
Action Max None VHS tape console released in 1987 by Worlds of Wonder. It relied on a light gun and score counter for all of its 5 games, which could not really be lost. There's an add-on for the laserdisc emulator Daphne called SIGNE. We're in murky waters here, so run this at your own risk.

Cinemassacre Demonstration

Amiga CD32 Preliminary
Amstrad GX4000 Good A consolized PC.
Apple Bandai Pippin Preliminary Apple's attempt at being relevant to games. It failed.

Vintage review Currently, there is only preliminary MESS support, but some of its games may be playable on other Apple emus.

Atari XEGS Preliminary A repackaging of existing hardware, marketed as a game console. Notable for having possibly the worst physical design ever. It has preliminary support in MESS, as does the 65XE computer it's based on. Overview
Casio Loopy Preliminary A Japan-only game console designed for girls, focused on printing stickers. A Magical Shop add-on allowed for the printing of any screenshot, not just Loopy games. Preliminary support in MESS.

Drunken Printing Demonstration

Casio PV-1000 Good A 1983 console pulled from shelves very quickly. Like many others, its titanic failure makes it a rarity nowadays. Good support in MESS.
Commodore 64 Games System Good Hacked up console version of the regular C64, released only in Europe. Failed hilariously due to its outdated tech (1984 hardware in 1990!), the fact that the normal C64 was already a sufficient game console, and a bad case of the nogaems. Good MESS support.
Commodore CDTV Preliminary
Dendy Decent The NES, but for slavs. Only Kinaman can properly explain this one (turn on CC). Has decent support in MESS, and its status as an NES clone means its "exclusives" can be played on NES emulators that support broken pirate carts.
FM Towns Marty Preliminary An early fifth-generation console released by Fujitsu in 1993. It failed due to its astronomical price. Another version called the Car Marty was also released, designed to be a GPS for automobiles. Preliminary MESS support for both.
Mattel Hyperscan None Something you would expect to see under a bargain bin at Wal-mart, the Mattel Hyperscan was a card/disc based system released in 2006 to appeal to some poor child's aunt at Christmas. CGR Review No known emulators.
Memorex VIS None A beautiful monster sold only at RadioShack in the early 90s. No known emulators, but its software may be playable on Windows 3.x emus, as the console's OS was an altered version of that.
Nintendo iQue Player None An official Nintendo game console released in China in an attempt to stop piracy in the region. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work. It's basically an N64 clone with no original titles. No known emulators.
Nuon None A hybrid DVD player/game console with enhanced movie-viewing tools. Only a few games were made for the system, as the cheaper PS2 slaughtered it. There was an emulator in production called Nuance, but its author died and he didn't release the source code.
Nintendo Famicom Box None A hybrid NES/Famicom arcade box distributed to hotels in Japan. The hotel would set the amount of time you could play on one token, and choose the games available. There was also the Super Famicom Box, for playing SNES. No known emulators, but the Super Famicom Box may work in MAME, as its BIOS is available.
Playdia None A disc based system released in Japan by Bandai in 1994. Notably, it had a wireless controller and all of its titles were interactive movies like Dragon's Lair. No known emulators.
RDI Halcyon None A terrifying machine based on HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey, featuring voice-recognition and AI learning. Its failure bankrupted RDI. There are no known emulators for the Halcyon, as mankind has yet to fully comprehend its awesome power.

Demonstration

Sega Pico Good Child's edutainment console released in 1993. Was actually fairly successful. Has good support in MESS.
Super A'Can Preliminary An extremely rare Taiwan-only console released in 1995. Some preliminary support in MESS.
View-Master Interactive Vision None 1988 edutainment VHS console that used two audio tracks on each tape, the player choosing one of two options on screen, to create interactivity. No known emulators.
Zemmix Series None

Handhelds

Gamate

Another attempt to capture part of the Game Boy market, the Gamate was released in the early 90s by Bit Corporation. The magnitude of its failure makes it and its software obscenely rare today, with prices over 500 dollars for the handheld alone on ebay. It's so obscure, the developers of MESS don't even list it as having preliminary support, and no known ROM dumps exist.

Tiger Game.com

An infamous piece of shit, with quite possibly the worst screen on any handheld ever. Somehow still had a port of Resident Evil 2. Preliminary support in MESS. CGR review

Hartung Game Master

A German Game Boy knock off. Also distributed in the UK. Decent MESS support. Demonstration

Nokia N-Gage

Nokia's attempt at making a cell phone/handheld system hybrid, before mobile gaming really took off. Although it was the most powerful handheld in its time, it failed due to a high price, a terrible button layout, numerous design flaws, and its underdeveloped cell phone component. Had a redesign called the QD, but it was only slightly better. Most of its games were ports, either from the GBA or from the PS1 and Saturn. While it didn't have any standout titles, it still had a few odd original entries from big franchises such as Elder Scrolls Travels: Shadowkey and SSX: Out of Bounds. No known emulators.

Watara Supervision

An attempt at making a real competitor for the Game Boy. Has some support in MESS.

Epoch Game Pocket Computer

Good MESS support. Only 5 games exist for this handheld. All can be found here.