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Strange and forgotten consoles

526 bytes added, 23:32, 22 May 2019
added the Smart Cycle
|[[Atari_8-bit#Atari_XEGS|Atari XEGS]]
|Preliminary
|Yes
|A repackaging of the [[Atari 8-bit]] computer line marketed as a game console. Notable for having possibly the worst physical design ever. It has preliminary support in MAME, as does the 65XE computer it's based on. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2gF5wWns0E Overview] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IVK3ukQmMA CGR Review]
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|[[wikipedia:BBC_Bridge_Companion|BBC Bridge Companion]]
|[http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/system.php?machine=bbcbc Good]
|Yes
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|[[wikipedia:Commodore_64_Games_System|Commodore 64 Games System]]
|Good
|Yes
|A hacked up console version of the regular [[Commodore 64 emulators|Commodore 64]], released only in Europe. Failed hilariously due to its outdated tech (1984 hardware in 1990!), the fact that the normal Commodore 64 was already sufficient, and a bad case of the 'no games'.
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|[[wikipedia:Dendy_(console)|Dendy]]
|Decent
|Yes
|The [[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|NES]], but for slavs. (TCRF COMEDY!) Only [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kne6AKyYUuM Kinaman] can properly explain this one (turn on CC). Has decent support in MAME, and its status as an NES clone means its "exclusives" can be played on NES emulators that support broken pirate carts.
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|[[wikipedia:Dina_(video_game_console)|Dina]]
|Good
|Yes
|Hybrid clone of both the [[SG-1000 emulators|SG-1000]] and [[ColecoVision emulators|ColecoVision]]. Sold by Telegames as the Telegames Personal Arcade, allegedly with permission from Coleco themselves. The console's build quality leaves a lot to be desired, not to mention that games for the aforementioned platforms can be played on most [[ColecoVision emulators]] anyway.
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|[[wikipedia:My Vision|My Vision]]
|[http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/system.php?machine=myvision Good]
|None
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|[[wikipedia:Zemmix|Zemmix Series]]
|Good
|Yes
|Korean system that was simply an MSX/MSX 2, depending on the model, in console form. Mostly just existed as a way to play MSX games. Though there were a few games made specifically for it, they were playable on the MSX as well. Any MSX emulator should work for its games.
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|[[wikipedia:Tandy_Video_Information_System|Memorex VIS]]
|Preliminary
|None
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|A beautiful monster sold only at RadioShack in the early 90s. The software may be playable on Windows 3.x emulators, as the console's OS was an altered version of that.
|[[Philips CD-i emulators|Philips CD-i]]
|Imperfect
|Yes
|[https://archive.org/details/redumpPhilipsCdi ✓]
|Thanks to working with Nintendo to develop a CD add-on for the SNES, the CD-i is notorious for having egregiously terrible Mario and Zelda games, so much so that the Big N ''disowned'' their existence and considered it a blank space in their official history. Aggressively promoted and held on for multiple years with multiple different models (targeted at everything from gamers to pharmaceutical companies), but couldn't compete with mainstream consoles and computers of the time.
|[[wikipedia:Apple_Bandai_Pippin|Apple Bandai Pippin]]
|Preliminary
|[https://archive.org/details/BandaiApplePippin-GamesRoms Yes]
|Apple's attempt at being relevant to games. It failed.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ln_CmNtbvQ Vintage review] Currently, there is only preliminary [[MAME]] support, but some of its games may be playable on other Apple emulators.
|[http://videogamekraken.com/arcadia-skeet-shoot-by-toymax Arcadia Skeet Shoot]
|None
|None
|Released in October of 1998 by Toymax (The makers of the Creepy Crawlers and My Pet Monster toys), this Projector-based console, that only [http://kevinisblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/arcadia-electronic-skeet-shoot-game.html played Light-gun games], sold 435,000 units in the first 18 months before being recalled after reports of projectors overheating, melting, smoking and in a few rare cases, causing burn injuries (Faulty cartridges were to blame). After about three revisions, the system was discontinued sometime between 2000 and 2001 with only 5 out of the 9 games advertised known to have been released. It's unknown how many units were sold once the console was relaunched after the recall.
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|[[wikipedia:CP_System#Capcom_Power_System_Changer|Capcom Power System Changer]]
|Good
|None
|A console version of the Capcom CPS arcade board. Compatible with SNES controllers.
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|[[wikipedia:Playdia|Playdia]]
|None
|[https://archive.org/details/BandaiPlaydia_Redump.org_2018-01-22 Yes]
|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.
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|[https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Video_Buddy Video Buddy]
|None
|None
|Released in November of 1999 by the Interactive Learning Group, this VHS-based console was designed for children aged 3 to 7 years old and had about 20 games released for it. A revision of the Video Buddy that used DVD's instead of VHS's was released in 2003 and while both versions were initially successful, a crowded "Children" console market led to its downfall. The [http://videogamekraken.com/category/vhs-based other company] that made the DVD-based console shut down in 2006. It's unknown how many units were sold.
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|[[wikipedia:XaviXPORT|XaviXPORT]]
|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/drivers/xavix.cpp Preliminary]
|None
|A fitness based system, employing the usage of motion controls in an effort to get players off of the couch - beating Nintendo's [[Wii_emulators|Wii]] by more than 2 years! Each game cart came with a dedicated controller and an own CPU (not in the system, similar to Super FX chips in some SNES carts). The XaviXPORT was actually developed by eight of the engineers who worked on the original development of the [[Nintendo_Entertainment_System_emulators|NES]]. An upgraded version with a 16-bit "Super XaviX" CPU compared to the original 8-bit CPU came in 2005. Also of note is the fact that Jackie Chan partnered with SSD Company Limited in order to bring his likeness to the console, which resulted in two licensed games. [https://mamedev.emulab.it/haze David Haywood] is particularly working on reverse-engineering the XaviX technology for MAME.
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|None
|[https://archive.org/details/ZAPiT_GameWave_Redump_2017-12-23 Redump]
|A failed attempt to steal sales from the upcoming Nintendo Wii, the Game Wave was an obscure console released in 2005 by ZAPiT Games that only had trivia games. It also had a VeggieTales family party game.
Giga Pets Explorer TV Game System
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|GoGo TV Video Vision
|None
|None
|Released in sometime between 2005 and 2006 by Manley, the GoGo is Another PS2 Eye-Toy turned into edutainment console and like the Ion, it flopped and has since fallen into obscurity, it's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.
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|Hasbro Ion
|NoNone
|None
|Released in time for the 2005 Holiday season, the Ion is basically a PS2 Eye-Toy turned into edutainment console for preschoolers and at the time, the Ion was turning heads at toy fairs, hype was building and the console looking to be real hit for Hasbro but for whatever reason, the console flopped and disappeared into obscurity faster then the refunds could be made, it's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.
|[https://archive.org/details/MattelHyperscan_Redump_2014-12-14 Redump]
|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. It was run on a 32-bit Sunplus system-on-a-chip CPU, a successor to the 16-bit CPUs used to run such consoles as the V.Smile, many Jakks Pacific TV games and Vii. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv2-M78m_qI CGR Review].
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|Smart Cycle
|None
|None
|Released in 2007 by Fisher-Price and not to be confused with their later phone\tablet controller of the same name. the Smart Cycle is a hybrid between an exercise bike and a edutainment console. it's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.
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|Telestory Interactive Storybook System
|None
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|Release in 2006 by Jakks Pacific for kids aged 3 and up, The Telestory is yet another edutainment console from 2000s and all the games are exactly what the console name would suggest, it's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.
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|[[wikipedia:Zeebo|Zeebo]]
|None
|None
|An obscure Brazilian console released in 2009. It was based on the BREW platform, and its games were delivered via a 3G mobile network. It was only sold in Brazil, Mexico, and China.
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