Changes

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Strange and forgotten consoles

159 bytes removed, 15:09, 21 July 2021
no edit summary
|[[wikipedia:Action_Max|Action Max]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|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 multi-[[Arcade LaserDisc emulators|arcade LaserDisc emulator]] [[DAPHNE]] called [https://web.archive.org/web/20150512114240/http://www.singeengine.com/cms/node/6 SINGE.] We're in murky waters here, so run this at your own risk.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj498-wkOz4 Cinemassacre Demonstration]
|-
|[[wikipedia:Dendy_(console)|Dendy]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary (Unsupported Mappers and Crashes on grey screen, The mappers supports better with FCEUX on my PC?)
|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.
|[https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Video_Buddy Family Driver]/[https://segaretro.org/Video_Driver Video Driver]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|Sega also had a go with the VHS-Based console market with the Family Driver from 1988 and unlike most of these type of consoles, this did not play Light-gun games but instead played driving games. Only three games were released for the system; it's unknown when Sega discontinued it.
|-
Off-The-Wall Projector
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|Released circa 1989 by European company, Funsation (The Exact Origin is Unknown).This Projector based console somehow sold worse and is even rarer then the "Mega Video Game" (A similar console that also flopped). It's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.
|[[wikipedia:LJN Video Art|LJN Video Art]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|A notorious "educational" console made by the notorious LJN released in 1985. It was meant as a paint program type system that was meant to compete against television rather than mainstream consoles at the time. It flopped hard. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neURIc_A3js Commercial] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-zEhhTqdvg AVGN Review]
|-
|[[wikipedia:My Vision|My Vision]]
|style="background:PALEGREENpalegreen;"|[http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/system.php?machine=myvision Good]|NoneNo
|
|-
|[[wikipedia:Grandstand_(game_manufacturer)#Projector-based_'Light'_games|Playtime Projector Mega Video Game]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|Released in 1988 by the Hong Kongese company, Playtime Products. The Mega Video Game played Game & Watch style games and used a built-in projector as the display. Less then 15 games were released for the system, and was discontinued sometime between 1989 and 1990. how many units were sold is unknown.
|[[RDI Halcyon]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|A terrifying machine based on HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey, featuring voice-recognition and AI learning. Its failure bankrupted RDI. There are currently no known emulators for the Halcyon, as mankind has yet to fully comprehend its awesome power.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeI5zKeGELA Demonstration]
|[http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=2&c=1294 Soundic SD-290]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|Released by Soundic in 1983, the SD-290 was designed to undercut the competition but the lack of compelling games and dated hardware drove customers away from it. Only 11 of the 16 games planned for the system were released. It's unknown how many units were sold or when it was discontinued.
|[[wikipedia:Terebikko|Terebikko\Video Phone]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|The Terebikko is a VHS-Based edutainment console released in Japan by Bandai in 1988 and in the US by Mattel in 1989, The Japanese version had less then 10 games made for it but most of them are based on high profile properties such as Super Mario, Sailor Moon, Doraemon and Dragon Ball Z, Meanwhile, Only 2 games are known to of been released for the US version, both were discontinued in 1994 and it's unknown how many units were sold.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Video Challenger|Video Challenger]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|NoneNo
|Released in 1987 by Select Merchandise and licensed to 4 companies in different regions, this VHS-Based console only had around 8 games released for it and like most systems of this type, it only played Light-gun games. It's unknown how many units were sold or when it was discontinued.
|-
|[http://www.christopherjhopkins.com/videosmarts-the-interactive-video-learning-system.html Videosmarts]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|Released around 1986 by the Connor Toy Corporation, the Videosmarts is VHS edutainment console that taught Preschool to Second Grade Subjects, It's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.
|-
|[[wikipedia:View-Master_Interactive_Vision|View-Master Interactive Vision]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|1988 edutainment VHS console that used two audio tracks on each tape, the player choosing one of two options on the screen, to create interactivity. Also had short mini-game segments with ColecoVision-like graphics. Unlike the other VHS systems, the games were actually decent. No known emulators.
|-
|[https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%94%E3%82%AF%E3%83%8E Konami Picno]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|NoneNo
|
|Released in Japan by Konami in 1992, the extremely rare Picno is an odd hybrid of a Video Game Console and a Drawing Tablet that used cartridges similar to [[wikipedia:HuCard|HuCard's]] and [https://segaretro.org/Sega_Pico Sega Pico]. It's unknown how many units were sold, when it was discontinued or how many games were released. [http://videogamesdensetsu.tumblr.com/post/142354502350/the-konami-picno-%E3%83%94%E3%82%AF%E3%83%8E-1992-a-drawing-tablet Software & sources lists].
|[http://videogamekraken.com/%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%85%D0%B0-by-skb-kontur-%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B1-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80 Krokha]
|style="background:skyblue;"|Decent
|NoneNo
|
|The Krokha (Кроха) is an unreleased Russian console by SKB Kontur (СКБ Контур). The console was only in development for a short time in 1990 before Kontur pulled the plug on the project. They made 200 units for internal testing and, after it was cancelled, the 200 units were given to the people who worked on the system.
|[https://fcgamer.wordpress.com/category/cai-system/?fbclid=IwAR0EIdqkVwGZyLEBzAxFPRuHY2aSim4PInPRe0U_g9e2TPj7nyL4oVuXLY4 Lico CAI System]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|
|An educational console released by Lico around the early to mid 90s. Little is known about the CAI System other than it was only sold in Taiwan. It's unknown how many units were sold, when it was discontinued or how many games were released.
|[http://videogamekraken.com/arcadia-skeet-shoot-by-toymax Arcadia Skeet Shoot]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|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.
|-
|[[wikipedia:CP_System#Capcom_Power_System_Changer|Capcom Power System Changer]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|Good
|NoneNo
|A console version of the Capcom CPS arcade board. Compatible with SNES controllers.
|-
|[https://bootleggames.fandom.com/wiki/Elan Elan Hardware]
|style="background:skyblue;"|Decent
|NoneNo
|Designed and Manufactured by an unknown Chinese or Taiwanese company, Elan is one of the older [[wikipedia:System on a chip|SOC]] still used in Chinese products, dating back to around the late 90s to early 2000s. Elan is usually used in bootleg or original plug and play games / systems.
|-
|Precomputer Unlimited (PCU)
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|Released in 1998 by VTech, The Unlimited is a Console-Computer hybrid akin to something like the Coleco Adam or the Odyssey 2. the Precomputer brand dates back to 1988 with the [[wikipedia:VTech PreComputer 1000|model 1000]], and was your typical educational computer of the era. The Unlimited's main OS was heavily influenced by Windows 3.1 and the system it self included 45 programs built-in. Basic features and oddities that came standard on most late 90s and early 2000s VTech educational computers can be found on the PCU as well. this includes a cartridge slot for more programs and games, a parallel port for printing and an odd mouse that plugged into an RJ11 port. It is unknown how many units were sold, how many game were made for it or when it was discontinued.
|-
|[https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Video_Buddy Video Buddy]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|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.
|}
|Buzztime Home Trivia System
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|Released around 2004, the system is the result of a partnership between Cadaco Toys and NTN Network (Now known as [[wikipedia:NTN Buzztime|NTN Buzztime]] after 2005); and, as the name implies, the console was designed around playing trivia with family and friends. The console runs on [https://twitter.com/MameHaze/status/1221263600398094337| Elan Hardware]. It's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.
|-
|[[wikipedia:XaviXPORT|XaviXPORT]]
|style="background:salmon;"|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/drivers/xavix.cpp Preliminary]
|NoneNo
|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.
|}
|GoGo TV Video Vision
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|NoneNo
|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.
|-
|Hasbro Ion
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|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.
|-
|Interac TV
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
| Released by Fisher-Price in 2006. The Interac TV was designed to turn any DVD Player into an educational console. just sync the custom wireless controller to your DVD Player and put a game disk in. Unfortunately incompatibly issues resulted in most people been unable to sync the controller to their player and some even said that their DVD player couldn't even read the disks. it's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.
|-
|Smart Cycle
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|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.
|-
|Story Reader Video +
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|Release in 2006 by Publications International. The Video + turns the Story Reader electronic book into one of many educational consoles of the 2000s. It's unknown how many units were sold or when it was discontinued. Around 7 games were released for the system,
|-
|Telestory Interactive Storybook System
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|NoneNo
|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.
|-
|[https://www.clementoni.com/it/myclembox/ My Clem Box]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|Released in 2018 by Italian toy company Clementoni and sold exclusively in Italy, My Clem Box is an educational console with Wii-like motion controls. Because it's still being sold, it unknown how games will be made for it and when it will be discontinued. Info on how many units have been sold so far have not been released to the public.
|-
|Smart TV Consoles
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|NoneNo
|Launched sometime in the early 2010s by Italian toy company, Clementoni seemingly as a partnership with Hong Kongese toy company, WinFun, Smart TV is series of educational consoles mainly sold in Italy ([http://eshop.digitalelectronic.it/CONSOLE-CLEMENTONI-12303-SAPIENTINO-PLUS-SMART-TV Example]). The controllers of these consoles ranged from traditional to the gimmicky with some having motion and PS2 EyeToy-like controls. There is around 10 to 25 games that were released for these European systems. It's unknown how many units have sold been or when this line of systems was discontinued.
2,527
edits

Navigation menu