Spiro

Let's say you used a region bypass cartridge like the Action Replay cart, then that game would work fine on a US Saturn. There are some PAL Saturn games that have major issues when played at 60hz, but aside from some occasional slight green type artifacts at the very top of the screen, Deep Fear plays fine on an NTSC Saturn system.

I don't have one yet either. Nothing too compelling games-wise for me to get all excited about. But then again the fact I don't own one is not that big a surprise where I'm concerned. I'm hardly ever an early adopter of new systems. I tend to let the dust settle for a bit before I take the plunge.

Intellivision with Voice module and Intellivision II

So I guess to keep the thread going, A while back I managed to get my hands on a mint CIB Magnavox Odyssey 2 system with the Voice add-on module and a few games. I hadn't hooked it up for the longest time because I needed one of those "F" to Phono Plug Adapters so the RF cable can be compatible with my TV. I've played it a bit lately, and it's fun in a very retro kind of way but I reckon not the type of system I'll keep going back to.

I don't believe so. Looks a quite legit system in its own right. http://www.pong-picture-page.de/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2080

Yeah I know, it's life's toughest question. This means no Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, or Sega, guys. Think outside the box. Not going to make it a poll because there are too many obscure video game systems to count. And besides, what you or I consider "obscure", others might think of as mainstream. So I'll start things off and give a little love to Atari's last hurrah, the Atari Jaguar. The image issue with the Jaguar was that it was really Atari's last hurrah and last chance to get it right, and Atari simply didn't have the resources to fully execute. There was nothing wrong with the system's technology per se, but, like the 3DO, it was caught in a weird in-between phase where 2D (and sprites) was still the dominant game "format", but 3D (and polygons) was starting to be the hot "new" technology. The only system really prepared for that was the PS1. It also naturally didn't help that, despite promises of a flurry of third party software, releases were sporadic at best and often unpolished. The 3DO had this issue to a degree, but I suspect that an easier development environment and the CD format at least enabled a more robust release schedule after a very slow start (and a start filled with too many edutainment titles). One wonders if the Jaguar wouldn't have stood a better chance forgoing cartridges in the first place and just being a CD unit, albeit at a higher price (and this still wouldn't have positioned it any better against the PS1). Anyway, what is it I like about the Jag? Well for me, and I'm not the only retro gamer/enthusiast that thinks like this, I really like 2D games, and I really like arcade titles, and the combination of a TON of the Jaguar's library synchs with me perfectly. I love the 2D games like Zool 2, Ultra Vortek and Rayman. I love the arcade titles like Tempest 2000 and Missile Command 3D. And I love the cross between the two with titles like Zoop, NBA Jam TE, Raiden, Defender 2000, Protector, Protector SE, Power Drive Rally, Super Burnout, Breakout 2000, and a couple others. Something about all of those titles just really clicks with me. I also really liked the early 3D game concepts. Things like Club Drive, I-War and Cybermorph I found a lot of pleasure in, while I don't find the same sort of pleasure in early PS1 titles. So, in my opinion, the Jaguar is NOT a bad console. It's library isn't that big, but there is a very good number of titles that I do really appreciate on this system. Yeah, the controller doesn't work for everyone, and there were some colossal busts like Checkered Flag and Fight For Life, and I can totally understand why games like Club Drive, I-War and Cybermorph are not everyone's cups of tea. But, that doesn't mean that the system as a whole doesn't hold much appeal. For me at least, it does. I see this board as a whole has very few active forumites, but it would be interesting to read the thoughts of those that might take the time to contribute to this thread.

The system will be called 3DS XL in the West and will retail for $199.99. It will be released on August 19th, the same day as New Super Mario Bros. 2. The system's top screen is now 4.88 inches, while the lower screen is now 4.18 inches. Both screens will be 90% larger than on the original 3DS. The new 3DS will have longer battery life, but an AC adapter won't be included with the system in order to keep costs down (it will be available for purchase separately). Adapters from previous Nintendo hardware will be compatible. The system will be released in red and blue. Europe will also receive a silver option. Nintendo notes that 3DS XL will have a battery life between 3.5 and 6.5 hours while playing 3DS games (compared to 3-5 hours for 3DS) and between 6 and 10 hours while playing DS games (compared to 5-8 hours for 3DS). The 3DS XL's battery will take approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes to charge. Well I guess it was only a matter of time. I mean judging by their past record with handhelds, GB--GB light--GB pocket GBA--GBA SP--GBA SP+ DS--DS Lite DSi--DSi XL I'll probably be getting it, but not at launch. BTW, no AC Adapter to be included with the system. Not sure I like that.

Yes! Good game that. Tomba! (PS1)

OK, normally I don't do those dumb internet personality quizzes, because they're, well, dumb. But I found this one that's short, simple, and doesn't demand your e-mail address, so I thought, "What the hell". http://www.thequarte.../VikingName.php And here's what I got out of it: Your Viking Name is... Sæbjörn the Fearsome Your Viking Personality: You're a doughty, stalwart Viking. You have a thirst for battle, and tend to strike first and think later. You're not a "berserker", but you're among the toughest sane Vikings around. You might grumble a bit at the lack of amenities on board a Viking longboat, but you can handle it. Other Vikings consider you "one of the guys". You have a fairly pragmatic attitude towards life, and tend not to expend effort in areas where it would be wasted. The only people who trust you completely are the ones who've never met you. Apart from the "thirst for battle" bit, yeah that kinda does sound pretty close to me.

Simple, just name a game and then the next person says whether or not they've played it (they can rate it if they wish) and then they name a game and so on. I'll start. Parasite Eve (PS1)

I think the Genesis sound hardware required special people who could really understand what they were working with, to really get great music out of it. People like Tommy Tallarico, and Michiru Yamane come to mind.

I know I'm not being realistic here on some points, but in a "dream world scenario" in terms of specifics I'd say, - A cart slot; today you can build cheap but pretty big cartridges using flash-chips. - Many USB ports; to let you run programs like emulators or homebrew games from any USB stick or to use add-ons like blu-ray drives etc. - A big HDD - It should allow installation of other OS and other proggies. - Wireless communication between consoles not too far away. - Broadband. - Wireless joypads. - No region-lockout and standard 50/60 Hz switch. - Extremely low power consumption. - No license fees so that small developers may produce for the system. - Custom lighting system (choose your color!)

Yeah this one's on my radar as well. Looking forward to it.

Well let's see how the mods here feel about this topic. So just to kinda start things off, I'll just put a pic here of one of my more obscure systems. The picture size is 800x600. Is there a perhaps a size restriction? The console system is the Radofin 1292 "Programmable Video System" It's a mid '70's console. Interesting fact is that it was produced by different companies and sold with a host of different model no's and names. But essentially all the different variants are software compatible. So I found this at a local garage sale. It came loose (no box or paperwork) but it was/is in pretty good nick and all the cartridges work just fine. Interesting is that some of the games had controller overlays. I'm thinking this must have been one of the first ever systems to use overlays for the games?

^^ I think that's a great idea. Don't know what the rules are over here regarding how many (is there maybe a limit?) pics we can post or the size restriction thereof, but yeah a type of Gaming Rooms setup/Discuss your Gaming Environments type of dedicated thread, would be great.

I would say 'ICO' delivered quite an emotional experience for me. I haven't played the follow-up game 'Shadow of the Colossus' (yes, I know, shame on me) so I can't comment on that one, but as far as ICO is concerned I thought the bond between you and the main character, Ico, mirrored by his bond with his companion Yorda, felt very strong. The atmosphere, the locations, the storyline, I loved all of it. Also, one of my favorite aspects is that the characters just seem human, right down to the smallest animations. They stumble when they fall, they struggle to climb ledges, and it looks like they actually put effort into their jumps. You can tell that much thought went into putting this game together. I thought Warren Spector (he of System Shock and Deus Ex fame) described things beautifully,

I was following this as well, here's that list: 100. Pong 99. Words With Friends 98. Pitfall 97. NBA 2K11 96. Guitar Hero II 95. Burger Time 94. Braid 93. Star Wars: Tie Fighter 92. Galaga 91. The Sims 90. Baldur's Gate II 89. Left 4 Dead 88. Double Dribble 87. Mass Effect 2 86. Out Run 85. Silent Hill 2 84. Wii Sports 83. Ninja Gaiden 82. Super Smash Bros. Melee 81. Resident Evil 80. Gears Of War 3 79. PsychoNauts 78. Spy Hunter 77. Excitebike 76. Blades Of Steel 75. Fallout 3 74. Starfox 64 73. Mega Man II 72. Mortal Kombat 71. Wing Commander II 70. Star Wars 69. Double Dragon 68. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 67. Minecraft 66. Assassin's Creed II 65. Unreal Tournament 64. NBA Jam 63. Wolfenstein 3D 62. Civilization II 61. God Of War III 60. Contra 59. Maniac Mansion II: Day of the Tenacle 58. Ultimata Online 57. Pokemon Red/Blue 56. Super Street Fighter IV 55. Kingdom Hearts 54. Gauntlet 53. Deus Ex 52. Rock Band 3 51. Ratchet & Clank Going Commando 50. Sonic The Hedgehog 49. Angry Birds 48. Tecmo Bowl 47. Must 46. Red Dead Redemption 45. Metal Gear Solid 44. Grand Theft Auto IV 43. Quake III: Arena 42. Ghosts 'N Goblins 41. Super Mario 64 40. Space Invaders 39. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 38. Super Metroid 37. Halo 36. Batman: Arkham City 35. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night 34. Counter Strike 33. Final Fantasy VII 32. Mike Tyson's Punch Out 31. Skyrim 30. Super Street Fighter II Turbo 29. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 28. Super Mario Kart 27. Chrono Trigger 26. Ico 25. Grand Theft Auto III 24. Madden 2005 23. Halo 3 22. Panzer Dragoon Saga 21. Resident Evil IV 20. Call of Duty 4 19. Diablo II 18. Ms. Pac-Man 17. StarCraft 16. Half-Life 15. Donkey Kong 14. Uncharted 2 13. Portal 12. Doom II 11. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 10. World of Warcraft 9. Shadow of the Colossus 8. Goldeneye 7. Super Mario Bros. 3 6. The Legend of Zelda 5. Tetris 4. Asteroids 3. Bioshock 2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 1. Super Mario Bros. Well I'm sure the "that list sucks. how in the heck did that game make it so high/low/not on the list", etc etc comments will probably follow. A few curious choices, I must admit. But the thing is that something that is by it's very nature subjective can't really be judged as objectively wrong. Can it? Anyway, what are your thoughts?

I don't know if we are talking only console remakes/sequels here, but I'm going to throw in one of my all-time favorite games in the hat which happens to be a PC only release game. And that is 'Outlaws' which was released back in '97 by LucasArts. I loved that game- everything about it from the gameplay, atmosphere, storyline, music. Clint Bajakian's score for Outlaws still stands tall to this day. The whole package was just top-notch, in my opinion. A highly original Western shooter.

The GBA SP+ The perfect way to enjoy all gameboy/gameboy color/gameboy advance games on one system.

Super Castlevania IV. awesome music

So over the weekend I had the good fortune to find, in one of our local auction sites, a great condition boxed Atari 2600. Now normally this wouldn't be too big of a deal but this 2600 is one of the batch of original systems that were produced for only one year back in '77. In other words it's the original "Heavy Sixer" model with the heavy RF shielding and the "manufactured in Sunnyvale California" tag on the underside. It's not to be confused with the later and more common six switch CX2600 which was made in Hong Kong. So pretty chuffed that I was able to find one with the system and box and all paperwork in great condition. The original 2600 joysticks were also complete in box as well as a couple of paddle controllers and 5 games. The best part about it was the price. Obviously the seller didn't know it's value otherwise I wouldn't have gotten it for just over 150 ZAR incl the shipping cost. Converted in US dollars that would come to about $18. Not bad for a complete unit that routinely fetches well into the $100's on evilbay.

Thanks, that makes me feel a whole lot better.

I'm going to be one of those that dislike the N64 controller. I thought it was an abomination of a controller, to be honest I could never really get to enjoying my N64 games as I should have, and the reason wasn't that the games I was choosing to play were poor games, they were far from that, just that the controller felt really awkward really uncomfortable to me. As soon as I saved some cash and bought me one of these, aaah!! what a difference! one of the few instances where a 3rd party pad blows the original controller out of the water. Back on topic, another vote here for the Saturn controller.

Not many retro gaming "mistakes". Usually I keep most of my stuff. The one exception was when I let go of a fully boxed mint condition Pikachu N64 console, complete with matching controllers and the Hey You, Pikachu! game with the Voice Recognition Unit (VRU). I had a real brain cramp where that was concerned. Sold it for next to nothing.