Which consoles have you owned?

[Andrew NDB]

Mostly modern-era.

[neatoman]

Oh boy... Let's break this down into categories:

Nintendo:

• NES
• SNES
• N64 (my first one)
• Gamecube
• Wii
• Wii U
• Switch

Sony:

• Playstation (First model)
• Playstation 2 (Slim)
• Playstation 3 (First model, I think)
• Playstation 4 (First model, smaller Hard Drive)

Microsoft:

• Xbox
• Xbox 360 (First model)
• Xbox 360 (slim)

[Andrew NDB]

Does anyone remember when the PS1 acronym was "PSX"? Then that sort of evaporated. I'll sometimes catch myself using "PSX" in conversations about the PS1 after the fact, after people have no idea what I'm talking about.

[frank_one]

PSX was its codename, I remember reading it in 1994/1995 magazines along with images of the prototype.

[Leo656]

So many that this list can't contain them all.

Atari:
- 2600

Mattel:
- ColecoVision (w/Atari 2600 Expansion Module)

Nintendo:
- NES Model 1 (w/Zapper & Power Pad)
- NES Model 2 (aka "The Top-Loader")
- SNES Model 1
- SNES Model 2
- N64
- Gamecube (w/Game Boy Player)
- Wii
- Wii U

Sega:
- Genesis Model 2
- Saturn

Sony:
- PS1
- PS2 Model 1
- PS3 Model 2

Microsoft:
- Xbox
- Xbox 360
- Xbox One

Technically, I DID have both a Game Boy Advance and Sega Dreamcast, but in both cases someone stole them from me so quickly that I only barely count myself as having owned them. I no longer have my SNES Model 1, same reason.

My PS2 and original Xbox also no longer work. I keep meaning to look into replacing them but I forget sometimes. I'm specifically holding out for a PS2 that's been modded to be Region-free, as there are a lot of Japanese wrestling games I want to play for it.

Also planning on getting a Sega Master System and Dreamcast in the semi-near future, depending on how things play out. Would have gotten both of them already this year, if not for... YOU know.

[neatoman]

Why is the Mega Drive CD module on the poll? I know there is a version with a built in CD drive but from what I understand, it was far more common to buy the module because the regular Mega Drive had been on the market for years by the time it was released.

[Leo656]

I mean... technically it's another console. Or at least, for a mere "expansion", it sure COST as much as one at the time.

I say count it. It's just a semantic argument, and Genesis/CD all-in-one products like the JVC X-Eye do exist. Feels like splitting hairs, really. Most people discuss it as its own separate console even though it didn't run without the Genesis.

I bet they could have made the Sega CD run independently, but were probably afraid of losing Genesis support just as it was really heating up. So they built and marketed it as an "expansion" to the Genesis rather than an entirely separate console. But technology being what it was, I bet they could have released it as a stand-alone. Might have even been cheaper that way.

As a kid I only knew ONE person who had a Sega CD. And they could never get it to work so they almost never messed with it.

[neatoman]

Weren't the Mega Drive modules seen as kind of pointless anyway? The 32X was released only a few months before the Saturn and while the CD module was more justified, most the games were either FMV trash or were basically only better in terms of sound quality because MP3 files could be stored on the disc.

There's a reason why Nintendo never released the Famicom Disk System, Famicom Data Recorder, Satellaview and 64DD outside of Japan. Good ideas in general, I'm willing to bet the floppy disk version of Zelda has a more reliable save feature since it's not hinging on a battery life, but if you're gonna improve the technology you might as well start from scratch.

I'm actually a little curious about the Xbox Series X, it's allegedly based entire on the idea that you can swap modules around. I wonder how much of the original hardware will still be in the box by the time I've replaced the parts several times over and when they feel justified in making a new console instead of adding modules. And can the modules them have additional modules attached? It it eventually going to look like one of those infamous Mega Drive stacks?

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by neatoman

Weren't the Mega Drive modules seen as kind of pointless anyway?

Mostly. The 32X specifically is pretty hard to justify in any context. Once again, more than anything it was just Sega not wanting to alienate Genesis customers (and more specifically, their parents) with the looming prospect of a brand new $400 console (Saturn) coming out soon. So they fibbed and said that for under $100 you could get this 32X gimmick and "upgrade" your Genesis to be able to play games that were "similar" to the Saturn's games. Which turned out to be... not very true at all. Most people mark that as the very first cracks in Sega's armor and the beginning of their fall from grace.

Sega CD wasn't AS big of a failure given that it technically worked as advertised and there were SOME good games on it that you either couldn't play elsewhere, like Sonic CD, or were the best possible home ports of those games, like the original Mortal Kombat. It definitely could have been a much greater success, and it's false to say there was nothing worth playing on it, but most developers did not bother to take advantage of the hardware to its potential, no. It also didn't help that the laser was finicky and the consoles had a bad habit of simply not working after a short time. If it had been a hit, one would have to assume the mythical "Nintendo PlayStation" co-produced by Nintendo and Sony would definitely have come to pass. As it was, the dual combo of "The Sega CD doesn't work right/There's hardly any games for it anyway" led to a tepid response and made the CD market seem like a waste of resources for Nintendo. But you have to think that they'd have adopted a different attitude if it had done huge business.

Both Gaming Historian and Sega Lord X have several great videos on these topics. As a kid who grew up in a Nintendo house, I must say that I'm a huge fan of Sega Lord X and have learned a ton of things I never knew about Sega and their consoles and games through his videos. Everything from why certain strategies failed to what games are actually best worth playing on each system, his videos are highly recommended and definitely worth checking out.

[AquaParade]

Does anyone have the new consoles?

[Storm Eagle]

I own every Nintendo console except for the Virtual Boy, and I have a PlayStation 2. They're all the original models, although I also have the Game Boy Advance SP, DS lite, and the New 3DS XL.

[Leo656]

Here's a question: Anybody ever get rid of a system (and its games) you wish you'd kept?

My wife is furious with herself for getting rid of her Sega CD and Saturn about 15-20 years ago. She can't remember why, other than she probably needed money for car stuff and the thinking was "It's old stuff anyway, probably never look at it again". But she had quite an extensive collection of games for each and the prices are INSANE right now, so she's quite angry with Young Her. We ended up getting a Saturn a couple years ago, but we have like, three games for it because good luck finding any for less than $100 on that f*cking thing.

I never get rid of anything as a rule, but I sincerely wish that someone hadn't stolen my ColecoVision w/Atari module when I was a kid. I had a TON of games for that and I can't even remember the names of most of them so rebuilding that collection has been a chore. I also never should have let my friend borrow my Dreamcast, as he in turn let his brother borrow it and I never saw it again. I would have bought more games for it - before prices exploded into insanity - but without the console I figured there was no point. Now I want to replace it but games are prohibitively expensive.

This is why it just doesn't pay to get rid of stuff.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by frank_one

PSX was its codename, I remember reading it in 1994/1995 magazines along with images of the prototype.

There was LITERALLY an ongoing magazine called "PSX" back then, wasn't there? And I recall all the other mags of the time (EGM, etc.) all followed suit. Until one day everyone forgot about it.

Systems I wish I'd kept? Yeah, I had a Colecovision. My first memory of games was that. And a Texas Instruments... something. And a couple of Ataris we got at a swap meet... but none of those left an impression. The first "wow cooool!" impression of mine was the Sega Master System. Like, Google it. It looked badass, even for the era. And the gun was way cooler than the NES gun. Had many good times with it... but eventually I was in fact shamed into selling it to get a NES.

[Leo656]

Yeah, the Master System was a total non-factor over here and that's a real shame. I'd never even seen one until around 1992 or 1993, at my uncle's place. And he even mostly only got it by accident. This was right when the Genesis was starting to get big, and he had a young daughter, and people around here generally referred to products by their manufacturing names. You didn't say, for example, "I have a 2600", you'd say "I have an Atari." You wouldn't say you owned an NES, you'd say, "I have a Nintendo". And so on. So he most likely was intent on buying a Genesis, but went out looking to "Buy a Sega", and came across the Master System which was most likely on Clearance by that point. It was cheaper than the Genesis, and "Master System" sounds more elaborate, so not knowing anything at all about video games he probably assumed that he'd come across a fantastic deal instead of picking up a "dead" format. He didn't really have many games for it, but I still would mess with it whenever we'd go visit.

I really wish I'd have had one back then. I was always perfectly happy with my NES but it wasn't like I was a console snob or anything; we just didn't have a ton of money to go around for buying all these different systems and games, so generally, whatever brand your parents picked for you was what you stuck with throughout the generations. With regards to the Master System, though, that choice was pretty much made by no stores over here even carrying it, so nobody had one.

Real shame, as in looking back you can see that it had a lot of merit and even a few advantages over the NES. And, as usual, its lack of commercial success means that finding games "in the wild" is crazy expensive now.

I'm hoping my wrestling buddy cuts me a good deal. He says he has the console and a bunch of games but needs to take inventory first, and I'm waiting to hear back from him about it. Hopefully I get the "friend" price.
-----------------

Longtime Super NES enthusiast, but only very recently got into playing Super Famicom games. I know, same system, but the carts are different. I was originally just gonna buy a console, but then a buddy smartened me up that they made $20 adapters now that let you play Super Famicom games on your SNES, so that saved me like $100. Having a blast with Super Fire Pro Wrestling, with a few more on the way. It's amazing how cheap most of the good Super Famicom games really are! Lucky me. Wish I'd known sooner.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Here's a question: Anybody ever get rid of a system (and its games) you wish you'd kept?

I traded in my GBC for a GBA SP. I kept most of the games because of backwards compatibility. The reason I regret it is kind of stupid, I haven't been able to find another one in the same exact color.

[Galactus]

Nintendo
NES
SNES
Nintendo 64
Gamecube
Wii
Wii U
Switch
Gameboy
Gameboy Colour
Gameboy Advance
DS
3DS

Sega
Multi-Mega (Known as a Sega CD X in North America)
Game Gear

Sony
PS1
PS2
PS4

Microsoft
Xbox 360

[IMJ]

I loved the Playstation Magazine of the 90's. For a while they titled it "PSM" on the cover for those of you that remember it. It was like Nintendo Power on steroids as far as production quality goes.

I still have a ton of them in storage along with a pretty big pile of premium demo discs for my next game sale. Some of those demo discs sell incredibly well too man.

[CyberCubed]

Everything Nintendo. NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Wii, Wii-U, Switch. And Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, DS and 3DS

I was a Nintendo-only gamer till about 2007. Then I got a PS2 and had to catch up on all the PS2 games I missed, then via the Virtual Console and digital downloads...I was able to catch up on all old Sega games plus old SNES games I missed out on as a kid.

Then I went on with PS3/PS4. I never owned an Xbox console but now with Gamepass on PC I'm playing through the Halo's, Gears of War, etc. that I never played before.

It's kinda ironic that now having playing thousands of games across every company...I still like Nintendo games the best. Resident Evil is my favorite third party franchise but most other games are "one and done" for me. Metal Gear Solid was also a favorite but it's pretty much done now.

[Storm Eagle]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Here's a question: Anybody ever get rid of a system (and its games) you wish you'd kept?

When I wanted the SNES, my mother told me that I'd have to give the NES away. I'd get one a year later, but she wasn't pressuring me to give up the NES. I still kept it, but then I decided to give it away to some of my younger cousins. Then I'd take it back later.

So I've never given up anything else. When I got a Game Boy Color, I stowed the original Game Boy away. Then I stowed the Game Boy Color upon getting a Game Boy Advance, and then stowed that when I got a GBA SP. I did the same with my original DS model when I got the DS lite, and to the original 3DS mode when I got the New 3DS XL.

[sdp]

NES, SNES, Virtual Boy, N64, Gamecube, Wii, Wii U, Switch, GB, GB Pocket, GB Color, GBA, GBA SP, GB Micro, NDS lite, N3DS, N3DS XL, Game & Watch.
Non nintendo: PS2, Dreamcast
Kind of count: Master System handheld & Atari Flashback

Yeah, always been a Nintendo gamer, when I was 13 and considered myself a "hardcore gamer" of course i wanted to own everything. and got a PS2 since I wanted also a DVD player and was pissed Gamecube wouldn't have one. Played tons of PS2 and ps1 thanks to it. I had a friend with a Genesis and loved it, played tons of arcade games on the dreamcast that I got when it was $99, sega had already gone third party when I got it.

I was close on many occasions of getting a PS3 since I did like my PS2 a lot but never did and instead started gaming on PC and never saw the need of getting any other Playstation or Xbox consoles because I could play 95% of their great libraries in their definitive versions on PC for cheaper. Yeah, I miss out on a few exclusives, mostly miss the ICO series but they've only had one new game since the PS2 era and it was a disappointment, and any xbox exclusives are now on PC so..Nintendo games are the only ones worth owning a console for in my opinion since they make tons of exclusives that you can't play on PC.