Other good oldschool computers?

[lastkill3r]

Hi! I'm a collector of games, and i looooooooove computers. I'm very much intrested in:

 

-Amiga 500&1200

-Atari 8-bit

-C64

-C16

-Spectrum

-QL

-CoCo

-Dragon

-TI-99/4a

-C128

-Tandy 1000

 

and few others, but i wanna ask you:

 

What else good computers for gamin' you know? I love computers so much, so i gave them 2 (!!) Big Game Rooms, cause first is (in plans...) full, i wan't to complete 2nd, but it's not worth making room for 2 computers, so i ask You. And yes, i have too much space in this room.

[The_Laird]

Computer wise I own several Spectrums and a 520STfm.

 

I love my ST as its the same one I grew up with but many of the games for it are also on the Amiga.

 

The Spectrum has a big place in history as being one of the top selling home computers of all time and was massive in the UK especially. There are lots of different options but if you get one I suggest the +3.

 

Its the only Spectrum with a disk drive, has 128k of RAM, the AY sound chip and can also play all the tape games if you buy a cable. There are also ways of linking it up to a PC. There is alot of software on disk and it loads very quickly. The only problem with the +3 is that there are a small number of tape games that don't work because of the different bios and its quite common for then to need a new drive belt. Thankfully drive belts can be bought very cheap on ebay and there is an online guide that tells how to do it.

[+save2600]

My favs computer wise for gaming:

 

TI-99/4A

Amiga

Atari 8-bit

C64

Apple ][

 

...and the TRS-80 Model III if you really want that old-school look and feel

 

 

 

[madmax2069]

My favs computer wise for gaming:

 

TI-99/4A

Amiga

Atari 8-bit

C64

Apple ][

 

...and the TRS-80 Model III if you really want that old-school look and feel

 

I would opt for a IIgs at least so you can have the best of both worlds (play Apple II and GS games) that is if your looking for the gaming standpoint as far as Apple II goes.

 

i use to own a TI-99 and a C64 and they have great games for them as well. i have never owned a Amiga or Atari computer so i cant comment on them, but just by watching youtube videos the games are really great looking.

 

My friends father gave me a TRS-80 model II, i didnt really have much software except for word processing. i ended up selling it off to a friend that really wanted a old computer (this was like 15 years ago). now i really wish i would have kept it.

 

I remember owning a VIC-20 and one of the COCO computers ( i think it was a COCO 3). i just cant remember the games i played on them.

Edited November 22, 2010 by madmax2069

[Frizo]

Commodore Vic-20

Commodore 64

Commodore 128

AND

Apple ][

[the-topdog]

Commodore SX-64

Timex Sinclair TS1000

Amiga A500

Mattel Aquarius

[jd_1138]

Also, Coleco Adam which can play ColecoVision games and Adam games.

[JamesD]

Ditto on previously mentioned machines. (I prefer the Plus/4 if people are going to look at the C16 line)

The best machines for game libraries have already been mentioned but others to consider:

 

BBC Micro

Oric Atmos (better keyboard than the Oric 1, different ROM, same hardware)

Thomson MO5, MO6, or MO8 (6809 based machines from France, non QWERTY keyboard though)

Coleco Adam (did they sell in europe?). Also plays Colecovision games.

MSX

 

They were popular enough to have quite a bit of software/games.

 

 

Some other possible candidates... I suggest emulating these machines and visiting fan sites before buying one. I'd say they are more collectible than game powerhouses:

 

The ZX-80/ZX-81 had quite a bit of software but graphics are lo-res B&W and the keyboard sucks.

The Aquarius, but the game library is limited as are it's capabilities. Look for a multi-cart.

I like the VTech VZ/Laser 200-300 models (mostly for hacking) but they may have limited appeal.

Tandy MC-10 which has some neat BASIC games and a pretty decent PacMan game from recent years but another limited game library.

The Timex Sinclair 2068 is sort of the king of Spectrums... only incompatible. Not sure if enough new software justifies getting one.

The Panasonic JR-200 is interesting and one of the few Motorola CPU (well... a clone) based machines that existed, but it was dropped so quick outside Japan there is almost no software. It had one of the fastest BASICs benchmarked at the time.

NEC TREK/PC-6001. Popular in Japan but a lot of the software available is for later versions only.

 

 

Consider a few videogame systems as well.

 

<edit>

and someone posts some of the machines while I was typing.

 

The TS1000 is a ZX-81 and I'm guessing the original poster would prefer PAL video if given a choice.

Edited November 23, 2010 by JamesD

[high voltage]

APPLE 2, the most groundbreaking computer, companies were formed providing software for this computer. It is USAs most important computer next to the original PC, which is also worth collecting. (Worth watching Triumph of the nerds on Youtube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NSqDhtRcPg

 

Also the Sharp MZ-700 is a good quality computer, which boasts also quite a few games:

Edited November 23, 2010 by high voltage

[jd_1138]

Speaking of Apples, there are some really nice older Apples/Macintoshes that you can still pick up for next to nothing off Craigslist or EBay. The IIc series was a nice looking computer that can run the huge IIe library, and it's smaller and a lot better looking than a IIe.

 

Also, I have always liked the Macintosh LC series. These are based on the 68020/68030 Motorola CPU's. And there's the Classic, Classic II, and Color Classic all-in-one Macs.

 

And someone mentioned the Atari 8 bit computers like the 400/800/1200. There's also the XEGS (XE Gaming System) which runs all the 8 bit computer software, and has a keyboard/lightgun. It's a cool system.

Edited November 23, 2010 by gps_trekker

[high voltage]

Also NEC 88 series (which were like the Japanese C64 equivalent) and the NEC PC 98.

MSX (huge cartridge library)

Fujitsu FM Towns (some of the best arcade conversios)

Edited November 23, 2010 by high voltage

[nathanallan]

What the--?? My previous post was deleted! Or it never made it. Anyway, an interesting old computer is the Tandy 1000(any) with the Deskmate software installed, hopefully with a hard drive but still fun with floppies. They are pretty common so you ought to be able to get one easy.

 

For a DOS machine, it sure is neat (especially if you ditch DOS and use Deskmate )

[carmel_andrews]

Mine

 

A BBC system (can't remember which one) only on loan while a shop was repaing my speccy

Spectrum 48k,+,128k and 128+2

some make of msx (gave it away)

commodore 64 (gave it away)

commodore amiga 600 and 2x 1200's (not at the same time mind you)

Amstrad cpc 464 plus green screen monitor (gave it away)

Atari stfm (s and d versions) and 4 meg STe

various A8 systems incl. an old a800

[lastkill3r]

Commodore SX-64

Timex Sinclair TS1000

Amiga A500

Mattel Aquarius

 

Yeah, you listed some great computers.

 

To check out:

-Aquarius

 

Also, Coleco Adam which can play ColecoVision games and Adam games.

 

Yep, it's cool.

To check out:

-Adam

 

Ditto on previously mentioned machines. (I prefer the Plus/4 if people are going to look at the C16 line)

The best machines for game libraries have already been mentioned but others to consider:

 

BBC Micro

Oric Atmos (better keyboard than the Oric 1, different ROM, same hardware)

Thomson MO5, MO6, or MO8 (6809 based machines from France, non QWERTY keyboard though)

Coleco Adam (did they sell in europe?). Also plays Colecovision games.

MSX

 

They were popular enough to have quite a bit of software/games.

BBC, MSX and Adam- to check out

The others suck.

Some other possible candidates... I suggest emulating these machines and visiting fan sites before buying one. I'd say they are more collectible than game powerhouses:

 

The ZX-80/ZX-81 had quite a bit of software but graphics are lo-res B&W and the keyboard sucks.

 

Yeah, think'd about it, but propably no.

 

The Aquarius, but the game library is limited as are it's capabilities. Look for a multi-cart.

 

Yeah, cool.

 

I like the VTech VZ/Laser 200-300 models (mostly for hacking) but they may have limited appeal.

Tandy MC-10 which has some neat BASIC games and a pretty decent PacMan game from recent years but another limited game library.

The Timex Sinclair 2068 is sort of the king of Spectrums... only incompatible. Not sure if enough new software justifies getting one.

The Panasonic JR-200 is interesting and one of the few Motorola CPU (well... a clone) based machines that existed, but it was dropped so quick outside Japan there is almost no software. It had one of the fastest BASICs benchmarked at the time.

NEC TREK/PC-6001. Popular in Japan but a lot of the software available is for later versions only.

Thanks, but no.

 

Consider a few videogame systems as well.

 

<edit>

and someone posts some of the machines while I was typing.

 

The TS1000 is a ZX-81 and I'm guessing the original poster would prefer PAL video if given a choice.

 

 

Also NEC 88 series (which were like the Japanese C64 equivalent) and the NEC PC 98.

MSX (huge cartridge library)

Fujitsu FM Towns (some of the best arcade conversios)

Yeah, ill check out MSX

 

What the--?? My previous post was deleted! Or it never made it. Anyway, an interesting old computer is the Tandy 1000(any) with the Deskmate software installed, hopefully with a hard drive but still fun with floppies. They are pretty common so you ought to be able to get one easy.

 

For a DOS machine, it sure is neat (especially if you ditch DOS and use Deskmate )

This is AWESOME!

[JamesD]

The others suck.

Thomson

Downloads

 

A few Oric games:

Pulsoids

Storm Lord

Space 1999

Impossible Mission

1337 (Elite)

[The Usotsuki]

Apple //e (or Laser 128 which looks nicer but has a little bit of firmware incompatibility), played a lot of games on it growing up. And yeah, someone mentioned the MSX.

[lastkill3r]

The others suck.

Thomson

Downloads

 

A few Oric games:

Pulsoids

Storm Lord

Space 1999

Impossible Mission

1337 (Elite)

 

Ok, i chek'd out on Youtube yesterday, and oric is good (even great i say).

But Thomson suck (for me).

[The_Laird]

I have never seen a Thomson before but alot of those screenshots look very Spectrum-like. They even seem to have the same font and stuff on some of them. Seems from looking on Wiki though that it was 6809 based with 32k of Ram.

 

If you are in Europe then you really can't go wrong with the good old Speccy. It had so many games for it, its easy to find the machine and games and also can be linked up to a PC easily.

[lastkill3r]

Yeah, Speccy rulz!

[jhd]

My friends father gave me a TRS-80 model II, i didnt really have much software except for word processing. i ended up selling it off to a friend that really wanted a old computer (this was like 15 years ago). now i really wish i would have kept it.

 

I remember that the Model II used 8" floppy disks; did it even have a hard drive?

 

I suppose it would be possible to play an older version of Nethack (and similar early ASCII character-based games), but overall this is machine is not exactly a gaming powerhouse.

[monzamess]

The TS-1000 (aka ZX81) was my first computer and I have fond memories of it.

 

BUT IT SUCKS FOR GAMING. IT SUCKS FOR TYPING. IT SUCKS FOR RELIABILITY. IT SUCKS FOR GRAPHICS. IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE SOUND, BUT I'M SURE IT WOULD SUCK IF IT DID.

 

It was good for learning BASIC (and patience!) but otherwise it is a dust-catching novelty item, even more so than the Aquarius.

[lastkill3r]

Fail, ZX80 and 81 are very good computers.

[monzamess]

Fail, ZX80 and 81 are very good computers.

 

Well, he asked about computers for gaming. What and when was the last ZX81 game you played on a real ZX81? Did you actually enjoy the experience? How did that experience compare to any other classic computer?

 

I still maintain that the computer was a good value, at the time of its introduction, for someone who wanted to learn a little programming and, if you bought the DIY kit, some hardware experience.

 

However its basic limitations make it a poor choice for gaming, especially today where the value of most classic computers (except some notable collectables) has fallen to near nothing and so the ZX81 has lost the only advantage it had, its low cost, back-in-the-day.

[jd_1138]

What was cool about the ZX80/81 is that they were about 40% cheaper if you bought the kit version and did the soldering yourself. Also, it is a beautiful machine with a nice form factor.

[monzamess]

I apologize for derailing the thread into a ZX81 discussion. I did check out some Youtube videos tonight and it was capable of a lot more than I was able to experience (I heard of high-res games back in the day but could never get any of them, for example). I would still rank it pretty low on a list of classic computers for gaming.