Really obscure consoles

[Atari5200]

obscure to some, not to others. I guess it depends on how you look at it.

 

If you are thinking collectors, then I'd say some would be obscure, but to a normal everyday person, I'd say the entire list is obscure.

 

Normal every day joe shmoe isn't going to recognize something that is not Sega or Nintendo, especially depending on the age of the person. Which can make most peoples collections seem obscure.

[Ze_ro]

My most obscure system is probably my Game King... but it's a piece of crap system that's not really worth knowing about. I suppose my CD32 ranks up pretty high too, especially being in North America. I also have stuff like CD-i, Vectrex, Atari XEGS, and Coleco Gemini, though I don't consider those to be all that obscure. Somehow, I also found a Super Famicom locally.... Not very obscure in the global sense, but there can't be many of them here in Winnipeg.

 

Talking to regular people (ie, people who think there were 5 game systems ever), I encounter the most surprise when I try to explain my Virtual Boy and my LaserActive (It amazes me how often I then have to explain what a laserdisc is).

 

--Zero

[BassGuitari]

D'oh, I forgot about my JVC X'Eye. Thanks for reminding me, Rev. Rob!

 

I've got a Tiger R-Zone (headset version) kicking around someplace as well, unless it's been gotten rid of and I forgot about it/never found out. But, I don't consider it a real console. Maybe I should, but I won't open that can of worms here.

 

I've got a couple boxed Microvision games too, but no system for them.

[kroogur]

Bentley Compu-Vision

Fairchild Channel F

and my Unisonic 2000 are probably my most obscure.

[nonner242]

GP32 handheld! Still love it. Need to get a GP2x!

 

or

 

Sega Nomad alot of ppl never saw one!

[Trooper]

Well, the most "obscure" stuff I have left is probably the following:

 

Sega SG-1000

Sega SG-1000MkII

Sega SC-3000

Sega MegaJet

Dreamcast Dev Box

a couple of Sharp Twin Famicoms

Philips G7400

Microbee 128

 

Nothing really obscure but some of it not that easy to find where I live anyway. Oh and Zero, I have the Gameking too, it truly does suck but I always get a good laugh out of the text on the back of the gameboxes

[thomasholzer]

Guess my Gamate is pretty obscure, GBP 10 ($20) from CEX (London):

There's a guy in the Retro Gamer magazine Christmas issue, who collects handhelds and he's looking for one, it's like his Holy Grail, so it's gotta be rare for starters.

 

Edited April 26, 2008 by thomasholzer

[thomasholzer]

another obscure console I own:

 

Rev.Rob mentioned the Magnavox Odyssey, I don't concider them obscure, but the 1973 range of titles are:

Edited April 26, 2008 by thomasholzer

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

Thomas is the masterkeeper of obscure stuff!

[Seob]

Gamate, i did see some of them laying around in a second hand shop in Gran Canaria last week. Didn't know it was a true handheld. Thought it was some kind of fake gameboy device made in china. Maybe i should have asked what they cost. But since he was asking like 25 euro for a normal 1990ish sony walkman and around 100 euro for some vhs videocamera i thought it would be overpriced anyway.

 

Coleco Gemini, I did have one last year but swapped it for some games with a other collector. Since i had only the console and no hookups and he had the box and the hookups but no console, we made a deal to make it complete. Since i only see the gemini as a 2600 clone it not a big deal for me the swap it.

Edited April 27, 2008 by Seob

[Blur2040]

Well, I've got...

 

Funtech Super A'Can

Vectrex

A Blue Playstation Debugger

XEGS

Lots of pieces of arcade hardware...

 

 

Cmon...now hows going to own up to having an RDI Halcyon?

[Jess Ragan]

Holy Shatner! You never see 3DO Blasters... I wonder if you could get one of those cards to work in a modern PC. That's an ISA card and not PCI, right? That might make things a little difficult.

 

I don't have too many obscure game systems in my collection. This is as wild 'n crazy as it gets:

 

Amiga CD32

Gizmondo

N-Gage QD

Astrocade (white, evidently rarer than the woodgrain model)

a very temperamental Fairchild Channel F

[thomasholzer]

Pokemon mini is not very obscure, but my European Tetris for the mini certainly is:

 

Yes, the 3DO Blaster is ISA

Edited April 27, 2008 by thomasholzer

[FND]

Imagination Machine with APF MP-1000 includes Basic and all games released

[madhatter667]

"a couple of Sharp Twin Famicoms"

I've got a Twin famicom... 2nd wave Red/Black console. Really cool piece of work.

 

I have a Bentley Compu-Vision somewhere. That's a dedicated Pong type console ins't it? Has about 4 variations on there?

 

I want more information on the Gamate. That seems neat...though I have been diggin' on handhelds a bit lately anyway. Found some neat pirate handheld stuff, but I wouldn't call that obscure.

[DragonmasterDan]

I added the Hyperscan due to its small number of games available and general lack of advertising. Not many people know it exists, at least who I've talked to. So, since we're on the subject, how is the console? I tossed around the idea of getting one myself.

The games load slow, the graphics are alright if under-implemented as in not enough use of the onboard graphics and little animation. The controllers are not bad as far as controllers go, they didn't make me cramp up much. No more than a SNES pad, probably less. All the games are fighting games that I have played. No platformers (yet). Different groups are showing an interest in homebrewing for it, though it's a slow process. There's a thread all about it if you care to read it: Hyperscan thread.

 

I guess this is the most obscure console I own, too.

 

Nathan

 

It depends on what's considered Obscure, No one bought Hyperscan but it's cheap and can still be found on ToysRus shelves.

 

I'd consider the Neo-Geo AES or N-gage more obscure since it's far more difficult to locate them, but they're far more collectible and far more known to the gaming collector public than is the Hyperscan.

[DragonmasterDan]

Guess my Gamate is pretty obscure, GBP 10 ($20) from CEX (London):

There's a guy in the Retro Gamer magazine Christmas issue, who collects handhelds and he's looking for one, it's like his Holy Grail, so it's gotta be rare for starters.

 

 

A few different companies were distributing them in the US via ads in magazines in the early 90s. I think the issue is the few people who bought them did so because it was a cheap gift for a child and the systems were quickly discarded.

[Chickybaby]

I've got a lot of obscure consoles, of course, but one of the neatest things I own is a Pioneer LaserActive machine that plays laser discs, cds, Genesis cartridges, and Sega CD games. Picked it up with 8 Sega CD games and 10 laser discs for $20 at a garage sale. Works great.

 

That is really neat!

 

So is Thomasholzer's teradrive, pokemon mini, and the odyssey is a beautiful thing indeed. You have got one very sweet collection.

 

We don't have much that woudl be called obscure - NGage, Game.com, O2, and what Bean will be playing soon - our Pico. I would love to find more stuff for the Pico for her eventually. The other thing I really would like for her is a miracle piano teaching system. I did see fisher price I think came out with a piano teaching system within the last year or two however and we might get that or I might just make that her wish list for christmas. Music and Reading are very important to me.

 

I am really enjoying this thread.

[kroogur]

"a couple of Sharp Twin Famicoms"

I've got a Twin famicom... 2nd wave Red/Black console. Really cool piece of work.

 

I have a Bentley Compu-Vision somewhere. That's a dedicated Pong type console ins't it? Has about 4 variations on there?

 

I want more information on the Gamate. That seems neat...though I have been diggin' on handhelds a bit lately anyway. Found some neat pirate handheld stuff, but I wouldn't call that obscure.

Yes the Bentley is a pong system. What made it strange was it was released around 1982-1983 when pong type systems were well out of fashion.

[iswitt]

I am really enjoying this thread.

 

It's good to see that people like the thread. Talking about all sorts of consoles can be very interesting. It is sort of a downer sometimes though when you realize how hard to find or expensive some of this stuff is .

[eric_ruck]

Tapwave Zodiac 2 anyone?

 

Also:

Vectrex

Sega CDX (currently my most played system)

JVC X'Eye

Atari 1400XL

Coleco Combat - has tank stick controls

Interton VC4000 - pong unit that takes cartridges

CD-i

Nuon

 

Does the new N-Gage on my Nokia N95 count? Even though it's current? They need to release Worms, then maybe I'll send 'em some money.

[jimid2]

Guess my Gamate is pretty obscure, GBP 10 ($20) from CEX (London):

There's a guy in the Retro Gamer magazine Christmas issue, who collects handhelds and he's looking for one, it's like his Holy Grail, so it's gotta be rare for starters.

 

That was me in the Nights cover Christmas issue of Retro Gamer... And I'm still looking for one, Thom, so if you ever want to let yours go, you drop me a line... I have found my other two "Holy Grails of Handhelds" however:

 

My Epoch Game Pocket Computer

 

 

and Koei PasoGo

 

 

Gamates are rare, but I'm sure I'll get a nice one some day... they sold far more than either of these obscure Japan-only systems. As for the other handhelds mentioned - the Nomad, GP32, game.com, R-Zone, Virtual Boy, Pokemon Mini, etc. - we have those, too...

Edited May 1, 2008 by jimid2

[thomasholzer]

The Epoch Game Pocket Computer is just ace, did you get the box with it? 5 games were made for it, but you probably know that.

 

Another Handheld Grail for you must be the Palmtex Home-Computer Software Super Micro Cartridge System from 1983 (USA):

Edited May 1, 2008 by thomasholzer

[jimid2]

The Epoch Game Pocket Computer is just ace, did you get the box with it? 5 games were made for it, but you probably know that.

I picked up the original box and packaging with my Pokekon, and two of the five games (MiB), and though I hold little hope of finding the other three for a reasonable price, I do hope to get my hands on Astro Bomber one day... I was very pleased with the system's excellent overall condition when I received it; probably due to their exorbitant original pricing and a lack of software...

 

Another Handheld Grail for you must be the Palmtex Home-Computer Software Super Micro Cartridge System from 1983 (USA):

Ah yes... the Palmtex Super Micro... I've only ever known of one that was for sale, and the asking price was a cool $1000, so I had to pass... Of course, if by some miracle of fate I should happen across one in the wild one day - at a garage sale or priced at $2 @ Goodwill, I would be most pleased...

[thomasholzer]

$1000 wow, last year on ebay UK one sold for $100 approx. I think someone here posting on AA bought it. try a search