consoles with tiny libraries

[carlsson]

Furthermore it strikes me that the Unisonic Champion 2711 had 4 cartridges with a total of 18 game variants beyond the 4 game variants built in. I suppose we're counting the number of physical releases, not the number of games or variants on each release so that would make it another 4 or possibly 5 if the built-in games are to be counted. That console had a slew of advertised games never released too.

[masschamber]

anybody have information on oddball European stuff, how many cartridges did the colour cartridge have? I think it had 4,

frankly 4 seems to be the lower limit for everything but the Halcyon, but that wasn't really finished

[Shawn]

Depends. If a system has less than 50 games total during it's retail lifespan though? It's a pretty unsuccessful console with a very small library. Less than 30 I'm guessing it's something tried and failed like the ActionMax or similar.

[carlsson]

The colour cartridge? Help me out, CatPix and others who know all the oddball systems. I think we've digged rather deep already, and Europe was more about cheap home computers than consoles with interchangeable cartridges.

 

There might an economics factor here, that it isn't feasible to design and manufacture a system with less than 4 available games for customers to purchase. Anything less, and you could as well include the two or three games you came up with inside the machine and let go of cartridge slots, tape interfaces and everything else.

Edited August 31, 2018 by carlsson

[Eltigro]

The Colour Cartridge.

[CatPix]

Oh, another chip Pong carts system!

Thinking about it, the Interton Video 2000 had 5 games, and the Philips Telespiel have 5 too.

Despite looking like other Pong system, those are kinda the missing link between Pongs and console, in that they contain logic gate chips that add and draw elements on the screens (think Magnavox Odyssey, with "active" cartridges).

Edited August 31, 2018 by CatPix

[carlsson]

You learn something new every day! Anyway that site names 6 different games so I guess that is the number. Except for the Halycon, we still have no system with fewer than 4 interchangeable games.

[+5-11under]

I voted tiny up to 12. Small would be up to 30.

[masschamber]

You learn something new every day! Anyway that site names 6 different games so I guess that is the number. Except for the Halycon, we still have no system with fewer than 4 interchangeable games.

that does seem to be the lower limit and the Halycon wasn't really released so I guess 4 is the bottom.

[carlsson]

If it wasn't for the fact that most of those really oddball systems probably are hen's teeth to find ANY game for, it strikes me that you could have quite a number of complete collections within a low count of total games and shelf space if you aimed only for systems with 4-10 known titles each.

[Eltigro]

If it wasn't for the fact that most of those really oddball systems probably are hen's teeth to find ANY game for, it strikes me that you could have quite a number of complete collections within a low count of total games and shelf space if you aimed only for systems with 4-10 known titles each.

 

I've thought of things like this, too. Like the time I said something like, "I'm only 12 games away from having a complete Game Wave game collection!"

[carlsson]

Also great if you're going to exhibit your collection on an event.

 

-"I'll bring three complete libraries worth of games!"

-"Nooo.... there won't be enough space for that, just pick a few of the best!"

-"No worries, that is only 20 games in total. "

[CatPix]

I remember that some cheap pocket games with LCD screens (which were basically Game&Watch with external controls and power feed, and maybe a "video projection" system) might have just 4 games and less.

 

Well I was writing about how I couldn't find into, but apparently since I found it, infos have surfaced on the Vtech 3D Gamate :

http://3dgamate.tumblr.com/

 

So, we might have a new record holder, with 3 released games.

 

One other system I can think of is an Ukrainian ZX Spectrum based console , the Alf TV Game, that had 3 carts, too. However, each cart is a multicart backed with a dozen of games so it doesn't really have "only 3 games".

 

 

Edited August 31, 2018 by CatPix

[masschamber]

I remember that some cheap pocket games with LCD screens (which were basically Game&Watch with external controls and power feed, and maybe a "video projection" system) might have just 4 games and less.

 

Well I was writing about how I couldn't find into, but apparently since I found it, infos have surfaced on the Vtech 3D Gamate :

http://3dgamate.tumblr.com/

 

 

So, we might have a new record holder, with 3 released games.

 

One other system I can think of is an Ukrainian ZX Spectrum based console , the Alf TV Game, that had 3 carts, too. However, each cart is a multicart backed with a dozen of games so it doesn't really have "only 3 games".

 

 

 

 

I'd count that weird spectrum console. Library is 3 games, I applied the same logic to the telstar and others with multi game carts. And is the dpad really on the right side? if so that is gloriously oddball.

man that is so odd it makes me want to play my weird russian death and return of superman bootleg

Edited August 31, 2018 by masschamber

[CatPix]

Yep, reversed D-pad, according to the writings. Even more odd when you consider that those are Famiclone game pads (or at least, looks like them), which mean someone took the pain to reverse the molds for that rare game system.

Edited August 31, 2018 by CatPix

[masschamber]

Yep, reversed D-pad, according to the writings. Even more odd when you consider that those are Famiclone game pads (or at least, looks like them), which mean someone took the pain to reverse the molds for that rare game system.

Seems like a good use of what was probably limited time and resources.

[Shawn]

There is also the times when X number of games is all the console is ever meant to have. If you have a console that only 10 games are ever planned to be released that is set number and not a gauge of it's feasibility or lack of success. I know that doesn't play directly to the poll and topic but I wanted to add that information to the discussion as I feel it's relevant to the overall theme.

[masschamber]

What are your opinions on the atari portfolio, it does have a chess cartridge/card as I believe the only dedicated retail game

ignoring the potential for minimal library with the portfolio the smallest libraries are

at 2 games the not really released rci halcyon

3 games that Ukrainian Alf zx sprectrum clone with the brilliantly flipped controllers, the gamate 3d googles thing, because I love silly things like that

4 games the telstar arcade, entex adventure vision, the brilliantly named THE colour cartridge, Unisonic Chamion

5 games, Colorvision, interton video 5000, philips telespiel , bandai tv jack 5000, action max,

6 games gakken tv boy, the pc 50x family, pre computer jr (because I count things like that)

7 games video brain, interactivision

10 vtech socrates, ljn video cart, Rca studio 2 (though this grows to like a whopping 15 with all regional variants)

11 Cassette vision (of which 2 are baseball) ,microvisioon

12 apf m 1000

13 Milton Bradley Omni (8 track driven quiz console)

 

Am I missing any more of the really small libraries?

Edited September 1, 2018 by masschamber

[00010000]

Almost immediately thought of the 32X when reading the thread title. I know it's an add-on and not a "console" as in stand-alone, but the library's super-small. Somewhere around 40-50 games iirc, most just ports and some of those oddly not as good as versions on weaker systems.

 

I don't know how many games came out on Jaguar, but I'm guessing it was at least around that same number right? Then you have things like the Virtual Boy where the library's basically non-existent given how small it actually is.

[masschamber]

Almost immediately thought of the 32X when reading the thread title. I know it's an add-on and not a "console" as in stand-alone, but the library's super-small. Somewhere around 40-50 games iirc, most just ports and some of those oddly not as good as versions on weaker systems.

 

I don't know how many games came out on Jaguar, but I'm guessing it was at least around that same number right? Then you have things like the Virtual Boy where the library's basically non-existent given how small it actually is.

looks through this thread, the virtual boys library is actually much larger than some of the consoles we've discussed here.

also 32x had 33 games, the jag had like twice that

[CatPix]

What are your opinions on the atari portfolio, it does have a chess cartridge/card as I believe the only dedicated retail game

ignoring the potential for minimal library with the portfolio the smallest libraries are

at 2 games the not really released rci halcyon

3 games that Ukrainian Alf zx sprectrum clone with the brilliantly flipped controllers, the gamate 3d googles thing, because I love silly things like that

4 games the telstar arcade, entex adventure vision, the brilliantly named THE colour cartridge, Unisonic Chamion

5 games, Colorvision, interton video 5000, philips telespiel , bandai tv jack 5000, action max,

6 games gakken tv boy, the pc 50x family, pre computer jr (because I count things like that)

7 games video brain, interactivision

10 vtech socrates, ljn video cart, Rca studio 2 (though this grows to like a whopping 15 with all regional variants)

11 Cassette vision (of which 2 are baseball) ,microvisioon

12 apf m 1000

13 Milton Bradley Omni (8 track driven quiz console)

 

Am I missing any more of the really small libraries?

 

One small correction, the PC-50X have 8 carts available, which are, from memory

- Supersportic (10 Pong games)

- Fundamentals (6 Pong games)

- Battle tank

- Submarine battle

- Shooting gallery

- GP race

- Destruction game (sideway breakout, rather nice, and two players too!)

- Motorcycle race

Arguably, Fundamentals is Supersportic minus 4 games, but that's still a separate, physical cart.

[Zap!]

4 or less, which would only leave you with this bad boy:

 

[carlsson]

Actually we've debunked the "myth" that the Adventurevision would be the only console with a such tiny library, though perhaps it is the best known among those with that sized library.

[masschamber]

4 or less, which would only leave you with this bad boy:

 

yes we all think the adventure vision is awesome, but like carlsson said there are actually a few with only 4 games. Check out the rest of the thread for tiny library hijinx

[adamchevy]

The 5200 and the Vectrex seem small to me. I always thought the Vectrex library was to small. For me the Wii U library seemed small when I was collecting for it. Their was only 30-40 games that I cared to own.