consoles with tiny libraries

[carlsson]

Ok, I took Masschamber's list, extended with a few more modern systems mentioned previously in this thread and tidied up some typos. It still isn't a complete list, but we're getting closer to one.

 

2: RDI Halycon (not relly released)

3: Alf TV Game (Ukrainian ZX Spectrum clone), VTech 3D Gamate, XavixXPORT (1)

4: Telstar Arcade, Entex Adventure Vision, Colour Cartridge, Unisonic Champion 2711

5: Colorvision, Interton Video 2000, Philips Telespiel, Bandai TV Jack 5000, Action Max, Select-a-Game, HyperScan

6: Gakken TV Boy, Gakken Compact Vision, Nichibutsu My Vision, pre computer jr (?)

7: Video Brain (2), View-Master Interactive Vision, Bandai Super Vision 8000

8: PC-50x family, Nuon (plus 4 movies)

9: BBC Bridge Companion (all play bridge!)

10: Vtech Socrates, LJN Video Cart, RCA Studio II (15 with regional variants), Pokémon Mini, Casio Loopy

11: Epoch Cassette Vision, Microvision

12: APF M-1000

13: Milton Bradley Omni, Game Wave, Casio PV-1000

(1) The XavixXPORT has several games listed on Wikipedia, but perhaps most of them are built-in so only 2 or 3 cartridges for additional games?

(2) The Video Brain had a total of 17 software packages, though only 7-8 can be viewed as games.

Edited September 4, 2018 by carlsson

[+thanatos]

What about the Supergrafx? 6 dedicated games with 1 being backwards compatible.

 

But any PC-engine game as well... So not such a tiny library.

[masschamber]

What about the Supergrafx? 6 dedicated games with 1 being backwards compatible.

 

But any PC-engine game as well... So not such a tiny library.

that does present quite the quandary, only those 6 games are supergrafx games, the rest are the pc engine library, so yeah I think it is a tiny library console

[Zap!]

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.

 

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

 

Thanks for the replies, guys! I joined this thread late and had complete forgotten about some of the more obscure systems with 4 games, and never heard of a couple as well. Also gotta mention Colorvision, although it has at least 5 games.

 

Edit: I see that was just mentioned, doh.

 

Second edit: I was about to mention my Action Max, I should have know that it's been covered.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Zap!

[high voltage]

Palmtex, 3 games

 

http://www.handheldmuseum.com/Misc/PalmtexSuperMicro.htm

Edited September 6, 2018 by high voltage

[high voltage]

Ah yes, Atari Portfolio, 1 game

 

 

Although lots of shareware

[CatPix]

Well, the Portfolio is a compatible PC. So, that's tons of MS-DOS programs it could run; even with a weak config and partly compatible DOS...

[Atari Pogostick]

 

 

The Hyperscan looks like a strong contender for worst console ever. At least the RCA Studio II is an interesting museum piece. It's kind of cool from a historical and collecting standpoint. The Hyperscan has nothing going for it.

The Hyoerscan started the Skylanders thing before it was popular. Just used cards instead of toys.

[masschamber]

Palmtex, 3 games

 

http://www.handheldmuseum.com/Misc/PalmtexSuperMicro.htm

 

 

Ah yes, Atari Portfolio, 1 game

 

 

Although lots of shareware

3 games, ah man brought the good stuff. The portfolio remains a grey area in our quest for consoles that actually have no games

[carlsson]

I suppose the Atari Portfolio with only one card based game falls in the same category as the ZX Spectrum when used with Interface 2 only has a few ROM based games, though lots more if using a conventional storage device.

[jhd]

Do we want to consider those older PNP systems with GameKeys?

 

While the base hardware included multiple games, only a small handful of GameKeys were ever released; most systems only received one "cartridge".

http://plugplaytvgames.wikia.com/wiki/GameKey

[Tanooki]

GameKeys were a good idea, just very poorly distributed so they vanished. They even planned more like the Capcom tv game that the PAL areas and I guess Canada got from Jakks was slotted for it, even advertised on the box (mega man arcade) but it never made it out before the cut. They are legit carts, the system has a cart reader, and they do read and play the game like a legit game cart using system. So why not count it?

[masschamber]

GameKeys were a good idea, just very poorly distributed so they vanished. They even planned more like the Capcom tv game that the PAL areas and I guess Canada got from Jakks was slotted for it, even advertised on the box (mega man arcade) but it never made it out before the cut. They are legit carts, the system has a cart reader, and they do read and play the game like a legit game cart using system. So why not count it?

then they count

[Tanooki]

Well in that case here you go. After the Pac-man Jakks they did a Ms Pac-Man model, but they updated it multiple times with and without gamekey. The couple revisions that did have the key slot that base unit has: Ms Pac Man, Galaga, Mappy, Xevious and Pole Position. They had game cartridges (game keys) for: Pac-Man, Rally-X, Dig Dug, Bosconian, and New Rally-X. Those 5 games actually are spread over 2 KEYS not 5. The two rally x and dig dug are on one, pac-man+bosconian on the other.

 

I do know from off and on searching over the years when I've got/sold off the things when I tire with them those keys are kind of a pain in the butt to get, some quite more than others.

[masschamber]

Well in that case here you go. After the Pac-man Jakks they did a Ms Pac-Man model, but they updated it multiple times with and without gamekey. The couple revisions that did have the key slot that base unit has: Ms Pac Man, Galaga, Mappy, Xevious and Pole Position. They had game cartridges (game keys) for: Pac-Man, Rally-X, Dig Dug, Bosconian, and New Rally-X. Those 5 games actually are spread over 2 KEYS not 5. The two rally x and dig dug are on one, pac-man+bosconian on the other.

 

I do know from off and on searching over the years when I've got/sold off the things when I tire with them those keys are kind of a pain in the butt to get, some quite more than others.

are the keys interchangable between brandings?

[Tanooki]

As far as I could dig up yes. If the either (there's like 4ver of Ms Pac Man and more than 1 has the game key slot) has the slot, then it can take one of those 2 carts to add those extra games. The base unit still had the same 5 I listed on that style of Ms Pac Man controller (the light blue one with the twist knob for racing.) Usually it was just a minor change to the body. Like for instance, some of them have a bit of paint on the red ring so clueless types would know you could twist the joystick left/right to turn the wheel in pole position and others do not so that there covers 2 variations of the 4. I would not be surprised if the other 2 were just like that with the key slot in back.

[99catfights]

The Pokemon Mini had just 4 games released in the US. Tiny library and tiny system

[masschamber]

The Pokemon Mini had just 4 games released in the US. Tiny library and tiny system

given how hard they are to find, I think you also forgot tiny production run

[carlsson]

Hm, previously it was mentioned that Pokémon Mini has 10 games, but perhaps that is 4 in the US and 6 elsewhere (like Asia)?

[99catfights]

Hm, previously it was mentioned that Pokémon Mini has 10 games, but perhaps that is 4 in the US and 6 elsewhere (like Asia)?

Yep, US got 4, EU got 5, JP got all 10. And yes, tiny production too! Surprisingly fun though.

[lushgirl_80]

Hyperscan sounds like a great concept,but the minimal library of poor quality games is what kills it.

 

 

I was gonna give it a chance because I do like the concept of trading cards with games,but the way they've executed it was very half assed.

 

 

Looking into it,the games suck for Hyperscan!!!! LOL Not even one good game for the thing,they're all garbage.

 

 

The console itself looks like a freaking supermarket checkout line scanner LOL

[Quon]

Technically my answer should be "depending on the time period", but it depends on so many factors, including the place the person judging such a question is. My definitive answer was 51 to 100 because I look at these classic systems from the mindset of someone growing up in the UK, where microcomputer games were all over the place and in 4 digit numbers, and if a system had less than 100, I think it's a fact that was even omitted from the box art, that whole "over 200 games available" thing, so it felt like the "shaming point", if you had less, you simply didn't mention it.

There are rather niche console systems that when I think about them being with a limited number of games happen to fall into this sub 100 category, like the Atari Lynx or the Sega SG-1000 for example, and besides, 100 is a nice round number!!

[masschamber]

Just remember the exidy sorcerer, seems to have 6 games

[digdugnate]

I skimmed through and didn't see the Gizmondo listed- if it did I apologize I believe it had 14 games for it.