In Your Opinion, What Is The Most Overrated Video Game System?

[+wongojack]

3 hours ago, Duke75 said:

I find the Xbox 360 pretty underwhelming. A lot of FPSs and open world games of varying quality, many of which were probably better on other systems. I actually prefer the original Xbox to it.

 

I don't get the sense that the N64 is rated all that highly nowadays. I remember people actually really liking its controller at the time, but now everyone makes fun of it (they are pretty fragile, though...), and a lot of its signature games have been remade or improved on.

 

If we're including computers, I think the C64 is a bit overrated. I certainly like it and it had tons of games, but in general I think the Atari computers were more fun to play on because many games are faster and smoother.

This opinion of the 360 persists from some strange corners of the internet, and I just do NOT understand it.  The Xbox 360 has more releases than almost any console in history (both physical and digital) across every genre.  It also has more retro releases than any console in history and that record will probably never be broken especially when it comes to the physical releases and the Xbox live indie games that were both ports of classic games and directly inspired by many classic games.  I guess if it didn't have your favorite JRPG or whatever, you think all the other games are FPS or "open world" (which isn't a game genre).

[jcalder8]

2 hours ago, godslabrat said:

Serious question: what do topics like this prove?  

Let's a person behind a screen get mad at another person behind a different screen because they don't agree with everything each other believes.

[BassGuitari]

I don't know if I really think any system is overrated (rather, the opposite is often true), but for the sake of argument: TurboGrafx-16 and NeoGeo.

 

Now, full disclosure, I have only limited experience with both of those consoles. That is, I've futzed around with them for a few minutes at shows and whatnot. But, both are highly touted systems that I just didn't get much out of. The games I played on TG16/PC Engine were like early Genesis stuff (except for one notable exception, which I'll get back to in a second) and just didn't grab me. And I know there's more to NeoGeo than King Of Fighters and Samurai Shodown (*cough*), but there's no way I could justify spending the money to "collect" for it just to play Metal Slug. 90% of the NeoGeo library would be just wasted on me.

 

That said...I got to play a PC Engine Duo running Rondo Of Blood, and I'm considering buying one of the TurboGrafx Minis when they come out just to play it. So...go figure. ?

[Austin]

3 hours ago, godslabrat said:

Serious question: what do topics like this prove?  

How little some responders actually know about the consoles they are complaining about.

[godslabrat]

1 hour ago, wongojack said:

An athlete runs around a track and ends his/her journey where it began.  Did they achieve anything by running in the first place?

If I'm running, something very unpleasant must be chasing me. 

[roots.genoa]

This topic should have been called "Name a popular system you don't really like or know".

[CatPix]

So true

I could have named the Saturn, buut.. I hardly touched one I do have one, but a Japanese model with no games. So heh.

And the only game I have really played on it are Bomberman (with 7 other people) and that awesome (to me) puzzle game named "Gussen Gussen Oyoyo" s, I really can't say it's overrated. The Neo Geo on the other hand, as I pointed, I do own one (a Neo Geo CD top-loader) and I also have access to an AES system (and a MSV arcade cab) with my retrogaming club, so while I may not be an expert, I do know a bit about what I'm talking about

 

 

 

 

All great fun Ironically, I could even say that the Neo Geo CD, unlike the AES, is underrated. For it's quality, arcade games available on the cheap, and if you trade of reat fat carts for CD, it's still Neo Geo hardware, not emulation.

[+Cafeman]

My subjective answer is the N64.  One of my kids has always absolutely loved it, and I have friends that are 10+ years younger than me who also loved it.  My opinion is that N64 had a handful of early, pretty great games -- the fantastic Mario 64, also  Zelda OOT and Waverace 64.   And to a lesser degree for me  Banjo Kazooie.  But I have never liked N64 games much.  The graphics or textures are often so blurry.  Its geometry was more solid than PS1 / Saturn back in the day, but it hasn't aged well.   BITD, stuff like Turok seemed cool because it was new, but I can never play those again.  I bought stuff like Road Rash 64 and other racing games - I was underwhelmed by every one, sorry.   Yet I still enjoy some Saturn and PS1 racers (Sega/Namco ones).  

 

I never saw the appeal of the b&w gameboy either. wasn't interested. But people loved it. 

[Tempest]

If we're talking older systems I'd say the N64.  The 3D on it was weak for the time and the amount of fog and pop up were terrible.  The game selection was pretty dismal too IMHO, other than a handful of classics people fondly remember (Mario 64, Smash Bros, Mario Party, GoldenEye).  Still, it's the one system I own that I barely touch.

 

As for modern systems, it's not so much that they're overrated, but I find the fact that there's practically no difference between the XBox One and PS4 other than some exclusive games for each system to be disappointing.

 

13 hours ago, godslabrat said:

Serious question: what do topics like this prove?  

You get some fun discussion out of it.  As long as people keep their inner fanboy in check.

[HoshiChiri]

I'd say the Turbografx & the N64.

 

Although you can chalk up the Turbo to "I only got my system less than a year ago & game costs mean I haven't yet explored the library fully". The handful of triple-digit priced games I do have, though, I'm simply not sure are worth the pricing. Then again, I'm not sure ANY triple digit priced game I own is worth the pricing, so maybe that doesn't mean much.

 

The N64 I'm on more solid ground with. I didn't own one back in the day, but my friends had systems so I'd play when I was visiting. I later had a friend, shocked (shocked!) that I didn't own an N64 loan me hers so I could 'see what I was missing'. I do have one now- a deck turned up at the local thrift shop for $20 while I still had her machine, so I could verify it worked & had the expansion pak in it. Plus, the one game I really liked of hers (Mischief Makers) also came into the shop. Thing is, that was a few years ago, and I only have 16 games for the thing (in contrast, I own 53 PS1 titles). Once you get away from the first party titles, there's just not a lot of what interests me on the system. Even checking in on forum threads talking about the system usually just sees the same couple dozen titles mentioned that I either already own or don't care about. I guess, in short- I don't get it.

[Duke75]

15 hours ago, wongojack said:

This opinion of the 360 persists from some strange corners of the internet, and I just do NOT understand it.  The Xbox 360 has more releases than almost any console in history (both physical and digital) across every genre.  It also has more retro releases than any console in history and that record will probably never be broken especially when it comes to the physical releases and the Xbox live indie games that were both ports of classic games and directly inspired by many classic games.  I guess if it didn't have your favorite JRPG or whatever, you think all the other games are FPS or "open world" (which isn't a game genre).

Well, I'm happy you liked it. I have one and...I dunno, I just found it kind of boring? Moreso than just about any other system I've owned besides the N64. I'm certainly no "JPRG or whatever" fan

[Duke75]

2 hours ago, HoshiChiri said:

The N64 I'm on more solid ground with. I didn't own one back in the day, but my friends had systems so I'd play when I was visiting. I later had a friend, shocked (shocked!) that I didn't own an N64 loan me hers so I could 'see what I was missing'. I do have one now- a deck turned up at the local thrift shop for $20 while I still had her machine, so I could verify it worked & had the expansion pak in it. Plus, the one game I really liked of hers (Mischief Makers) also came into the shop. Thing is, that was a few years ago, and I only have 16 games for the thing (in contrast, I own 53 PS1 titles). Once you get away from the first party titles, there's just not a lot of what interests me on the system. Even checking in on forum threads talking about the system usually just sees the same couple dozen titles mentioned that I either already own or don't care about. I guess, in short- I don't get it.

After a certain point, my N64 was only being played for its wrestling games. The games that AKI made are still widely regarded as the best pro wrestling games ever, or at least very high ranking (Fire Pro certainly has a lot of backers). But it's kind of sparse beyond that, especially if you're not a wrestling fan.

[+Cafeman]

RE: The Xbox 360.  Other than mine having a loud fan, I really loved it,  3 of us in my house played many games for it , for 10 years.  I had a nice mix of downloadable little games and bigger games. THe internet network was excellent. I played VS on VF5 , Street Fighter IV, and Sonic All Stars Racing in particular for many months or years. 

[CatPix]

Funny to see that the N64 is quoted. Is there any place other than a few Nintendo hardcore fan where the N64 is even mentionned?

Zelda Ocarina of time and Mario 64 (HIGHLY overrated... The control is just BAD, how can this game being touted as the best game ever when the camera just kill you on any platforming attemp?)  sure, they are mentionned, but other than than, I never heard anyone saying that the N64 was even a good system, even less overrating it.

[PFG 9000]

On 2/10/2020 at 4:57 AM, OldSchoolRetroGamer said:

The up and coming ? AtariVCS ?

I would argue it's neither up, nor coming.  

 

My vote is for the N64.  Contrary to what a few people have said here, I think it's generally a highly loved console.  The N64 collecting scene has been crazy for a few years now, as those who first got into gaming through their N64 just recently (as in the past 5ish years) reached the age where they have disposable income.  People rave about it...and those people always seem to have limited knowledge of other consoles or of the hardcore gaming scene in general.  But about the machine itself:  its games have aged terribly, with blurry visuals, bland worlds, and low framerates.  I thought the games were overrated then, and I still have a hard time getting into them now.  It took me 4 or 5 attempts to finally play through Ocarina of Time, and I still can't get into Mario 64.  Those games frequently pop up at the top of Best-Games-Ever lists, but they're nowhere near as polished and perfected as their 16-bit predecessors.  And that controller...why have a controller that always has buttons you can't reach without repositioning your hands?  It's a three-pronged controller made for people with two hands.  

 

To be fair, I was a huge Jaguar fanboy when the N64 came out, and I resented the N64 from the start due to its claim as "The first true 64-bit console."

[Tempest]

2 hours ago, CatPix said:

Funny to see that the N64 is quoted. Is there any place other than a few Nintendo hardcore fan where the N64 is even mentionned?

Zelda Ocarina of time and Mario 64 (HIGHLY overrated... The control is just BAD, how can this game being touted as the best game ever when the camera just kill you on any platforming attemp?)  sure, they are mentionned, but other than than, I never heard anyone saying that the N64 was even a good system, even less overrating it.

Ocarina of Time and Mario 64 are both good games, the problem is that they were each series first attempt at true 3D and suffer for it. 

[fiddlepaddle]

Just defending the N64...I still regularly go back to, and have fun with:

Cruisin' games
Diddy Kong Racing
Donkey Kong 64
Earthworm Jim
Stunt Racer
Robotron
Wetrix
Star Wars Racer
Space Invaders
Kirby's Crystal Shards
Wipeout
Star Soldier
Rush2
...(there are more).

I also really like The New Tetris.

I'm sure there are newer games, or versions, that most certainly are more realistic, detailed, optioned, immersive, etc., but I don't think that diminishes the value the N64 provides me, presumably indefinitely.

It's also just physically an interesting system. Lots of doodads to connect up for various things, lots of accessories, and it is, in fact, very simple to set it up and plug and play. It's probably built more reliably than most systems.

...and it looks cool on the table, better than a PS imo.

Now if, in a few years, Sony makes a PS7 that looks and acts just like the N64, I guess this could all change.

[skaredmask]

Every system ever has been or will be overrated...

 

Unless you know nothing about the system or don't have friends. Than there's expectations or disappointments or influences to cloud judgement for perceived fun or enjoyment for what it is vs what it isn't.

Edited February 13, 2020 by skaredmask

[Nintendo64]

7 hours ago, fiddlepaddle said:

Cruisin' games
Diddy Kong Racing
Donkey Kong 64
Earthworm Jim
Stunt Racer
Robotron
Wetrix
Star Wars Racer
Space Invaders
Kirby's Crystal Shards
Wipeout
Star Soldier
Rush2
...(there are more).

Never played Robotron, but i just tried it and it was a pretty good game, its a weird game but definitely interesting

 

Just to add a few more to the list

 

Super Mario 64: to me at the time was revolutionary, there was nothing like it, and is still fun to play today

Banjo Kazooie: another good action adventure game with a n64 3d style similar to Super Mario 64

Legend of Zelda Ocarina of time: I beat it when i was a kid, although I havent revisited it, I would like to. I think its one of those games you really get into the further you go into the game

Mario Kart 64: is one of the best racing games of all time, i can still go back to this game years later and still have fun playing it.

Castlevania 64: a very underrated castlevania game, i just completed it and it is definitely worth playing

Doom 64: a great 1st person shooter that I would like to complete one day

 

Yes there are flaws in Nintendo's first true 3d system, the backgrounds are blurry, the ground/overhead graphics are very blocky and repetitive, but the same can be said about many titles on the PS1. As far as gameplay goes i feel like there are a good amount of titles that are worth playing and are truly unique to the n64 library.

 

If by overrated you are you are talking about good games divided by total titles, then you could say the PS1 is overrated because there there is allot of bad games on that system out of the total 1300 released. I wouldnt call it overrated though, because i feel like there are some great titles of out of the 1300 that are still fun to play today. Even the NES had allot of bad games on it, but the amount of fun the system offers is endless even today, especially with homebrews still being released.

 

Overrated/Underrated for what it is, I feel like systems are only as good the playability of the games that were released on the console, which is subjective to the person playing it.

Edited February 13, 2020 by Nintendo64

[CatPix]

For me overrated is more about how people perceive it. And that was my point : in most places except maybe a Nintendo fan site, the N64 is underrated. I never seen any major place hloding the N64 in a very positive light, that's why I reacted to people saying it's overrated here.

[Tanooki]

I was wondering how this thread would turn out when I saw it yesterday.  But taking a look at that first post, it almost seemed to feed into a vicious circle of irrational decisions on why something is overrated not based on any fact but just personal dislike or lack of use.  I don't wish to point out just that first one, but I've seen a number of Neo Geo posts and they all seem to circle around the myth it's an overrated fighting platform when the library fighting games only account for maybe a 1/3 and if that's the basis it's a non-researched myth.

 

I would think an overrated system would be something that truly didn't get a chance, possible untapped potential before its time was finished, maybe it got cut short by the manufacturer, a historical period that made sales go toward the toilet, perhaps even game makers all choosing to mostly suck up to a format while throwing scraps elsewhere.  When I think of stuff like that I wouldn't run towards an oddball say like the CDi, it never was meant for games, but it would fit that, as it seems to be overly appreciated by its fans.  Perhaps if not that, what about the Turbo Express.  This did nothing special other than run the same home games on the go, and most the US card library was mediocre to garbage, yet here you have this $300+ machine that ran for all of like 3 hours on a lot of AAs.  Sure it was a marvel having a 16bit handheld, but that's all it offered.

 

I do think to a point the dig at N64 is fair,  though it was a bit out of the companies hands being tied down by a crazy old fart who would not ever see reason forcing it to have no CD drive.  Great hardware for the time otherwise, gimped by a cart, limited on releases (300), and some genres got little to no support entirely and you can more or less forget many niche titles.  The system itself is polluted with a library that had like over 40% of it being sports (actual or fantasy sports, racing, wrestling) games.  Now you're down to nearly 1/2 the library in games spread over 5 years, that's thin.

[+wongojack]

4 hours ago, CatPix said:

For me overrated is more about how people perceive it. And that was my point : in most places except maybe a Nintendo fan site, the N64 is underrated. I never seen any major place hloding the N64 in a very positive light, that's why I reacted to people saying it's overrated here.

I agree with you, but . . .

 

 

 

Overrated?

 

LOL - there's actually a video of those kids from 2006 talking about this.  Its stupid so I won't link it, but if you MUST watch it, the title is N64 Kids on Good Morning America.

[zzip]

On 2/11/2020 at 7:17 PM, godslabrat said:

Serious question: what do topics like this prove?  

What does objecting to a topic other people like talking about accomplish?

[Pixelboy]

4 hours ago, Tanooki said:

I do think to a point the dig at N64 is fair,  though it was a bit out of the companies hands being tied down by a crazy old fart who would not ever see reason forcing it to have no CD drive.  Great hardware for the time otherwise, gimped by a cart, limited on releases (300), and some genres got little to no support entirely and you can more or less forget many niche titles.  The system itself is polluted with a library that had like over 40% of it being sports (actual or fantasy sports, racing, wrestling) games.  Now you're down to nearly 1/2 the library in games spread over 5 years, that's thin.

Don't forget the awful controller. I gave up on Mario 64 at one point just because of that, and I'm not even talking about the controller breaking or anything, just being a pain to use.

Edited February 13, 2020 by Pixelboy

[HoshiChiri]

22 hours ago, CatPix said:

Funny to see that the N64 is quoted. Is there any place other than a few Nintendo hardcore fan where the N64 is even mentionned?

Personal experience factors in a lot when deciding a system is overrated. I would imagine if we had some Brazilians around, we might have someone commenting on the Master System being overrated.

 

In my neck of the woods, it seems like every retro gamer I run into praises the N64, to the point I've literally had it shoved into my hands with a 'just play it & you'll love it'. But... I just don't. I don't hate it, I don't regret owning it & I'd like to get a universal tray & a copy of Sin & Punishment becuase I liked the Wii sequel. I'm just not as crazy about it as the locals.