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In your opinion, what is the most underrated video game system? (including computers!)


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Thanks to Magmavision2000 for giving me the idea by creating a similar topic based on the opposite premise.

 

For me, the answer would be the 16 bit PC (or 286/386/486 machines, as MS-DOS games include 8 bits and 32 bits titles).

 

The reasons? Well, many exclusive graphic adventures, many others that never appeared in any console, many great FPS, the creation of several important genres including FPS and survival horrors, the popularization of graphic adventures and, even if I don't like them, the release of dozens of great strategy games, flying simulators and RPG titles. While inferior in multiplayer, the single player experience was vastly superior to consoles a the time.

 

IMHO, if this system was a console, everyone would be speaking highly about it just like they do with the NES or the PS1. Since it's a computer, even journalists often forget about it when they write about the history of video games.

 

I believe 8 bit computers are also very underrated compared to systems like the NES (example: Saboteur, programmed by a single person, was released before Super Mario Bros in Europe and it even has regenerating health), but by 1990 most computer gaming moved to a single platform, MS-DOS, so this system, whose games were so innovative, has ended up concentrating all the unfair and sadly common oblivion from video game journalists for that generation. Also, I believe the NES, while slightly overrated due to the almost divine treatment as the industry savior, offered a more original experience and a huge catalog compared with 16 bit consoles.

Edited by IntelliMission
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I agree that computers are often overlooked when discussing classic video games.  And their sales and impact are definitely not counted when considering the 1983 video game crash.

 

Here's a previous discussion on underrated systems.

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/252460-what-is-the-most-under-rated-console/

 

Edited by mr_me
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If computers are included, then I have to agree with MS-DOS. If you were to look at all the great MS-DOS games up through the 486 era, you'd really have a difficult argument trying to convince me that that's not the best classic gaming system ever. First, that would include thousands and thousands of games - probably tens of thousands. And it would include not only all the DOS-exclusives and/or computer-only games (meaning those that also appeared on other computers of the time), but also probably more arcade ports, and better ones, than game consoles of the time. I'm quite sure that MS-DOS, over its lifespan, got more arcade ports than any single game console ever. If you told me I could only have one classic game system, and I could choose a computer over a console, I would definitely choose a 486 PC running DOS 5 or 6.

 

Even earlier DOS machines are fun, though. But I'd pick a 486 just to be able to run the most stuff. Once you get up past that, then you get into Windows games and eventually you totally break DOS compatibility (to run DOS games on a modern PC, you have to actually use emulation!). So I consider 486 and earlier to be "classic" game machines, while later than that, things start changing.

 

I do have an Athlon XP running DOS, which is later than a 486, but it doesn't really feel like a classic machine. I'd love to pick up a 486 sometime... my first PC was a 486 but it's long gone. (Technically it morphed over time into my Athlon XP, but none of the original components remain.)

 

Edited by spacecadet
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I also have to say that old Macs are super awesome. We had the best versions of X-Wing and TIE Fighter on Mac and some devs considered Macs to be like a premium computer and better for games than Windows. Then OS 10 was released and they basically stopped making Mac games entirely so I had no choice but to switch to crappy Windows. Meanwhile, the Mac CD versions of X-Wing and TIE Fighter have still not gotten a rerelease.

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This one may be a shocker since when it was released it wasn't underrated, but nowadays, a true underrated system is

The Atari 2600. Now, the reason why I think it's underrated now is that if you ask anyone born after 1982 about the 2600, 70% of them would throw around words like "old", "obsolete", and "Bad". However, if you ask the same group about the NES, most would use words such as "great" and "classic". When you ask why the 2600 is bad, most of the time people will either bring up E.T. or the graphics. If you ask the same question but about the NES, they'll probably have a hard time finding bad things to say about the NES. Now, there are bad games on the 2600, but unlike some other systems, there is a decent good to bad ratio for the system. But it seems today people absolutely 

refuse to acknowledge the good games on the 2600.

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6 hours ago, Punisher5.0 said:

I totally forgot about the Vita! For sure the most underrated portable

My Vita still sees literal daily use as it's my alarm clock. It was the first system I ever bought at launch and I've had it since Christmas 2011. It's seen quite a bit of use and my stack of Vita games is huge compared to my 3DS/DS collection. It's also been to Sony twice for repair. I still love my Vita enough to buy a Vita TV a few months ago.

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10 hours ago, Magmavision2000 said:

 

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The Atari 2600. Now, the reason why I think it's underrated now is that if you ask anyone born after 1982 about the 2600, 70% of them would throw around words like "old", "obsolete", and "Bad". However, if you ask the same group about the NES, most would use words such as "great" and "classic". When you ask why the 2600 is bad, most of the time people will either bring up E.T. or the graphics. If you ask the same question but about the NES, they'll probably have a hard time finding bad things to say about the NES. Now, there are bad games on the 2600, but unlike some other systems, there is a decent good to bad ratio for the system. But it seems today people absolutely 

refuse to acknowledge the good games on the 2600.

 

If people struggle to find bad games for the NES, just tell them the 3 magic characters. L.J.N.

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I like the DOS response, but I'll say the Windows 95/98/ME platform with the DirectX 7 era as the sweet spot. It was roughly a 6-year span between 1996 and 2002, after which Pentium 4s became entry-level and XP took over. (If you wanted to be a stickler, you could say the Windows XP platform was better since it could play all 95/98/ME games that didn't require Aureal 3D sound, but I think it's fairer to be period correct with the hardware.)

 

So maybe a Pentium 3 with a DX7 AGP graphics card (e.g. Geforce 2 MX) and a PCI sound card (e.g. Aureal Vortex 2) would be the typical Windows 98SE platform in 2000.

 

Too many games to list even the best of the best, but Half-Life, Unreal, Unreal Tournament, Quake 2, Quake III Arena, Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, Diablo 1 & 2, and Starcraft were gaming experiences that couldn't be matched on any console at the time.

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Not sure the 486 was underrated ... it costed a pretty penny to get decent performances (which required a fast SVGA like ET3000/4000 on EISA bus), consoles were a fraction of the price.

I do not recall particularly enjoying DOS games in the CGA or even EGA timeframe, it was VGA and then SVGA that really started to turn the tides (and SoundBlaster although AdLib was a decent first step).

The move to VL-bus (remember those?) opened up faster graphic cards with linear addressing (I remember enjoying an ATI Mach64) and even more perfs.

 

(the demo second-reality in 1993 was .... "I'm am not an atomic playboy"   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Reality )

 

 

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Not sure I'd count dos.  People are spoiled by modern mid range computers that will cost you sub $500 and often forget a mid/low range compter from that era would be more in the $2k range. Though, most anybody that had a computer in that era likely had dos so....

 

Like the 2600 answer, never thought about it, atari pretty much ruled the world till Nintendo came out, and those of us that were there often forget that people that got their start on NES or later basically completely overlook the old 2600.  Interestingly many people who will badmouth the 2600, often play shinier versions of the same games on android :P

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I would shine a light on the Sega Game Gear. Although (like every other handheld system) it was overshadowed by the Gameboy, it was still quite successful - amassing a library of almost 400 games and selling over 11 million units in an interesting variety of different-colored models. In fact, the entire 8-bit line-up of Sega systems is fascinating because they enjoyed success in different regions, so just when you think you've seen everything they have to offer, you discover seemingly hundreds more games that you hadn't heard about before.

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Mobile might be where all the casual gaming is, but it has a rep of being just for kids and facebook moms who play Candy Crush. I think it's the heir to the classic arcade, and there are tons of hardcore games as well. I think anyone who cries about not liking to play on a touchscreen just might not have a complete understanding of how cool the app store can be. It's my favorite platform bar none, the desert island thing I would rather not do without. If you hate mobile gaming, that's fine, you don't have to agree with me or  fight about it with me, this opinion is my own. 

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I would go with DOS as well. So much great stuff, and not available anywhere else. If in doubt, peruse https://exodos.the-eye.us/

 

I could totally understand someone of a certain age with a nice sound card not needing to take a second look at any other game console. 

 

If I weren't a graphics whore with a short attention span, I'd be this guy. http://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/

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Vita for me.  The games were very close to the flagship console quality, the library was pushing something like 1500 games, I think, and many of those were cross buy with the PS3 and PS4, so it was easy to amass a huge library of quality games without spending a fortune.  But it STILL seems to be brushed aside by gamers, critics, and even Sony, and usually considered "the other handheld game system"

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I wish I could agree but there's no way the DOS era is underrated.  Just far too many people played games and other stuff on those pre-Pentium day pcs, and even still do now thanks to outlets like GoG and others that shovel the stuff.

 

I think the PC Engine on a global scale would fit, domestic to Japan not in the slightest as it destroyed Sega and slapped Nintendo around pretty nicely for a while too.  Given how lousy the TG was handled outside Japan though it's really no wonder given the scraps and sloppy seconds we largely got stuck with.  Another would be, the Virtual Boy.  It never was given a fair chance to last or grow from Nintendo, even when the start of second generation titles like Dragon Hopper and Bound High(recovered/released now) have popped up showing improvement, there was still so much more to tap into.  The insane level of homebrew quality from decent 3D imagery landscapes up to a stellar conversion of Street Fighter 2 Hyper Fighting edition being present shows it had years of wiggle room to play with.  N64 and old leadership stupidity snuffed that out too soon to ever end up anything but underrated and underappreciated by most.

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2 hours ago, Tanooki said:

I wish I could agree but there's no way the DOS era is underrated.  Just far too many people played games and other stuff on those pre-Pentium day pcs, and even still do now thanks to outlets like GoG and others that shovel the stuff.

 

I think the PC Engine on a global scale would fit, domestic to Japan not in the slightest as it destroyed Sega and slapped Nintendo around pretty nicely for a while too.  Given how lousy the TG was handled outside Japan though it's really no wonder given the scraps and sloppy seconds we largely got stuck with.  Another would be, the Virtual Boy.  It never was given a fair chance to last or grow from Nintendo, even when the start of second generation titles like Dragon Hopper and Bound High(recovered/released now) have popped up showing improvement, there was still so much more to tap into.  The insane level of homebrew quality from decent 3D imagery landscapes up to a stellar conversion of Street Fighter 2 Hyper Fighting edition being present shows it had years of wiggle room to play with.  N64 and old leadership stupidity snuffed that out too soon to ever end up anything but underrated and underappreciated by most.

PC Engine outsold the Famicom, Mark III, Master System, Mega Drive, and even the Super Famicom during the time when they were all on the market together between 1987-1994 when the PC Engine was discontinued. I don't mean in total since the Famicom demolished everything until the PS2 and the SFC eventually caught up to and surpassed the PC Engine near the end (it was pretty close, even then), just that the PC Engine sold better during those years. PC Engine absolutely deserved to, as well, since the PC Engine is incredible. Interesting that the first 4th gen system to launch in both the US and Japan absolutely crushed the second 4th gen system to launch in both the US and Japan. It's almost like that thing called first mover advantage really exists!

 

So yes, I meant globally, not Japan. Here it doesn't count since everyone loves it, and rightfully so!

Edited by Steven Pendleton
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6 minutes ago, Steven Pendleton said:

PC Engine outsold the Famicom, Mark III, Master System, Mega Drive, and even the Super Famicom during the time when they were all on the market together between 1987-1994 when the PC Engine was discontinued. I don't mean in total since the Famicom demolished everything until the PS2, just that the PC Engine sold better during those years. PC Engine absolutely deserved to, as well, since the PC Engine is incredible. Interesting that the first 4th gen system to launch in both the US and Japan absolutely crushed the second 4th gen system to launch in both the US and Japan. It's almost like that thing called first mover advantage really exists!

 

I find it hard to beleive the PC engine outsold the Super Famicom from 1990 to 1994. The SFC sold over 4 times the amount in total. How many of those would have been after 1994?

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Lots. Keep in mind, that's probably counting global sales, and unlike the other 4th gen systems, Nintendo continued to count and report SFC and SNES sales until like 2000 or something. Had Sega continued to do the same with the Mega Genesis Drive, I expect that it would probably have reported sales figures beyond the SNES's global lifetime sales thanks to Brazil.

 

Edit: Oops. It was only until 1992. I was wrong again. That's what I get for going entirely from memory.

 

https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Fourth_generation_of_video_games

 

And wouldn't you know, estimates place the Mega Genesis Drive above the SFC/SNES. Not sure how reliable this is, though, and they are also including CD and 32X.

Edited by Steven Pendleton
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34 minutes ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Lots. Keep in mind, that's probably counting global sales, and unlike the other 4th gen systems, Nintendo continued to count and report SFC and SNES sales until like 2000 or something. Had Sega continued to do the same with the Mega Genesis Drive, I expect that it would probably have reported sales figures beyond the SNES's global lifetime sales thanks to Brazil.

 

Edit: Oops. It was only until 1992. I was wrong again. That's what I get for going entirely from memory.

 

https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Fourth_generation_of_video_games

 

And wouldn't you know, estimates place the Mega Genesis Drive above the SFC/SNES. Not sure how reliable this is, though, and they are also including CD and 32X.

Your article that you linked showed that the SFC sold more from 1990 -1994......

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The Sega Saturn.  I'm a huge fanboy for this system, and it has some truly amazing games, many of which were exclusive to the console and often never made it out of Japan.  The claim I like to make is that while its competitors (the Playstation and Nintendo 64) may have had more good games, at least in the US, the best games on the Saturn were better than anything on those two systems.

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