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

[bluejay]

1 hour ago, bluejay said:

The Tandy portable computers, especially the 200. I think a lot of you guys are sick of me talking about the Tandy 200, but is it not the best computer of 1984? Sure, it was pretty expensive, but think about it. A Commodore 64 costed $200 in '84. The 200 with 72k costed $1500. The 6 built in programs, if its value was $150 for each program it had built in, a better version of BASIC plus the internal 300 baud modem and db25 serial interface, which would also be a few hundred dollars for the C64, which means the T200 is portable, unlike the 64, has more RAM, built it software and hardware, and costs less. 

Yeah, thinking about it, $150 is too much for the simple programs that came with it. Here's the revised version of the comparison.

 

Year: 1984

 

Tandy 200

 

Tandy 200: $1000

2x 24k RAM: $500

Total: $1500

 

Commodore 64

 

Commodore 64: $200

All the programs the 200 has(Multiplan is expensive): $500

Simon's BASIC to compensate with the terrible BASIC the C64 comes with: $225

Modem: $100

 

For around $400 more, you get something a lot more compact and portable with everything built-in with a faster CPU and more RAM, a real operating system, a real db25 serial interface, ability to save stuff without the use of a disk/hard drive, ability to communicate with modern computers without special hardware, no flaky RF connection(unless you got the 1702 for a few more hundred $)...

It's just so much better!

[+wongojack]

On 3/29/2020 at 12:43 AM, MadZiontist said:

 

Nah, it really only needs $70 to get it up to par. Anything above that is just pimping it out.

The fact that the Genesis is gaming royalty, and most of its fans still don't even know that it exists lends to it being underrated. The fact that it can be emulated doesn't really matter, or most of the consoles mentioned in this thread would be excluded. You'd sorta then have to say that a modern day Windows gaming PC would be the only right answer. Many people prefer playing games on original hardware and the Nomad can play most of the Genesis library in handheld or TV mode. It's kinda hard for me to consider something that is so obscure, yet has one of the greatest libraries in gaming history to not be underrated.

I guess I could concede though on the fact that without the $70 in mods, it might be a flaming turd. But I didn't even know about it until last year.



Sent from my LG Stylo 2 Plus using Tapatalk
 

 

Yeah, emulation . . . but let's not jump to the PC if that's ok.  Why?  Because for the Nomad, the conversation goes like this "You can play all of your Genesis games on the go."  That was the advantage of owning it when it came out.  It doesn't offer anything except portability.

 

Today - everyone can get a Genesis, so if you want to fulfill the Nomad's promise and take your genesis library with you "on the go," Nomad is one of the choices.  There are also MANY other affordable choices.  Why you would choose the Nomad over other choices comes down to the reason you listed - because you like original hardware.  That's about it.

 

<<Side Note: I tried to find a .gif of Metalocalypse where Murderface says "Yeah, I'm on the Go" but alas, I couldn't>>

[+GoldLeader]

On 3/28/2020 at 11:13 PM, Steven Pendleton said:

Yep, I got to try the GT a few months ago in a store and I found that the screen is actually better than the Nomad's. As for CD vs HuCARD, it's up to personal preference, but over 50% of the PC Engine library is on CD, so that's the biggest negative of the GT compared to the Nomad. Still, the HuCARD library is still solid and has lots of great games.

 

I'd rather smash my Super Famicom with a hammer than get rid of my PC Engine. That's not to say the SFC is bad at all, but after wanting to get the SNES for 20 years and then finally getting one, I find that I just don't care about it much at all so it sits over in the corner with a stack of Genesis and Mega Drive games piled on top. It does have the best game ever made, though. (Super Metroid)

 

I actually want to get a TurboGrafx-16 eventually. I finally saw one in person for the first time at Tokyo Game Show last year and they are much nicer looking in person than in pictures on the internet. They are not cheap, though, and since HuCARDs are region locked, I would have to import games from the USA. There are apparently only 138 US TurboGrafx-16 games, as well, which is pretty sad compared to the almost 700 games Japan got. Still, I'd like to get one some day if I can since they are really cool systems!

 

Also,  You can buy an adapter to play PC Engine games on it, though they may not be cheap at this point.  Also you can get a Turbo Everdrive, which has a switch, to use it for Turbografx or PC Engine.

[Tanooki]

PCE adapters can range I've seen them kind of low, but upwards of a 100 too.  It's very worth it if you're not using shady emulation tricks or a ROM dump on an everdrive.

[Steven Pendleton]

7 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

upwards of a 100

At that point you can just get a PC Engine, though, since the price is about that and the PC Engine itself is really cool and takes up only a tiny amount of space. If you find the adaptor cheaper, that would be the better choice.

[+GoldLeader]

I meant if you already have a PC Engine, but buy a Turbografx, you could use the adapter to play PCE games on your Turbografx...I have one of those so called "Barney" Adapters (Also called a WH-301 Game Converter), which are usually purple like Barney the Dinosaur, except mine is brown.  It's kind of funny, on the box it shows a pinkish purple adapter allowing you to play Turbografx games on a PC Engine, but the product literally does the opposite.  I think they just used one box for all of their products. 😖

[Steven Pendleton]

28 minutes ago, GoldLeader said:

I meant if you already have a PC Engine, but buy a Turbografx, you could use the adapter to play PCE games on your Turbografx...I have one of those so called "Barney" Adapters (Also called a WH-301 Game Converter), which are usually purple like Barney the Dinosaur, except mine is brown.  It's kind of funny, on the box it shows a pinkish purple adapter allowing you to play Turbografx games on a PC Engine, but the product literally does the opposite.  I think they just used one box for all of their products. 😖

Yeah, I could do that, but not much point since I have a PC Engine! As it is, I'm using the SSDS3 since PC Engine games are getting expensive and my CD ROM2 doesn't work very well.

[MadZiontist]

Yeah, emulation . . . but let's not jump to the PC if that's ok.  Why?  Because for the Nomad, the conversation goes like this "You can play all of your Genesis games on the go."  That was the advantage of owning it when it came out.  It doesn't offer anything except portability.
 
Today - everyone can get a Genesis, so if you want to fulfill the Nomad's promise and take your genesis library with you "on the go," Nomad is one of the choices.  There are also MANY other affordable choices.  Why you would choose the Nomad over other choices comes down to the reason you listed - because you like original hardware.  That's about it.
 
>

I'm sorry for speaking out of line. I hadn't quite realized that my opinion needed to be validated by you first.

Sent from my LG Stylo 2 Plus using Tapatalk

[Black_Tiger]

On 3/28/2020 at 7:40 PM, Steven Pendleton said:

Yep, I made that thread.

 

I actually didn't know the Nomad existed until a few years ago. Still, as I don't like emulation and the only thing I have that can emulate Genesis/MD is the PSP go, which has about the same battery life as the Nomad anyway, I think I'll stick to using the Nomad. I could hack my Vita or my Switch or fix my 3DS, which needs a new battery and d-pad, and hack that, but since the PSP go is already hacked and I'm lazy, that would be my #2 choice.

 

Yes, the Nomad has lots of problems, but I think it's worth it to have the best video game console library ever created as a non-emulation portable.

 

Take a look at the PC Engine GT, as well; it beat the Nomad to the market by 5 years and shares the same concept! It can't play CD games, though, so it's missing a lot of the best PC Engine games. Technically it's possible to run CD games through the HuCARD slot, but the device to do it got cancelled partway through development recently.

The PC Engine Duo is also portable and has an official rechargeable battery pak and monitor.

 

You can't hold it in your hands and play it like a Gameboy, but you could set it up anywhere and play the entire HuCard and CD library, watch TV on one of the best portable screens in the world at the time, save your games and still be able to export saves to other consoles and use any kind of controller you want (including the analog Cyberstick, Pachinko, mouse, tablet, etc). Super Darius and Darius Plus still work with 3D glasses. You could play Arcade Card Neo Geo fighters at a campsite.

 

For all the features it had available at the time, the Duo was probably the best single model of a console we'll ever see.

[turboxray]

On 3/28/2020 at 10:43 PM, MadZiontist said:

 

Nah, it really only needs $70 to get it up to par. Anything above that is just pimping it out.

The fact that the Genesis is gaming royalty, and most of its fans still don't even know that it exists lends to it being underrated. The fact that it can be emulated doesn't really matter, or most of the consoles mentioned in this thread would be excluded. You'd sorta then have to say that a modern day Windows gaming PC would be the only right answer. Many people prefer playing games on original hardware and the Nomad can play most of the Genesis library in handheld or TV mode. It's kinda hard for me to consider something that is so obscure, yet has one of the greatest libraries in gaming history to not be underrated.

I guess I could concede though on the fact that without the $70 in mods, it might be a flaming turd. But I didn't even know about it until last year.



Sent from my LG Stylo 2 Plus using Tapatalk
 

 

It requires a mod to actually enjoy it.. is the point. Gamegear is in the same boat. Just because that's a thing for you, doesn't make it underrated. By the time Nomad came out, it was basically irrelevant - because no new games were coming out for it. My friend picked one up. It was cool for about a month, then shelved.

[turboxray]

On 3/30/2020 at 8:13 PM, Tanooki said:

PCE adapters can range I've seen them kind of low, but upwards of a 100 too.  It's very worth it if you're not using shady emulation tricks or a ROM dump on an everdrive.

What are 'shady emulation tricks' ???

[Tanooki]

Basically me having an attitude about crappy overly gushed over Pi garbage you see peddled all over ebay, facebook marketplace, etc.  Ghetto swiss army knife boxes using emulators and a shady ton of rom sold to peons and the lazy which is shady as it's illegally done.

[homerhomer]

That Atari Lynx was totally underrated.  I saved up and bought one back in the day.  For a console to have scaling and rotation effects was awesome.  It was like having a portable version of "Atari Games" arcade hardware. Games like Stun Runner, Battle Wheels and Blue Lightning looked amazing. The Lynx was very capable little system.  It was pulling off games that the SNES and Genesis couldn't.