Other consoles without reviews / Say Hello To

[scotland171]

Nuongamer asked about Dave adding reviews for that system, and mentioned it was virtually the only unreviewed platform on the site. I did not want to derail that thread, but there are a number of other unreviewd platforms.

For instance, anyone ever watch paradiseandfaries (the creators name is Faries I believe) and the 'Say Hello To' series on video game consoles? They are short (3 minutes or so) video that introduce a console, how did it do in the marketplace, list a few recommended games, and why you would want it today (if you would). I think there are more than a hundred videos in the series. Others here probably know the series better than I, but I was astounded by all the consoles. He looks at the Nuon too.

In short, should Dave ever get fed up with modern consoles or DLC or download only, there are many towns in video platform land an intrepid reviewer could explore.

Here is one for the Super A Can
http://blip.tv/paradiseandfaries/vintage-say-hello-to-super-a-can-6049434

And at least a partial list (it says series 1) of the consoles he reviewed
http://paradiseandfaries.com/?page_id=67

[Vexer1]

There's also the FM Towns Marty and the Casio Loopy.

[NuonGamer1]

You're correct that there are several others. Among them are the Memorex/Tandy VIS:

http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg90-vis.htm#page=reviews

and the Pioneer Laseractive:

http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg90-pioneer.htm#page=reviews

These would be fascinating to see some reviews for!

[Vexer1]

Then there's the rarest of the rare, the RDI Halcyon, less then 20 were ever made and they all sound for thousands of dollars, not worth fussing over though as it only got 2 games, one of which(Thayer's Quest) can easily be found elsewhere.

[Marriott_Guy1]

The folks that produce those "Say Hello To..." videos just ripped info/details from my website (including most of the pics they use) to compile those vids of the obscure systems.  I just never got around to telling them to yank 'em.  These vids are just regurgitation vids from information provided by other sites.

[Atarifever1]

NGage.  Dave should review NGage and then wonder why he never had one (and wonder, like I do, how much better Smartphone gaming would be if this had done well).  In particular, he should play Mile High Pinball, Pocket Kingdom, Pathway to Glory, Glimmerati, and System Rush Evolution.  He should avoid many of the ones I know he will be drawn to (Tomb Raider for example) until he has had a chance to fall in love with the platform for the games actually designed for it. 

[ptdebate1]

Apple/Bandai Pippin! It featured the only console port of the Marathon Trilogy.

[Atarifever1]

[QUOTE=scotland17]@Atarifever - the ngage? Thats neat to hear it get a champion. I have never even held one in my hand, but maybe I will have to seek out some videos now. Can you expand on your comment that smartphone would be better had this platform prospered?[/QUOTE]
You weren't here for the two or three years I was on my NGage kick.    One of my favourite systems.

As far as that comment went:

The NGage was a smartphone (running the Nokia Simbian system) before smartphones really blew up here in North America.  In 2003, it was running hardware that could run 3D Splinter Cell games.  It had games designed to be played over cell networks over a decade ago (it dealt with lag and data limits by designing some great games around turn based strategy and by letting you upload ghost data in racing games).  Its games were available on carts that came in real game cases.  The system had buttons (two of the dialing buttons specifically were raised, and there were function keys too), not a touch screen, and a dpad.   People at the time thought it was some kind of dumb phone/GBA mutant. 

If only we had known.  It wasn't the first step to portables being replaced by dumb cellphones.  It was our last (and only) chance at a AAA mobile market.  Imagine if, nearly half a decade before the iPhone, we had gotten a successful sub market in the mobile space for gaming phones.  By the time the iOS store was offering weak, touch based games, we'd have phones with analog sticks and 3DS graphics.  We'd have entire franchises designed to work over mobile networks playing games with more depth than Facebook games.  A gaming phone could be a thing, not a phone that can be made to play touch based "games."  Who knows.  Maybe it would even have pushed Nintendo and Sony to gaming phones instead of where each has ended up, and the touch-phone invasion of gaming could have been headed off at the pass before it ever started. 

A few good examples of the system:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PYRx1Q9ltk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0rxKQ4oTeE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unMblmNTNPA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkzdRKy9lXg

[Vexer1]

Of course there's also the Gizmondo, which actually wasn't a terrible idea for a handheld, the main issue was that it was just too pricey.

[Marriott_Guy1]

@scotland17 - Of the systems that have been mentioned, most are definitely of interest to strictly the collector.  Here are a few thoughts for the VGC listed in no particular order:

Nokia NGage
o Atarifever provided a good synopsis.  Definitely a unique experience at the time, with a couple of models.  Kind of pricey to now acquire if looking for a CIB unit.

Worlds of Wonder Action Max
o Cheap to acquire and the VGC kind of appreciates those cheesy FMV light gun affairs.  There is even a DVD compilation with all the games (originally came on VHS tapes).

Amiga CD32
o With the expansion port, this system can be turned into a full fledged A1200 computer, opening up the excellent world of Amiga gaming to the VGC in addition to the 170+ dedicated games that were released.  Tough to get a hold of a NTSC version though.  Highly recommended (except for that crappy controller).

FM Towns Marty
o Expensive to acquire, but compatible with most of the full line of Fujitsu computers (3.5 FDD and CDs).  Large library, but better freshen up on your Japanese.  Not recommended for the VGC.

Famicom Disk System
o Great exclusives, but like the FM Towns some of the best titles are in Japanese.  Also this add-on for the Famicom can be problematic (belt drive issues).

Terry