Main > Consoles
Best Retro Console?
KenToad:
I did the expansion audio mod as well. There seemed to be some difference in opinion as to how strong of a resistor to use. I can't remember what type I used. I installed a switch just in case there was too much audio buzz, but it hasn't been a problem, so I usually just leave the expansion audio enabled.
Mr. Gimmick has incredible expansion audio music. I slightly prefer Castlevania 3's expansion audio, mainly for the deeper sound, but yeah the non-expansion version was great, too. I also feel like the Japanese original is the better game, being more balanced. And the Japanese soundtrack is really bad without the expansion audio playing (or playing poorly, as it did on earlier versions of the everdrive firmware).
The disk original versions of Kid Icarus, Metroid, and Zelda are interesting to hear.
Grasshopper:
If you're going to expand this discussion to include home computers, then that changes everything, especially in Europe where computers were vastly more popular than consoles, at least until the early 90s.
By the time the NES appeared in about 1987, most European gamers would already have been heavily invested in one of the many 8 bit computers that existed at that time. And anyone thinking of upgrading is far more likely to have bought an Atari ST or Commodore Amiga than a NES. At that time, the NES wasn't even on most people's radar.
The Amiga 500 was far more powerful than the NES and appeared at about the same time as the NES in Europe. It's difficult to overstate how groundbreaking the Amiga 500 was. Its graphics and sound capabilities were comparable to those of the SNES and Megadrive. It also came with a sophisticated multitasking UNIX-like operating system with a proper GUI front end. This was at a time when IBM PCs were still using MSDOS. It's just a shame that Commodore screwed up the marketing so badly.
Vocalitus:
--- Quote from: Grasshopper on March 28, 2021, 07:37:59 am ---If you're going to expand this discussion to include home computers, then that changes everything, especially in Europe where computers were vastly more popular than consoles, at least until the early 90s.
By the time the NES appeared in about 1987, most European gamers would already have been heavily invested in one of the many 8 bit computers that existed at that time. And anyone thinking of upgrading is far more likely to have bought an Atari ST or Commodore Amiga than a NES. At that time, the NES wasn't even on most people's radar.
The Amiga 500 was far more powerful than the NES and appeared at about the same time as the NES in Europe. It's difficult to overstate how groundbreaking the Amiga 500 was. Its graphics and sound capabilities were comparable to those of the SNES and Megadrive. It also came with a sophisticated multitasking UNIX-like operating system with a proper GUI front end. This was at a time when IBM PCs were still using MSDOS. It's just a shame that Commodore screwed up the marketing so badly.
--- End quote ---
Yeah and it cost a small fortune too. The ST was far cheaper. If we are talking about home computers - then the TI994/a was the first 16 bit computer to be priced properly in 1984 $99 with a $25 rebate. Then the Radio Shack Coco, which was another favorite. The CBM 64 enjoyed the most of the market. The UK market was diverse enough, but most of the early PCs like the Acorn Atom and the ZX80 was more kit based. My parents shipped me off to boarding school and bought me an Amiga 2000, it was a great ice breaker to have that in your room. Most of the kids there had BBC Model B or Electrons. I do remember the Teeside Cracking Service where we got most of our games and demos. The computer class only had Minitel terminals that was teletext based and a Vax mainframe linked to the local University. I learned more about computers there than in Uni. ;D
nitrogen_widget:
--- Quote from: Vocalitus on March 28, 2021, 10:42:34 am ---
--- Quote from: Grasshopper on March 28, 2021, 07:37:59 am ---If you're going to expand this discussion to include home computers, then that changes everything, especially in Europe where computers were vastly more popular than consoles, at least until the early 90s.
By the time the NES appeared in about 1987, most European gamers would already have been heavily invested in one of the many 8 bit computers that existed at that time. And anyone thinking of upgrading is far more likely to have bought an Atari ST or Commodore Amiga than a NES. At that time, the NES wasn't even on most people's radar.
The Amiga 500 was far more powerful than the NES and appeared at about the same time as the NES in Europe. It's difficult to overstate how groundbreaking the Amiga 500 was. Its graphics and sound capabilities were comparable to those of the SNES and Megadrive. It also came with a sophisticated multitasking UNIX-like operating system with a proper GUI front end. This was at a time when IBM PCs were still using MSDOS. It's just a shame that Commodore screwed up the marketing so badly.
--- End quote ---
Yeah and it cost a small fortune too. The ST was far cheaper. If we are talking about home computers - then the TI994/a was the first 16 bit computer to be priced properly in 1984 $99 with a $25 rebate. Then the Radio Shack Coco, which was another favorite. The CBM 64 enjoyed the most of the market. The UK market was diverse enough, but most of the early PCs like the Acorn Atom and the ZX80 was more kit based. My parents shipped me off to boarding school and bought me an Amiga 2000, it was a great ice breaker to have that in your room. Most of the kids there had BBC Model B or Electrons. I do remember the Teeside Cracking Service where we got most of our games and demos. The computer class only had Minitel terminals that was teletext based and a Vax mainframe linked to the local University. I learned more about computers there than in Uni. ;D
--- End quote ---
my gaming progression:
pong
atari 2600
Ti-99/4a (silver case) was my first PC.
i typed A LOT of programs out on that then saved them to tape.
I still have it somewhere and found a few cartridges in the dig site I call my basement.
A-mazing and micro surgeon.
after that I went to the C-128 then amiga 500.
I should still have both the 128 and amiga somewhere.
however my mom found a c64 in her basement and i have zero idea where it came from. LOL!
I didn't buy a PC until commodore went out of business.
I will say I have min versions of the NES, SNES, and i've really only explored the genesis.
i just let my brother borrow it so i'll be looking at the NES for a bit.
I just wasn't a console person.
pbj:
I had a Ti 99/4a I bought at a garage sale. What a weird system. Enjoyed picking up cartridges and peripherals at swap meets for practically nothing. Didn’t do a hell of a lot with it, but enjoyed making the speech module cuss.
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