Retro Video Gamer

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[size=140]So this is something I saw being talked about on Facebook and thought it would make a good topic!

What do you think are the most over rated and under rated games consoles and why?[/size][/align:4hn8iiu2]

Hmm, this should make for interesting discussion.  I'll start by saying that I feel the NES is an overrated console, mostly because people (particularly in the US), see it as the savior of video games and that is an exaggeration.  The console is OK (with flicker being one of its most annoying weaknesses) and it does have an extensive game library but I think it is how it was marketed in the US that led to its success.  It was also helped by the exclusivity of the titles (thank to how Nintendo worked things).  Unfortunately, Nintendo also wanted the console to have unique versions of arcade games and that screwed things up many times where games bore little resemblance to the arcade originals.  Nintendo's commitment to being successful also helped as they were not afraid to add hardware to carts so the system could have better games. 

Depends.

The NES is underrated in the UK, it gets shit on a lot, but I also think The US fans overrate it as well. Its a great little console that probably sits somewhere in the middle of the 2 viewpoints.

The Jaguar is so overrated by certain parts of its fanbase it borders on delusional.

PC engine is a fantastic machine, but I have to say to its fans that no, it is not an MD or Snes beater. just no. its a fantastic machine but lets stick with the real world here.

Dreamcast - such an overlooked gem of a consloe that deserved so much better.

Amstrad GX4000 - its considered a piece of shit, which is a completely unfair assessment as it is much worse than that.

At least in the US the Dreamcast took it on the chin for being an older console.  Early PS2 games were pretty uninspiring.

At the time Dreamcast was clearly the superior console but everyone ate up the PS2 based on hype and "newness".  The PS2 sold despite horrid prices and shortages too.

That's my take, at least.

I think the Jaguar is underestimated because no one ever truly took advantage of the power the system has.  Unfortunately, it is difficult to program for, so we haven't seen anyone (even homebrewers) push the system to the limit.  The Jaguar is an example of a console with a lot of potential that was never properly tapped. 

I would have to say the 3DO is very underrated. It was a great console at the time with some really great games too, but unfortunately the price tag killed it. Even today with retro gaming being huge it hardly ever gets mentioned, although that's probably more to do with the fact that there is no homebrew scene for it, which is also a real shame.

Quote from: "TrekMD"Hmm, this should make for interesting discussion.  I'll start by saying that I feel the NES is an overrated console, mostly because people (particularly in the US), see it as the savior of video games and that is an exaggeration.  The console is OK (with flicker being one of its most annoying weaknesses) and it does have an extensive game library but I think it is how it was marketed in the US that led to its success.  It was also helped by the exclusivity of the titles (thank to how Nintendo worked things).  Unfortunately, Nintendo also wanted the console to have unique versions of arcade games and that screwed things up many times where games bore little resemblance to the arcade originals.  Nintendo's commitment to being successful also helped as they were not afraid to add hardware to carts so the system could have better games.

The NES is a natural answer because it was the most popular console (in the U.S. at least) in the '80s and still stirs up strong feelings of nostalgia for anyone who grew up with one.  I find that when gamers in America use words like "old school," they're generally referring to NES titles like Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt.  Some people, clouded by their fond memories of the '80s, might get sucked into thinking that every game on the system was a genre-defining hit.  Sadly enough, as the AVGN so often reminds us, there were quite a few bad, downright unplayable games on the NES.  As time went on, I think Nintendo learned how to better identify great concepts for games and put them into practice.  This is why I feel the Super Nintendo is a somewhat underrated console in comparison to its predecessor.  If I were restricted to owning only one Nintendo machine, it'd have to be the SNES for its enormous library of quality titles.

Quote from: "SnakeEyes"The Jaguar is so overrated by certain parts of its fanbase it borders on delusional.

I think that's true of any niche fan base.  I know of a couple Virtual Boy collectors who would swear on a stack of Teleroboxers that they don't get eye strain after staring at red-on-black wire-frame graphics for more than 15 minutes straight.  The Jaguar has a good number of those loyalists who will overlook the console's faults in order to magnify its strengths, but I think that's a good thing; every console needs a following.

I think the Jaguar is an easy target in these discussions. I have mixed feelings for it having owned one originally.
I love it for games like Tempest 2000, Doom and AVP but I was so disappointed with the software support it got (or didn't get)
It might not have reached its potential due to being notoriously difficult to develop for but that's got to be down to bad system design on Atari's part.
Over rated?.....perhaps.

I think PCs are overrated. I've played Microsoft Word and it's crap!

Quote from: "JoeMusashi"I think PCs are overrated. I've played Microsoft Word and it's crap!

I would have to say that my pick for most underrated (at least here in the U.S.) is the Saturn.  It was so mishandled here, in terms of marketing, retail availability and the games that were released, that few give it the credit it deserves.  I would still take the Saturn library over the PSX and N64, of course it depends on what genres you prefer.  The Dreamcast was underrated at one time, but right now it is the hip retro console to collect for (at least in the US), and I'm not sure that's the case these days. 

As for most overrated, I actually have to go with the PS2.  Don't get me wrong, it had a massive library, but very few of the games were memorable or stuck out to me as classics.  Also, picking up on why it succeeded and the DC failed, at least here in the US, most people I knew bought the PS2 as their first DVD player.  Time and time again, that was the reason my friends gave me for not supporting Sega and waiting for the PS2 launch, that the DC couldn't play DVDs.  Now, I realize more affluent people couldn't have cared less, but if you were a younger person in those days (and could only buy one console from a given gen at launch), that was a huge issue. 

Also, as someone who had a Master System (and not a NES) as a kid, I think the reason it didn't do better in the U.S. boils down to two issues:  lack of marketing and retail availability.  The only place I remember stocking/selling games for it in my town was Sears, meanwhile most retailers carried the NES and its games.  I also don't remember seeing many (or maybe even any) ads for the console, so it was more of a "gamer" crowd (if it's fair to say one existed then) that went for it.

Quote from: "The Laird"Most over rated is without any doubt the NES, it still baffles me why this machine took off the way it did because its just not a good console. It has a dull muddy colour pallette with unbelievably bad sprite flicker and very beepy sound chip (although it can sound good at times). It's also prone to faults, especially the cart port, and has uncomfortable controllers. I really can't find many nice things to say about the NES. Obviously it has some very good games its library, but so it should with one that size!

I think you're missing the point. Nobody says the NES was the best console ever built, or that it had the best graphics and sound capabilities. Yes it had faults, and from a technical aspect there were much better games available elsewhere at the time. The reason it's such a loved console is that 34 million kids across North America had one!

Like Ben said, hardly anybody even knew what a Master System was. There was no marketing and very few stores carried it. Atari was dead at the time and most retailers wanted nothing to do with them. Sure there was computers but they didn't have anywhere near as big an impact as they did in the UK. If you were a kid in NA in the mid 80's and wanted to play games, you got a NES. We didn't know anything else!

The NES was a huge part of my childhood and millions others, and that is why it's such a highly rated console. It has nothing to do with the specs of the system, it's all about the memories 

Quote from: "The Laird"Most over rated is without any doubt the NES, it still baffles me why this machine took off the way it did because its just not a good console. It has a dull muddy colour pallette with unbelievably bad sprite flicker and very beepy sound chip (although it can sound good at times). It's also prone to faults, especially the cart port, and has uncomfortable controllers. I really can't find many nice things to say about the NES. Obviously it has some very good games its library, but so it should with one that size!

You just answered your own question Laird. It had  a fantastic library of brilliant games.

Its funny you mention all the things wrong with the NES graphics, yet I do believe you love the spectrum, yet that has monochrome graphics and other issues.

But why do people love the Spectrum, because it has an amaing library of games despite graphical limitations. I would have thought that if anyone could understand how a system could overcome its limitations in order to become popular and loved it would be a spectrum owner.

Quote from: "The Laird"

Quote from: "SnakeEyes"

Quote from: "The Laird"Most over rated is without any doubt the NES, it still baffles me why this machine took off the way it did because its just not a good console. It has a dull muddy colour pallette with unbelievably bad sprite flicker and very beepy sound chip (although it can sound good at times). It's also prone to faults, especially the cart port, and has uncomfortable controllers. I really can't find many nice things to say about the NES. Obviously it has some very good games its library, but so it should with one that size!

You just answered your own question Laird. It had  a fantastic library of brilliant games.

Its funny you mention all the things wrong with the NES graphics, yet I do believe you love the spectrum, yet that has monochrome graphics and other issues.

But why do people love the Spectrum, because it has an amaing library of games despite graphical limitations. I would have thought that if anyone could understand how a system could overcome its limitations in order to become popular and loved it would be a spectrum owner.

Actually my feelings on the Spectrum are very mixed these days. While I have a great deal of nostalgia for the machine, as it was the first computer I ever owned and I spent a lot of time with, I very rarely play on it these days as I find a lot of games simply unplayable. Mainly because of the many issues with graphics and sound that while I could put up with fine back then, I can't now.

Yes the Spectrum has lots of great games, but is it a great machine? No. Same as the NES, and the crap also outweighs the great stuff (same is true again).

Just a few days ago I saw an American in one of the Facebook groups I am part of describe the NES as ground breaking and another claim that it did things nobody thought were possible, both ridiculous comments as even when it was released it wasn't technically impressive on any level. It's precisely comments like this that show just how over rated the NES is.

That goes to my original point on the NES. massively overrated in the US, very underappreciated in the UK ( as your comments prove ) there are a lot of people on this and retro gamer that will shit on the NES at any available opportunity.

Overated?


Jaguar - Hard to program and held in such high regard by its makers they wanted to release a VR headset and other such nonsensical peripherals that they basically killed it with lack of dev money on its bread and butter - games. 

Underated

Xbox Classic - Ignored as a 'PC in a box' from some idiot American software company (Hello Apple Pippin!) those in the know saw its potential and recognized it as the online console of choice for the next generation.

I should probably point out I'm from the US, also, so I can't speak about the UK and what is over/underrated there with any credibility.   

Quote from: "The Laird"....has a real international flavour.

Or flavor, depending on where you are.   

Quote from: "The Laird"

Quote from: "TrekMD"

Quote from: "The Laird"....has a real international flavour.

Or flavor, depending on where you are.   :21:

Personally, I'd defend the 3DO, myself. I mean... let me put it in the most diplomatic way possible. The 3DO doesn't really fall under a lot of the things that I, myself, would define as a 'good' console. That's not to say it's bad! It's just... it's a weird console. But I like weird.

It's got a fairly small library, one where quite a few of the games are pretty bad, or not even actually games of any sort. Sure, there's a lot of good exclusives, but comparing the number of really good games to something like the Genesis or SNES, you don't have as much. What it does have, however, is... this certain charm. You just get the feeling that people were constantly experimenting with the thing, putting on whatever they wanted without things like "worrying about if it'll sell" or "ratings boards" getting in the way.

See, take Plumbers Don't Wear Ties. It's a horrible game, and I use the word game very loosely. But the 3DO is the only system where you would actually see a game like that on there. And that's why I respect the 3DO. Because it kind of just exists in its own little world, where occasionally rays of brilliance like Super Wing Commander or Gex shine through.

I also think the PS1 is heavily underrated. Not across most of the internet, of course, but mostly around here. People give a lot of really vague, not entirely logical reasons about it, but I just... don't get it. It has a huge library of pretty much every imaginable genre. It has a ton of good games from both sides of the world. It pioneered a lot of ideas for gaming in general. I'm not sure what it is, but I guess I'd just file it under a "hate it because it's popular" sort of thing...

Jaguar

It is my opinion - the makers set such unrealistic expectations on its launch that it being overrated has always followed it.

This doesn't mean I don't like it BTW

3do is weird machine for sure, in a strange little world with the CDTV for sure in that its weirdly freaky and loved (by some).

Overrated:
Nintendo 64 - hyped up 2 years before it came out, graphics nowhere near what they promised, mis-shaped overrated controller, eye watering blurry low resolution graphics, expensive cartridge games i.e Turok £70! Good games ratio library alot worse than PSX or Saturn.

Underrated:
3DO - got one years after they came out, but was way ahead of its time, but the price tag killed it off in the 1 1/2 year head start it had to make some inroads before the big boys came along, some amazing games, luckily for PSX owners alot were ported when the writing was on the wall, but certainly a console that gets written off or forgotten.

Quote from: "The Laird"Ok. Just seemed a strange way of putting it. Especially as the machine is pretty much universally derided, ridiculed and put down by pretty much everyone except Atari fans. Not sure how that makes it over rated.

Now I can't agree with that! Is the Jaguar really that hated? I see more hate directed at Sony/MS for whatever it is they're supposed to have done this week. Also can I really class a console of 20 years ago as overated (or any historic console for that matter).

What might might be better question is 'which is the most overhyped and underdelivering console' - It'd still could be the Jag BTW but early days PS2 was almost as bad for being well far too big for its boots.

Even the modern consoles are still falling foul of it - XOne and PS4 both powerful and have some great games but ATM still failing to 100% deliver on the true next gen promises they have made.

To be honest I half almost didnt post at all in this - rating any historic console is a bit weird perhaps as these days they are most definitely retro/historic gaming machines and any flaws more easily forgiven?

Most underrated console for me would be the Dreamcast. It just is.

Overrated is probably the Atari 2600. Just never floats my boat. 

Quote from: "The Laird"Just look round the internet and You Tube and you will see the Jaguar on pretty much every worst console list with loads of totally untrue information, made up facts and streams of expletives aimed at it. Surprised you haven't seen this/know this actually.

I dont tend to watch a lot of unrecommended vids (too much crap like you say) and I grew out the fanboy BS years back, just enjoy the consoles and games these days.

Got another underated:

CD32

Could have done some very good things but lazy devs did little to explore it, Ive yet to have a good look at this console (I'd like to have one) but yeah I'd say this is underated.

As much as i love my CD32, in hindsight it really was underpowered (same for the A1200 the year before) of course down to the AAA chipset being delayed, so by the time both came out 3D gaming was emerging and they both lacked enough horsepower.
Of course it still had some great games, mostly Amiga ports, 5-6 exclusives, and yes the design and joypad were let downs, but the expandability was decent so i could play A500/A1200/CDTV floppy/CD games with disk drive and keyboard, play Video and Music CDs, so whilst it never had the chance to prosper with Commodore going under there was plenty to use it for, but i still don't think it was underrated, i think more people appreciate it now because its easy to put Amiga games on CD and use for a retro machine!

CD32 was underused as well - there's precious few games that try to use it as anything more than an A1200 with a CD drive.

Quote from: "WiggyDiggyPoo"CD32 was underused as well - there's precious few games that try to use it as anything more than an A1200 with a CD drive.

Yeah exactly, but the games were coming had Commodore lasted more than 6 months after it came out! The list of cancelled games is eye watering massive, even naff fmv games would have brought it more attention in the graphical department even though those games are just streamed off cd!
I still got 3-4 years enjoyment out of it as a A1200/CD combo, until we got our first pc (spit!) in 1997

As much as I love the NES, I find is overrated (in my opinion), as for underrated I think potentially the N-Gage or Lynx
N-Gage provided good 3D graphics built into a phone, and the Lynx...well for an Atari handheld, it was well ahead of it's time and easily on par with the GameGear.

I would also mention Gamecube (if you choose to recognise this as a retro console), although it was lacking features that other manufacturers provide...in the GC's case DVD playback, it did have phenomenal graphics potential but never really used it except for the Resident Evil remakes!

Quote from: "SnakeEyes"Its funny you mention all the things wrong with the NES graphics, yet I do believe you love the spectrum, yet that has monochrome graphics and other issues.

 :113: and each of those had 2 intensity modes.

The Speccy stands as a god among men in the UK.

Quote from: "JoeMusashi"

Quote from: "SnakeEyes"Its funny you mention all the things wrong with the NES graphics, yet I do believe you love the spectrum, yet that has monochrome graphics and other issues.

Well, yeah, but how many of those are used at once in your average Spectrum game? Your answer depends on if you count black as a color. If you use more than that, things like this start happening:

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fc/Spectrum_Altered_Beast.png)

:o

As for black, well technically its the absence of colour. It could be classed as a colour mode i.e. all colours off (white being all colours on).

So that makes 8 colour modes. We're making progress here lads...

Brilliant I am learning about colour fellas.

Ah the unique colourclash! Always thought it was novel and funny at the same time! Heck if Sony had it on one of their consoles they would advertise it as an amazing new feature!

What colour clash? That Altered Beast screenshot looks pretty damn arcade perfect to me!

 

I seem to recall the colour clash is down to the system not being able to display more than 2 colours in any 8x8 square (inc black funnily enough...)

I just don't understand why people basically pretend that it isn't an issue, or makes some games not look good, while in the same breath, they'll badmouth the C64's color pallete.

But that's an entirely different argument for an entirely different time.

Quote from: "Bobinator"I just don't understand why people basically pretend that it isn't an issue, or makes some games not look good, while in the same breath, they'll badmouth the C64's color pallete.

But that's an entirely different argument for an entirely different time.

They both had strengths and weaknesses, colourclash, weak sound on the speccy vs drab colours and low res games on the c64...of course any fan will know the Speccy wasn't in direct competition with the C64, being alot cheaper, its like comparing the pc engine to the neogeo or the amiga to the x68000.

Only just seen this topic so here goes:

Most overrated: [align=center:3tncx32q]I'll go with X-Box simply because it was over hyped and although a very good modern day console it is well matched by the offerings from Sony and so was not as ground breaking as they would have us believe. More a logical progression in console design.[/align:3tncx32q]

Most underrated: [align=center:3tncx32q]Atari 7800 because by the time it came to market, the market had moved on. Nonetheless, it is a well designed console with some cracking games. Indeed, it still gets support but the whole games market was in a period of flux and looking for the next big thing like the Mega Drive.[/align:3tncx32q]

I can't close without adding a little to the debate about the Jaguar. I deliberately did not choose this console as my choice for the underrated category because I feel the Jag was under-supported more than underrated. It wowed critics at the CES 2003. Here (//http) is an interesting report about the impression the Jag made. Therefore, I believe it is much maligned, wrongly so, and a very worthy contender for it's day.

Also, I can't accept the criticism here that the Jag was overrated because you have to review it in the context of when it came to market, please see the link in the previous paragraph. At the time of release, the Jag was hailed by many, many critics as Atari's saviour with the potential to place Atari back at the top. This was not overrating the system as it could have done that, especially with the prospect of the Jag 2. If anything, the hype of the Jag 2 would be overrated as Atari never delivered on this and many other promises. The demise of the Jaguar was not because of the console, just how it was marketed etc.

Good choices there Cryptic and also valid points about the Jaguar. 

Quote from: "TrekMD"Good choices there Cryptic and also valid points about the Jaguar.

Thanks. I am a little passionate about the Jaguar but I was trying not to be biased. As Gone (Laird) stated, this one console seems to get more bad press than any other and without justification. I may be a fan of Atari products but I do see the beauty in the competition also. Example in case is the Mega Drive which was a sexy machine in it's day and very practical. I'll stop there so as not to bore everyone with my ramblings.

I hate to sound like a hater, but I'd like to give my two cents, if that's all right. See, the problem with the Jaguar, speaking from what's basically an outsider's perspective,, is that it was just generally outclassed by the competition. It's more somewhere between being a 16-bit console and a 32-bit console, while not really overpowering any of the major players of those two eras in terms of features.

It only had one really interesting exclusive, with Alien VS Predator, with most of its best stuff seeing ports to the PC and other systems. It did 3D stuff really well, considering this was before the Playstation, and personally, I think they should have focused on that. The problem is that a majority of the library is 2D stuff that could have been done, with a few cuts, on the SNES and Genesis, leaving the 3D stuff that makes the console stand out. Without the 3D, it isn't really anything you couldn't get from another console.

I really don't want to sound like I hate the Jaguar or anything. I don't, seriously. I'm just giving my personal view on why it hasn't really gotten a love by the gaming public, or at least, my personal opinion on them.

I would like to ask of you, however, one honest question. I ask this because I'm honestly interested in seeing the answer. What makes you appreciate the Jaguar so much? Is it the brand name? Is there a certain game that never hit anything else you feel should have gotten more love? Or are you more interested in the potential it had, where it could have gone?

I will admit, however, that I'm not entirely unsympathetic to how you feel. See, I'm a 3DO fan. Now, there was a console that had potential. But much like the Jaguar, it failed because it didn't play to its particular strengths, and because a lot of its best games (although not all of them) were done on newer systems. Unlike the Jaguar, however, where the failings in its library were too many ports from other systems, the 3DO had too many games that... well, weren't really games.

Imo the majority of sales went to Sega and Nintendo in the 16bit console marketplace between 1990-1992 so the trouble was in the early 90s was the market was over saturated with consoles in between generations, had the Jaguar launched a year earlier to compete with the Snes then who knows, but the same can be said for cd32, mega cd, 3do etc all failed for different reasons, but mainly due to launch date, the 5 year cycle took Megadrive owners to saturn or playstation and snes owners to n64. Anything in between had limited success but unless had perfect launches and endless software support were never going to succeed.

Quote from: "Bobinator"I hate to sound like a hater, but I'd like to give my two cents, if that's all right. See, the problem with the Jaguar, speaking from what's basically an outsider's perspective,, is that it was just generally outclassed by the competition. It's more somewhere between being a 16-bit console and a 32-bit console, while not really overpowering any of the major players of those two eras in terms of features.

It only had one really interesting exclusive, with Alien VS Predator, with most of its best stuff seeing ports to the PC and other systems. It did 3D stuff really well, considering this was before the Playstation, and personally, I think they should have focused on that. The problem is that a majority of the library is 2D stuff that could have been done, with a few cuts, on the SNES and Genesis, leaving the 3D stuff that makes the console stand out. Without the 3D, it isn't really anything you couldn't get from another console.

I really don't want to sound like I hate the Jaguar or anything. I don't, seriously. I'm just giving my personal view on why it hasn't really gotten a love by the gaming public, or at least, my personal opinion on them.

I would like to ask of you, however, one honest question. I ask this because I'm honestly interested in seeing the answer. What makes you appreciate the Jaguar so much? Is it the brand name? Is there a certain game that never hit anything else you feel should have gotten more love? Or are you more interested in the potential it had, where it could have gone?

I will admit, however, that I'm not entirely unsympathetic to how you feel. See, I'm a 3DO fan. Now, there was a console that had potential. But much like the Jaguar, it failed because it didn't play to its particular strengths, and because a lot of its best games (although not all of them) were done on newer systems. Unlike the Jaguar, however, where the failings in its library were too many ports from other systems, the 3DO had too many games that... well, weren't really games.

Oh I wholly agree with you about many of the games released for the Jag and how it did have competition from great systems like the SNES (Star Fox for example). A v P was a great title for the Jag but 3D was supposedly just around the corner as the next step in console gaming. The Jag (Atari) promised this with the ill fated 3D VR Headset. And this is where it all gets a bit messy. For me, at that time the Jag was new and, yes, full of potential. The nostalgia factor is off the scale for anyone who saw the 2600 as a wonderful console which got replaced, logically, by other great systems like home computers and ever improving consoles from Sega and Nintendo for example, for Atari to then say "we're back", was very exciting. We all love an underdog and at the time of the 16-bit/emerging 32-bit systems, the Jag was seemingly incredible. Indeed, it did have some very good features and a couple of good games.
I also remember the 3DO and much talk about how many believed it to be better than the Jag or at least comparable. Another console that rings a bell is the Neo-Geo. What I was interested in back then was the idea of a damn good console that ordinary folk like me could aspire to owning without taking out a mortgage as gaming became very expensive and still is to this day.

I have owned my Jag for twenty years and it is very symbolic and therapeutic. I don't class myself as a "gamer", I could never compete with most gamers but, I do like to play and the Jag allows me to dip in to that world/era of when gaming was not so calculated or driven by profit. I know that is a contradiction, I guess I mean affordable.

I see AmigaJay has posted in the time it has taken me to write this reply (I'm getting old) and I think he makes a good point and explains the period well. Thanks.

To sum up in answer to Bobinator, my life has been a bit of a roller coaster at times and as I work towards a happy retirement I am grateful for my daughter, naturally, and the only thing I can claim as a hobby is collecting games for my Jaguar. So, yes, there is a lot of nostalgia and history and I can't begin to argue the finer points of why one console is better than another. I only know that for a very short period in time, the Jaguar made history and makes me happy. I enjoy introducing others to a system many don't even know existed and I like to expel some of the myths surrounding the Jag. I don't try to mislead anyone but obviously, I am a fan of the system which, did, have an immense amount of potential at one time.

Unknown Cryptic33/Jaguar fact: both my daughter and the Jag were born in 1993 so call me a big softy, it's probably true.

Ah, so you associate it with general good feelings and memories, I take it. Fair enough, I have a lot of consoles and games that I feel the same way about. The PS1 makes me wish I was still 7 and still had an outdoor pool, but I digress. :P

Well, although you are correct regarding my motivation, there is actually more to the story than that. I won't go on about that here though ;)

This is a tough question

Overrated in my book would be the n64.  Goldeneye and Zelda was the reason I bought one.  The controller was okay.  So many systems were disc based and Nintendo went with a cartridge...smh.

Underrated - most of my friends were into Nintendo and playstation - I was into Sega.  The Saturn and dreamcast to me were underrated.  I got my money's worth with my Saturn. 


Rich451

Some great replies above, @Cryptic33 that's a very well thought out reply, I don't get on the Jag as much as I probably should, your right though, it's about what you feel when playing a system more than about the real facts behind the so called specs, that hardly matters if you enjoy the games.

Quote from: "zapiy"Some great replies above, @Cryptic33 that's a very well thought out reply, I don't get on the Jag as much as I probably should, your right though, it's about what you feel when playing a system more than about the real facts behind the so called specs, that hardly matters if you enjoy the games.

Thanks zapiy, I was trying to convey that gaming is complex and highly subjective which, is why so many people have an opinion and are very passionate about their own machines. Gaming unites people and as long as respects and common sense prevail, we'll all live long and happy gaming lives

There are a lot of great responses. Over the years my tastes have changed so much. It is hard to say which is over rated and which are under rated.

I enjoy playing most of the consoles mentioned and can at least find a few good games for each. Sometimes age has washed away the old feelings. Making games that were fun 30 years ago lose some of the allure, yet others are still easy to pick up and play.

So I guess after rambling, my point is game console libraries tend to be more over or under rated.

Quote from: "onthinice"I enjoy playing most of the consoles mentioned and can at least find a few good games for each. Sometimes age has washed away the old feelings. Making games that were fun 30 years ago lose some of the allure, yet others are still easy to pick up and play.

So I guess after rambling, my point is game console libraries tend to be more over or under rated.

I think I get the point you are making though I am surprised you think games of 30-ish years old lose their appeal. I can tell you that my Jag never fails to impress me but, going back further I have played a number of games on my 8-bit computer which are still brilliant. It is all very subjective of course and I guess you lose interest in an older game then, only a few years later, find it rekindles your interest.

It's all just good clean fun and you don't get much of that these days

I'd like to say one thing in response to the Jag talk.  That console was mightily impressive in its day, and a had a lot of hype surrounding its launch.  It replaced the Neo Geo as that elusive, expensive console you had to have for a little while.  The port of Doom and Alien vs. Predator were very impressive in their day, and showed off what the hardware might be buildling towards - and then that was pretty much it.  I think the love for the Jag (at least for me, in the U.S.) comes out of the fact that it did have a few gems in its early life that left you wondering what it might have been capable of.  There is a nostalgia factor, too, but it's easy to forget that for a moment in time the Jaguar wasn't an also ran, but something you wished you could have.

Quote from: "Ben"I'd like to say one thing in response to the Jag talk.  That console was mightily impressive in its day, and a had a lot of hype surrounding its launch.  It replaced the Neo Geo as that elusive, expensive console you had to have for a little while.  The port of Doom and Alien vs. Predator were very impressive in their day, and showed off what the hardware might be buildling towards - and then that was pretty much it.  I think the love for the Jag (at least for me, in the U.S.) comes out of the fact that it did have a few gems in its early life that left you wondering what it might have been capable of.  There is a nostalgia factor, too, but it's easy to forget that for a moment in time the Jaguar wasn't an also ran, but something you wished you could have.

Very well put Ben

Quote from: "Ben"I'd like to say one thing in response to the Jag talk.  That console was mightily impressive in its day, and a had a lot of hype surrounding its launch.  It replaced the Neo Geo as that elusive, expensive console you had to have for a little while.  The port of Doom and Alien vs. Predator were very impressive in their day, and showed off what the hardware might be buildling towards - and then that was pretty much it.  I think the love for the Jag (at least for me, in the U.S.) comes out of the fact that it did have a few gems in its early life that left you wondering what it might have been capable of.  There is a nostalgia factor, too, but it's easy to forget that for a moment in time the Jaguar wasn't an also ran, but something you wished you could have.

Yeah, sorry, never happened.

quote author=SnakeEyes link=topic=4259.msg76054#msg76054 date=1425213651]


Yeah, sorry, never happened.
[/quote]

Lol agree 100%

Neo Geo was a mythical device that until the internet I'd knew virtually nothing about, whereas I could buy a Jaguar new for £50 from Game.

Jag was a nice console, but tops the list for both under and over rated depending on who's judging[emoji6]

Here is a video that fits this topic perfectly...

[align=center:3dlsegwt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLGbJkYR-Tk&feature=em-subs_digest[/align:3dlsegwt]

Quote from: "WiggyDiggyPoo"quote author=SnakeEyes link=topic=4259.msg76054#msg76054 date=1425213651]


Yeah, sorry, never happened.

QuoteLol agree 100%

Neo Geo was a mythical device that until the internet I'd knew virtually nothing about, whereas I could buy a Jaguar new for £50 from Game.

Jag was a nice console, but tops the list for both under and over rated depending on who's judging[emoji6]

See, I have to disagree a little bit.  We knew the Neo Geo very well in the U.S., it was always advertised in our gaming magazines (in the back, SNK stuff wasn't getting prime ad space), up to the end of the Neo Geo CD era (I could post scans if anyone is interested).  I think maybe it was different in the U.K., but it wasn't a super obscure thing here, just not many people could have one.  But, here's my other point on that:  It was 2D only, 2D was over by 1994 (I'm a 2D first guy, but it just was).  AVP running on the Jag was pretty big news among my friends at least, I can only speak from my own experience.

EDIT:  Again, I'm NOT saying the Jag is better - because it isn't.  But the Neo Geo CD was not on anyone's wish list after the mid-90's, no one cared about 2D anymore in the U.S. anyway.  There were huge markdowns on those consoles as well, it's just that their value (and appreciation for them) has gone back the other way.

Been 6 years since I owned one but I don't think I was impressed when I first started playing the Jag:

http://youtu.be/DdwfEIsXGns (http://youtu.be/DdwfEIsXGns)
http://youtu.be/sxN6PSBCKrE (http://youtu.be/sxN6PSBCKrE)

All I know is by the end of my dabbling I hated it!

http://youtu.be/Z2_LMOXiXec (http://youtu.be/Z2_LMOXiXec)

I think people are missing my point about the Jag a bit, here.  You can't talk about the nostalgia factor of the Jag as it was in 1994 when AVP hit in light of playing it later - because it had an insanely short period of time where it was a big deal.  Looking back now as a "retro" gamer, it's easy to gloss over what the 90's were really like once the 3D craze hit, and for a really brief moment, the Jag had a couple of killer FPS games that were well hyped.  I'm not talking about the quality of the library, or where it was even a year later, but there's a reason AVP was a system seller at that time.  You kind of had to be there, as they say.  Anyone who says AVP wasn't impressive in 1994 is kidding themselves.

Quote from: "Ben"I think people are missing my point about the Jag a bit, here.  You can't talk about the nostalgia factor of the Jag as it was in 1994 when AVP hit in light of playing it later - because it had an insanely short period of time where it was a big deal.  Looking back now as a "retro" gamer, it's easy to gloss over what the 90's were really like once the 3D craze hit, and for a really brief moment, the Jag had a couple of killer FPS games that were well hyped.  I'm not talking about the quality of the library, or where it was even a year later, but there's a reason AVP was a system seller at that time.  You kind of had to be there, as they say.  Anyone who says AVP wasn't impressive in 1994 is kidding themselves.

AVP in 1994 wasnt impressive to me, definately not kidding myself. I didnt pay attention to the adverts or buy into any hype as I judged (as I do now) machines/games for myself. I played one in Rumbelows (remember them?!) and a friend had one (think later he also got the CD add on) and the bottom line was it was nothing particularly special for me then and still isnt now.

Not a bad console per se, just over rated.

Sorry, but I was around at the launch of the jag and its rep was harmed from the start, the launch titles were rubbish.

Sure AVP was a diamond in the rough but it never made anyone wnat a jag as the rest of the games were being panned. Not ever, and I mean ever was the jag considered that elusive must have console here in the UK. It was dead on arrival.

Quote from: "WiggyDiggyPoo"

Quote from: "Ben"I think people are missing my point about the Jag a bit, here.  You can't talk about the nostalgia factor of the Jag as it was in 1994 when AVP hit in light of playing it later - because it had an insanely short period of time where it was a big deal.  Looking back now as a "retro" gamer, it's easy to gloss over what the 90's were really like once the 3D craze hit, and for a really brief moment, the Jag had a couple of killer FPS games that were well hyped.  I'm not talking about the quality of the library, or where it was even a year later, but there's a reason AVP was a system seller at that time.  You kind of had to be there, as they say.  Anyone who says AVP wasn't impressive in 1994 is kidding themselves.

AVP in 1994 wasnt impressive to me, definately not kidding myself. I didnt pay attention to the adverts or buy into any hype as I judged (as I do now) machines/games for myself. I played one in Rumbelows (remember them?!) and a friend had one (think later he also got the CD add on) and the bottom line was it was nothing particularly special for me then and still isnt now.

Not a bad console per se, just over rated.

I have to agree with Ben, AVP was the game that sold me to the Jag, looking back now its easy to think why lol.. But you could say that about an awful lot of games.  AVP at the time was my HALO of then, me and my mates loved it..