The "other" video game consoles in the 1990s.

[agent817]

After watching some Matt McMuscles videos of "What Happened," as well as a subject popping into my head right now, I got to thinking about this. Back in the early-to-mid-1990s, the two heavyweights in the console market were Nintendo and Sega. People still had the NES, as well as moved onto the SNES when it came out. The Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive for the Brits on here) was Sega's biggest console.

But in that time period, there were other companies that put out other consoles, one of which was popular overseas (I will get to that). You had the NEC TurboGrafx-16, the Atari Jaguar, the Panasonic 3DO, and finally, the Neo Geo AES. Okay, here is what I wonder about the Neo Geo. Was this ever sold in retailers in the United States? I remember watching a G4 show that talked about SNK and it was supposedly mad expensive, as well as the games. I know that Neo Geo arcade cabinets were prevalent, but I don't remember the consoles being sold. I remember an old high school friend claimed that at an old mall in my area at a game store, he had seen a Neo Geo AES over there. Of course, this a long time ago when he said that and because the store had closed down years before he told me that, I'm not sure if there was any evidence of that. As for Neo Geo/SNK games, I know that games like Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and Samurai Shodown were ported to SNES and Genesis. The Neo Geo AES was popular in Japan and had a long life into the early-2000s. I know Neo Geo had the CD console, but the Hyper 64 and MVS were arcade systems.

As for the others, did anybody know people who had a Jaguar, a 3DO, or a TG16? I know that the TurboGrafx-16 was a little more common as I remembered seeing commercials for games and seeing the console and games at retailers. I also remembered seeing 3DO games for sale at electronic stores and retailers but not for very long. As for the Jaguar, I think I remember seeing games and consoles for sale at electronic stores but that was it. I don't know anybody who had these consoles, though.

Also, has anybody ever tried them out? How were those consoles?

[BlackoutCreature]

I remember a friend of mine getting a TurboGrafx-16 as a birthday gift and us playing Bonk's Adventure at the party. I remember enjoying it but I was like nine and Small Wonder was one of my favorite television shows at the time so that should tell you what you need to know about my ability to judge quality back then. I don't remember any of us ever going back to his house to play the system again after that party and the console would fall into obscurity shortly afterwards.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Feb 7, 2023 21:52:00 GMT -5 agent817 said:

Okay, here is what I wonder about the Neo Geo. Was this ever sold in retailers in the United States? I remember watching a G4 show that talked about SNK and it was supposedly mad expensive, as well as the games.

Indeed it was. Initially it was a rental-only system when released in 1990, but about 15 months after launch it was expanded into the sales market priced at $650 (just under $1400 in today's prices) with games being $200 ($430). Obviously it was a niche market and not carried at the majority of retailers, but it sold well and SNK made big profits as the games required no porting or additional development — the arcades covered those costs, so the home market was essentially all profit.

It also had some typically '90s edgy marketing:







Edit: after a bit of searching it seems the AES sold about 300,000 units in the U.S., and just under a million worldwide, which is pretty impressive for a console that expensive.

[CMWaters]

Don't knock the Turbo-Grafx 16 too hard. While it wouldn't come to America proper until many years later, it boasted one of the best side-scroller style CastleVania games in Rondo of Blood (I know there's debate between it and Super CastleVania IV in that regard).

[Cyno]

The Neo-Geo was basically an arcade perfect home console as the arcade MVS and home console AES used the same exact games and technology. The only real difference is the MVS let you load up to six cartridges at a time and easily switch between them via a button on the cabinet. It was purely for enthusiasts and priced as such (both console and games, which could cost up to the price of a game console themselves), but you definitely got your money's worth for a graphical and sound experience you could only get from arcade cabinets at the time.

So credit to SNK for knowing their audience and not being under any illusion that their consoles were meant for a mainstream consumer base. They basically thought "Let Nintendo and Sega sell the equivalent of Toyota Corollas or Honda Civics. We'll sell Ferraris." And it worked.

The TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine was also pretty popular in Japan. Not Super Famicom or Mega Drive popular, but it sold well enough. It was also highly regarded by gamers later on for a bunch of hidden gems that never made it outside of Japan (at the time) like the excellent Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.

[Ultimo Gallos]

Feb 7, 2023 21:52:00 GMT -5 agent817 said:

After watching some Matt McMuscles videos of "What Happened," as well as a subject popping into my head right now, I got to thinking about this. Back in the early-to-mid-1990s, the two heavyweights in the console market were Nintendo and Sega. People still had the NES, as well as moved onto the SNES when it came out. The Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive for the Brits on here) was Sega's biggest console.

But in that time period, there were other companies that put out other consoles, one of which was popular overseas (I will get to that). You had the NEC TurboGrafx-16, the Atari Jaguar, the Panasonic 3DO, and finally, the Neo Geo AES. Okay, here is what I wonder about the Neo Geo. Was this ever sold in retailers in the United States? I remember watching a G4 show that talked about SNK and it was supposedly mad expensive, as well as the games. I know that Neo Geo arcade cabinets were prevalent, but I don't remember the consoles being sold. I remember an old high school friend claimed that at an old mall in my area at a game store, he had seen a Neo Geo AES over there. Of course, this a long time ago when he said that and because the store had closed down years before he told me that, I'm not sure if there was any evidence of that. As for Neo Geo/SNK games, I know that games like Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and Samurai Shodown were ported to SNES and Genesis. The Neo Geo AES was popular in Japan and had a long life into the early-2000s. I know Neo Geo had the CD console, but the Hyper 64 and MVS were arcade systems.

As for the others, did anybody know people who had a Jaguar, a 3DO, or a TG16? I know that the TurboGrafx-16 was a little more common as I remembered seeing commercials for games and seeing the console and games at retailers. I also remembered seeing 3DO games for sale at electronic stores and retailers but not for very long. As for the Jaguar, I think I remember seeing games and consoles for sale at electronic stores but that was it. I don't know anybody who had these consoles, though.

Also, has anybody ever tried them out? How were those consoles?

Out of the mentioned systems I had a TG16 and a Jaguar back then. But they came out right when I was old enough to work. So most of my check each week went to whatever.

The Neo Geo AES I onyl saw sold at Babbages stores. We had one over in the mall in Mobile,was also the only place locally that carried Lynx,Jaguar and TG16 games.

Knew one rich kid,dude had pretty much everything in his huge bedroom,that came to school our senior year talking about how his dad bought him a Neo Geo. "And I got two games" So we are thinking his dad dropped big cash on the system and two games. Go over to his house the next evening and he has a NEO GEO arcade system in his bedroom. Had two games Magician Lord and Nam 75.

I had my TG16 until 96. My house got broken into while I was stationedd overseas and my then girl was off working in Florida for 2 weeks. Whoever broke in was smartish. They grabbed the 4 consoles I had hooked up in the living room,along with the games out there. Then out 4 racks of VHS. TG 16 ,NES top loader,Genesis model 2 and 7800 got stolen. Months later was in a local pawn shop and see a tg16 a 7800 and a pile of games for both. The games all being ones I had owned. But no way to prove it was mine.

I never knew anyone with a CD-I or a Pippen.

[dirtyoldman]

The neo Geo always amazes me that there were people out there prepared to pay that amount per game. Yeah it was arcade perfect graphics, but u can't imagine they had anything as deep or enthralling as Super Mario World, Zelda or Metroid.

[Red Mage Riot]

My uncle had a 3DO console. The only games I remember playing on it were Gex and Road Rash.

[BorneAgain]

PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 suffered from the company just not really understanding the American market (especially with advertising) and lacking Sega of America's ability to get around Nintendo's various controls with retailers there. It did outsell the Megadrive back home and stuff like the PC Engine Mini Console demonstrates it still does have an solid niche audience.

[Paul]

Here's an obscure one- the NEC PC-FX:

[Fundertaker]

The only time I ever saw any of those consoles was in conventions or gaming-themed bars so, yeah...

One exception though! I had a friend from elementary school who had an Amiga CD32 (his parents got it for cheap at some clearence sale or something). I never played it, and I don't think he played it much either, but he did have it!

[The Dark Order Inferno]

I picked up an Amstrad GX4000 for a couple of quid in the late 90s, the ultimate in failed consoles. Unfortunately it ended up fried by the infamously cheap power supply.

[Dr. T is an alien]

Feb 8, 2023 1:59:39 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

The neo Geo always amazes me that there were people out there prepared to pay that amount per game. Yeah it was arcade perfect graphics, but u can't imagine they had anything as deep or enthralling as Super Mario World, Zelda or Metroid.

It depends. The Metal Slug series was addicting and most of their fighting games were top notch. Personally, I hit the arcade machine on campus every day just to play Bust-A-Move, a.k.a. Puzzle Bobble. Sure, their games were the quarter-eating type as opposed to the long style games like Zelda, Metroid, or Phantasy Star, but I’d have bought one if I could afford it.

[Malcolm]

My mom actually found an intact fully working Panasonic 3DO with a strategy guide but no games.

I stupidly salvaged it for parts trying to fix a PS1 I found in the garbage.

I was a dumb teenager who didn't understand the concept of rarity.

[fg]

Check out the first two minutes of the AVGN’s video of the 3DO. It’s hysterical.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPoBMzAkZZM&t=415s

AVGN (sarcastically):: “The SNES and Sega can’t compare to the REAL GAMING CONSOLE (THE 3DO). YEAH!”

[The Dark Order Inferno]

Feb 8, 2023 1:59:39 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

The neo Geo always amazes me that there were people out there prepared to pay that amount per game. Yeah it was arcade perfect graphics, but u can't imagine they had anything as deep or enthralling as Super Mario World, Zelda or Metroid.

People are and have always been willing to shell out for the best looking games. Look at what people are willing to pay for PC graphics cards for slightly higher frame rates and digital eyelash rendering. NVidia could announce GPU that squeezes out 3 extra frames a second and people would pay whatever they ask, grudgingly, but still.

[salz4life]

I remember wanting the NEO GEO as a kid. Then, I saw the price and didn't even bother bring it up to my parents. LOL

[Cyno]

Feb 8, 2023 1:59:39 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

The neo Geo always amazes me that there were people out there prepared to pay that amount per game. Yeah it was arcade perfect graphics, but u can't imagine they had anything as deep or enthralling as Super Mario World, Zelda or Metroid.

The people who bought a Neo Geo knew exactly what they were getting. And fighting games like KOF and Fatal Fury have their own kind of depth.

Shit, look how much of a phenomenon Street Fighter II was on the SNES.

[schma]

I knew one person with a Turbo Graphix 16.

Also, I knew one person who got a Sega CD and possibly a 32X.

[Sephiroth]

You’d almost get the impression the people behind video game ads in the 90’s were released nerds.