Hardware annoyances

[Seob]

Atari ST should have never been released with a single sided drive. Price/cost/value aside - whatever. Horrible move IMO. I don't even care that it's external - but 360kb?!?

 

I think you forget that storage space back then cost a lot. I remember paying well over 180 dollar for my first 10 pack 3m 1.44Mb 3.5" disks.

 

Back to topic,

 

I really dislike the dreamcast upside down controller cable. Why have it on the downside? It will wear the cable more since a lot more strain is on the cable when it is pulled.

 

The horrible cd-i controller, i love my cd-i but it is hard to play because of inaccurate control because of bad design.

 

The ps3 shoulder buttons.

 

The noise a xbox360 makes. It like living next to a airport.

 

The lynx, blurr scrolling screen.

 

All non-backlit portable systems. Can't play in dim light conditions, can't play in bright sun light. Or only playable when holding in unpleasant positions.

 

Intellivision side buttons.

 

Bad controller ports on colecovision.

 

Buzzing vectrex.

 

Blinking Nes.

 

But i can't be to hard on the first console generations joystick designs. Since it was the start of a new kind of entertainment that was available at home. They just tried to find a new kind of joystick design they tough would work good.

[+save2600]

I think you forget that storage space back then cost a lot. I remember paying well over 180 dollar for my first 10 pack 3m 1.44Mb 3.5" disks.

Another reason why a single sided 3-1/2" drive didn't make much sense as you'd want to maximize your dollar byte for byte but umm... Amiga, Mac and ST did not use HD disks back then Holy smokes though! What country do you live in and what monetary mark are we talking about? lol I never-ever paid that much for disks. As a matter of fact, I'm looking at Sept. '86 issue of AmigaWorld right now. 3-1/2" SS Sony disks were $1.49 each if you bought 30+. DS disks were $2.25. Those were premium disks too. In quantities of 50, DS disks could be had for less than $1.89ea and much cheaper for the non-labeled generic stuff. Now RAM... that was expensive back then. Especially if you were taken by Apple with their original Mac. In 1986, it cost $700-$1k bringing an original Mac from 128kb to 512kb. They really have always gouged people on ram, huh? lol

 

But anyway, looking at the back of a May '90 issue of Byte, looks like you could have gotten 1.44mb disks in quantities of 25 for $.79ea. 3M's were not much more. Your price on a 10pack of disks sounds incredulous to me.

Edited February 26, 2010 by save2600

[Seob]

Living in the Netherlands, the price for a pack was 99 guilder. Was somewhere around 1988 or so. We had a 286 12.5mh 1mb, pc with cga graphics, 20mb hdd and 3.5" 1.44mb diskdrive. I later bought 720kb disk and made a hole in them so i could format them at 1.44mb. Some of those disks still worked 2 years ago. I think before the euro came, the guilder to dollar exchange rate was round 1 dollar was 1.78 guilder.

Edited February 26, 2010 by Seob

[tz101]

Addressing the OP:

 

Dreamcast controllers had the cord coming out the bottom instead of the top. Why?

 

Saturn had no backward compatibility with Genesis or SCD. Why?

 

Atari 2600 did not make more games playable with paddle/driving controllers. Game such as Space Invaders, Enduro, Galaxian, Spider Fighter, Demon Attack and Crackpots should have been paddle controller compatible.

 

5200 4-port was not backward compatible to 2600 games. What were they thinking?

[DaytonaUSA]

Addressing the OP:

 

 

 

Saturn had no backward compatibility with Genesis or SCD. Why?

 

 

 

Not trying to sound mean or anything, but what system DID have backwards compatibility that generation? In fact, NONE of the Nintendo consoles up until Wii had backwards compatibility and that was fine for everyone. Anyway, BC always is this magical thing everyone wants in the beginning of the generation, but then never use once the games start taking off. Not saying older games are bad or anything, just that at least for me, I always tend to play them on their older dedicated console. It just feels right.

[nightwheel]

Power switch placement and cartridge slot placement on the Vtech Socrates. Their both on one side of the console. With the power switch towards the back of the system, behind the cartridge slot.

[monzamess]

Not trying to sound mean or anything, but what system DID have backwards compatibility that generation? In fact, NONE of the Nintendo consoles up until Wii had backwards compatibility and that was fine for everyone. Anyway, BC always is this magical thing everyone wants in the beginning of the generation, but then never use once the games start taking off. Not saying older games are bad or anything, just that at least for me, I always tend to play them on their older dedicated console. It just feels right.

 

BC really is fairly prevalent and I think people come to expect it since they can carry over their investment (legit people spend way more on games than the console) without having multiple consoles hooked up (which is annoying to non-collectors).

 

The problem is when console companies take advantage of it--they offer it for one generation, which doesn't lock in people to one brand BUT offers a big incentive so stay with them--then they phase it out.

 

Some BC I can think of:

 

GBC->GB

GBA->GBC/GB

DS->GBA

DSi->DS (yeah that's a stretch)

--> Nintendo seems to support two generations then drop the old.

 

SNES->GB via adapter

GC->GBA via adapter

 

Wii->GC

Wii->bunch of stuff via virtual console (not quite the same I know)

 

7800->2600

5200->2600 via adapter

Colecovision->2600 via adapter

 

PS2->PS1

PS3->PS1

PS3->PS2 --> grrr, this bugs me most. PS2 games on the PS3 are truly

a better experience than on the PS2, with HDMI, easy management of

save games, and wireless controllers. Don't expect to see it come

back, except as digital distribution ala Wii's Virtual Console.

 

Genesis->SMS via adapter

 

XBOX360->XBOX (but not 100%)

 

Amiga CD32->CDTV (as if anyone cares)

 

Supergrafx->PC Engine (ditto)

 

 

I left out computers since that's a different ballgame.

 

I spent way too much time on this. I need to get a life.

[TwinChargers]

 

don't play GB/GBC games http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.24379

 

 

Erm..."- Compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color game cartridge" according to your link.

 

Yeah, but they don't, if you can believe the reviews. DX has a history of just blindly dumping "specs" to their product pages without fully investigating. In this case, as I understand it, the GB/GBC carts simply don't fit, like if you try plugging one into a DS or GB micro. And if you managed to get one in there, the unit probably doesn't have/emulate the Z80 and other GB/GBC hardware. Of course you CAN play GB/GBC games through a GBA-mode emulator, like on any GBA.

 

 

That sucks. I found a skeleton clear one on their site. I can't find a game list though. I'm actually thinking of getting this, but could you give me an idea of what games are included?

 

Supposedly, this is the list: http://pastebin.com/fa20f4b8

(found it in one of the item's discussion topics) -- looks like games over #100 are emulated 8-bit games.

 

Sorry for the off-topic stuff everyone.

 

Here, this new thread will keep those of us from interupting anymore.

[DaytonaUSA]

Not trying to sound mean or anything, but what system DID have backwards compatibility that generation? In fact, NONE of the Nintendo consoles up until Wii had backwards compatibility and that was fine for everyone. Anyway, BC always is this magical thing everyone wants in the beginning of the generation, but then never use once the games start taking off. Not saying older games are bad or anything, just that at least for me, I always tend to play them on their older dedicated console. It just feels right.

 

BC really is fairly prevalent and I think people come to expect it since they can carry over their investment (legit people spend way more on games than the console) without having multiple consoles hooked up (which is annoying to non-collectors).

 

The problem is when console companies take advantage of it--they offer it for one generation, which doesn't lock in people to one brand BUT offers a big incentive so stay with them--then they phase it out.

 

But you ignored me... how can you blame the Saturn and not Nintendo? It just seems a little absurd to go only after Sega for no backwards compatibility.

Some BC I can think of:

 

GBC->GB

GBA->GBC/GB

DS->GBA

DSi->DS (yeah that's a stretch)

--> Nintendo seems to support two generations then drop the old.

 

SNES->GB via adapter

GC->GBA via adapter

 

Wii->GC

Wii->bunch of stuff via virtual console (not quite the same I know)

 

7800->2600

5200->2600 via adapter

Colecovision->2600 via adapter

 

PS2->PS1

PS3->PS1

PS3->PS2 --> grrr, this bugs me most. PS2 games on the PS3 are truly

a better experience than on the PS2, with HDMI, easy management of

save games, and wireless controllers. Don't expect to see it come

back, except as digital distribution ala Wii's Virtual Console.

 

Genesis->SMS via adapter

 

XBOX360->XBOX (but not 100%)

 

Amiga CD32->CDTV (as if anyone cares)

 

Supergrafx->PC Engine (ditto)

 

 

I left out computers since that's a different ballgame.

 

I spent way too much time on this. I need to get a life.

[Taskmaster99]

just a few on my list:

 

Neo Geo CD load times. Simply awful!!!!

 

GBA slot removal on the DSi

 

the Turbo Grafx single port(as many have said) I remeber fondly recieving this system from my parents at Christmas many moons ago. I also recieved and extra controller and a few games including Takin it to the Hoop. Great Christmas gift...dont get me wrong....except one thing. A 2 player game....two controllers in my posession......no way to plug in the second. Thay didnt look at the system in detail....so no Turbo Tap. They figured that out very quickly when my Dad set up the system for me and we went to play the basketball game. Day after Christmas at Toys R Us.......Turbo Tap out of stock. Had a few friends come over during Christmas break and we had to take turns. Kinda frustrating. Not my parents fault at all. They werent the geniuses behind the system design.

 

Dreamcast bottom controller cord. others have said this as well. Why Sega??? Just to be different???

 

My whole 3do experience.

[Frizo]

The Game Boy printer takes figgin 6 AA's. Jeez.

The Game Boy camera can only turn left, not right as well.

The NES and is suckish cartridge port. (Fixed in my version, model 2 )

Sega Saturn's first controller. I hate it almost as much as I hate the Saturn itself (Jeez it sucks, no good games except NiGHTS and Virtua Cops.

[Mirage]

...

The thermal printer for the Aquarius. What was the point? Pretending you were a McDonald's cashier or something? lol

...

 

This is why you're one of my favorite posters... saves me a TON of typing myself, adds a few things I wouldn't have thought of (or known about), and lines like the above

[shadow460]

BC made me think of something else...

Master Gear converter doesn't screw in to the Game Gear.

TV Tuner doesn't show a picture with Model 2 Game Gear units. Well, now it doesn't show a picture at all, but that's beside the point.

 

PS2 browser stored on the hard disk. The hdd is a severely neutered Maxtor model anyway with half the transfer rate. It loads a different browser (read: the screen you see at startup) when you install the official hard disk, but that loads from the actual hard disk and it stutters badly. It also takes forever to load up.

 

PSP CPU speed cut by one third. Battery life? Come on. It's still practically the same when the thing is maxed out. Better yet, why not have the CPU throttle down automatically when watching movies or listening to music? It can do either without skipping frames or anything even at 75 MHz, and the rated speed is 333 MHz. With it throttled, you can watch two or three UMD movies on a single charge.

 

Saturn long boxes. So I spend $50 a pop per game. So if I happen to get a worthless game, you're telling me air is that valuable? Oops, that's not hardware related.

 

Use of the LaserActive's frame buffer on CAV titles. There's no need at all to kick the frame buffer on for that--just stop the angular movement when the user activates the pause, freeze frame, and whatnot. The frame buffer takes away from the display quality. I think I already mentioned the lack of RBG, S-Video and AC-3 output.

 

Driving Force Wheel doesn't register full braking on GT3. I know this isn't a fault of the PS2 in particular, but since that's the wheel officially designed for GT3, you'd think it would actually work right. Far more aggravating is the fact that the shift handles won't work unless the wheel is straight!

 

Except for the shifting in GT3, none of these are really bothersome gripes. The system's I've ragged on are actually great. I have a lot of fun playing them, despite their faults!

[Rev. Rob]

I'll chime in on the Genesis/32X/Sega CD combo. The thing that bothered me was not that each had it's own power supply (I guess for whatever reason that was necessary), but that the plug was actually in the power converter.

 

I understand that it needs to be external, but does the plug really need to be attached to it? It makes it a big pain in the ass to plug all three in. Why couldn't the bulky part be in the middle of the cord? I had to use extension cords to get them all into one outlet. Sega must've known it was bad because they released a special power strip that was spaced out. Try throwing an Activator into the mix (which also had its own bulky power supply) and it creates a real mess!

 

Microsoft handled this well with the Xbox 360. Any electronic device that doesn't do this today is a big fat fail in my book.

[jferio]

I understand that it needs to be external, but does the plug really need to be attached to it? It makes it a big pain in the ass to plug all three in. Why couldn't the bulky part be in the middle of the cord? I had to use extension cords to get them all into one outlet. Sega must've known it was bad because they released a special power strip that was spaced out. Try throwing an Activator into the mix (which also had its own bulky power supply) and it creates a real mess!

 

Microsoft handled this well with the Xbox 360. Any electronic device that doesn't do this today is a big fat fail in my book.

 

It looks like the shift has occurred. I have an Xbox, GC and PS2 slim in the gaming rig here... and all the cords are either simple power cords with the power supply internal to the console, or the 'wart' is in the middle of the cord. I suspect that it's in part because we have so much plugged in with the typical entertainment center, that it's becoming much more of a 'deal breaker' for a console to have a big wall wart that obscures at least one outlet when it's plugged in.

 

With that, my gripes are the 2600 'Heavy Sixer' and 'Light Sixer', where not only are the joystick ports on the back, but the lower back. I solved it by just dedicating my two 9 pin extensions to the system, which also solves any cord length issues I might have.

 

Hardwired controllers. I shouldn't have to disassemble the system to replace a bum controller. At all.

 

Multiple power bricks for a combination. I'm really not sure why they didn't look at either a 'piggy back' design where you connect the central console's power brick to the back of the add on power brick, or give a beefier brick with two console connectors.

 

Reduced functionality in a later revision. Sony, I'm looking at you and the PS3 losing PS2 compatibility. It may well have been the cheaper decision to do that rather than pull the PS2 off the market, but I fully expect that decision did cost you some adopters. While some of us collect, it's nice if we don't have to hook up all the generations of a console unless we really want to. This is hampered by PS2 games still being made and sold.

 

Inflexible storage. PS1 memory cards. I have... six memory cards just to ensure I have enough storage. And I'm unwilling to trust any 'trick' to get more storage than the console was designed to address.

 

No ability to manage save storage. N64? We need to have a little talk about the memory cards, and that I can't manage saves directly from the console without a cart that uses the memory card. The SegaCD did it. The Dreamcast did it. Even if it's a cart system, this is NOT a technical limitation that shouldn't have been broken, some of the Master Systems had Hang On/Safari Hunt built in to the consoles that would come up when there was not a cart inserted.

 

I agree with the 7800's poor visibility of the difficulty switches (not that the 4 switchers were much better in that respect). I also dislike the overly tight cartridge port collar. I modded mine, but I had an encounter with the issue with my friend's 7800 that I just repaired this past week.

 

Lack of end labels on carts. Loose carts and many storage methods that are actually space efficient makes this a losing combination. N64? Master System? I shouldn't need a labeler for carts, just for things like AV switches.

 

Console combination AV cables. I've actually found that, with two of three of a generation going into nothing but standby, with no real good power-off option, that the sound hardware in standby will kill the sound on the other consoles using that same cable. Or when I use the individual cables, but try to use y-splitters to hook them all up to the same inputs. I would love to be using the combination cable for all three, but I really can't. I put this more on the consoles, since the PS2 fat could be actually switched off, versus just dropped into standby, and I don't think it would've taken much for either the PS2 slim, nor the Xbox, to completely power down the audio hardware so that it didn't leech away the signal.

 

I know someone above mentioned proprietary A/V connections. One of the things I have to look at with consoles at thrifts is whether or not they include the A/V cable. If not, I pass. Even power supplies are mostly an issue I can resolve without breaking out a soldering iron.

 

Poorly designed add-ons. I'm mostly looking at the issues with the Genesis addons of 32X (mushroom of death), and to a lesser degree the SegaCD (bulky!). There's also the bulk of the Intellivoice unit. I much prefer Nintendo's placement of the expansion connectors, on the bottom of the consoles. I have a GameBoy Player for the GC, and it is by far one of the best designs for an add-on I've seen, although the PowerBase Converter comes close. I know it would've been much more expensive for the Intellivoice to route to the underside of the console and place the cart port either almost under where it was, or up front, but my INTV is a pretty tight fit in the rig already, even knowing I'm pulling it off the shelf to play, but I dread the nightmare it's going to be when I finally track down an Intellivoice for it.

 

Overly large cart shells. NES, SNES, I'm looking at you. Not that they stack badly, just that my NES2 requires so much overhead clearance for the damned cart to stick up... and the SNES carts are just taller enough than a CD jewel case that I have to set the shelf down another notch on my storage to accommodate the carts standing on end where I can see the labels in line. On the opposite end are the Master System carts, which fit audio cassette racks absolutely perfectly. Kinda in the middle are Genesis carts, which were designed to be stored in their plastic clamshells, and have the damned rounded ends on them that make it hard to do the on end storage I prefer. Unless one has a good way to 'chock' them once on the shelf, they will fall over like a stack of dominoes.

 

Non-stacking cart designs. Mattel, I'm looking at the Atari compatible carts you made. That collar makes for the damndest issue with about any storage method except throwing them in a box standing up on end. And even then it gets hairy.

 

Double wide CD cases. Serious. Now, granted, some PS1 games require them because they have so many discs to them, but seriously? YuGiOh needs one? What's being smoked here? And I know I've gotten double CD cases that are the same size as a single jewel case, so don't blow the smoke at me about requiring it for a 2 disc package. I need to store 16 systems worth of games... every little bit of space is valuable here.

[Seob]

Double wide CD cases. Serious. Now, granted, some PS1 games require them because they have so many discs to them, but seriously? YuGiOh needs one? What's being smoked here? And I know I've gotten double CD cases that are the same size as a single jewel case, so don't blow the smoke at me about requiring it for a 2 disc package. I need to store 16 systems worth of games... every little bit of space is valuable here.

I'm pretty sure that the designers of carts or cd's cases didn't have in mind that one would have more then 1 different system to play on.

[jferio]

I'm pretty sure that the designers of carts or cd's cases didn't have in mind that one would have more then 1 different system to play on.

 

Yes, that I'm sure, but I can also imagine that the complaint would come from people who are trying to store their PS1 games in with their music CDs.

 

On another factor, PS2 slimline's lid... a relatively minor quibble, but when I have it vertical on the stand, the lid snaps back with just enough force that the console rocks a little bit on its foundation.

[Video]

Oh yeah, that's another thing, Built in Batteries. PSP, DS (insert controller here) fuck them. I don't mind to much the Idea of using batteries in a power efficent controller, but if it's not, I want to be able to swap them and keep playing. As for handhelds, at least the PSP is technically exchangeable (If you happen to have an extra laying around that is) But the DS isn't user friendly....can I even buy a battery for that thing? Look I like it like GBA, when I'm playing a game, and the battery dies, pop it out, and put a new one in, with cheap batteries I can get at wallyworld, not some special foremat that will cost $20+ a pop. (yes, I know their rechargeable, but so are the AA's I use in my GBA, and those cost like $5 a pack (enough to keep a set charged, and a set in the system )

 

Anyhow, batteries, if you HAVE to have some bezaro format, at least sell an adaptor for us that want to use real ones

 

 

I don't think the redesign of the GBA is pointless at all, given the original GBA's main problem is a very dim nonbacklit screen that you can hardly see even in good lighting. It's just that the original version could have been re-released with a backlit screen rather than having to go to the SP's foldable case format to do that.

 

I agree. Especially when Nintendo released a revision to the GBASP (the first has a front lit screen. Different from backlit). Why release a total redesign when it needs to be fixed later on? Instead just fix the original model.

 

While I personally prefer the SP form factor over the original GBA, I hate that they omitted the standard headphone jack. Now you have to use a bulky adapter.

 

Pirate market to the rescue (sort of): If you really want an original-form factor GBA WITH a backlit screen, you can get a pirate version. They play GBA carts and come with a bunch of GBA games built-in. The drawbacks are, they are just clones so not 100% compatibile, don't play GB/GBC games, and (ironically) don't work with flash carts. http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.24379

 

That's my point, a useful upgrade (like a backlit, or frontlit screen) is one thing, but a total redesign of the system? The original is comfertable, the sp is just to squished. And I use the earphone WAY to muc to justify not having that (and why? It's not like the shell wasn't big enough, just greed trying to get more money out of people)

 

Oh, and the system in the link doesn't mention being backlit, otherwise, beyond the built in battery, it's just the specs offthe GBA box, I doubt their right.

 

Heh, I might get one, see how hard itwould be to jack the screen out of it and put into my GBA..(if it really is a bonofied GBA, instead of a crappy NOAC clone or something taht is)

Edited February 28, 2010 by Video

[Ace_1]

I've got a fair bunch:

 

-Atari 2600/Intellivision/ColecoVision/The entire PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 line: CONTROLLER CORDS ARE TOO DAMN SHORT!

-Atari 5200: The 4-port model's stupid switchbox. Who designed that thing???

-Front-Loader NES: That cartridge slot is a real b****. Every time I get a broken NES, it's ALWAYS the cartridge slot that's bad.

-Top-Loader NES: WTF, Nintendo?! RF output only when the Front-Loader NES has Composite AND RF??? And to make matters worse, there's LINE NOISE! You don't even get that on a Front-Loader NES!

-Super NES Mini: No S-Video and RGB. Come on, the video encoder can output both S-Video and RGB, why not output it to the multi-A/V out?

-PC Engine SuperGrafx/Sega CDX: What a mess! Wires go practically everywhere on the console!

-TurboGrafx 16/original PC Engine: You have to buy an add-on to get Composite A/V out. WTF?

-The entire PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 line: ONE CONTROLLER PORT! That's the most retarded thing a game console manufacturer can do.

-Sega Master System/Atari 7800: Pause button is on the console. Why, may I ask? What would it have taken to put the Pause button ON THE CONTROLLER?

-Sega Master System: The worst D-pad on any controller I have ever seen. It's the most oversensitive D-pad ever made. Seriously.

-Sega CDX: Weak CD-ROM drive. This thing has NUMEROUS issues reading any disc I put in it unless it's scratch-free.

-Sega CD/Sega 32X: WHY THE HELL DO THEY NEED THEIR OWN POWER SUPPLY?!

-Late Sega Genesis 1/Sega Genesis 2(most models): THE SOUND!!! THE VIDEO(Genesis 2 only)!!! It makes my ears and eyes bleed.

-Sega Genesis 3: Broken compatibility.

-TurboGrafx CD: ONE UNRELIABLE PIECE OF S***! Either a gear shatters, the laser dies, or the laser mechanism gets stuck. I have to fight with my TurboGrafx CD for 15 minutes before the laser mechanism gets unjammed.

-TurboDuo/Sega Game Gear/TurboExpress: One word - CAPACITORS!

-PlayStation: The laser sucks. Mid-game, music and FMV will start to skip.

-PlayStation 2: Inconsistency between different revisions.

-PlayStation 3: Removal of backwards compatibility. WTF, Sony?

-Xbox 360: Oh jeez, where do I even start? It's about the most unreliable piece of s*** I have ever seen: Red Ring of Death, E74, numerous other technical problems, poor cooling system design, and the list goes on.

-Nintendo Wii: USB ports are practically useless, and there isn't enough space on the flash ROM used by Nintendo as internal storage.

-All GameBoys before the GameBoy Advance SP: Unlit screen. The GameBoy Advance in particular is impossible to see unless you're sitting out in the sun.

-Frontlit GameBoy Advance SP: The frontlight is awful; the screen gets a nasty blue tint, isn't evenly lit, and the frontlight is useless in bright lighting conditions.

-All GameBoy Advance SPs: Fragile. I dropped mine from a very low height, and the plastic cracked in multiple locations. It's also uncomfortable to hold.

-GameBoy "Brick"/GameBoy Pocket/PlayStation Portable 1000/PlayStation Portable 2000: Blurry screen. Anything that moves fast like a Shoot-em-Up looks like s***.

-Sega Game Gear/Atari Lynx/TurboExpress/Sega Nomad: 6AA batteries are needed to operate the damn thing!

Edited March 1, 2010 by Ace_1

[gdement]

2600 - controller ports in the back. I questioned this even when I was a kid, surely the designers realized how dumb this was.

 

Model-2 Genesis - doesn't properly fit a model-1 CD. They apparently assumed nobody with an older CD would buy a new console. When my Genesis started having problems, it was replaced with a new model-2, and I had to remove the rubber feet to make the connectors fit. Even then I still managed to bend one of the pins on the CD side.

 

PS2 - My controller port is apparently dying, so I'll officially file a gripe here. Lots of people have had the same failure. Seems to get better when it warms up.

 

 

 

Sega CD/Sega 32X: WHY THE HELL DO THEY NEED THEIR OWN POWER SUPPLY?!

Because the original PSU would be overloaded trying to power all that extra hardware. But Sega should have designed the expansion port to contain a power supply line, then they could have just powered everything from the Sega CD supply.

Edited March 1, 2010 by gdement

[Seob]

A lot "hardware annoyances" are only annoyances placed in current daylight. Short controller cables, back then tv's where not big 32" plus screens so you needed to sit closer at the tv, and like said before, most people put the console on top of the table in front of them. Short battery live, if they had these days technology, they sure would have used it. But back then the technology wasn't ready for it yet.

[Tom-Lynx]

I have a lot of Nintendo items, and I agree with the backwards compatibility comments, although I feel Nintendo did a more or less decent job on the GameBoy line, with the exception of removing the GBA slot from the DSi.

 

However, the loss of compatibility from NES to SNES to N64 was a waste since they were all cartridge based and every system did everything it could to make the controllers and cartridges completely different (although at least audio cords could be re-used).

 

The GameBoy Player on the GameCube is still one of the most overlooked accessories for any system ever put on the market...complete GB / GBC / GBA compatibility on the big screen with support for linked games, not to mention conveniences like the Wavebird wireless controllers.

 

The Wii has been a huge step in the right direction with its GameCube backwards compatibility and Virtual Console.