What are the best consoles that failed?

[xDragonWarrior]

Here are my top 3

 

1Neo Geo AES:the Neo geo AES was a console that truly brung the arcade experience to your home.The Neo geo had ports of popular SNK games and unlike the Snes or genesis,these ports were 99% if not 100% the SAME game,same graphics,sound,speed everything and some games like King of the monsters demonstrated the Neo Geo's ability to produce graphic detail that matched or surpassed contemporary arcade games from the period Now this came with a price,the system was launched with a hefty price tag of $650.00,and parents didnt care if it had "arcade quality graphics"they went for the way cheaper Snes or Genesis.

 

2.Turbografx-16:In japan the Famicon was the dominating system and no other system could compete with it except the PC engine.When the PC-engine came out,it got popular quickly,when it came out in the US as the Turbografx-16 no one gave a F**k.in japan the PC engine got better games(Castlevania rhondo of blood) but we got a good amount of good games(Galaga '90,Neutopia,Dungeon Explorer etc)and when the Super Famicon and Megadrive was released,because of the Turboduo,Supergrafx,it lasted a good amount of time before dying out,in the US it died as soon as the Snes Genesis hit the market.

 

3.Neo geo pocket color;The Neo geo pocket color seemed to be the Gameboy color killer.it had better graphics,a system menu,batteries that last forever(2 AA last 40 hours compared to the Gameboy color's 2AA 13-14 hours)and a clicky analog stick that destroys the Gameboy color's lame D-pad,but just like the Gamegear(which seemed to be the Gameboy killer)it failed selling less than 3 million units while the GBC went on to sell it's millions (and that's with the Neo geo pocket sales,the black and white version).now it had amazing games like Sonic the hedgehog pocket adventure,SNK vs.Capcom match of the millennium,card fighters clash,Faselei! and more.

 

Others i would have picked is the Gamegear(one of my first handhelds and is one of my personal favorites) and the Wondersan crystal,a really good but underrated system.so what's your's?

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

3DO !

[MagitekAngel]

It depends on how you set the standard for failure. I'd say the Dreamcast. It had a good couple of years, but it was really only a couple.

[Lendorien]

3DO is one of my favorite failed consoles. Honestly, had it not cost an arm and aleg when it came out, it probably could have given the Playstation a bit of a run for its money, though it might have been weak on 3d.

[atarilovesyou]

2.Turbografx-16:In japan the Famicon was the dominating system and no other system could compete with it except the PC engine.When the PC-engine came out,it got popular quickly,when it came out in the US as the Turbografx-16 no one gave a F**k.in japan the PC engine got better games(Castlevania rhondo of blood) but we got a good amount of good games(Galaga '90,Neutopia,Dungeon Explorer etc)and when the Super Famicon and Megadrive was released,because of the Turboduo,Supergrafx,it lasted a good amount of time before dying out,in the US it died as soon as the Snes Genesis hit the market.

 

I blame Turbrografx on NEC's lame marketing and hesitation in getting into the North American market. Genesis came out and took us into the 16 bit realm, and even though I prefer the TG16, at the time everybody loved the Genesis because of the arcade games and great graphics. TG16's pack-in game was terrible (IMO) and it could have been much, much better. Not including a two player jack as standard was dumb. The system looked goofy, but when I first saw the PC Engine in VGnC Gaming Magazine, I thought it (and the games) were incredible! But the TG16 was just brought to the market poorly. Great lil system, though.

 

My vote for system failure goes to Dreamcast....great lil system, I had lots of fun with it. Didn't last long, and while I'm sure someone knows, at this point I don't really care. I'd be pissed if I bought one back then, though...nobody expects their system to be abandoned so quickly, especially from a company as large as Sega.

Edited May 3, 2012 by atarilovesyou

[high voltage]

RCA Studio 2

[BillyHW]

The TG16 failed because they took 2 years to bring it over to North America. So instead of a 2-year head start on the Genesis, both systems were released at the same time.

[BillyHW]

I agree that it depends on your definition of "failure", and everyone's going to have a different viewpoint on that.

 

I don't think the Neo-Geo really qualifies. It was a niche system and was a decent success in its niche. It was certainly a successful arcade system. I don't think SNK ever had any illusions that it would have been anything other than a niche system. It would have been greater if there were a greater variety of genres, and not mostly fighting games.

 

It's really unfortunate that the ColecoVision went defunct, but it had some measure of success during its brief existence.

 

The Atari Lynx deserved a lot more success than it achieved.

 

If we're talking computers instead of consoles, I'd say the indisputable failure of the Adam was very unfortunate, as this could have been better than the C64.

 

It's also unfortunate that the Amiga couldn't continue from the C64's success, leaving us stuck with PCs and a Microsoft DOS/Windows monopoly.

Edited May 3, 2012 by BillyHW

[Reaperman]

I'm not sure they failed, but Lynx and Dreamcast should have done better. Both got great arcade ports, some that really didn't make it anywhere else. Dreamcast's arcade ports were frequently better than the originals.

 

I think the stat is a bit off on GBC battery life. It was also in the OMG range. And NGP's stick was great--far too good to be called analog.

[godslabrat]

Virtual Boy. Sprite graphics and *actual* 3D, as opposed to the pseudo-3d that became popular with the Playstation. It had a fair number of good games too.

[sqoon]

1. Dreamcast

2. Sega Master System

3. Turbografx-16

[128Kgames]

Here are my top 3

 

1Neo Geo AES:the Neo geo AES was a console that truly brung the arcade experience to your home.The Neo geo had ports of popular SNK games and unlike the Snes or genesis,these ports were 99% if not 100% the SAME game,same graphics,sound,speed everything and some games like King of the monsters demonstrated the Neo Geo's ability to produce graphic detail that matched or surpassed contemporary arcade games from the period Now this came with a price,the system was launched with a hefty price tag of $650.00,and parents didnt care if it had "arcade quality graphics"they went for the way cheaper Snes or Genesis.

 

Neo Geo? Can't agree with you there. Games were produced up until 2004, that's a 14 year run. And the games were 100%, not 99%; the game you played in the arcade was the same game you played at home (don't think you could even call them ports then). Same ROM just different PCB & case, home vs MVS.

 

I agree that it depends on your definition of "failure", and everyone's going to have a different viewpoint on that.

 

I don't think the Neo-Geo really qualifies. It was a niche system and was a decent success in its niche. It was certainly a successful arcade system. I don't think SNK ever had any illusions that it would have been anything other than a niche system. It would have been greater if there were a greater variety of genres, and not mostly fighting games.

 

Agreed, "niche" is a much better fit.

 

My fail choice? The Astrocade (aka Bally Home Library Computer, Bally Professional Arcade and Bally Computer System). This might also better be labeled a "niche" system though too as to the best of my knowledge the Bally home console was launched as 1/2 of a full-fledged home computer with the "keyboard" add-on to follow (much more than a keyboard, and it went through a number or revisions). Would the add-on have been considered the fist "expansion module" back in the day?

 

Unfortunately, it never surfaced, and the original systems suffered from numerous defects and were prone to overheating (thank you Atari!) and even the later consoles suffered from this as well. Two more name changes to the console before it became the Astrocade, adding even more confusion to the consumer as to just what this system was.

 

Oh and part of that was Bally pulling out of the home market leading to the sale and licensing of the system to AstroVision.

 

Not securing the rights to sell the home version of the arcade games they produced (again, thanks Atari!) so Galaxian became Galactic Invasion, Space Invaders had to be renamed and reissued as Astro Battle and Pac-Man became Munchie (but never saw the light of day, last dig at Atari!).

 

Aesthetically, except for the period woodgrain, it really was a beautiful and well-designed system, having its own game storage built in, being able to remove and insert games without powering it off, a screensaver (before anyone knew what a screensaver was, as far as I know) and hands down the best hand controllers in the business.

 

Slap an Astrocade labeled cartridge bay cover on one of the white consoles and this thing looks right at home next to any of your modern consoles (especially the first gen Xbox 360).

 

So yeah, Astrocade is my choice, but I still love her anyway. So much so that me and some guys are working on something for the Astrocade to blow everyone away and finally give this console the respect it deserves.

[Emehr]

The Lynx definitely needed more love than what it got.

[+atari2600land]

Odyssey². The problem I think I read is that Magnavox didn't really care for the thing, so that's why I think it failed in the US. If Magnavox cared more, they would have had more ads and thus more people buying it.

[high voltage]

Lynx for sure and n-gage also.

 

Both systems have an excellent library of games, hardly any duffs.

[Ransom]

As others have said, it depends on what's meant by "failure." But certainly the Odyssey2 deserved more love (both from Magnavox and from the public), as did the TG-16.

[Skylark68]

Lynx for sure. I had one when they first came out and it impressed a boat load of friends. The problem was third party support (lack thereof) and lack of promotion from Atari.

[high voltage]

Exactly, Odyssey 2 (Videopac) was the number two selling console after VCS in Germany, not a failure.

 

NES on the other hand 2.5 mill sold in Europe by 92, failure? Peanuts when compared to US and Japan sales.

Edited May 3, 2012 by high voltage

[Cynicaster]

My first handheld was the original Gameboy, then I got a Lynx right around the time of the redesign. Luckily, I knew a few other guys at school who had one, so I was able to swap games with them for some added variety. Honestly, I found the Lynx games very hit and miss on quality, to the point where I often found myself going back to play my Gameboy. I guess what I'm saying is, the system was certainly capable of greater success but I'm less than convinced it deserved much more success with the library of games it had.

 

If only it had been backed by some solid third-party development muscle, I've no doubt it would have been a different story.

Edited May 3, 2012 by Cynicaster

[Atari2008]

I have to agree with the Odyssey2 - it's not a bad system at all. It's solidly-built, has aged well, and that keyboard can definitely open up possibilities. The controllers are comfortable to use. I think Magnavox needed to care more - they certainly needed creative teams and not just 1 programmer doing most of the library. Also, more third party support so it could've gotten some arcade titles that made it to other consoles certainly would've helped.

[Flavor]

I think Neo Geo Pocket Color is my favorite "failure."

 

I also agree that Neo Geo AES was not a failure. It had limited market penetration compared to other home consoles, but it probably shouldn't be compared that way. It'd be like saying Lamborghini is a failure because you never see 'em on the road.

 

I agree that TG16 is a good one.

 

WonderSwan is tough, because it never really failed here. It just never came out here. It did have a good run, but in some ways it fits well for a best failed console.

 

I'm kinda partial to handhelds. Could we add GP32, GP2X, and Pandora to the list?

[+thegoldenband]

As others have said, it depends on your definition of "failure". But the first console that came to mind was the Vectrex, since it's an essentially flawless machine that didn't really get a fair chance. The Bally Astrocade is also a good call, and the 3DO and Dreamcast as well -- all consoles with great hardware that just didn't get the marketshare they deserved (though the Dreamcast came the closest).

 

Other potential candidates, like the SMS and TG16, had such good support outside the US that it's hard to call them failures.

 

I don't know that I agree about the Odyssey^2, partly because it had some success outside the US and partly because it's just such a limited machine. Don't get me wrong, I like the Odyssey^2 for what it is, but I think it basically had a fair chance to live up to its full potential. I can't say the same for the Vectrex.

[Atari2008]

RCA Studio 2

 

LMAO!!!!!!

[the.golden.ax]

No way on the Neo Geo AES. That was a resounding success by all standards. Apples to apples when compared with any other home console of an arcade machine. The Capcom CPS-C console didn't do even 1% of the AES numbers.

[Atari2008]

I agree that the Bally Astrocade and Vectrex didn't get a fair chance. The Vectrex came out close to the crash and wasn't on the market for many years. Astrocade was around but had far too limited availability and visibility. Both machines are very capable and unique, and it would've been interesting to see what their full potential was if they had more time and support. Actually we can see some of that with the very busy Vectrex homebrew scene and from what I've seen of the Bally Astrocade homebrew scene as well.

 

As far as the Odyssey2, it just seems to me that we would've seen more and better games if it had more support behind it. Definitely third party support, as it had in Europe would've helped, especially since third party developers like Imagic were able to create great games for the Atari 2600 and Intellivision, sometimes pushing the boundaries of what Atari and Mattel thought possible. Also, I thought I read somewhere that Magnavox foolishly led consumers to believe that the O2 would only work with their TV's further hampering sales. However, I agree it is a limited machine, and in the end they did have a million sales in the US...not bad.