What's up everyone!? Though I've followed this site for the longest time (because it kicks so much ass), this is my first post.

Though I own newer consoles like the PS3, my interest in them has been sorely dying for some time now because there is such emphasis on graphics and very rarely on things like story anymore. In any case, my nostalgia for the old systems / games is peaking and I'm about to go rampant on buying the old consoles and games.

So my question is mainly this: Which versions of the consoles are best to purchase to avoid bugs, problems, etc.? I see they have a number of combo system consoles out now (IE: nes/snes) and remember various versions of the older ones at one point, but I was so young back then that it really wasn't a point of interest to make note of it. I saw in one thread that Corbie said the SNES mini was maybe the best SNES version console to buy? Is that still the case Corb? What other recommendations for the other systems?

Thanks guys!

Fear

Here are some older systems you should buy:

3DO- It's not as bad as some people think. 3DOs are really cheap these days, so you might as well get one. Good games include, but not limited to: Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Samurai Shodown, Star Control II, Road Rash, Need for Speed, Gex, Crash N Burn, Guardian War, Myst, Total Eclipse, Immercenary, Lucienne's Quest, Pyramid Intruder (JPN-only), The Horde, Return Fire, etc.

Turbografx-16- A great system with many overlooked games like Military Madness & Bonk's Adventure for example. If you can, try to get a TurboDuo as they can play American TG-16 TurboChips, American TG-16 & Japanese PC Engine CD ROM games, Super CD-Rom² games, & audio CD's. However, you should get a Hucard converter too so you can play Japanese PC Engine Hucard games. Also get an Arcade Card Duo (Jpn-only) so you can play PC Engine Arcade CD-Rom² games.

To answer your question: Do NOT buy any Console Combo Clones or whatever you call em' . They're all pretty bad. Best to buy the 1st party systems as they are the most reliable.

Always always always go with original consoles. These new console clone things all have tons of issues that aren't worth those 10$ you save on the price.

Ok, so ex-nay to the clones. What about the various versions of the original systems (like I had mentioned with the SNES mini-deck)? Are some of the versions of the original systems better than others? Just trying to pin this all down before i start purchasing stuffs. Thanks for the info you two!

Any other feedback anyone I should be aware of?

Fear

I will not be mentioning anything before the Nes like the Atari 7800 (it was test marketed in 1984). I don't know how far retro you want to go, If you want to know, I will give feedback on some of the systems.

Here are is my feedback on some systems:

Nes - I recommand the NesTop loader. The original version has problems with the 72 in. pins.

Top loader doesn't have the problems like the "toaster version have, but doesn't have A/V connection and need some modifications to make game genie fit. The top loader is cheaper than it was before 3 years ago. I've seen than for $40.00 before in my area.

SMS - Model 1. It has an A/v unlike the 2nd model. Most European Sms games work on both models of the Sms.

Sega Saturn: Model 2. I think the original Sega Saturn models might be starting to have problems now. The optical drive of a Model 1 Sega Saturn was starting to go on me 6 months after I bought it used. I don't have any problems with the 2nd model of the Sega Saturn.

Very helpful lutz, I appreciate it! I will probably at some point head way back into retro, but mostly looking at NES+ for now. Any thoughts on best SNES version? Thanks again, awesome info.

Anyone else have some helpful info for me!?

Thanks

Fear

I would get a wii for the virtual console as there is a wide range of games on multiple consoles (NES,SNES,MD,NEOGEO,C64,ARCADE,MS,TG16) unless you want some really obscure titles its a great choiceplus the games are pretty cheap.Sure its not perfect but at least you don't have loads of consoles everywhere that need hooking up everytime you wanna play. But if you do want the original consoles always buy official ones.E bay has some great deals on retro stuff to get you started.If your getting a Megadive or master system get the first ones as they are worth more and are way cooler IMO!! If you then wanna go crazy get a mega CD and a saturn.

Well, we now know who marktheshark is. Judging by his recommending the 3DO he's clearly Trip Hawkins, as for the life of me I can't think of anyone else whom would recommend that stinker.

The Fox,

You statement is off. Just because a person recommends a 3do, that doesn't mean the person is Trip Hawkins.

I know in the past, a couple people liked the 3do on Atariage and Digital Press. Some people on Atariage recommend the Atari Jaguar.

Those 2 systems aren't exactly know as good systems, but they do their own fan base.

I actually did buy a Wii just for the Virtual Console and have purchased several games online as they are good bargains relative to Ebay, etc. Unfortunately the reality is that the Virtual Console will likely never see many titles that I am very interested in as well, so I plan on indulging on old consoles to fill in the gaps! Thanks for the info though!

On a side note, I bought a SNES mini earlier today (which was the better version of SNES to get from what I researched), so hopefully I got that one right.

Any further info / feedback still appreciated!

Fear

I found out that Nintendo removed the S-Video and RGB from the SNES mini. That alone makes me wonder if I should have just gotten the original SNES (but had seen Corbie favoring the mini and knew he knows way more about it than I)? Also Lutz, you like the Top Loader version of the NES but I found that alot of guys have said that it is simply more effective to just buy an original NES and put the 72 pin connector piece in. Thoughts on these observations?

Fear

If you're planning to buy a Neo Geo. It's a good idea to start off with an MVS if you are good at taking care of arcade cabinets as it has some games you can't get on Neo Geo AES or Neo Geo CD. The games on the MVS are often much less expensive than their AES versions. Only bad part is, that MVS cabinets, whether they are 2-slots, 4-slots, or 6-slots can be rather quite big & heavy as is usual with other arcade cabinets so you might need another person to help you move it into your house. However, soon after you moved the MVS cabinet into your preferred location for it in the house, you should start thinking about doing regular mantaince to keep your MVS cabinet in top working order for a long time, like fixing the marquee or replacing the buttons if the old ones are too damaged to be fixed for example.

If you're not comfortable about taking good care of an MVS system, you might want to buy a Neo Geo CD. While the library of available Neo Geo CD games isn't as big as the library of Neo Geo MVS or AES games, the price of the games are much cheaper than their MVS & AES versions. Some Neo Geo CD games may also come with an arranged soundtrack. The only flaw is that the load times can be quite long for some of the games so do buy a Neo Geo CDZ system as the load times for the games are shortened.

The Sega Saturn has some fun classics on it. If you like strategy rpgs it's perfect for Dragon Force and Shining Force III.

Thanks for all the great feedback guys! Keep it coming.

Still worried about this S-Video / RGB issue with the new mini SNES i just ordered. Would the original SNES have been a better choice?

Fear

The S-Video really makes the games look even more pixelated than they already are. While I prefer the S-Video on the Saturn, the 16-bit consoles look better to me in their regular composite format. They need that little touch of blur to them. That's just me personally. And if you go Neo Geo, get the MVS. Some of the AES carts are insanely expensive and the sticks suck. The CD and CDZ systems have long load times. We're talking about go make a sandwich and get a drink load times. And if you can find and grab a JVC X'Eye I highly recommend them. They're sweetness.

So the S-Vid is no big deal. How do you feel about the RBG loss though on the mini Corb? I figured since it looked like a bunch of these guys were modding theirs that it was somewhat of an issue.

Fear

Well you still have the composite cable and that offers a solid picture. If it's that important to you, just sell the mini and buy a full-size SNES deck. I just prefer the mini-deck as it's smaller and easier to carry with me on trips. And I always just used the composite cable with my older unit as well. The only mod I did on my full-size deck was to install a PAL switch for playing Terranigma. Now that I have a Terranigma cart with the boot check removed, I can play it on the mini now.

It's not so much that it is important to me, it's more along the lines of never having used the mini deck versions before and knew you've experienced both. Was just wondering if it was an "oh crap, look at the difference" type deal.

Fear

No, it's not that big of a difference. I know some swear by the slight enhancement, but I don't see it. I think the A/V cable works just fine on the SNES, or any of the 16-bit consoles. The only one I prefer to have the S-Video on is the Saturn. It does offer a bit more color clarity to me.

Word. Thanks for your patience and quick responses ! All very helpful. Just trying to get stuff relatively set right before i burn through some serious retro cash.

Fear