Consoles/Handhelds That You Hate

[burningdoom]

We've had a lot of dedicated threads to consoles that we love. But what some consoles that you particularly hate...and why?

For me, it's definitely the N64. After the smash hits of the NES and SNES I just expected more from the N64. It feel like that's when Nintendo started getting less everybody focused and more kiddie-focused on some of their stuff. Only a scant few RPGs and shoot-em ups definitely didn't help things for me. And more than anything, that damn controller. I so loathe the N64 controller. The hand placement is stupid, and the thumbstick is waaayyyy too sensitive and prone to breaking. Plus no Metroid game? For shame, Nintendo.

PSP. It's not that it's a bad handheld, in fact the graphics looked magnificent for the time (for being a handheld). And the game library is great. I just really hate that so many games required that you use their stupid thumb-circle thingy, I hate that thing. (If you can't tell, comfortable controls is a must for me.)

Tiger LCD games. There are a few exceptions here. I mean Electronic Pinball can be fun in short bursts. But most of these games are complete crap. And as a kid, I fell for that cool packaging they usually had. Only to be duped by a ridiculously simple, and anything but fun game. But I could convince my mom to get me one of these once in a while, no way I was convincing her to get me a Game Boy or Game Gear.

Atari 2600. I know, it's the first really successful console. It's a HUGE part of gaming history. And I understand that, and appreciate that it paved the way for what came later. I even find the history of the console and company quite interesting. But the console itself, I just can't get into it. The games are too simple for me. The sounds that come from it are ungodly. And the joystick is stiff and hard to use.

What are yours?

[chexmixbreath]

As someone who almost always prefers playing retro games on original hardware and grew up playing the OG grey Game Boy with the green monochromatic screen, I can easily say that there is no reason for any person to go back and play GB games on it, even for "authenticity". This also applies to the Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, and the original Game Boy Advance. I've gotten too used to backlit screens to be able to enjoy playing games on them, even though I originally played many of them without backlight... I have zero nostalgia for sitting under a lamp and positioning the screen just right with the light.

[telekill]

There aren't many I hate...

1. Wii -- At the top of the list is Wii and that's because of the motion controls forced onto consumers. I learned with Wii that I absolutely loathe motion controls. As I've stated in other threads, the only time I've enjoyed motion controls was flying a Warhawk in the PS3 game. That's it. Everything on Wii with the exception of maybe Wii Sports was mostly trash IMO.

2. Vita -- This is an oddity because the hardware itself... was fantastic. The PSV was marred by horrific decisions that Sony made for it. First off, they stopped supporting their own handheld after two years. PATHETIC!... and I would gladly tell that to Sony's CEO's face. The other poorly made decision was the memory cards. Sony took a sledge hammer to their own device and look shocked that it didn't do well. Morons.

3. Virtual Boy -- It was hard to find a place to comfortably use the Virtual Boy. One of the best places, I found, was on a plane and having it on the tray table in front of you. Horrible physical design aside, the system could only be used for 15-20 minutes at a time before giving the player a headache. Horrible.

4. Sega 32X -- While not its own system, needing a Genesis to function, it took however many millions away from Sega's RnD budget. Then they mass produced it and most people were wondering what the point of it was. Did it make the Genesis more powerful? Maybe. I could play Doom... but then compare 32X's Doom with the regular Genesis' Zero Tolerance... and the difference isn't noticeable enough to warrant buying the 32X at all. This was one of many stumbling blocks that led to the demise of Sega as a hardware creator.

That's basically it for systems I hate. You'll notice I touch a little on every hardware creator at some point... with the exception of Xbox. This is due to only owning an Xbox for a single month... being disgusted with the online community.... and selling off the Xbox. With 360, I was waiting for PS3 and during that year, 360 fanboys were so toxic that it turned me off of buying one initially... then the RRoD occurred finalizing my not buying decision. With the X1, Microsoft's initial policies they were touting turned me off of buying one and by that point... I was pretty well over the idea of ever owning an Xbox. Fast forward to XSeX and Microsoft has made some great moves... but I don't have the time these days to have every game system. All that said, I don't have enough time spent with any Xbox to hate one.

[Warmsignal]

Hate's too strong of a word. I'd prefer not to play Game Boy on the original hardware, in fact, I'd probably pass on any offer to do so. But that's why Super Game Boy exists.

Anyhow, suppose I can look forward to seeing all of my favorite consoles represented somewhere in the thread, and can already see we're off to a wonderful start.

[bikingjahuty]

I don't actually hate any consoles or handhelds. I'm a firm believer that all consoles and platforms have their pros and cons, even if one of those categories is weighted a lot more than the other. With that said, here are some consoles I'm not a huge fan of for one reason or another, but again, I don't hate any of them.


Virtual Boy: The console has a pathetically small library of games and of those maybe 3 could actually be considered fun, but given how uncomfortable and cumbersome the console is to play, it's debatable whether those games re even worst it. If you've played the VB it's clear as day to you why it flopped spectacularly, however certain collectors lose their mind over it and pay ridiculous prices for it and its games. I understand a lot of this is fueled more by Nintendo collectorism and the platforms infamous quarkiness, but I've seen several people sincerely defend it as a misunderstood gaming platform. But yeah, it's a piece of shit no matter how you slice it.


Sega Gamegear: As a diehard Sega fan it's almost hard to admit this, but I've never been a fan of this handheld. I had a good friend as a kid who had one and even back then playing Sonic or other Genesis ports on it felt like a chore and something I had a hard time getting into. Later on as an adult I gave the platform another chance and I actually dislike it even more now. Part of this is I'm not a huge handheld fan, but also it just makes me want to play the proper Genesis versions of is games. And all the original releases for it aren't that great either, at least the ones I've played.


Every Atari console/handheld: I'm not ashamed to admit that anything released before the 4th gaming generation feels a bit before my time even though I was born in the late 80s. This even includes the beloved NES, however I actually like the NES unlike any Atari platform. While I admit I've never played any games on the Jaguar, 7800, or some of the old Atari computers like the XT, I've never played an Atari game I could stomach for more than 5 minutes. The incredibly crude, simple graphics and gameplay just don't so anything for me and in many cases I just find some of the old Atari games from the 70s and 80s to be unplayable now. There are several Atari arcade titles I find to be okay, but overall it's a company I have no love for or connection to. As for the Jaguar which is the only Atari platform I could even possibly consider wanting to play at this point, there are so few games on it that even look remotely appealing that I wouldn't lose sleep if I never actually did play the Jaguar.

[raggerreadfish]

Nintendo Switch. I love every other Nintendo console to death so it took me years to admit it, but I sadly hate this thing.

People ragged on the Gamecube and N64 for having lopsided libraries where certain genres didn't exist and you had to wait months between good games, but the Switch is even worse. Want a good football game on Switch? Enjoy playing literally nothing. Want a good FPS? Hope you like ports of old games with worse performance. Want a realistic racing game? All you get is a port of a mediocre PS3/360 game. Even Nintendo's own games often feel lazy and uninspired in my opinion, and they tend to overcharge heavily for them. At least you can play them on an overly large "portable" system with a terrible battery life and terrible controls!

[dhaabi]

Nintendo Switch. I love every other Nintendo console to death so it took me years to admit it, but I sadly hate this thing.

People ragged on the Gamecube and N64 for having lopsided libraries where certain genres didn't exist and you had to wait months between good games, but the Switch is even worse. Want a good football game on Switch? Enjoy playing literally nothing. Want a good FPS? Hope you like ports of old games with worse performance. Want a realistic racing game? All you get is a port of a mediocre PS3/360 game.

Not playing favorite to the Switch, but I would like to point out that these criticisms date back to the Nintendo 64, which is when Nintendo fell behind the curve when they opted for a cartridge-based system over a disc-based one. Ever since then, it seems as if they've always been at least one generation behind graphically, which resulted in diminished libraries for Nintendo 64 and GameCube.

[telekill]

Sega Gamegear: As a diehard Sega fan it's almost hard to admit this, but I've never been a fan of this handheld. I had a good friend as a kid who had one and even back then playing Sonic or other Genesis ports on it felt like a chore and something I had a hard time getting into. Later on as an adult I gave the platform another chance and I actually dislike it even more now. Part of this is I'm not a huge handheld fan, but also it just makes me want to play the proper Genesis versions of is games. And all the original releases for it aren't that great either, at least the ones I've played.

As a huge fan of the Sega Game Gear, had I not grown up with it and had the nostalgia, I'd probably not be that impressed by it either. Many of the games on it were dumbed down Genesis ports. I thought it was cool to be able to take these games on the go and as a kid, I had far more interest in handheld gaming than I ever have as an adult. Sega was always ahead of the curve technology wise but there was always a negative cost to it. For Game Gear, the cost was the extra batteries it would consume making AC and car adapters necessary. For a device on the go, I was always tethered to something with it.

[burningdoom]

Sega Gamegear: As a diehard Sega fan it's almost hard to admit this, but I've never been a fan of this handheld. I had a good friend as a kid who had one and even back then playing Sonic or other Genesis ports on it felt like a chore and something I had a hard time getting into. Later on as an adult I gave the platform another chance and I actually dislike it even more now. Part of this is I'm not a huge handheld fan, but also it just makes me want to play the proper Genesis versions of is games. And all the original releases for it aren't that great either, at least the ones I've played.

As a huge fan of the Sega Game Gear, had I not grown up with it and had the nostalgia, I'd probably not be that impressed by it either. Many of the games on it were dumbed down Genesis ports. I thought it was cool to be able to take these games on the go and as a kid, I had far more interest in handheld gaming than I ever have as an adult. Sega was always ahead of the curve technology wise but there was always a negative cost to it. For Game Gear, the cost was the extra batteries it would consume making AC and car adapters necessary. For a device on the go, I was always tethered to something with it.

Looking through today's lens, yeah, that's all true. But back then the original Game Boy was so much worse hardware. Both of them had screen blur, but the Game Gear had a much better picture quality, much better sound, a lit up screen, and color. And you could play actual Master System games on it. The battery complaint is real, but easy solution with an AC Adapter. And before you say you don't want to be tethered to one, you totally had to be near a light source for the Game Boy so it's really no different.

[telekill]

Sega Gamegear: As a diehard Sega fan it's almost hard to admit this, but I've never been a fan of this handheld. I had a good friend as a kid who had one and even back then playing Sonic or other Genesis ports on it felt like a chore and something I had a hard time getting into. Later on as an adult I gave the platform another chance and I actually dislike it even more now. Part of this is I'm not a huge handheld fan, but also it just makes me want to play the proper Genesis versions of is games. And all the original releases for it aren't that great either, at least the ones I've played.

As a huge fan of the Sega Game Gear, had I not grown up with it and had the nostalgia, I'd probably not be that impressed by it either. Many of the games on it were dumbed down Genesis ports. I thought it was cool to be able to take these games on the go and as a kid, I had far more interest in handheld gaming than I ever have as an adult. Sega was always ahead of the curve technology wise but there was always a negative cost to it. For Game Gear, the cost was the extra batteries it would consume making AC and car adapters necessary. For a device on the go, I was always tethered to something with it.

Looking through today's lens, yeah, that's all true. But back then the original Game Boy was so much worse hardware. Both of them had screen blur, but the Game Gear had a much better picture quality, much better sound, a lit up screen, and color. And you could play actual Master System games on it. The battery complaint is real, but easy solution with an AC Adapter. And before you say you don't want to be tethered to one, you totally had to be near a light source for the Game Boy so it's really no different.

Game Gear was fantastic during its lifespan. I still enjoy games like Jurassic Park, Road Rash and Sonic on it.

[gngtiger]

There aren't many I hate...

1. Wii -- At the top of the list is Wii and that's because of the motion controls forced onto consumers. I learned with Wii that I absolutely loathe motion controls. As I've stated in other threads, the only time I've enjoyed motion controls was flying a Warhawk in the PS3 game. That's it. Everything on Wii with the exception of maybe Wii Sports was mostly trash IMO.

Funny enough, I think there's only one game in the Wii's ENTIRE library that didn't employ the use of motion controls, and that was Rhythm Heaven Fever. That was because the devs saw that motion controls wouldn't be responsive enough for a rhythm game, and they made it so its solely comprised of button inputs.

[xsuicidesn0wmanx]

Only really have one, the Memorex VIS. It's like a CD-i, which I actually love, except if you took away almost all the games and left it with Links Golf, two of the 3 Sherlock FMV games, and a kids interactive movie from the guys who made Myst. Everything else is edutainment. It had some good games announced for it, like the Sierra Quest games(Kings Quest, Space Quest) but they never released due to poor sales. It is truly an abomination in my collection.

[pzeke]

Unless a particular console and/or handheld did you wrong somehow, like killed a member of your family or touched you funny, hate definitely seems like the wrong word to use.

[...] Everything on Wii with the exception of maybe Wii Sports was mostly trash IMO.

Nintendo Switch. I love every other Nintendo console to death so it took me years to admit it, but I sadly hate this thing.

People ragged on the Gamecube and N64 for having lopsided libraries where certain genres didn't exist and you had to wait months between good games, but the Switch is even worse. Want a good football game on Switch? Enjoy playing literally nothing. Want a good FPS? Hope you like ports of old games with worse performance. Want a realistic racing game? All you get is a port of a mediocre PS3/360 game.

Not playing favorite to the Switch, but I would like to point out that these criticisms date back to the Nintendo 64, which is when Nintendo fell behind the curve when they opted for a cartridge-based system over a disc-based one. Ever since then, it seems as if they've always been at least one generation behind graphically, which resulted in diminished libraries for Nintendo 64 and GameCube.

Nintendo is the industry's coelacanth: they're a living fossil leisurely taking a swim.

Anyway, I've never really cared for the Atari 2600, even though that's the console that introduced me to the world of video games. The Game Gear is another one I don't particularly hold in high regard and can easily do without; I remember I got it as a birthday present, but ignored it completely after less than a month—but I will admit having fun during the time I spent emulating the few good games it has.

Other systems I don't care for that much include the Commodore 64, Virtual Boy, and Neo Geo Pocket; and while I'd like to someday own a Dreamcast, I've never been too keen on most Sega consoles.

[undertakerprime]

Yeah, hate is a strong word. Any gaming device that I truly would have hated…I would never have bought in the first place.

But, I can point out the 2 that I dislike:
Virtual Boy - With all due respect to Mr. Yokoi, this thing was a terrible product. Played it once at my nephew’s house and never wanted to play it again.

3DS - OK, hear me out. I first played one at a demo kiosk in Fry’s and the 3D effects gave me a headache within seconds. For that reason I refused to buy one, and ignored everything to do with it…including the 2DS (which would have eliminated my reason for not liking it in the first place). Now, years later, I see all the great games that came out for it and I want to play them, but even buying a used 2DS is hella expensive. So I dislike it for making me believe it would be a POS back then and being difficult to obtain now, not because the system itself has any problems 
And for the record, I’m aware it was possible to turn off the 3D effect on the 3DS, I just honestly thought the 3D thing was a gimmick and the handheld would fail….turns out I was right about the 3D but not about the failure.

[sworddude]

There aren't many I hate...

1. Wii -- At the top of the list is Wii and that's because of the motion controls forced onto consumers. I learned with Wii that I absolutely loathe motion controls. As I've stated in other threads, the only time I've enjoyed motion controls was flying a Warhawk in the PS3 game. That's it. Everything on Wii with the exception of maybe Wii Sports was mostly trash IMO.

That's quite a take, Ironicly while i love the wii's library I'd say wii sports is one of those trash titles for my taste.

There aren't many I hate...

1. Wii -- At the top of the list is Wii and that's because of the motion controls forced onto consumers. I learned with Wii that I absolutely loathe motion controls. As I've stated in other threads, the only time I've enjoyed motion controls was flying a Warhawk in the PS3 game. That's it. Everything on Wii with the exception of maybe Wii Sports was mostly trash IMO.

Funny enough, I think there's only one game in the Wii's ENTIRE library that didn't employ the use of motion controls, and that was Rhythm Heaven Fever. That was because the devs saw that motion controls wouldn't be responsive enough for a rhythm game, and they made it so its solely comprised of button inputs.

I'm fairly sure smash bros brawl had none aswell But I've exclusively enjoyed that title with a cube controller. plus multiple games including big hitters like mario kart wii had multiple controller methods that did not require any motion controls at all.

multiple games such as xenoblade or fire emblem had no motion controls either.

Not to mention in most of the great wii titles the usage was quite minimal in which I'd hardly notice them at all.