crappiest system you ever owned?

[shwabadi]

Yeah but even on an 8-bit level, there aren't many games that much up to the NES's library.
I'll admit it has a handful of really good games like Bubble Bobble and stuff, but it's just everything else about the console that makes me dislike it. The Controller, the pause button placement, even the on/off switch. It doesn't have any LEDs so I have no idea if its on or off sometimes!
It might seem like a small complaint but it bothers me

[byron]

Wonder Boy III lets you use the second player controller as a start button so you can sit away from the console. I don't know if other games did that, and it's admittedly still kinda dumb, but it's something.

You can use a Genesis controller on the Master System if you hate the original controllers.

[burningdoom]

Back then, though, having the pause button on the console was a relatively new thing. A LOT of pre-NES consoles had the pause button on the console itself, including the most popular pre-NES system: Atari 2600.

So for being 1986, it really wasn't strange at all having the pause button on the system. Pain in the butt? Yeah, in retrospect. They just were right behind the changing times.

[kamikazekeeg]

I have actually been pretty lucky with my 360.  I had one for a couple years until the disk drive went out on it so I replaced it with an Arcade version after that it's been working for years.  Technically I had worse issues with the PS2.  I had the earliest ones and right away, it began to almost literally eat dvd's and games.  It would play them, but start grinding into the disks.  I lost a dvd and game because of that.  I sent it in and they replaced the game and movie for me.  Then it had this loud whirring sound, so sent it back again and then the replacement after that worked great. They may have had issues, but Sony had great service then.

If I had to be honest, the NES was probably the crappiest for its obvious issues.  I had one given to me as a kid and was probably a few years old by then, but I remember always having to deal with games not working right on it.  Sure it was second hand, but I don't remember having to deal with as many issues as with that one.

[thecrypticodor]

The original model GBA.  How completely dark and unviewable those screens are is ridiculous. You literally need to play the thing directly under a lamp just to make out anything. How Nintendo looked at that and thought yeah that would be acceptable is mind boggling.

Back then, though, having the pause button on the console was a relatively new thing. A LOT of pre-NES consoles had the pause button on the console itself, including the most popular pre-NES system: Atari 2600.

So for being 1986, it really wasn't strange at all having the pause button on the system. Pain in the butt? Yeah, in retrospect. They just were right behind the changing times.

The 2600 didn't have any pause option. Although a few games used the Color/BW switch to pause. The Intellivision is the earliest console that I can think off to have not only a pause option but one that is triggerable with the controller. Pressing either 1+9 or 3+7 on the keypad will pause most Intellivision games.

[burningdoom]

The original model GBA.  How completely dark and unviewable those screens are is ridiculous. You literally need to play the thing directly under a lamp just to make out anything. How Nintendo looked at that and thought yeah that would be acceptable is mind boggling.

Back then, though, having the pause button on the console was a relatively new thing. A LOT of pre-NES consoles had the pause button on the console itself, including the most popular pre-NES system: Atari 2600.

So for being 1986, it really wasn't strange at all having the pause button on the system. Pain in the butt? Yeah, in retrospect. They just were right behind the changing times.

The 2600 didn't have any pause option. Although a few games used the Color/BW switch to pause. The Intellivision is the earliest console that I can think off to have not only a pause option but one that is triggerable with the controller. Pressing either 1+9 or 3+7 on the keypad will pause most Intellivision games.

I could have sworn my old Atari 2600 Jr. I used to have had a pause button on it, but I just went to post a pic of one them here, and your right, it doesn't. I have the old wood-grain model, now, with the old metal-switches.

But my pong unit, named the Wonder Wizard, has the pause button on the console.

[byron]

How Nintendo looked at that and thought yeah that would be acceptable is mind boggling.

It was a compromise. Since it used AAs, it could have either a back light or a battery life of over an hour. Why they didn't go with a Li-ion battery in the first place I will never know.

Pressing either 1+9 or 3+7 on the keypad will pause most Intellivision games.

I learned something today.

[desocietas]

The original model GBA.  How completely dark and unviewable those screens are is ridiculous. You literally need to play the thing directly under a lamp just to make out anything. How Nintendo looked at that and thought yeah that would be acceptable is mind boggling.

Aw man, I loved my original GBA... that thing was durable and had cool  little accessories for tiny lamps to light up your weird screen.  But once you had the right setup for playing, I sank so many hours into Pokemon Pinball, Harvest Moon, Golden Sun, etc...

[theflea]

Hands down worst gaming system ever is the Tiger R-Zone.
And yes I own one. 

[badATchaos]

I never had a big issue with visability on my GBA. I always sat near a window and that was good enough. Back then I didn't really care if the whites were white and if the picture was perfect. After being spoiled from lit displays it is kind of hard to go back. Overall I actually prefer the original over the SP or Micro because of it's ergonomics.

[bikingjahuty]

I have actually been pretty lucky with my 360.  I had one for a couple years until the disk drive went out on it so I replaced it with an Arcade version after that it's been working for years.  Technically I had worse issues with the PS2.  I had the earliest ones and right away, it began to almost literally eat dvd's and games.  It would play them, but start grinding into the disks.  I lost a dvd and game because of that.  I sent it in and they replaced the game and movie for me.  Then it had this loud whirring sound, so sent it back again and then the replacement after that worked great. They may have had issues, but Sony had great service then.

If I had to be honest, the NES was probably the crappiest for its obvious issues.  I had one given to me as a kid and was probably a few years old by then, but I remember always having to deal with games not working right on it.  Sure it was second hand, but I don't remember having to deal with as many issues as with that one.

The PS2 is another system I've had some serious issues with over the years, mostly because of the poor disk laser they used in the CD Drive. My launch PS2 gradually quite reading disks about 10-months after I got it, and less then a year after that it would not read any. Bought another Fat PS2, this one lasted about 3-years before the laser quite. My original slim has lasted about 6-years, but struggles to read PS1 games which I fear will eventually turn into issues with DVD-format games/movies. It's really too bad because the PS2 is one of my favorite consoles.

[burningdoom]

I have actually been pretty lucky with my 360.  I had one for a couple years until the disk drive went out on it so I replaced it with an Arcade version after that it's been working for years.  Technically I had worse issues with the PS2.  I had the earliest ones and right away, it began to almost literally eat dvd's and games.  It would play them, but start grinding into the disks.  I lost a dvd and game because of that.  I sent it in and they replaced the game and movie for me.  Then it had this loud whirring sound, so sent it back again and then the replacement after that worked great. They may have had issues, but Sony had great service then.

If I had to be honest, the NES was probably the crappiest for its obvious issues.  I had one given to me as a kid and was probably a few years old by then, but I remember always having to deal with games not working right on it.  Sure it was second hand, but I don't remember having to deal with as many issues as with that one.

The PS2 is another system I've had some serious issues with over the years, mostly because of the poor disk laser they used in the CD Drive. My launch PS2 gradually quite reading disks about 10-months after I got it, and less then a year after that it would not read any. Bought another Fat PS2, this one lasted about 3-years before the laser quite. My original slim has lasted about 6-years, but struggles to read PS1 games which I fear will eventually turn into issues with DVD-format games/movies. It's really too bad because the PS2 is one of my favorite consoles.

Me too. I went through two fat models before getting my current slim model which I've had no problems with (knocks on wood).

I also went through an original XBox that I had to replace. And my Sega CD laser went out (never bothered to replace it). Funny, though, my original PlayStation and Saturn still run like champs.

[davifus]

I have actually been pretty lucky with my 360.  I had one for a couple years until the disk drive went out on it so I replaced it with an Arcade version after that it's been working for years.  Technically I had worse issues with the PS2.  I had the earliest ones and right away, it began to almost literally eat dvd's and games.  It would play them, but start grinding into the disks.  I lost a dvd and game because of that.  I sent it in and they replaced the game and movie for me.  Then it had this loud whirring sound, so sent it back again and then the replacement after that worked great. They may have had issues, but Sony had great service then.

If I had to be honest, the NES was probably the crappiest for its obvious issues.  I had one given to me as a kid and was probably a few years old by then, but I remember always having to deal with games not working right on it.  Sure it was second hand, but I don't remember having to deal with as many issues as with that one.

The PS2 is another system I've had some serious issues with over the years, mostly because of the poor disk laser they used in the CD Drive. My launch PS2 gradually quite reading disks about 10-months after I got it, and less then a year after that it would not read any. Bought another Fat PS2, this one lasted about 3-years before the laser quite. My original slim has lasted about 6-years, but struggles to read PS1 games which I fear will eventually turn into issues with DVD-format games/movies. It's really too bad because the PS2 is one of my favorite consoles.

I never had any problems with my PS2 Fat. I got it at 2000 little bit after launch and it never had any disc problem or any problems. It's 14 years old and going strong.

[desocietas]

I've been through a few PS2s but not because any of them failed - they kept getting stolen! But friends would always find that they never played their PS2s and would just give theirs to me after that happened.

[davifus]

I've been through a few PS2s but not because any of them failed - they kept getting stolen! But friends would always find that they never played their PS2s and would just give theirs to me after that happened.

Stolen? Do you carry your PS2 around or something?