crappiest system you ever owned?

[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.

Stolen? Do you carry your PS2 around or something?

Haha, I used to, actually, but no.  Just burglaries, etc.

[Warmsignal]

In terms of value, availability, and fun games, the Jaguar sadly. Some consoles were commercial failures for good reason.

In terms of build quality, NES front loader.

[turf]

In terms of value, availability, and fun games, the Jaguar sadly. Some consoles were commercial failures for good reason.

In terms of build quality, NES front loader.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's just stop this noise right there. You're going to tell me that the NES front loader, toaster, or NES-001 is crappy build quality?  You've seen those things, right?  Mine still works flawlessly 28 years later.

I've had a bunch of those things pass through my hands, and I've never had one be beyond fixing. By fixing I mean bending the pins back into place. No solder, no new parts, just bending the pins back and cleaning.

Compare that to disc based systems. They will all be dead, but that brave little toaster will still be toasting along.

[kamikazekeeg]

In terms of value, availability, and fun games, the Jaguar sadly. Some consoles were commercial failures for good reason.

In terms of build quality, NES front loader.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's just stop this noise right there. You're going to tell me that the NES front loader, toaster, or NES-001 is crappy build quality?  You've seen those things, right?  Mine still works flawlessly 28 years later.

I've had a bunch of those things pass through my hands, and I've never had one be beyond fixing. By fixing I mean bending the pins back into place. No solder, no new parts, just bending the pins back and cleaning.

Compare that to disc based systems. They will all be dead, but that brave little toaster will still be toasting along.

Not sure I'd say that the NES's ability to be constantly fixed means it has good build quality.  I've never once in my entire life came across an NES that didn't require some sort of work to get a game running and I had mine which was barely a couple years old when I got it. I certainly agree in it's lasting power, but not surprising with something as bare bones as the NES lol

[byron]

Not sure I'd say that the NES's ability to be constantly fixed means it has good build quality. I've never once in my entire life came across an NES that didn't require some sort of work to get a game running

I think that's exactly what that means. Saying that the NES rarely falls into a state of deterioration from which it is irreparable makes a fairly direct implication of good build quality.

Nine and a half times out of ten, if you're having trouble getting a NES game to run, it's not the console's fault; the game is dirty. Even a worn-out toaster with badly bent pins will run games pretty reliably as long as they're properly cleaned.

[burningdoom]

Not sure I'd say that the NES's ability to be constantly fixed means it has good build quality. I've never once in my entire life came across an NES that didn't require some sort of work to get a game running

I think that's exactly what that means. Saying that the NES rarely falls into a state of deterioration from which it is irreparable makes a fairly direct implication of good build quality.

Nine and a half times out of ten, if you're having trouble getting a NES game to run, it's not the console's fault; the game is dirty. Even a worn-out toaster with badly bent pins will run games pretty reliably as long as they're properly cleaned.

Yeah, right. There's a lot more going on in an NES than just dirty games. The constant pushing up and down on the game cartridges (as the system was designed) wears on the pins. There's a lock-out chip in the NES that was designed to keep pirate games from working, that often stops working quite right and also makes the blinkies. And it's not just because the system is 25 years old, I had the same blinkies problem with my NES in the late 80s/early 90s.

The NES was most-definitely a system that was poorly designed, functionally. But there is a reason behind that. Nintendo was trying to sell the U.S. on a game system. Except the U.S. had been in the middle of the video game crash of the 80s and retailers weren't very accepting of the idea. So Nintendo made a point to make it appear more like an electronic like a VCR, hence the front-loading vs. the top loading of like every other cartridge system. They did with the idea that Americans would accept it more as an electronic device, and not so much as a video game console.

It can be repaired, as people have said. But I don't know how that makes it a good build-quality. If it was a good build-quality, than such repairs wouldn't be needed on so many of them.

[davifus]

Tiger Handheld = Golden Age of Video Games

[byron]

The NES was most-definitely a system that was poorly designed, functionally.

I absolutely agree. The front loading design is completely unnecessary and hinders the operation of the machine. However, I do not equate bad design with poor quality. I feel that being configured stupidly doesn't make the constituent parts of the NES bad somehow.

There's a lock-out chip in the NES that ... often stops working quite right and also makes the blinkies.

That isn't true. If the screen is blinking, the CIC chip is functioning properly. That's what it's for. If the screen is blinking when it's not supposed to, that's because the chip was triggered because the machine can't read the security code from the game properly because the game is dirty.

[burningdoom]

The NES was most-definitely a system that was poorly designed, functionally.

I absolutely agree. The front loading design is completely unnecessary and hinders the operation of the machine. However, I do not equate bad design with poor quality. I feel that being configured stupidly doesn't make the constituent parts of the NES bad somehow.

There's a lock-out chip in the NES that ... often stops working quite right and also makes the blinkies.

That isn't true. If the screen is blinking, the CIC chip is functioning properly. That's what it's for. If the screen is blinking when it's not supposed to, that's because the chip was triggered because the machine can't read the security code from the game properly because the game is dirty.

I know enough to replace my 72-pin connector, and I clean my games. And I still have blinkies. Have for decades. That's the lock-out chip coming into play.

[byron]

Yes, it is the lock-out chip. the CIC chip puts the console in a reset cycle; that is its function. Are you saying that it's poorly made because it does its job reliably for decades?

[burningdoom]

Yes, it is the lock-out chip. the CIC chip puts the console in a reset cycle; that is its function. Are you saying that it's poorly made because it does its job reliably for decades?

I'm saying it's poorly made because it's locking out games that aren't pirated, and making it be a pain in the ass. Other systems don't do that. Not to mention the press-down thing I mentioned in my first post, that bends the pins.

[byron]

I can't respond to you without restating an earlier point. I don't think you're listening to me and I've lost interest in this conversation.

[Warmsignal]

Yeah, I have to say I think a console with good build quality rarely or never needs serviced. I've heard game store owners talk about how hard the front loader is to sell, and how many people bring them back because they're frustration with it's lack of proper operation, they think it's broken. If it was built well, it wouldn't have that problem. People shouldn't have to know anything about pin connectors, they should stick a game in and it should work, just like a 2600, or a Genesis, or a SNES. Not saying those consoles work flawlessly every time, but compared to the NES front loader, it sure seems like it.

[dashv]

In terms of value, availability, and fun games, the Jaguar sadly. Some consoles were commercial failures for good reason.

In terms of build quality, NES front loader.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's just stop this noise right there. You're going to tell me that the NES front loader, toaster, or NES-001 is crappy build quality?  You've seen those things, right?  Mine still works flawlessly 28 years later.

I've had a bunch of those things pass through my hands, and I've never had one be beyond fixing. By fixing I mean bending the pins back into place. No solder, no new parts, just bending the pins back and cleaning.

Compare that to disc based systems. They will all be dead, but that brave little toaster will still be toasting along.

Not sure I'd say that the NES's ability to be constantly fixed means it has good build quality.  I've never once in my entire life came across an NES that didn't require some sort of work to get a game running and I had mine which was barely a couple years old when I got it. I certainly agree in it's lasting power, but not surprising with something as bare bones as the NES lol

I have to side with Turf here.

Yeah you some times had to wiggle the carts to get rid of the blinking blue screen.

And yeah the carts need to be cleaned with q-tips and rubbing alcohol from time to time.

but the carts and console can take a beating. Even 20 years later.

Put the Original PS3 in the wrong spot in your entertainment center and the thing might as well be an easy bake oven.

[redblaze57]

I got to say the original Xbox only because I've never come across one that just plain works 1000% the one I currently use won't play certain games (like Crimson skies, Metal slug 5, Still Life) and the other one has a damaged harddrive so it won't boot up.