What Do You Think Were the Worst Consoles Ever and Why?

[burningdoom]

1. Virtual Boy - It's been labeled as a "portable", but let's be serious here, it's not like you can pull out your Virtual Boy in a car or in a crowded waiting room. It's a console. And it's a terrible one, at that. If a console gives you headache after playing, and give you tracers in your vision for several minutes afterwards, it's a failure. Not to mention it's miniscule game library.

2. Phillips CD-i - We had one of these in our science class in school. We often played "edutainment" games that involved science and some mystery you had to solve. But I also got to have a taste of the some of the terrible FMV games, and played one of the cringe-worthy Zelda games on it. So freaking bad. You can tell this console was made by a bunch of guys in suits that just didn't get gaming.

3. Intellivision - It may have had better graphics than than the Atari 2600, but that terrible contraption they called a controller killed any potential it had.

4. Atari 2600 - I know, many gamers are gonna call blasphemy on me since this is the console that really launched the modern-day console industry and many, many genres of games were created on it. But I just find a good majority of it's game library to be too simplistic. And the sound on it is just cringe-worthy bad. Some of the sounds that come out that machine are ungodly. Plus I'm not a big fan of joysticks, especially Atari 2600's stiff-as-a-board joystick.

5. Nintendo 64 - It's not actually a terrible console. It's just my least liked Nintendo console (other than the Virtual Boy). And most of that is due to it's terrible, awkwardly shaped controller with the worst thumbstick ever made. It kills the gameplay on so many otherwise great games. And the console was lacking in 2 of my favorite genres: shoot-em ups and RPGs.

[sin2beta]

1. Virtual Boy - It's been labeled as a "portable", but let's be serious here, it's not like you can pull out your Virtual Boy in a car or in a crowded waiting room. It's a console. And it's a terrible one, at that. If a console gives you headache after playing, and give you tracers in your vision for several minutes afterwards, it's a failure. Not to mention it's miniscule game library.

It's very portable.

[theflea]

Wow where to begin... I own 90% of every console released world wide and I guess this would be my top 10.
I'm not basing this list on how bad the system did in sales but on how it holds up to play today.
These are the top 10 worst I can think of that I personally have played.

10 - Atari Jaguar CD - This expansion was supposed to save the failing Jaguar but instead it became a joke. With nothing but bad games, and issues with it working. This toilet shaped disaster of a system not worth the price people are asking for this. At least the Jaguar Console had a few playable games, This expansion makes the Sega CD or 32X look like awesome classic's compared with the Jaguar CD.
   

9 - Bandai/Apple Pippin - This system was released after the Playstation, it was trying to be the first multi-media game system and failed miserably. The system was launched and discontinued in about six months in the states. While there was a couple playable games, most where edutainment software. Finding any games for this system today is a feat on it's own.   


8 - Bandai Playdia - This is the first game system that came with a remote wireless controller, and what does this system play? Crappy FMV interactive games. The system looks like a edutainment system for kids, yet it had "adult" FMV games. I have yet to find anything worth playing on this crappy system.


7 - Zapit Game Wave - This is a DVD/Game system that is basically a crappy interactive DVD game system. All the games are Trivia and puzzle type games. The controllers are basically TV remotes. and the system is cheap and has nothing worth playing.


6 - Bandai Loopy - Bandai sure made a lot of crappy systems, This was a game system aimed at girls, and what do they release for this system? Crappy fashion games and crappy interactive games. Oh and it can print stickers. I guess girls don't like platformers, shooters, RPG's and most anything else according to Bandai.


5 - WOW Action Max - This is a game system that you need to hook up to a VCR to play, why? because it's games are all on VHS tapes. The system is basically a Video you watch on the TV and you fire a light gun and if you are pointing at a light on the screen and pull the trigger you get points. yay. Other then a good laugh its a waste of time.


4 - RCA Studio II - This system came out after the Channel F and Atari 2600 and it's an ugly eyesore of a game system, both system and games. The system controllers are built on the system using a key pad of buttons, and the games are black & white pong style at best. I tried playing this thing and found more entertainment in an old Pong system then this piece of junk.


3 - Memorex VIS - For anyone who complains about the CDi has never played this worthless piece of $#!+, The system best game is Sherlock Holmes (the same one on Sega CD) Most are FMV edutainment interactive games or crappy FMV games that makes the CDi FMV games look like a master piece. And the wireless controller uses an infrared signal and if your not pointing this ugly uncomfortable controller straight at the system you lose the connection.
 

2 - Mattel Hyper Scan - This system came out in the late 2000's and used cards to enhance the games you played on it. While the idea sounded cool, it's horrible games and controls makes this system unplayable. Most of the games you can't finish unless you have that one card. And speaking of cards the system can barely even read the cards. It's ugly and cheap looking a total fail.


1 - Tiger R-Zone - Do I really have to explain this system? It's a portable system that you wear on your head and it reflects the games red LCD graphics to a piece of plastic in front of your eye. Its horrible unresponsive controls makes this thing impossible to enjoy. and on top of that you look like an idiot trying to play it. Later a handheld and a tabletop arcade was released but they don't make this piece of $#!+ look, feel or play any better.  If you think the Nintendo Virtual Boy is bad? Then you never tried to play a Tiger R-Zone.

[sin2beta]

I think Flea has a pretty good list. I would add the Game.com due to its horrible screen. But it does not beat out things like the hyperscan. That things just borderline broken. But honestly, the worst console is probably one of those things made in some country where the major companies had no presence and the system is kind of a pirated version or blatant ripoff of a more popular system but just does not work and had not game support besides broken hacks.

Plus worse means several things

1) Worse in function - Hyperscan. Spend most of your time trying to scan cards unsuccessfully. It's like a virtual reality game of working retail and having a customer with a declined card insistent that you swipe it again... swipe it again... swipe it again...

2) Worst of the big names: Atari 5200, controller primarily.

3) Least favorite of the big names due to library - N64. It's not a huge library and a lot are racing and sports. I also dislike fetch quest platformers.

4) Least favorite of the big names - PSOne. I feel the no 2D policy Sony had hurt gaming majorly. It was also the start of the non video game companies entering the market. Plus, I think we entered 3D a little too early. Most of those games look like ass.

[stethebubble]

N64 is the worst of the modern for me.
crap controller and the games mostly suck.

[turf]

The N64 gets a bad rap. Sure, over half of the library is sports and racing games, the analog stick may wear out, and the controller may look one of soera's sex toys; but it has some AMAZING games. The titles Nintendo put out for this thing were top notch.  Smash Bros, Mario Kart 64, and Star Fox 64 are all games that are still extremely fun today. I challenge you to find a wrestling game as fun as the THQ games on the N64.

In short, get off the 64's back.

[stethebubble]

The N64 gets a bad rap. Sure, over half of the library is sports and racing games, the analog stick may wear out, and the controller may look one of soera's sex toys; but it has some AMAZING games. The titles Nintendo put out for this thing were top notch.  Smash Bros, Mario Kart 64, and Star Fox 64 are all games that are still extremely fun today. I challenge you to find a wrestling game as fun as the THQ games on the N64.

In short, get off the 64's back.

out of all my systems its the one i least like. not including hand helds. (virtual boy wins that hands down)
the controller is the worst out of all my systems
you need a memory upgrade to play some games (didnt find that out till i got donkey kong)
i agree that it gets a bad rap but for me its not a great system.

[sin2beta]

I recognize the system is pretty bad, but I do like the virtual boy. Its controller is one of my favorites.

[soera]

Worse means several things

1) Worse in function - Hyperscan. Spend most of your time trying to scan cards unsuccessfully. It's like a virtual reality game of working retail and having a customer with a declined card insistent that you swipe it again... swipe it again... swipe it again...

2) Worst of the big names: Atari 5200, controller primarily.

3) Least favorite of the big names due to library - N64. It's not a huge library and a lot are racing and sports. I also dislike fetch quest platformers.

4) Least favorite of the big names - PSOne. I feel the no 2D policy Sony had hurt gaming majorly. It was also the start of the non video game companies entering the market. Plus, I think we entered 3D a little too early. Most of those games look like ass.

I can give you #1. I actually have a Hyperscan with almost every one of the Xmen cards. Its really a pain in the ass to play and for the time it came out, the graphics are miserable.
I can give you #2. Atari's answer to the NES was a complete failure.
I can certainly give you #3. Im sure everyone knows my hatred of the N64 and its library so it doesnt need repeating.
I can not give you #4. Playstation was everything good about gaming in that generation. Sure the 3D was weak but all the systems had it. #4 would have to be the Jaguar or the Dreamcast. While the N64's controller resembled a deformed fork, it was still better than the utter junk that the DC and the Jag had. The library was some of the weakest of any generation at all. There may have been a few decent games out there but 2-3% of good games can not outweigh 97-98% of trash.

[sin2beta]

Worse means several things

1) Worse in function - Hyperscan. Spend most of your time trying to scan cards unsuccessfully. It's like a virtual reality game of working retail and having a customer with a declined card insistent that you swipe it again... swipe it again... swipe it again...

2) Worst of the big names: Atari 5200, controller primarily.

3) Least favorite of the big names due to library - N64. It's not a huge library and a lot are racing and sports. I also dislike fetch quest platformers.

4) Least favorite of the big names - PSOne. I feel the no 2D policy Sony had hurt gaming majorly. It was also the start of the non video game companies entering the market. Plus, I think we entered 3D a little too early. Most of those games look like ass.

I can give you #1. I actually have a Hyperscan with almost every one of the Xmen cards. Its really a pain in the ass to play and for the time it came out, the graphics are miserable.
I can give you #2. Atari's answer to the NES was a complete failure.
I can certainly give you #3. Im sure everyone knows my hatred of the N64 and its library so it doesnt need repeating.
I can not give you #4. Playstation was everything good about gaming in that generation. Sure the 3D was weak but all the systems had it. #4 would have to be the Jaguar or the Dreamcast. While the N64's controller resembled a deformed fork, it was still better than the utter junk that the DC and the Jag had. The library was some of the weakest of any generation at all. There may have been a few decent games out there but 2-3% of good games can not outweigh 97-98% of trash.

 

Controllers? The PS controller is horrible! Let's start the 3D gaming generation by placing a D-Pad in the most dominant position... Then let's separate the D-Pad into sections to make 8-way directions unnatural and difficult.... then let's just graft some analog sticks on as an afterthought. Then let's never change the controller, despite the fact that it was not designed with analog sticks in mind. My honest suspicion is just that people got used to the controller. Just looking at those analog sticks scream non-ergonomical.

I'd actually argue that the N64 was competent at 3D.

2-3% of good games can certainly outweigh a bunch of trash. I would take Shenmue over the combined Square RPG list any day (played one, played em all). It's about quality over quantity to a large extent. I actually think most system purchases really come down to around 5% of the games.

To me, the average PSone game is something akin to Duke Nukem and the land of the Babes. A generic 3D platformer that looks and controls horribly. Consider the PSone's library if you take RPG games out: I don't consider what's left good. You are left with a lot of games like Ape Escape. This is a large quantity of PSone games. People are quick to remember Castlevania: SotN but forget Bubsy 3D. The majority of games on PSone are crap too. That's the way it is on any system.

I have a feeling that when people say the Playstation has a fantastic library, they are really saying "I like RPGs". And that's fine. But if you don't like RPGs and you buy a playstation... you're gonna have a bad time. I'm not a big RPG fan. Going through the list of PSone games, I would buy SotN and then I kind of get stuck. Most of the other good games have better versions on other systems (Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, etc.).

But, having said that I don't think it is the worst system unless you mean "least favorite" by worst. Then that is a very individual manner. I also deliberately left out most lesser known systems.

[soera]

Fair enough, I can give you that argument. I am definitely an RPG genre player and thats why the PS1 does appeal to me.

[sin2beta]

And honestly I think the PSone is a good system. Just a least favorite of mine. It's that critically acclaimed movie that everyone loves and deserves the praise, but you just don't like it for some reason. I look at it in a similar way to Lawrence of Arabia. That's why I listed it under least favorite and not worst. I will definitely go down saying that the PS2 combined with PS1 backward compatibility is one of the greatest game libraries available to gamers. If someone buys a PS2, they have a LOT of gaming ahead of them with those two libraries.

[tpugmire]

To be fair to the CDi, it wasn't originally designed for gaming. It was more of a business/educational machine that some people made games for after the fact. Not that it matters much now.

[theflea]

Okay, sense everyone is bringing up bad controllers, here's my top 10 worst game controllers. Note this list is based on controllers that came with the systems. If this was third party list it would have to be top 50 lol

10 - Commodore Amiga CD32 - This controller doesn't look that bad, till you try and use it. The D-pad is really stiff, the start button are hard to push and the feel of the controller is uncomfortable.


9 - Epoch Super Cassette Vision - I know the Japanese are smaller people but this controller is so small it feels like it will break trying to use. With its two small side buttons you pretty much have to claw this controller in one hand and take two fingers to work the stick and hope you don't break it because they are hard wired into the system.


8 - Nintendo 64 - Yes these controllers took me a while to get used to. Especially if you need to reach the d-pad while using the stick. I swear Nintendo thinks we have 3 hands.


7 - Mattel Intellivision - While I never cared about the disc style controller, its the button placement That gets this controller on this list. Why did people think that tiny side buttons was a good idea I'll never know.


6 - Colecovision - If I'm gonna complain about bad button placement on the side, Then the Colecovision has to be next. Only reason its worse then Intellivision is it's stiff knobby stick thats is close to the side buttons making it slightly more uncomfortable to use. 


5 - Nintendo Wii - The whole wand idea is cool for Wii Sports and gimmicky games as such, But try playing Zelda or Super Smash Bros with it. Thank god I was able to use a Gamecube controller for SSB, but my wrist was hurting after a few hours playing Zelda.


4 - Atari Jaguar - These behemoth of a controller is just clunky and ugly. And you'd think that Atari would learn that the keypad is stupid from the 5200, but no.


3 - Memorex VIS - If you read my top 10 worst Game Systems then you know why this is on my list. It uses a wireless infrared controller that if you don't point exactly at the system you lose the signal. 


2 - CDi 220 Controller - Who ever thought this layout on a controller was a good idea should be shot. Imagine having to use buttons on the left of the stick where your thumb in on the joystick. I had to reach over with my right hand to use this stupid thing.


1 - Atari 5200 - Finding a working one of these controllers in next to impossible. I own three Atari 5200's and about eight controllers, and how many of these 8 work 100%? one. yes one. 1-2 kinda work with 1 button not responding while the rest dont work at all. Bad design, uncomfortable to use and breaks if you touch it. 

[jobocan]

Oh man that thing looks so epic. I never saw the controller before (just the system), it looks so uncomfortable. Who thought this was a good design?
I actually never had a problem with the N64 controller, since most of the time (I'm sure there are exceptions that aren't coming to mind right now) games that used the D-pad didn't use the stick, and vice-versa.

As for worst console... I think Flea has this, I don't even know some of the things he listed. My least favorite from what I own is Sega CD, but I doubt that's anywhere near as bad as some of the things Flea listed.