Name the System that You Just Don't Like

[Kid Ice]

Okay, there have been a number of systems in the history of videogames that I could do without. You could have your Intellivision, your Sega Master System, even your Super Nintendo... I could live without those 3 for various reasons.

But is there that one system that you single out for complete hatred? One that you pick on a little bit? One that you dislike on an emotional level, even though you can't quite pinpoint the reason?

For me, that system is the Colecovision. Now before all you Colecovision fans (and there are a lot of you here) bombard me with flames and game recommendations, let me stop you right there...I've heard it all before. No one is turning me onto it. No one is bringing me over to the Coleco team. Better men have tried and failed.

When I try to put a reason to my feelings about the Colecovision, logic breaks down.

I don't like the controllers. Not a little bit. Yet, I wouldn't say they're the worst controllers ever made (I'm thinking about you, Intellivision, and you Atari 5200).

I don't like the games. Sorry, Venture is just not a marquee game. Neither is Zaxxon. But boy, that Donkey Kong looked pretty fierce back in '82.

Maybe it's the little intangible things. Like the way you just have to sit there and wait for a game to start up. Or how you have to choose the number of players and the difficulty from that stupid menu (on which the choice is invariably "1") Or the way the controller cords resemble phone cords from the seventies.

Or maybe it's that Colecovision attitude. You had to be there to know what I'm talking about. Just that superior attitude of those kids who asked their parents for Colecovisions instead of Ataris. And got them!

My friend Mike was the only kid on our block to get a Colecovision. He invited me over to play it. I was thrilled...to learn how much I hated it! It's like I WANTED to hate it!

"I've got news for you Mike; this sucks! Want to come over and try my Vectrex? I bought it for 50 dollars! Hey, is Coleco gonna come out with Berzerk? How about Pole Position? What's this game...Cosmic Avenger? Did that ever come out in the arcades? Hey Mike, let's watch Scooby Doo instead of play Colecovision, okay? Pitfall is better than Donkey Kong, by the way."

Ultimately, when I look at it in a rational way, Colecovision FAILS my "one worthwhile original game" test. Odyssey had KC Munchkin. Intellivision had AD&D. Atari 5200 had Robotron. To me, the CV just had NO GAME.

the kid

Anyone with a similiarly intense hatred of this or a different system, or am I alone in this? And DON'T SAY VECTREX!

[Tempest]

Atari 7800. I can't get into it no matter how hard I try. Every time I try I think "Atari tried to run THIS against the NES?" Ugh!

Tempest

[Raedon]

HaHa, that's what I first thought about the 7800! "Phht, the NES blew this away.." But then I played Ms. Pacman and some other classics and it does more arcade conversions right them any other classic console.

MY most hated was the CD-I, and I hated it because it ruined the name "Zelda"

[GENESISNES]

the CD-I also trashed mario with the weird game "hotel mario". The 5200 joysticks sucked ass. Talk about self-centered!!!(i know its lame okay!!!)

[moycon]

Odessey2 never did it for me.

[scooterb23]

I think I've made it pretty clear over the years that I am not much of a fan of the Super Nintendo.

I've never really understood what I disliked about it, I think the main thing is that I have had a heck of a time finding good games for it.

First off, all RPGs are out, I've never liked 'em, never will. Now I know that is what a lot of the top SNES games are, but I don't care for the genre.

Next, I really like sports games, and, with rare exceptions, the SNES was poor in the sports department.

NOw, I do like hop 'n bop games, and the Mario games are genius on the SNES, best of the series hands down.

Once I get past those though, I'm not seeing too many games I care to play.

Now, if people want to try and convince me otherwise, I'm all ears.

[Captain Wrong]

I have to say that the system I dislike the most is the Intellivision. Where as I don't "hate" it per se, it rarely gets hooked up much.

First off, the controllers are terrible. Far worse than the 5200's, which get much worse press. I hate the fire buttons on the side and they're spaced weird, the disc controller is a pain in the ass and someone once described using the keypads as "trying to dial a telephone and work a thumb pad at the same time."

The games, well...I just don't see a star title in the bunch. Sure there were games that were innovative for the day, like the sports games and Utopia. Problem is, you need two players. And honestly I haven't been able to find anyone to comeover and play Intellivision with me.

Some of the games most people point to (Burgertime, Lock N Chase, Bump n Jump) as being excellent were ported to other systems with better controllers and I'd rather play those. (Yes, I know 2600 Burgertime is terrible, but the Coleco version rocks.)

Speaking of sports games, I'm not a big fan of them. I know this was a huge selling point back in the day, so already I'm not interested in some of the best games for the system. Not to mention soprts games age badly, unless perhaps you have some nostalgia for them.

The rest of the games just seem to be lacking to me. It seems like the games are slow and made overly complicated to point out the fact that the Intelivision had more buttons than the 2600. I'm a fan of faster arcadey type games and the Intellivision just is lacking in that area.

There are three games I will still play once in a while. Snafu, Astrosmash (another one that was ported) and Loco-Motion. That's about it, and those hardly show off all the system was capable of.

Runner up, the 7800 *looks at Radeon *. Not a terrible console (though they did strip down the sound capabilities perhaps to be backwards compatable), just really lacking in the software department. It would have been interesting to see some more modern (for the time) games on it rather than more ports from the early 80's, even if they were great ports. Oh yeah, the controllers really suck too. But it does have Food Fight, probably my fave game for the system.


Now if we were talking "Which console do you think is most over rated..."

[Spike]

I honestly can say that the first system that I ever thought was just plain and total packaged shit was the N64.

I didn't see anything good in the game market, nothing drew me twards more friggin CART play, (as to CD play), and the controllers...... The Controllers!!!!, errrrrrrrrrr!

[Arrrhalomynn]

Yeah, the N64 REALLY sucks. I still have to play a good game for that thing. Same with the cd-i. incredible suck machine.

[The32xMemorial]

Ahhh, poot on all you Nintendo 64 haters... wouldn't know a good thing if it farted in your mouth.

The N64 controller DOES take a bit of getting used to, but it can be accomplished. Once you've mastered it, it works great and is one of my favorite controllers. I spent a good two hours last night playing Rainbow Six (which is MILES better than the awful PSX game, but not quite as nice as the DC port) and before that it was Rayman 2. Before that it was Ogre Battle 64, before that Hydro Thunder, and before that Beetle Adventure Racing. If you can't find something fun to play on the N64, you simply aren't looking hard enough.

My least-favorite console has got to be the Atari 2600. I don't quite understand that, as I loved it as a child and it was my most favorite thing in the whole world and I played it for hours. I don't know what happened. I guess I got tired of "beeps" and "boops" for sound, and crapily animated squares for graphics. Say what you will about "classic gameplay" and all that... I'd rather suck dirt off the floor than plug up my 2600 nowadays. I guess I've been spoiled on the NES, Genny, SNES, Saturn, PSX, and N64. Bah!!!

[digitalpress]

the CD-I also trashed mario with the weird game "hotel mario". The 5200 joysticks sucked ass. Talk about self-centered!!!(i know its lame okay!!!)

Heh... I really LIKE Hotel Mario! The Zelda games were bad news though.

I'm trying to think of a console that I don't like for the wrong reasons. I mean, ANYONE can hate the Channel F or RCA Studio II, both of which play video games as well as a waffle iron could, but to dislike a system because of it's controller or game "feel"? Hmmm. This is my problem. I like them all for one reason or another... give me some time to ponder this.

[Ruudos]

There's not really a system I hate. Every system has its good points I guess.

@DigitalPress, you're not the only one, I also think Hotel Mario is a pretty fun game.

[YoshiM]

What system do I hate? Hmmm. That there is a good question. I'd have to also say Coleco ::steps behind barracades::. Yes, definitely Colecovision ::Steps down into a foxhole::.

The controllers are one big thing. The little knob seemed like it strained against me when I played. The fire buttons practically needed to be squeezed into the controller (and this was on a system that was rarely played from the original owner) and the number buttons weren't that responsive. Then there is the load time...on a cartridge?! I know that there was a delay on purpose, but damn! Then there were the games: there wasn't a lot that got my interest. Then the games that WERE good for me sucked due to the controller.

The SNES is next in line. But that's another story.

[Dobie]

I tried really hard to like the Sega Genesis. Just never could get into it. I agree that a lot of SNES sports games sucked for the most part, but I still love Ken Griffey Jr. MLB (not the shitty sequel--the first one), Tecmo Super Bowl I & II, and quite a few of the hockey games. Genesis didn't come out with a single sports game that was better than the SNES though. I for one am no RPG fan, but some of the RPGs on the SNES are pretty fun. Secret of Mana for one. I do not like Phantasy Star and never will. Thus, I gave away my Genesis, and I don't miss it one tiny little bit.

There has to be a reason one can easily find Genesis systems still on the shelf at used stores, even though they're ten bucks or less. If most people see an SNES and a Genesis system next to each other, and they are both $20, I promise you 9 times out of 10 the SNES will be the first one to go, and I don't think its because the SNES has "shitty gameplay."

[tynstar]

Genesis didn't come out with a single sports game that was better than the SNES though

NHLPA 93. On the Genesis it kicked ass on the SNES it sucked ass!

[IGotTheDot]

I wouldn't say I hate any consoles, but I would say that I tend to focus on and think about buying games for one or two systems at a time. Right now I am all gung ho to buy games for the DC, but 2 months ago it was all about the Genesis. I guess it's my Man-cycle. It depends on what time of the month it is.

[MarkM2112]

Out of all the systems out there, the one that I like the least would have to be the TurboGrafix 16. Except for one or two games, there really isn't any game on there that I would really want to play. I am not really a SHMUP fan, and most of the games on there seem to be oriented to that genre. Second would probably have to be the Oddysey (sp?) 2.

And btw, I LOVE my Inellivision and Colecovision, so NYAH!

[maxlords]

Mark...I'm kinda surprised to hear the TG16 listed in this post...there were some SERIOUSLY cool games for that system...RPGs, platformers, etc. A lot of them were Japanese only, and a LOT were hard as hell to find, but tons of good games. What kind of gmaes do you like? I could recommend some GREAT TG16 games. However, you are right in one sense, as there are a LOT of shmups for that system...prolly over 100 for the TG16 and the Duo combined.

As for my personal hatreds? I don't like the following systems at all:

Any pre-NES system(Atari, Coleco, Intellivision, Odyssey, etc) and the the CD-I. Now I have virtually every system released from the NES on, and I have at least 3 or 4 games I love for every one of em, but I just can't get into any of the pre-crash games at ALL! I like em in the arcade machines...but not enough to want to own any of them. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm only 25 and grew up into gaming through the Nintendo rise to power, but I just don't like ANY of those systems/games, other than if I happen upon them in an arcade. The only exception is the C64, which I love cause it was the first gaming machine I ever owned

[Cafeman]

I used to hate Intellivision, back in the day. But that's because I was an Atari zealot. I still don't like the Intellivision library, but in a way I now like the system because it's different.

N64 is really crappy to me too. There are a few good games for it, they are all Nintendo's. Cartridges alone are to blame.

[MarkM2112]

Mark...I'm kinda surprised to hear the TG16 listed in this post...there were some SERIOUSLY cool games for that system...RPGs, platformers, etc. A lot of them were Japanese only, and a LOT were hard as hell to find, but tons of good games. What kind of gmaes do you like? I could recommend some GREAT TG16 games. However, you are right in one sense, as there are a LOT of shmups for that system...prolly over 100 for the TG16 and the Duo combined.

Perhaps that is the reason that I did not like it. My preferences for gaming genres are as follows: Strategy, Puzzle, RPG, Classic Arcade, Action Adventure, Platform, Sports, Fighting, SHMUPS, and Driving. Perhaps the fact that a lot of them were Japanese only, and a LOT were hard as hell to find, did not help the TG16 find its way into my heart. My cousin had one, and I REALLY wanted to like it, but I could not get into the games that I could find for it...

[Arcade Antics]

I like every game system.

However, the one I like the LEAST has gotta be the R-Zone.

I mean really, what WERE they thinking? Really.

[RJ]

I'll go the handheld route & say "Game Boy". I still can't believe this measly little piece of crap outsold the Lynx the way it did. 8-bit, colorless graphics, tiny display, same old Mario, Zelda, etc etc. (not to mention Nintendo's business tactics.)

Then they introduced NEW CASE COLORS! WOW! A red Game Boy! Hey- yours is BLUE! COOL! Who cares?

Now there's the Game Boy Advance- does anyone else think it's strangely similar to the Lynx- which came out 10+ YEARS AGO??? I'm not impressed.

*frowns, shakes head slowly in disgust...*

[Kid Ice]

Game Boy? Did somebody say Game Boy? When I was rippin into the old Colecovision, I never even thought about Game Boy. Now that one deserves a thread all its own.

the kid

...such as "Game Boy sucks"

And I STILL hate Colecovision more!

[Kid Ice]

@Scooter; don't forget Street Fighter 2. I don't like SNES either, but for me that one game was good enough to make the system.

the kid

[theaveng]

The system I dislike is the Original Nintendo. I can't find any games worth playing, I don't like the pattern-based graphics, and the sound sucks. I suspect I was spoiled by the C=64.

But I DO like the Super Nintendo. I could play that system for weeks and never get tired.

N64: I just bought this console a month ago, and I don't see anything wrong with it? The controller is easy to hold, the graphics are hi-res 640x400 (better than PS1), and the games like Mario 64 are cool. What's not to like? Oh yes, the lack of CD-based movies. Well, I always preferred games to movies anyway, so no loss.

Atari2600: Everytime I play this system, it takes me back to my childhood. Yes, the blocky graphics and bleepy sounds are ultra-primitive, but the classic arcade gaming of Space Invaders, Asteroids, Missile Command, Defender, Berzerk, et cetera make you quickly forget about the flaws.

And that's yet another reason I dislike the NES: No arcade classics worth playing. :-(