What is your favorite console in your collection and why?

[Lendorien]

Due to the big hack of 2012, we lost everything in the forum back to 2009. So I'm sort of single handedly trying to kick-start some activity.

So, here's my thread of the day with a question posed to the forum-goers.

We all collect for various reasons. RF generation lets us inventory our collections and share them with others. But in the end it's all a bunch of names and numbers with little personality.  So here's a chance to impart some personality to your collection.

If you look at your collection, what one console that you own is your favorite? I'm not talking the platform; I'm talking the actual console.  Is it that beat up old NES that looks like a smoker's teeth?  Or that Atari 2600jr that has seen better days?

Why is it your favorite?  Share your favorite console and the reason you love it.

[Lendorien]

Ok, and now for my answer.  Mine is a Panasonic 3DO FZ-10.  Yeah, I know what you're thinking. "A 3DO? Really?"  Yeah really. The truth is, the whole platform is sort of lame. The controllers sort of such and the FMV stuff is just plain silly.  But I love the cheese factor and the truth is, that particular console sitting beneath my TV was my first in the wild purchase. 

I got it for 10 dollars at goodwill. Frankly, I wasn't even that into collecting yet at that point. I saw it on the shelf, saw the 3DO logo and figured what the hell, it might be worth it. I'm rather fond of it because I got a great deal and because it has seen a lot of love. I played it for two weeks nonstop.  I er... "found" games for it online and played through a bunch and then actually bought a few.  I had a video game party where I brought out the only pirated 3DO game I have left, Night Trap and played it with all my guests. You have never heard so much laughing and joking as that game inspired.

In any case, it gets use these days mostly as a CD player. For a console it has pretty good sound, better I think than the PS1. It's a neat little system that really didn't get a fair shake. There's something about the 3DO in general that is sort of magical.

And that's why I love my 3DO.

[blcklblskt]

Hmm, tough one.  In terms of favorite console to collect, the answer is hands-down N64.  But, my favorite console (the one that means the most to me) is my PS3.  It was the first console that I bought brand new with my own money, and I have had a blast playing with it over the years.

I originally had not planned on buying a new console until I found one at the flea market cheap, but my friend eventually convinced me to side with the PS3.  After playing probably close to an hour with Burnout Paradise at one of the demo kiosks, I made my purchase and haven't regretted it since.  That PS3 has the most playtime out of my current collection, and I don't think that will change anytime soon.

[Shadow Kisuragi]

That's odd - another person whose collecting was inspired by a Panasonic 3DO. Mine was an FZ-1 though that I purchased for $180 w/ 20 games.

This is going to be a hard decision. I own over 40 consoles, and I enjoy quite a few of them. If I had to pick a favorite though, it'd have to be my Sega Saturn. It's one I never owned as a kid, but one of the younger kids in the neighborhood owned one. I would come by his house to babysit him and we'd sit on his Sega Saturn for hours just randomly playing things, like NASCAR 98 with paintball mode enabled. It also opened me up to 3D RPGs, in which I was introduced to of my favorite titles to date - Mystaria.

I've since picked up 2 Japanese Saturns (1 boxed), 2 US Saturns (1 boxed), at least half of the US NTSC library, and over a hundred JP NTSC titles just from random purchases. I find new gems every time I play, and I even learned how to play Mahjong properly with some motivation from my roommates and the aid of an adult title. Random adult import titles are hilarious.

[a_hub10]

My favorite console to collect for is my Genesis.  I have the Model 1 Genesis with both a Model 2 CD and a 32X.  Its a behemoth when pieced together.  My favorite console in general will always be the N64 just because I grew up playing Ocarina of Time way past my bedtime. haha

[kamakazi20012]

Hi all, just joined the site.  Very impressive.  But my favorite console (and I'm probably the only one) is the 5200.  I still have my 4-port that I received as a Christmas gift in 1982.  And yes, it still works.  Most of the games, however, kept getting lost during moves (either that or Mom would sell them for extra money).  I have only recently started collecting for the console again.  Pac-Man gets pretty old after a while. 

[Duke.Togo]

Welcome aboard kamakazi20012! I'd say that you probably are in the minority with the 5200, but I don't think it deserves all the flak it gets. You should check out Sinistar for it, really great port that I believe is still available on Atari Age.

I have to go with the NES. It consumed such a large part of my childhood, and I have vivid memories of a lot of the games I played then. I still play regularly, and it is home to my favorite games ever. Such a wonderful little system.

[Lendorien]

I agree. The 5200 is quite playable once you do some TLC on the controllers. I refurbished mine with Rev 9 flex circuits and supergluing aluminum foil to the carbon dots.  It's been some time and I do play it a fair amount and the difference is completely amazing.

The controllers are perhaps not as responsive as I'd like, but I find that I really enjoy a number of the game on the 5200 more than on some of the other Atari systems I own.

[SirPsycho]

My childhood was defined by my experience on the PS1. I had a SNES first, but I got it in '94 and got my PS1 only 2 years later. So I was gaming on disc systems... right about the time it got cool.

I cried while playing a game for the first time ever with that system, I spent much more time laughing though at the random crap I could find in the rental stores. But that was the system that got me into RPGs and my first 3D platforming experience with Spyro, but also the ridiculous magic of Tomba in a 2D space.

Such a great time to game really, but we all feel that way about our childhood systems.

[kamakazi20012]

Welcome aboard kamakazi20012! I'd say that you probably are in the minority with the 5200, but I don't think it deserves all the flak it gets. You should check out Sinistar for it, really great port that I believe is still available on Atari Age.

I have to go with the NES. It consumed such a large part of my childhood, and I have vivid memories of a lot of the games I played then. I still play regularly, and it is home to my favorite games ever. Such a wonderful little system.

The NES served my teenage years very well while the 5200 sat there, begging to be played.  But, I've went through more NES consoles than I can count.  Games on the NES really out weigh what the 5200 received.  And the NES managed to keep gaming going which makes it my 2nd favorite.  I don't know how many times I would get in trouble in class humming music from my favorite games while doing an assignment.  It kept me off the streets and locked in my room in a heavy battle with the latest releases.  The 5200 has more sentimental value for me because it was the ONLY console my Mother would enjoy playing which is the sole reason it remains my top favorite.

[nupoile]

Oh this is easy, it's my Vectrex. I have at least 21 different consoles, the Vectrex is very much my favorite. It is prominently displayed in the living room for all to see. I have a picture of MineStorm (one of it's games) on both my laptop and my phone as the background.

Up until I recently replaced my rrod 360, this was also the most expensive video game purchase I had made. I don't spend much on this hobby but seeing this Vectrex collection in a pawn shop caused me to spend a bit more then usual. Fortunately this came with several games as I haven't found anything Vectrex related in the wild since.

And if you haven't seen one working in real life, pictures, videos and emulators don't do it justice.

[FireStar]

I can't put my finger on a specific console, but the game boy line as a whole is my favorite. I can remember picking out tetris and mickey's dangerous chase to go with my gameboy pocket when I was probably 3 or 4. I have my old GBC that I played to death as well as the GBA SP that replaced it. Both of these with their backwards compatibility to the original GB  got me into collecting, as back when Gamestop carried GB games, I picked up most of their GB titles, considering they were only a few dollars, and found them just as good as the new games they wanted $50 for.
I still like to collect for handheld consoles the most as there is a sea of unknown games on both the Gameboy and Gamegear.

[Leynos]

While I have been gaming since the 80's I started to really follow gaming in 1998. Just at that time I heard of Sega making this new system. Every month I waited for new issues of gaming mags to get new info. I had mo real concept of the internet then nor a PC. I never followed hype so much and then came the hype of this amazing project that became Shenmue. It finally came out as Dreamcast. Everything this system was in 1999 blew mine and everyone elses mind. No system since has blown my mind. To this day we feel many things DC introduced us to. Also holds some of my fave game ever.

Not to expose to many personal details but having a certain disability where I could be gone any moment I have it in my will to be cremated and put in a DC converted to a urn.

[Duke.Togo]

I have it in my will to be cremated and put in a DC converted to a urn.

That is a seriously awesome idea. Maybe I will steal it but use an NES.

[Crabmaster2000]

I have it in my will to be cremated and put in a DC converted to a urn.

That is a seriously awesome idea. Maybe I will steal it but use an NES.

Thats assuming they find your body, mwa hahahahaha......