Retrogaming: the most unusual consoles and microcomputers

Since the 1970s, the home console market has been a place of experimentation for manufacturers. Certain brands, such as Nintendo and SEGA, rapidly stood out from the crowd. Others have tried, and often failed, to establish their vision. Today, these gaming machines are highly sought after by retrogaming enthusiasts.

Sony Bravia KDL-22PX300 (2010): a PlayStation 2 inside an LCD TV

The concept of this Sony Bravia television is rather peculiar, as it features all the PlayStation 2’s hardware in its base. It is therefore possible to play the machine’s entire game library directly on this screen, which features a TFT panel that reaches up to 1080p HD definition at 60Hz. These technical specs were excessive, as the PS2 could only reach 480i and was designed to work with CRT TV sets.

This retrogaming curiosity provided access to certain VOD services, YouTube and Dailymotion. On paper, the Sony Bravia KDL-22PX300 TV was promising, but it arrived on the market in 201, four years after the release of the PS3. The PS2 was an extremely popular console with a long lifespan, but this television struggled to find an audience, as gamers were already looking to “next-gen” consoles and high definition displays.

Panasonic Q (2001): a Nintendo Gamecube inside a DVD player

While the PlayStation 2 was breaking global sales records, in part due to its integrated DVD player, Nintedo’s Gamecube was trying to win over gamers. It didn’t come out on top in this console war, but this machine holds an important place in the history of video games. It contributed a great deal, with titles such as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Mario Sunshine and the incredible Resident Evil Zero. Its main “flaw” was having an 80mm mini-CD player at a time when everyone was buying a DVD player.

It was at this point that Panasonic stepped in with its own model of DVD player, based on the Nintendo Gamecube. The Panasonic Q offered all the functions of Nintendo’s console, while still allowing you to play the entire game library. In practice, the only notable difference in terms of hardware was its DVD-capable drive and its ability to decode video streams. In the end, the Panasonic Q corrected an unfortunate choice made by Nintendo, but it was positioned in a niche market and wasn’t a huge success.

Released only in Japan, this mini console/player could sometimes be found in certain import stores. Today, the Panasonic Q is snapped up by retrogaming collectors, and its selling price can sometimes be in excess of €1,500. This is all the more true as the Gamecube has become very popular with retrogamers in recent years.

SEGA Divers 2000 series CX-1 Dreamcast (2000): a museum piece

The SEGA Divers 2000 series CX-1 Dreamcast is a bit of a video game oddity, a result of a collaboration between SEGA, CSK and Fuji Television Network. It was a TV set with a built-in SEGA Dreamcast console. A camera, keyboard, remote control and controller were also included. These accessories allowed users to take video calls, for example. Released in 2000, it was a little ahead of its time. 

Its unique silhouette was inspired by Sonic, SEGA’s mascot. This is probably one of the most sought-after pieces among retrogaming collectors, since only 5,000 were ever produced. Only a few units remain in mint condition, still in their original box. Now estimated at between €15,000 and €40,000, very few bids reach auction sites.

One year after the release of the SEGA Divers 2000 series CX-1 Dreamcast, the Japanese company discontinued its console production. Insufficient sales of the Dreamcast compared with the PlayStation 2 led SEGA to concentrate solely on its game development and publishing activities. The end of an era for SEGA, which had dominated the market a decade earlier.

Pippin (1996): a multimedia console from Apple and Bandai

Released in March 1996 in Japan and September of the same year in the United States, the Pippin console is the result of a collaboration between Apple and Bandai. Although the American brand is now a leading high-tech manufacturer, at the time it wasn’t yet at the height of its fame and was looking for new markets to tap.

In reality, this “console” was built around PowerPC architecture, primarily used in Macs at the time. Ultimately, the Pippin was just a MacOS-based computer trying to pass itself off as something else. Apple nevertheless hoped to sell several million units over three years, but the adventure didn’t last more than a year, following the machine’s resounding failure.

The excessive price of $600 for a low-end Mac scared off many potential buyers. Sales didn’t exceed 50,000 units in Japan and the US combined. It was one of the biggest failures in video game history. However, even back then, Apple was a great believer in the Internet, and the machine came with a modem and integrated web browser as standard. An argument that didn’t stand up to the PlayStation, released two years earlier.

Aiwa CSD-GM1 (1994): a SEGA Mega-CD console inside a boombox

If there’s one manufacturer we didn’t expect to see on the gaming market, it’s Aiwa. Established in the 1950s, this company became more well-known in the 1970s during the hi-fi and home video boom. Aiwa was one of the pioneers of cassette and DAT recorders, notably with its affordable radio-cassette stereos.

The Aiwa CSD-GM1, also known as the Aiwa Mega-CD, was distributed in Japan a year after the release of the Megadrive CD-Rom player: the Mega-CD. It was an iconic boombox that could also read Mega-CD games. The base was connected via cable to the Aiwa CSD-GM1 and contained all the Megadrive’s hardware, as well as a cartridge slot.

This mini music player/console arrived on the market at a time when the Aiwa brand was failing to attract customers and was beginning to decline. In 2002, Aiwa was acquired by Sony, its main shareholder, to become an integral part of the company. Today, the brand still exists, offering entry-level consumer electronics.

SEGA Multi-Mega (1994): the SEGA Megadrive in a portable CD player

In the mid 1990s, SEGA was a specialist of rather exotic hardware. The Megadrive, released in 1989, saw a plethora of peripherals such as the 32X and the Mega-CD. The console was even released in a second version in 1993. This new iteration also featured a restyled, more compact Mega-CD. In this hardware frenzy, and at a time when portable CD players were becoming popular, the manufacturer launched the SEGA Multi-Mega.

Technology-wise, it was nothing more than a Megadrive and a Mega-CD, scaled down into a single “portable” device. It was designed like a portable CD player, as it could be powered by batteries and played through headphones. In reality, however, the SEGA Multi-Mega console was rather bulky, making it difficult to slip into a pocket.

Today, however, retrogaming collectors appreciate the compact format of this machine, capable of reading both Megadrive and Mega-CD games. You’ll still have to spend between €300 and over €2,000, depending on condition, to acquire a used model.

PC-FX (1994): the console that wanted to be a PC?

Launched on December 23, 1994 by NEC, the PF-FX was a 32-bit game console that was supposed to take over from the PC-Engine and SuperGrafX. Unlike its predecessors, the PC-FX was only sold in Japan. It stood out with its vertical format, very similar to a computer tower. A minor shortcoming from the outset was the absence of a dedicated 3D graphics chip. Instead, the manufacturer opted for full-motion video, 2D gaming capabilities and CD-ROM support.

The adventure was short-lived. Four years later, NEC decided to take the console off the market in the wake of this commercial failure. The PC-FX sold just 400,000 units, and its very limited game library was no match for the fierce competition from the PlayStation. What’s more, a large proportion of the CD-ROMs for the PC-FX were aimed at adults, taking advantage of the console’s video capabilities.

Amstrad Mega PC (1993): the PC that wanted to be a console?

80s kids will be familiar with the brand Amstrad. Firstly, for its iconic computers such as the CPC 464 and CPC 6128, but also for their budget-friendly hi-fi systems. In 1993, Amstrad was recovering from the failure of its GX4000 console, which featured outdated hardware in a design that was the subject of much debate at the time.

In theory, the Mega PC was based on the Amstrad CPC 6128 Plus concept, offering a personal computer capable of reading console-format cartridges. Faced with the flop of the GX4000, the brand signed a partnership with SEGA, bringing Megadrive hardware on board.

As usual, Amstrad recycled an old processor, using the 386 SX-25 for the computer part. This hardware was already obsolete, even before the Mega PC came onto the market. The £999 price tag wasn’t much of an incentive for this unfortunate machine, either, as it couldn’t find any takers. Despite a price cut to £599, the Amstrad Mega PC disappeared from the shelves, to general indifference. Note that it borrowed its concept from the SEGA TeraDrive, which also failed. Even today, it is shunned by retrogaming collectors, despite its rarity.

Pioneer LaserActive (1993): a versatile home console

Designed to be the living room entertainment hub, the Pioneer LaserActive player was an innovative concept. It was a Laserdisc player that could also read audio CDs, video game discs and karaoke discs. A comprehensive device to which “PAC” modules could be added to further expand its features.

This led to a partnership with SEGA, with the SEGA PAC offering the possibility of playing Megadrive and Mega-CD games on the player. Titles were also released on Laserdiscs: Mega LD discs. The latter used the capabilities of the SEGA PAC and also benefited from the player’s video decoding hardware. This led to the release of Road Blaster, a racing game using cartoon videos. Time Gal was part of this library, an interactive Japanese anime where the player had to make decisions.

Another module, the NEC PAC, could read LD-ROMs, games on HuCards, as well as PC-Engine and CD+G disks. Developed in partnership with NEC Home Electronics, it featured region coding. Japanese games could not be played on the American version, and vice versa. A rather premium product, because like the SEGA PAC, this extension was sold for $600.

The Pioneer LaserActive adventure only lasted three years, as it never really found an audience. It was a high-end and technically sophisticated device, but the arrival of the DVD spelled the end of Laserdiscs. The 12cm discs were much more practical and affordable for the general public.

Philips CD-I (1991): multimedia in every living room

In the early 90s, the buzzword was “multimedia”. All entertainment devices had to be able to play all the emerging digital formats. While the Compact Disc brought a lot to music, computing also benefited from this small technological revolution. CDs enabled data storage, and to take advantage of this, Philips, Sony and Matsushita developed the CD-I (Compact Disc Interactive) standard.

The idea was to offer players, which were more affordable than a PC, capable of reading games in CD-i format, audio CDs, Karaoke CDs, Photo CDs and Video CDs. The latter required a Full Motion Video module, sold separately. For the general public, this machine was perceived above all as a console for children, and was a real failure. Philips lost more than a billion dollars on the venture, and withdrew from gaming for good.

Today, the Philips CD-I is best known for hosting the three worst Zelda games of all time. It’s hard to imagine such a fiasco today, given how protective Nintendo is of its licenses. However, it’s also one of the reasons why retrogaming collectors are snapping it up. It’s a piece of audiovisual history, as Philips, in partnership with Sony, were at the origin of the CD format.

SEGA TeraDrive (1991): a Megadrive in an IBM PC

The idea of integrating Megadrive hardware into various consumer electronics devices dates back to the early 90s. In 1991, SEGA met with computer giant IBM. Personal computers sales were on the rise, and the Japanese company saw an opportunity to break into a new market. Operation was fairly straightforward, with a home screen offering a choice between MS DOS mode and Megadrive mode.

The SEGA TeraDrive was not a success, partly because of its high price, ranging from $1,100 to $1,840, and partly because of its unclear concept. The Megadrive didn’t really offer any added value, since the PC software library was so large and diverse. Like the Amstrad Mega PC two years later (see above), this project was a total flop.

Coleco Telstar Arcade (1977): the first generation of consoles

Released in 1977 in Japan, North America and Europe, the Coleco Telstar Arcade stood out as a first-generation console and was the flagship of the Coleco Telstar series. The machine’s architecture was based on the MOS Technology MPS-7600-00X chip series, each chip acting as a microcontroller capable of storing 512 words.

The Coleco Telstar Arcade’s distinctive triangular design featured specific gaming accessories on each side: a steering wheel and gearshift, a lightgun, and two joysticks. The player could choose the appropriate side depending on the game in progress. The machine was strongly inspired by what could be found in arcades. An experience that can still be enjoyed today, thanks to the excellent Neo Legend and Arcade1Up machines.

Coleco Telstar Arcade games were distributed on silver-colored cartridges, each containing a MOS Technology MPS-7600-00X chip. Coleco released a total of four cartridges for the system, and each cartridge had a triangular shape connecting to the top of the console.

Video games: the leading entertainment industry

In retrospect, some of these consoles may amuse or amaze, but they are part of video game history. They also show us the extent to which certain brands dared to do something, even when nobody else thought they could. Many of these models were unlucky, or arrived too late in a fast-moving market. Admittedly, some concepts were unusual, but from the 70s to the early 2000s, there was still a lot to invent.

For many brands, gaming has long been a place of experimentation, leading to the dynamic, ever-growing sector we know today. Video games are now played by 70% of the French population, representing a market worth almost six billion euros. It’s an industry that generates growth and jobs, and has given rise to major French companies such as Ubisoft, Gameloft and Focus Entertainment.