Advice on First Console Buy

[Glitch42]

I'm contemplating buying my techanally first retro console (and by technally I mean the first purpose purchased console and not just one that I bought new and now is retro).
I saw a Sega Megadrive/Genasis in a second-hand store recently the price is fair but I was wondering if this is a good choice for my first buy? Ideally I'd like to have all the major consoles so I can play all the major games on them (I'm not a collector, just a casual gamer).

So what your opinion and have any advice for me?

[Forlorn Drifter]

A Genesis wouldn't be a bad start. There's a wealth of good games, and while the prices have bumped some, Genesis games tend to stay on the cheaper end of retro gaming. I don't know much about accessories/games to suggest since I'm not much of a SEGA guy though.

Another thing to consider would be clone consoles, such as the Retron 5 or some such. Which to get and why will depend on taste and such, and every one has its advantages and disadvantages compared to the competitors and the original consoles. The main reason I suggest these is that many can play games from multiple systems, which is an advantage as far as space goes, along with the possibly limited number of hookups your TV might have.

[KalessinDB]

Really kinda depends on where your tastes/nostalgia are.

As Forlorn said, Genesis prices in the US are still relatively reasonable (though everything retro has seen a bump), but you're using the term Mega Drive which means you're not in the US, so I can't speak to your local prices. Sega put out some awfully fun, very colorful games, and there's a lot of awesome stuff on that system no matter what you name it. However for many people (in my opinion at least), many of the true classics - Mario, Zelda, Mega Man, Metroid, etc - are Nintendo IPs, and (with 4 exceptions that really shouldn't be discussed) you're not getting Nintendo IPs on anything but Nintendo hardware.

So my suggestion is to go with what your nostalgia tells you to go with. If you remember/love Sega games, go Sega. If you remember/love Nintendo games, go Nintendo. If you remember/love the old Atari games, go Atari.

If you don't have nostalgia, my suggestion is to think long and hard about whether you want to get original hardware/software or if you just want to emulate. Nearly every old controller either has a USB clone being produced or a USB adapter (if nothing else, Bliss Box exists to hook up all your old controllers). There's filters on most of the better emulators that make it look just like a CRT if that's your thing (and it should be, in my opinion). And emulators will enable you to spoof light guns (usually via a mouse), something you will not be able to do with a modern LCD. Yes, ROMs are a legal gray area to put it lightly (more accurately would be "illegal, but extremely rarely enforced for the end user"), but prices are just going up and up with retro games and not a penny of it goes back to the original developer, only to the people who are selling them secondhand now. Old hardware is tempermental too, though cartridge based are typically much better than disc based.

Either way though... enjoy the ride.

[Gunstar Green]

Pick the one you're most nostalgic for ultimately.

Though from a financial standpoint the Genesis is a good pick.

[flojocabron]

How hard or easy is it to find games over where you live?

Your info says PAL. So I'm guessing Europe?

Have you gone games hunting before? Boot sales as they call them in England. Second hand shops or pawn shops.

Are there lots of games within?

You dont want to choose a system that will be hard to get game for.

Like the other guy said Sega is a good low cost console to get games for. NES and SNES may be a bit harder because they gather more fans that want it.

Sega not so much. So you can still get some nice gems for it with careful planning and constant looking.

If you really want to get specific with games and with a moderate budget get Sonic's Ultimate Genesis collection on PS3/360. There are a ton of games in there. Play some of them. See which games give the right amount of fun an nostalgia for you. If you really like some of them memorize the game or write them down on a piece of paper and when you do go games hunting the game will still be fresh in your mind.

Plus of all those Genesis games that you like, you can choose cart only or with its case.

A nice looking collection can be started with sega games.

Or if you dont want to collect, find a buddy and trade games between yourselves.

good luck

[TSTR]

you can't go wrong with BLAST PROCESSING

[samsonlonghair]

I'm contemplating buying my techanally first retro console (and by technally I mean the first purpose purchased console and not just one that I bought new and now is retro).
I saw a Sega Megadrive/Genasis in a second-hand store recently the price is fair but I was wondering if this is a good choice for my first buy? Ideally I'd like to have all the major consoles so I can play all the major games on them (I'm not a collector, just a casual gamer).

So what your opinion and have any advice for me?

You're making the right choice, Glitch. Sega is always the right choice.

[ElkinFencer10]

If you want to be awesome, get a Vectrex. If you want more than a handful of games to play, I'd suggest going either Genesis or NES.

[isiolia]

First, I'd reiterate what some have already said: if your main goal is just to play games, emulate. That doesn't need to mean pirate everything either, as there's plenty available digitally or in collections.

You could also use it to test the waters. If you're interested in Genesis/Mega Drive, maybe grab Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection if you own a system it was released on, and try that.

As mentioned, in the US at least, the Genesis is relatively affordable to collect for, but even then, some of the individual games in that collection fetch multiple times what it costs, cart only.


You might also split the difference with something like a PS1 (assuming you don't already have one). It's about as common and cheap as you can get, and you can always turn around and play the games on a PS3 with wireless controllers and virtual memory cards/etc, if things become inconvenient. Plus, plenty of more expensive games are available digitally.


If you do want to buy a console, I'd try to find a "lot" or bundle deal. Usually that'll be cheaper than buying each game individually.

[Tanooki]

I just want to speak to your post alone, not read the others for influences. I for one don't buy retro consoles anymore, but I did buy one, the first in quite a few years at the top of last November -- it was a non-tmss launch Sega Genesis system (that gibberish means it has no security lockout.) I bought it for a few reasons, and hopefully they'd be yours or maybe it's not the best move. 1) I've always been #1 in influence buying Nintendo stuff and Sega while there were cross system ports is and handles differently. 2) PRICE! Sega carts loose almost any game can be had in the $3-30 range usually in the middle to lower end of that scale. Maybe 10% of the library is worse and US side in perspective MUSHA is the ugliest at $150 for the game, go count up how many SNES games cost that or higher loose -- sickening. 3) Large solid library of games with quite a few interesting exclusives and even a few neat PC conversions like Star Control and Dune II.

If those 3 factors don't swing you into a mode to go back out and grab it before it's gone, perhaps it's not the best move. A suggestion on something else, if you don't have to be TV bound would be either any form of Gameboy or back to Sega again with the Game Gear. All four choices there have quality libraries, again a low cost mostly across the board on games, many unique experiences but they also have a good share of quirky or honest conversions of classic console titles from both companies and their partners.


Also throwing this out there due to your hopes of owning all the big players of the past, Nintendo will rob you blind on the wallet on anything of decent quality with a name due to crooks gaming the system. If you go that way, get an everdrive, only buy the carts that those flash kits can't support due to special chips. You're in no way required to or should feel committed to paying a crook a huge sum of money on an old game as none of it goes back to the guys who actually made it, just the dude who lucked into finding it.