Holiday Console Suggestions?

[Zezae]

Hello everyone. I haven't been browsing these forums too long, maybe a year or two, so I apologize if these topics always come up around this time. Honestly I feel that other people can get ideas or just become motivated to get a new fun console or just a completely obscure one that is quite expensive because well, it's free anyway...

Personally I get a good amount of money for Christmas so it'd be really helpful to myself and others if I can hear some opinions or suggestions.

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Shmups and platformers are my favorite pretty much.

I currently own:

NES
SNES
N64
Gamecube
Wii
All Gameboys
DS
Saturn
Dreamcast
PS2- US and JP
PSP
Xbox
Xbox 360- US and JP
Wonderswan


So I'm sure you notice one or two expected consoles that are missing for some reason and that's because I actually don't have them.

I'm either thinking of getting 1 somewhat expensive one (~$200) or 2 that can be found cheaper.

With that said these are the current consoles that I have been considering.

1. Sega CDX or JVC X'Eye
2. PC-Engine with Super CD-ROM² or just a Duo-R
3. Neo-Geo CDZ
4. MSX2+
5. X68000
6. FM Towns Marty
7. Sega Genesis with Sega-CD (Really want to go with a combination system due to rarity but some may prefer the original so that's why this is last)

Thanks!

[kamiboy]

If you do not yet own PCEngine or Genesis/CD then I wouldn't even bother thinking about anything else.

Genesis has you covered in terms of RPG's and Platformers and the PCEngine's one true raison d'être was always arcade faithful shmups.

Of the two I'd say the genesis is by far the easiest and cheaest to not only get ahold of, but also to get games for, if you, unlike me, do not care for having everything in CIB state. Ebay has plenty of Genesis/SEGA CD combos for sale in the low end of the price spectrum. I'd say get yourself a Genesis and pick up a copy of Gunstar Heroes for a start. If RPG's tackle your fancy don't forget about Shining Force and its sequel Shining Force 2, two of the best strategy RPG's out there.

If you want to go the SEGA CDX route then, yeah, those things cost as much as Duo R, which is what you would want to go with for that system, and they will cost you, so it is a tossup. On the PCEngine side of the coin you have a world of shmups opened up to you. If you can find affordable copies of, I don't know, what do the fashionable kids like these days, Gunhed? Lords and/Or Gates of Thunder? Perhaps R-type and Super Darius?

That should have you covered. Also, for PCEngine, I'g go with the ones being sold by that Japanese fellow who RGB mods them.

[drauch]

Yeah, getting a SegaCD and hooking up a Genesis 1/2 to it would be the cheapest bet. Just beware of the SegaCD model 2, as it poops out fairly easy. There are plenty of guides to fix it out there, though; be it temporary or more "permanent" fixes. This would definitely be the cheapest route, as you can probably score one with games for around 60 u.s. dollars. Lot's of shooters and lots of platformers on the system, with a lot of good, cheap games.

Honestly, going any other route is going to cost a ton more, be it for the system, or games for the system. Getting a PC-Engine is damn worth it though for classic gaming...

[Sargon]

What about an Atari Jaguar? The catalog of games is fairly limited and you have to sort through some very lousy titles, but there are some hidden gems. There is an active developer community and occasionally a new game or prototype will pop up from one of the Jaguar developers. I'm very happy with my Jaguar.

[system11]

PC Engine & Genesis all the way.

[chempop]

I vote for Genesis/SegaCD - tons of amazing Shmups, Run&Gun, and Platform games to be had (many of which are affordable too!).

I own a bunch of systems like you and I find myself playing the old Sega systems very often, the games are timeless imho.

[RetroRepair]

Sega CDX

[Zeron]

I would have to say a PC ENGINE DUO-R