Retro Arena: 8-bit consoles

[Mayhem]

Vectrex, NES, and Atari 7800 (because it can also play 2600 games too!).

[Brad]

Intellivision needs to be in there.

[vanpeebles]

Intellivision needs to be in there.

is 16 bit brah

[Brad]

is 16 bit brah

True. Makes this list a bit odd though as it had 8bit video whereas pc engine was 8bit but with a 16bit video and clearly more powerful than the intellivision. These things should consider eras I reckon.

[Asura]

In my case, controversial choice... None of them. The Master System is closest because my first ever console was a Game Gear, which was comparable.

This is probably the last big era of gaming of which I have very little experience. I'd pick something like the NES purely because I've played more of its games in the decades since.

[vanpeebles]

I really hate these versus type threads, I don't see the point of them. They are far too subjective.

[buzz909]

True. Makes this list a bit odd though as it had 8bit video whereas pc engine was 8bit but with a 16bit video and clearly more powerful than the intellivision. These things should consider eras I reckon.

Yes exactly. Put a 16 bit processor into a system that can display 8 sprites and 1 playfield and you still have a system that can only display 8 sprites and 1 playfield.

[Leon Retro]

Never really thought much of the 2600

Using a 2600 these days is a very different experience to other consoles -- simply because the games are extremely abstract. I enjoy that now and then, but I know that some people feel the games are too archaic.

Master System .Never liked the rest, sorry

What, no nostalgia for any others? I thought you enjoyed the ColecoVision back in the day?

That's the worst thing. It was incredible, it could've been MAHOOSIVE over here with the right marketing!

Yeah, I bet most people who saw all the excitement surrounding the machine in magazines such as C&VG wanted to get their hands on one. There was a huge buzz that told gamers "This is the must-have console", but only a few people bought one on import.

At the time, the Master System was under £100, so if NEC had managed to launch the PCE in Europe at around £100-£150, I think it would have sold well.

Is it really fair to compare the Atari 2600 to something like the PC Engine? Everything above the Famicom in that list is its own seperate generation imo.

It's all about what people like -- and nothing to do with saying the Atari 2600 tech competes with the PC Engine. I think it's fun to look at 8-bit tech and see how it advanced over a 10 year period[1977-1987]. Just because the PC Engine is the most powerful of the bunch, doesn't mean it's the machine someone is going to like the most.

Anyway, the NES is the best of the bunch. Nothing else comes close. Mario 1 and 3 are perfection. Faxanadu, Quantum Fighter, Kickle Cubicle, Shadowgate, Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers, Ninja Gaiden, Power Blade... the list just goes on and on. There's so much variety and so many games looked, sounded and played great. It's the king of 8-bit systems in my book.

The NES/Famicom is also my favourite, simply because it has a huge range of good to great games. I love the variety on offer -- from platformers, run 'n gun, to shooters and puzzlers. It's a machine I'll never get bored of going back to.

I will say that the Vectrex version of Pole Position is ****ing incredible. Almost makes me want to buy one just for that!

I always feel gutted that I didn't buy a Vectrex last decade when it was relatively cheap. Pole Position...

I'm choosing 1. Intellivison

Sorry, the Intellivision is 16-bit. It uses a really weak 16-bit CPU, so that's why it still offers very basic games. A world away from a powerful 16-bit CPU like the 68000.

Yes PC Engine is definitely '16 bit'. As an example the Intellivision isn't on that list because it has a 16 bit CPU but a 16 bit processor makes almost no difference in terms of power. It's all about the graphics chip and then clock speed. To me '8 bit' and '16 bit' aren't literal categories. They are just convenient ways to categorise consoles in terms of generation and power.

As much as I share your feelings, the facts are facts, and the Intellivision would be classed as '16-bit' and the PC Engine '8-bit'. I wasn't going to include the PCE, but decided that most people would categorise it as 8-bit, even if it has a turbo 16-bit GPU that makes it a 2D powerhouse.

I guess we could look at it like cars -- you can have all sorts of cars with V8 engines, but some are tuned etc.. to have far more BHP. The PC Engine is simply an 8-bit console taken to another level.

Oh come on, as if PCE isn’t going to win this at a canter! I expect NES/SMS to fill spaces 2 & 3 although I think the Vectrex deserves a mention.

Well, if you went on an Atari forum, the PCE wouldn't win the vote. So it's all about which consoles people like the most for various reasons.

I'm not asking people to vote on which console is the most powerful, but to simply express which machines they are fond of. Not everyone has affection for the PCE, even if it's a great machine with loads of excellent games.

It's like the NES vs Master System -- opinion will be very divided. So I think it usually comes down to which machine someone is fond of, rather than anything to do with specs and the amount of great games.

Intellivision needs to be in there.

I avoided the "It's 16-bit replies". For some reason the people who designed it chose a 16-bit CPU, even if it's really weak.

True. Makes this list a bit odd though as it had 8bit video whereas pc engine was 8bit but with a 16bit video and clearly more powerful than the intellivision. These things should consider eras I reckon.

Well, they're all classed as '8-bit' machines, even if some are more advanced than others. That's just the way it is. When it comes to voting -- it's all about which consoles someone likes the most, so it's not about which is the most powerful etc...

In my case, controversial choice... None of them. The Master System is closest because my first ever console was a Game Gear, which was comparable.

This is probably the last big era of gaming of which I have very little experience. I'd pick something like the NES purely because I've played more of its games in the decades since.

When I first became interested in retro gaming and going back to old stuff, I wasn't very keen on 8-bit. But after a while, I began to appreciate how special 8-bit consoles and games could be. So now I'm really fond of 8-bit gaming, even if my main focus and passion is 16-bit.

I really hate these versus type threads, I don't see the point of them. They are far too subjective.

I find them really interesting -- but most importantly... fun. It's all about expressing opinions and feelings on what games and machines really appeal to you. That means that someone might be more fond of the Atari 2600 than the PC Engine.

With all these machines being ancient tech, it's all about what gives you a retro buzz. For some people it will be about nostalgia, others will feel it's more about which machines have the most impressive games. All thoughts and feelings are valid.

It's important to remember that I didn't ask the question "What is the most powerful 8-bit machine" or "Which 8-bit console has the best library of games?" No, it's all about which machine(s) someone is fond of for any reason.

We all know the PCE is the most capable tech in this group, so that's a moot point. When it comes to retro gaming, nostalgia can play a big part, so that's very subjective. But there are all sorts of reasons why someone might choose one machine over another, so that's what helps make conversation on retro gaming so interesting. I enjoy reading people's stories and getting insight into why they are fond of any particular system.

[Team Andromeda]

What, no nostalgia for any others? I thought you enjoyed the ColecoVision back in the day?

I liked the CBS but it wasn't my system but my next door neighbours, The PC Eng I didn't get until much latter on and was more impressed with the MD, while my brother had a Atari and NES they did nothing for me.

I had Intellivision and Philips console but growing up I was all for the ZX Spectrum and Master System and that was the case for most of my friends and also School friends. So that's why I put all my gaming time and money.

[samanosuke]

Okay then, reading all the replies, I have to go with:

1) PC Engine.- never owned one in the eighties yet I drooled over it in CVG, ACE etc. Bought a white briefcase version in 2000-ish and absolutely loved it. The likes of R-Type, the Gunhed series, Parasol Stars, Parodious, Dracula X, Ys Books 1 & 2... the other consoles on the list do not come anywhere near as close in terms of graphical prowess and the system has a great and varied library to boot. For the record I’ve always thought of it as an 8-bit machine, albeit a f*** off powerful one much like the Neo Geo is a beast of a 16-bit machine that leaves its competitors for dust technically.

2) SMS - first console I ever owned coming from the ZX Spectrum. Great library of games, better graphics than the NES, and carries a lot of nostalgia for me otherwise the NES would pip it.

3) Super Mario Bros, Mario 3, Zelda, Metroid... do I need to go on? May well deserve to reside above the SMS but I never owned one although a mate across the road did so I spent some time playing one back in the day. And oh did I lust over SMB which is why I bought a Gameboy over a GameGear just to play Super Mario Land.

Special mention: Atari 2600. I could play Combat two-player for hours on end, and despite its primitivity it does have a timeless appeal to it.

[Leon Retro]

I I was all for the ZX Spectrum and Master System

So, nostalgia is your driving force when it comes to retro gaming. I think that's also the case with lots of people. I tend to enjoy exploring all sorts of retro systems, so my favourites tend to change a bit depending on what I've been playing. The main machine that I have a lot of nostalgia for is the SNES, which always gives me a nostalgia buzz when I go back to it.

1) PC Engine.- never owned one in the eighties yet I drooled over it in CVG, ACE etc.

The lust I felt towards the PCE was immense.... Had to wait a few years to finally get my hands on one though. I wish I had been able to buy one in the early days 1987-88.

For the record I’ve always thought of it as an 8-bit machine, albeit a f*** off powerful one much like the Neo Geo is a beast of a 16-bit machine that leaves its competitors for dust technically.

Yeah, the PCE is a supercharged 8-bit machine. Although, I always think of it alongside the Mega Drive and SNES. I included it in this thread not only because it is 8-bit, but because it highlights how 8-bit tech was pushed over a 10 year period.

3) Super Mario Bros, Mario 3, Zelda, Metroid... do I need to go on? May well deserve to reside above the SMS but I never owned one although a mate across the road did so I spent some time playing one back in the day.

As much as the Master System has good points, such as a nice colour palette, I wouldn't say it's necessarily better than the NES, because the NES has its own distinct qualities and developers were able to push the tech with special chips etc.... I like the MS, but the NES/Famicom has far more games that I still want to play.

[ZipZap]

Choosing the PC Engine here reminds me of Gran Turismo when you take part in an Italian car championship where the field is all Fiat 500s, then select a Ferrari and lap everyone 3 times

That said, I'm choosing the PC Engine. I didn't own one at the time, I was probably about 9-10 years old and so really didn't have the budget, but the fact that no-one seemed to own one, and that the screenshots looked almost arcade perfect really gave it a sense of wonder. I did pick one up a few years ago and I still feel kind of excited that I now have one (although less excited than I wouldn't been in 1988!)

Second place is probably the NES; the only one of these I owned at the time (technically it was my sister's, but I played on it as much as she did). I preferred my C64 because I had far more games and I could do a lot more with it, but I can't deny the Mario games were awesome. And I do remember loving Life Force when I played it at a friend's house (although I loved anything to do with Salamander at the time)

Third place, probably the Master System. It was another I used admire in CVG. I was a big fan of Sega arcade games (especially Outrun), so the idea that there was an actual Sega console seemed pretty cool. I also recently played Dragon's Trap for the first time (PS4 conversion, though I mostly play with the SMS graphics). I really enjoyed playing it today, so I can imagine it must've been pretty amazing back then.

[samanosuke]

Yeah, Dragon’s Trap is great. Another SMS game I loved back in the day was Golvellious. Even though it was a Zelda rip-off, what I found is that when I got to finally play Zelda, I felt it wasn’t as slick as Golvellious.

[paulus]

Choosing the PC Engine here reminds me of Gran Turismo when you take part in an Italian car championship where the field is all Fiat 500s, then select a Ferrari and lap everyone 3 times

Your opening line reminded me of my old bosses car, an Arbarth Gran Turismo 595, it actually was a Fiat 500 on acid

[JazzFunk]

^one of my mates got one of those but he crashed it (he didn't die). Beautiful car.

It looks so small but has a weird, powerful vibe to it, like a metallic, tin flea that looks like it can just zooooooom off anywhere, if it wants.

Such a lovely car, needs to be beheld in person.