Should I buy an NES, an N64, a Gamecube, or an Atari 2600?

[And no, I'm not gonna get a "Virtual Console" or whatever that thing is called]

Have you played any games on either the N64 or GC?

I chose the GC as my answer but thats what I want right now and wasn't thinking you might not have played games on the N64.

Gamecube, it has the most classic games that will have aged well.

@mr_huggles_dog: Actually, I haven't played any of these consoles... That's really why I want them.

gamecube

Id buy the Gamecube as the games are easier to get. Gonna cost a fortune to play the good games though, i dont think its worth it, but im sure youve already thought about that.

At least with Gamecube there are a few games that are very hard to get. Skies of Arcadia and Fire Emblem Path of Radiance go for 100+ used i think.

none, play current games and leave those relics be.

I feel that this topic should be in the Retro Gaming forum rather then in System wars. But anyways, what type of games do you prefer more?

Atari 2600 has the best line up of classic arcade titles, like the original Mario Bros, and Donkey Kong. The graphics aren't too good, though.

@thatluxray: Then it depends. The N64 has some of the greatest games ever created....but it did not age well.

The GC has many great games but not of the likes of Mario 64 or Goldeneye or Perfect Dark. But GC games aged well. Then there's Metroid Prime which is on a whole other level.

@AcidTango: I don't really prefer any types of games over each other except racing and platform games. They're both really fun.

The best option I see there is Gamecube. It straight out clowns N64 with better first and third party games.

NONE OF THOSE

Get yourself a Wii, the Wii plays NES, SNES and GC games, plus Wii games, to play GC games you will need a GC controller and a Memory Card, besides, Wii can be found for a few dollars, hell they are even cheaper than NES and SNES consoles.

@raugutcon: I said already I wasn't gonna do that...

Moved to a more appropriate forum.

The internet ate my post for some reason.... sigh.

I am a game collector and I would EASILY go with the NES.

If you have any questions just PM me and I can answer any questions you have. I own over 3,000 games, and I own all the systems you listed., and have played the vast majority of their libraries (or own them).

@thatluxray: what do you have against virtual games ? cartridges have become quite expensive, many don´t work and need repair ( like new batteries or deep cleaning ), original controllers also may need repairs and compatible ones aren´t always top notch. I understand the allure of plain a game in it´s original format but it´s those problems associated with cartridges that has kept me away, I do have the consoles but only for exhibition purposes, the only system I plan to purchase as "expendable" is a user N64 because N64 games don´t run well on the Wii ( I do have N64 console, actually I own 2 ).

@raugutcon: I like having the actual thing in my hand and sometimes the internet lags or glitches and may mess up the game.

If the NX turns out to be another gimmick, I'll probably rebuy a Gamecube so I can replay Zelda TP among other Zelda games.

Looks like they moved this topic. Well since you like platformers I would ether go for the NES for 2D or the N64 for 3D. Or if you really want to have a big collection of games then just go for the NES.

Does it really beat the N64 that bad even if did there are alot of truly amazing games on the old N64 that make it worth owning imo

• Paper Mario
• Super Mario 64
• Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time
• Legend of Zelda Majora Mask
• Starfox 64
• Banjo-Kazooie
• Banjo-Tooie
• Concors Bad Fur Day
• Donkey Kong 64
• Rayman 2 The Great Escape
• Super Smash Bros

N64. System has genres that dont exist anymore.

I'd go with the N64 for the rare games.

What genre doesn't exist anymore?

I'd go with the N64. The GC is too modern (sounds weird, right?). If you were going to buy a GC, I'd just buy a Wii as others have suggested. And no, you don't need to use virtual console nor is there any kind of "internet lag" or anything as a factor in that - the Wii plays GC discs directly. It's basically a better GC, with the added advantage of newer games if you are also so inclined.

@xantufrog:Just want to add that not all Wii's played GC games, later models like the Family Edition Wii and Wii Mini do not support GC at all. I'm not sure exactly when they stopped support GC.

@thatluxray: I'd still recommend the Wii over the GC just because it does play games from both consoles natively. Meaning off the disc with the GC controller and memory card support. I do not know of any GC games that do not work on the older Wii consoles. Really gives you access to all the games from both libraries on one machine with no issues. You do need to have a GC controller and Memory Card for this, and of course Online games are no longer in operation.

Also do you already have an SNES? If not maybe look into the Retron 5? Plays NES, SNES, Genesis, GB, GBC, and GBA games, plus all their imports in with HDMI output. Also accepts the original NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers as well.

Can't really go wrong with any of those Nintendo systems, probably not the 2600 either since I've seen some cool looking games on it but I don't have one myself. They are all pretty close to even in game prices with a mix of cheap common games and then the expensive stuff. If you do decide on the Gamecube it wouldn't hurt to look into backwards compatible Wii, even if you aren't interested in VC the Wii has some pretty good games also.

I'd get an SNES instead of a NES for games like Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Kart, Mortal Kombat II, Killer Instinct, Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, etc. Anyway, of those 4 systems, I like the platformers on the N64 the most. The N64 has a lot of classic games on it, although many of them are pretty expensive (as are most Nintendo exclusives).

I'd recommend the Nintendo 64. It has some of my most favorite games on that console. I'll list games I'd recommend below.

• Super Mario 64
• Golden Eye (First Person Shooter)
• Perfect Dark (First Person Shooter)
• Mario Kart 64 (Racing)
• Star Fox 64
• Super Smash Bros. (Fighting Game)
• Pokemon Stadium Series
• Mario Tennis (Tennis)
• Mario Golf (Golf)
• Mario Party Series (Lots of different mini games)
• The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time

Depending on what you're into is what I think you should start off with. Alternatively, you could watch some YouTube videos of a game before you try it. Otherwise, you can dive straight in for a complete surprise. It's up to you really. Good luck with whatever choice you decide to choose.

@raugutcon: Along with what you've said, I'll tell you which of my systems (on the list) are still functional today. My Atari is finally showing it's age- mostly due to compatibility issues with modern TV screens. My N.E.S. is still working BUT cartridges that had a 'memory chip' inside (Link;Legend of Zelda) don't save so well, and sometimes the screen gets split. My Cube is still running just fine, loves to play Pikmin and Luigi's Mansion with me.(Good Boy!)

Maybe this helps in your decision making...

One advice: Never buy any Atari. It is very impractical "console".

GameCube. It has a much more varied library than the N64, with the GameCube covering a lot more genres. And some of the N64's best games were also released for the GameCube, like Ocarina of Time as part of Zelda: Collector's Edition. The GameCube has so many classics, like, for example:

• Zelda: Collector's Edition, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess
• Resident Evil: 1, 2, 3, Code Veronica X, 4
• Eternal Darkness
• Prince of Persia trilogy
• Sonic Adventure 1 & 2
• Mario Sunshine
• Skies of Arcadia Legends
• Tales of Symphonia
• Metroid Prime 1 & 2
• Burnout 1 & 2
• Smash Bros Melee
• Mario Kart: Double Dash
• Soul Calibur 2

That's a fair point, although it kind of defeats the purpose of being a retro games collector. :P

Also - and I can't speak for all cases - but certainly in many cases, the emulation is pretty dodgy. You're often not really getting the true feel for how the original games actually look and feel.

Anyway, my recommendation - primarily for reasons of lower cost overall and higher accessibility - is to go with GameCube. The games are easy to get, and you can still get all the accessories/controllers/cables pretty easily. You can even sometimes find brand new controllers out there, which is awesome.

I also highly recommend the other consoles, but there are caveats. For instance, if you want to play NES on a modern HDTV...it's not going to look great. The compatibility just isn't there. I haven't yet invested in one, but I think you'd need an upscaler to even begin to do those games justice. Alternatively, you'd need to have a good old-fashioned CRT TV. :-)

Also, in the case of N64, the plastic housing around the analogue stick is very prone to damage and the stick itself becomes wobbly/loose over time. So if you buy a second-hand controller, it's going to be very hard to find one that "feels new". And honestly, N64 controllers feel really great when they're newer...not so much when they age.

That said, perhaps start with GameCube and see how you go! If you really love it and you're in the mood to dive deeper, then I'd say trace further back in time and pick up a SNES before moving on to even older hardware.

Good luck and enjoy. :-)

This is a great list, to which I would add:

• F-Zero GX
• Super Monkey Ball
• Time Splitters: Future Perfect (Don't care what anyone says, this has aged better than Goldeneye)
• Mario Power Tennis (Really all the Mario Sports games, but especially this)

Nintendo 64 is always the best pick ;)

It's really tough to provide a recommendation, because these consoles are so different. The best comparisons are between N64 and GameCube, but how does one compare a GameCube to an Atari 2600?

I mean, for one thing, if you're considering older consoles (8-bit era and earlier) then you have to really consider whether or not you want to try to play these machines on an HDTV or whether or not you want to consider buying a CRT TV (if you don't already have one).

I'd probably consider these consoles in two categories because they are so different.

In terms of Atari 2600 vs NES, I'd probably start with NES. I haven't had much experience with 2600, but I suggest NES because:

• It's generally a bit easier to work with (in terms of connecting to different kinds of TVs)
• The games are generally more advanced (some great concepts first debuted on the 2600, but you'll get a more sophisticated experience on the NES)
• You'll be introduced to the beginnings of some brilliant franchises that are still going strong today (this is also true for 2600, but less so)

In terms of N64 vs GameCube, that's a tough contest. N64 had some groundbreaking games - no video game player, regardless of their allegiance or tastes, should miss out on Super Mario 64 for example.

At the same time, the N64 is an example of earlier 3D games where the GameCube (again) has another level of sophistication going on. What I mean is, 3D games were more refined by the time GameCube appeared. You'll also see some really unique experimentation going on with GameCube, both from Nintendo and from third parties.

But it's hard to say. Ultimately, I think you should get all of these consoles. I know that's expensive, but I'd suggest doing it in stages. Then it's just a matter of prioritising which platforms to purchase and in which order. :-)

I don't know, it's kind of hard to say without knowing what you like. I can't really recommend an Atari though. I loved it as a kid, but it's kind of one of those consoles that's hard to enjoy in hindsight unless you grew up with one and have nostalgia for it. You can't go wrong with an NES, many of those games have held up quite well and there are SO MANY classics. N64 had some really great games (for the time), but I thought they were few and far between if you weren't interested in playing Mario games. Goldeneye 64, The Zelda games, and various Star Wars games (like the awesome Rogue Squadron and the Pod Racing game) were mainly what I messed with. And some of these games haven't held up too well in my opinion, it was ambitious for the time but in hindsight a little sloppy. I really couldn't tell you much about GameCube, I had one but all I had was the two Rogue Squadron sequels and a disc that came with it which contained a bunch of Zelda games. Gun to my head I'd say get an NES, there's a huge library of games and as I said many classics.

I'd seriously go with Wii but not for the reason you think. The gamecube uses a super rare plug for its component cables. They can cost hundreds. But with Wii, they are a pittance compared to GCN. So my answer is go Gamecube, but with Wii instead.