Which console do I need?

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ArcticJack

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#1  Edited By ArcticJack
Member since 2013 • 25 Posts

My 5 year old daughter has been playing Mario and Mario Kart on her mother’s Nintendo DS for the past year, she loves them.

I haven’t played a console since the Playstation 2 days at which point I transferred to board games so I’m well out of touch with the current scene.

I’m thinking about getting my daughter a console so she can use it on the big TV in the living room. Looking at the latest consoles and games they seem to be aimed at older gamers with more complex games. I remembered the old platform games of the past playing them myself on the original Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Mega Drive and Nintendo 64.

I then got thinking that maybe I should buy a console of the past that were more aimed towards platform gaming which my daughter enjoys. I then noticed that the Nintendo Wii had a few platform games available.

Anyway I’d just like some advice... Which console of any era is best suited for platform gaming and has a good library of excellent platform games to choose from?

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Lucianu

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#2 Lucianu
Member since 2007 • 10347 Posts

The SNES would be the best for platformers, actually i'd say it is the best console to own, period. Unfortunately though most of the carts are expensive and more worth it for collecting purposes.

I'd go with the Wii. Has a wealth of good platformers, the VC through which a ton of 16bit platformers are available, cheap as hell these days. You can't go wrong with a Wii.

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g0ddyX

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#3  Edited By g0ddyX
Member since 2005 • 3914 Posts

N64 or SNES are the best, hands down.

Wii is an easy and safe option and all the youngsters like it.
That being said, you can still find platformers and indie games on PS3 and 360 that will suffice too.

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Netret0120

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#4 Netret0120
Member since 2013 • 3594 Posts

Definitely a Wii.

She can play Wii games that are suitable for her age and you can enjoy some fantastic games yourself aswell.

Download SNES and N64 games from the store and you will have hours of fun with it.

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Gue1

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#5  Edited By Gue1
Member since 2004 • 12171 Posts

Buy a Wii with Donkey Kong, Klonoa and Mario games. And the Wii has Virtual Console too where you can buy some Snes platformers if it hasn't been closedt-down yet.

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freedomfreak

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#6 freedomfreak  Online
Member since 2004 • 52418 Posts

Yeah, a Wii sounds good. It has a lot of fun games. Proper Nintendo titles.

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ArcticJack

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#7 ArcticJack
Member since 2013 • 25 Posts

I've just been looking through the old SNES games and they have a lot my daughter would like and by the looks of it that would be my preferred console at the minute.

If I bought the Wii, is it possible to download all the old SNES games for it without soldering stuff, adding chips or taking things apart? If this is the case, it would be pretty much ideal.

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MajesticShea

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#8 MajesticShea
Member since 2013 • 730 Posts

get her a PC with at least a 7970. Buy her Hotline Miami too, great game.

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Murderstyle75

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#9 Murderstyle75
Member since 2011 • 4412 Posts

Either a Wii or an Xbox 360 with Kinect. Keep in mind though that if you go the 360 route, if her or you ever wanted to bring the console online for multiplayer or viewing movies from apps such as Netflix, it requires a $60 yearly, $25 quarterly or $10 monthly subscription.

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freedomfreak

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#10  Edited By freedomfreak  Online
Member since 2004 • 52418 Posts

@arcticjack said:

If I bought the Wii, is it possible to download all the old SNES games for it without soldering stuff, adding chips or taking things apart? If this is the case, it would be pretty much ideal.

Yup. There's something called Virtual Console that allows you to buy NES/SNES games.

Here's a bit more information.

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ArcticJack

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#11 ArcticJack
Member since 2013 • 25 Posts

@freedomfreak:

@freedomfreak said:

@arcticjack said:

If I bought the Wii, is it possible to download all the old SNES games for it without soldering stuff, adding chips or taking things apart? If this is the case, it would be pretty much ideal.

Yup. There's something called Virtual Console that allows you to buy NES/SNES games.

Here's a bit more information.

All SNES games or just a select few?

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#12  Edited By freedomfreak  Online
Member since 2004 • 52418 Posts

@arcticjack said:

@freedomfreak:

All SNES games or just a select few?

I don't think all SNES games are available. Here's a list.

Assuming you live in North America.

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Lucianu

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#13 Lucianu
Member since 2007 • 10347 Posts

@arcticjack said:

I've just been looking through the old SNES games and they have a lot my daughter would like and by the looks of it that would be my preferred console at the minute.

If I bought the Wii, is it possible to download all the old SNES games for it without soldering stuff, adding chips or taking things apart? If this is the case, it would be pretty much ideal.

Ofcourse, you don't need to mod your Wii to download SNES games on it, you can get them through a service called 'Virtual Console'.

Unfortunately, there isn't much meat on the bone, VC doesn't have the plenthora of awesome SNES games, but it is better than nothing. You can check the list here.

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ArcticJack

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#14  Edited By ArcticJack
Member since 2013 • 25 Posts

@freedomfreak said:

@arcticjack said:

@freedomfreak:

All SNES games or just a select few?

I don't think all SNES games are available. Here's a list.

Assuming you live in North America.

Thank you...

I live in the UK, does that make a difference?

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#15 freedomfreak  Online
Member since 2004 • 52418 Posts

@arcticjack said:

Thank you...

I live in the UK, does that make a difference?

Looking at the list, North America seems to have a few extra titles. Nothing major, really.

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Lucianu

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#16 Lucianu
Member since 2007 • 10347 Posts

@freedomfreak said:

@arcticjack said:

@freedomfreak:

All SNES games or just a select few?

I don't think all SNES games are available. Here's a list.

Assuming you live in North America.

Not even close. I mean, it's decent, but a lot of the titles included are filler that suck ass. Like the SNES version of Street Fighter II, which is incredibly poor compared to the arcade version (which is practically available everywere).

It's.. a decent start, it has some of the good classics, but a shit ton of excellent games are missing.

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#17 freedomfreak  Online
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@Lucianu said:

Not even close. I mean, it's decent, but a lot of the titles included are filler that suck ass. Like the SNES version of Street Fighter II, which is incredibly poor compared to the arcade version (which is practically available everywere).

It's.. a decent start, it has some of the good classics, but a shit ton of excellent games are missing.

Yeah, I figured it wouldn't all be up to snuff.

Guess it's up to him whether to look for a SNES and track down those games, or deal with what the VC has to offer.

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#18 foxhound_fox
Member since 2005 • 98532 Posts

A Wii. It has the currently largest library of the best games and offers a digital download service to a gigantic back catalogue of their games.

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#19 foxhound_fox
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@Lucianu said:

Not even close. I mean, it's decent, but a lot of the titles included are filler that suck ass. Like the SNES version of Street Fighter II, which is incredibly poor compared to the arcade version (which is practically available everywere).

It's.. a decent start, it has some of the good classics, but a shit ton of excellent games are missing.

A vintage SNES with carts is a ridiculously expensive investment (especially if you want carts that work and save, and can't do the save battery swaps on your own). All the fantastic games run anywhere from $50-100 a piece, some more. Someone who is just looking for a more entry-level console, the SNES is not an option.

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#20 GhoX
Member since 2006 • 6267 Posts

3DS is very nice too.

However, since your daughter is quite small make sure you turn off the 3D and configure parental control so that 3D cannot be turned on.

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ArcticJack

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#21 ArcticJack
Member since 2013 • 25 Posts

@foxhound_fox said:

@Lucianu said:

Not even close. I mean, it's decent, but a lot of the titles included are filler that suck ass. Like the SNES version of Street Fighter II, which is incredibly poor compared to the arcade version (which is practically available everywere).

It's.. a decent start, it has some of the good classics, but a shit ton of excellent games are missing.

A vintage SNES with carts is a ridiculously expensive investment (especially if you want carts that work and save, and can't do the save battery swaps on your own). All the fantastic games run anywhere from $50-100 a piece, some more. Someone who is just looking for a more entry-level console, the SNES is not an option.

Are the carts renowned for not working? What are save battery swaps?

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elessarGObonzo

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#22 elessarGObonzo
Member since 2008 • 2677 Posts

none of the above consoles are needed. use the desktop\laptop you typed this on to download and run all the old emulators and have everything from Atari to the Wii running on her PC. plus all the old ROMS\games you can't buy anywhere anymore. buy a decent gamepad and you're all set.

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SKaREO

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#23 SKaREO
Member since 2006 • 3161 Posts

PS4 obviously. PC is an overpriced waste of money when you can get a tablet for $200 these days. And the X1 has a video camera attached to it and a microphone that is always on. Microsoft also cooperates with the NSA in gathering unprecedented amounts of data to spy on their own American people illegally. Take that as you may.

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#24 MonsieurX
Member since 2008 • 39858 Posts

@SKaREO said:

PS4 obviously. PC is an overpriced waste of money when you can get a tablet for $200 these days. And the X1 has a video camera attached to it and a microphone that is always on. Microsoft also cooperates with the NSA in gathering unprecedented amounts of data to spy on their own American people illegally. Take that as you may.

Taking this as a poor troll bait

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#25 k2theswiss
Member since 2007 • 16599 Posts

na get xbox one dude. You would be set for the future, you be able play games on it and your kid .

Your kid will love kinect

the online stores ARE FULL of platform games~ look out for project spark! creative game like mincraft, but similar like little planet and you can go from 2d to 3d.

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Lucianu

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#26  Edited By Lucianu
Member since 2007 • 10347 Posts

@foxhound_fox said:

@Lucianu said:

Not even close. I mean, it's decent, but a lot of the titles included are filler that suck ass. Like the SNES version of Street Fighter II, which is incredibly poor compared to the arcade version (which is practically available everywere).

It's.. a decent start, it has some of the good classics, but a shit ton of excellent games are missing.

A vintage SNES with carts is a ridiculously expensive investment (especially if you want carts that work and save, and can't do the save battery swaps on your own). All the fantastic games run anywhere from $50-100 a piece, some more. Someone who is just looking for a more entry-level console, the SNES is not an option.

I don't view that as ridiculously expensive, not at all. Neo Geo AES collecting is what i'd call trully an expensive endeavour, makes SEGA Saturn collecting look cheaper than dirt. Overall though, from a collector's standpoint, 50 to 100 a pop doesn't look like a big deal to me. Say i just buy a couple per month to enlarge my collection, for example, and i can always sell them later.

Compared to other collectors items, gaming is one of the cheapest possible.

But i know what you're talking about, for people that aren't collectors and they're just looking for a console to play games on, the SNES is not an option, i agree.

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ArcticJack

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#27  Edited By ArcticJack
Member since 2013 • 25 Posts

One last question... If I get an old console like the SNES will I have any problems playing it on a large (50inch) plasma TV? It is a Panasonic Viera TXP50V10B, is there anything I need to be aware of?

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#28  Edited By Krelian-co
Member since 2006 • 13274 Posts

wii has some great games for kids and platformers, including mario galaxy series which are just incredible. Actually ps3 has some great games too, you just need to look for them, games like rayman legends and origins, little big planet and so on come to mind

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#29 cainetao11
Member since 2006 • 38026 Posts

@arcticjack: The wii is the best, latest released for this situation imo. The wiiU is too expensive and X1 and PS4 are as well and not geared for your daughter's age.

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#30  Edited By handssss
Member since 2013 • 1907 Posts

@arcticjack said:

My 5 year old daughter has been playing Mario and Mario Kart on her mother’s Nintendo DS for the past year, she loves them.

I haven’t played a console since the Playstation 2 days at which point I transferred to board games so I’m well out of touch with the current scene.

I’m thinking about getting my daughter a console so she can use it on the big TV in the living room. Looking at the latest consoles and games they seem to be aimed at older gamers with more complex games. I remembered the old platform games of the past playing them myself on the original Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Mega Drive and Nintendo 64.

I then got thinking that maybe I should buy a console of the past that were more aimed towards platform gaming which my daughter enjoys. I then noticed that the Nintendo Wii had a few platform games available.

Anyway I’d just like some advice... Which console of any era is best suited for platform gaming and has a good library of excellent platform games to choose from?

the wii u is always gonna be there. no, i'm not explicitly saying it's just for kids, but they prefer embracing family friendly first party titles and games to be played a parties than onllne games or other things that seem outside of your interests. Nintendo also typically has great support for older titles from the NES, SNES, and N64 days on their online store for the system, so again, you might find what you are looking for here. $250-$300 for a system depending on the package.

Outside of that, the ps4 might be a solid choice if you still want a NEW system as opposed to an older one as sony does still do platforming games from time to time and that library might be even bigger when you factor in indie titles on PSN. there's a fair bit of family oriented games on the ps store. That octodad looks like it might be silly fun. Knack is a full-fledged game launching out meaning it will be fully priced, but it aims to capture the spirit of Crash Bandicoot. Who knows, it might be fun you are looking for.

The system is also gonna be capable of pretty much all of those outside of gaming features like Netflix, Skype, blu-rays, etc, so it seems alright for a living room experience. $400 for this system, however.

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#31  Edited By ZombieKiller7
Member since 2011 • 6463 Posts

Honestly I dunno

You're looking for classic gaming like the NES, afaik the only place you can get that is on...an NES.

It was the golden age of gaming really, with games like Duck Hunt and Mario and Donkey Kong

Now it's all about 3 minute cutscenes and scripted explosions.

Stick with the DS

Edit :

If you're dead-set on getting a console, I'd get an XB1

Why

1. WiiU controller is stupid, WiiU titles don't have the same charm and magic

2. PS4 is more focused on "core", not so much family

3. XB1 if nothing else IS a family box, you got Halo/CoD/Titanfall shooters for the 18-35 male demographic, Kinect for dancing games, Kinect for kids games, and if nothing else it functions as the world's coolest cable box. Look into Zoo Tycoon for your daughter, and I'm sure they'll have platformers.

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FuturePCGamer

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#32 FuturePCGamer
Member since 2011 • 63 Posts

I'd say go for the Wii...amazing that the Wii and the SNES are around the same price now.

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#33 Micropixel
Member since 2005 • 1383 Posts

I agree with what most people have already said here: Get a Wii. However, if she's going to be on an HD television set, then I'd probably say Wii U (since it's HD and it also plays all the Wii's games and can use Wii Ware). Although I'd probably feel a bit uneasy about the Wii U's Gamepad being in the hands of a 5 year old (kids tend to break things).

The 2DS is another option. It's cheap, it's got a great line up of games that you're aiming for, and the system is very durable and built for being handled by kids.

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#34 shellcase86
Member since 2012 • 6837 Posts

Father to father, I'd recommend either a Wii or PS2. Best bang for the buck and most titles and accessories are easy to find for a decent price.

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deactivated-58e448fd89d82

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#36 deactivated-58e448fd89d82
Member since 2010 • 4494 Posts

Dreamcast

Original XBOX

PS1

All the consoles you will ever need.

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#37  Edited By Caseytappy
Member since 2005 • 2199 Posts

With a question like that I can see why you would come to system wars !