The first console you 'experienced' during the 16-bit era

[JoshTurboTrollX]

Curious about which of the three main SNES/GENS/TG16 consoles you had in your grasp during the 16-bit wars and do you think it's skewed your view on the entire era in gaming?

By Experience (poll) I mean like anything.  Seen ads/commercials, played or whatever.

I moved from the NES to SNES and played the Genesis many times at friends houses, but always swore my allegiance to Nintendo's 16-bitter for whatever reasons.  I just like SNES better until I played a Turbo for the first time in the summer of '94.  I was so impressed by the look and sound of the CD games (Ys I& II, GOT) that I was hooked forever!  Even with having had lots of time logged playing Sega and Nintendo's 16-bit offerings...

EDIT- Added Neo Geo into the mix for you privileged kids!  ;)

[DragonmasterDan]

Curious about which of the three main SNES/GENS/TG16 consoles you had in your grasp during the 16-bit wars and do you think it's skewed your view on the entire era in gaming?

By Experience (poll) I mean like anything.  Seen ads/commercials, played or whatever.

I moved from the NES to SNES and played the Genesis many times at friends houses, but always swore my allegiance to Nintendo's 16-bitter for whatever reasons.  I just like SNES better until I played a Turbo for the first time in the summer of '94.  I was so impressed by the look and sound of the CD games (Ys I& II, GOT) that I was hooked forever!  Even with having had lots of time logged playing Sega and Nintendo's 16-bit offerings...

EDIT- Added Neo Geo into the mix for you privileged kids!  ;)

TurboGrafx 16 was first for me. The first game I ever played was Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, at the time I was quite impressed with how fast the robot sections moved and the bright colors.

[Otaking]

PC Engine for me. 

[OldRover]

I first saw the "Them/Us" commercial on TV and knew I had to own a TG16. Not long after that, I started seeing the "Genesis Does" commercial. My mind was already set on getting a TG16 though, so I was unmoved. I didn't actually get a TG16 until awhile later, and I remember quite clearly that the store did not want to sell me one; they insisted I buy a Genesis. I told them I wanted a TG16 and that was just it. They sold me a non-functional floor model. I was pissed as hell when I got it home and it did not work. I brought it back the next day and demanded a new model. They had no choice but to take it back and give me a new model. I spent many hours with Keith Courage In Alpha Zones, and later with Fantasy Zone, and knew that this would always be my console of choice. To this day, it still is.

[MrFlutterPie]

It was the SNES for me.  I never owned one (or any 16 bit machine for that matter) but I rented it a lot.

[CrackTiger]

I got a Genesis at launch and was already a huge SMS and Sega fan. I quickly became a Genesis fanboy and was very biased against the TG-16, which I knew mostly from magazines. I was already jealous of Keith Courage after trying it at a trade show, but all it took was one visit to the home of an aquaintence, where I got to watch Dungeon Explorer and Neutopia, to make the TG-16/PCE my favorite platform to this day.

[Nando]

1st 16 bit system was the Genesis in Toronto, CA. It was 1989 and Sega had recently launched the Genesis ,they had a big expo near lake Ontario. Got to try Mystic Defender and Forgotten Worlds that day.

Then in Montreal is was the TG16 - the local EB store had a display one with SideArms and the guys would let you try any of the games they had in stock, since they had opened one of each for demo purposes. It was pretty awesome. I also tried Keith Courage that day. A few weeks later the managers stopped the open game display/demo thing they had going.  It was okay though, across from the store was a HUGE arcade anyway.

[jlued686]

Depends on what you mean.

The first I heard of the coming 16-bit systems was the Genesis. There was a special about the so-called "next generation" on one of the news programs, and I think they had yet to be released. I then saw a Genesis kiosk on an end-cap in a store shortly thereafter, and I'm pretty sure Buster Douglass boxing was the demo.

But I never played a 16-bit system until a short time later when I got the TurboGrafx-16 for Christmas. I had initially chosen the Genesis - probably because of that news segment - but it cost a bit more than the Turbo, so my Dad asked if I would want that instead. Glad I agreed!

[rtyper]

Saw the Megadrive at a show in london before it came out, playing space harrier 2, which basically sold it to me. However, I saw the PCEngine at a guys house playing rtypeI (japanese version) which didn't sell it to me (it was the first time I saw sprite flicker). Eventually had both and although I am on my 3rd megadrive (which I fell in and out of love with) I still have the original pcengine/sgfx. I have a big fondness for the white pcengine, matched only by the c64. thinking about these 2 systems bring back the best memories.
I would sell all my other gear before I parted with these and I would have to be really desperate.

[NecroPhile]

The Duo is the first and only 16 bitter I've owned, but I played Genny in stores before I had a chance to play a Turbob.  I don't recall which came first in reading about 'em in game rags.

As for why I only own OBEY from the 16 bit generation: I only have so much time to game.  I could buy SNES/Genny/NeoGeo stuff, but it'd take away from OBEY time.

[majors]

Had a NES and SMS and was fairly loyal to Sega by then. Got a Altered Beast pack-in Genny and Revenge of Shinobi. Rented games, picked up a few (money was tight for a kid). A TG-16 deal came upon me in '90, so I picked it up. I did always want one, but I was just waiting for a deal like this to happen or for the price drops. Once I did, the old Genesis took backseat to the awesome.

[DragonmasterDan]

Had a NES and SMS and was fairly loyal to Sega by then. Got a Altered Beast pack-in Genny and Revenge of Shinobi. Rented games, picked up a few (money was tight for a kid). A TG-16 deal came upon me in '90, so I picked it up. I did always want one, but I was just waiting for a deal like this to happen or for the price drops. Once I did, the old Genesis took backseat to the awesome.

Was the TG-16 deal the buy the system and get one of 30 games free via mail ?

[fsa]

I was into the TG-16 from day one and never looked back. Just recently in the last 2 years I got the SNES and Genesis. The Turbo is still my system of choice.

[turboswimbz]

my first video game experience was the turbografx-16.  My dad was won over by the cards and the CD system.  He picked up a TG-16 out of the newspaper when people were dropping them for the SNES 80 bucks got em a boxed system, boxed controller, boxed tap, KC, Both bonks, Parasol Stars, Deep Blue, and Boxy Boy.  However, he never did find the CD systems, as they were not sold here in any quantity. (ony EB had them and there was only 1 small store nearby).  I played bonk a lot and finally finished it, at 4 I felt pretty darn excited.  So the next year my parents got me a S-N-E-S of my own.  I became a Nintendo fanboy after that.  But I would always bring down my dad's Turbo and play it, generally about 1-2 times a year.  sadly I did not know of TZD, and was only able to add a few HuCARDs between then and about 2 years ago.  I will only give up that turbografx when I die.  although I do enjoy my SNES too.  perhaps one of these days I shall post a picture of my beloved TG-16 system.

[VestCunt]

Curious about which of the three main SNES/GENS/TG16 consoles you had in your grasp during the 16-bit wars and do you think it's skewed your view on the entire era in gaming?

By Experience (poll) I mean like anything.  Seen ads/commercials, played or whatever.

You're asking two different questions.
First next-generation console I played was the Genesis. First one I owned was the TG16 (I was poor).

Lynx should be on the poll too.

I find it hard to believe the majority of members experienced the TG16 before the Genesis.

[roflmao]

My first 16-bit console was a TG16.  I sold my SMS to get it.  My next door neighbor had a Genesis so we had a healthy rivalry going on for awhile, but we both enjoyed games on both systems.  I later picked up a SNES about the time it was released.  I didn't own a Genesis until I joined the forums here a few years ago and Beamer gave me one.  Then later, Bernie gave me another one!  At the recent Octurbofest someone else went home with a free Genesis.

[esteban]

I lived, like many folks, in a Nintendo-dominated area, but we had a decent contingent of SMS owners (as evidenced by the local video store offering an extensive library of SMS titles). I played SMS at friends' homes and I remember how this motley crew of gamers were stoked when previews of the MegaDrive (and later, Genesis) started hitting magazines.

Most folks had to wait until XMAS to play Genesis, but one kid carefully opened up his gift, removed the contents, and was playing Genesis unbeknownst to his parents. Ha!

That was the first time I played Genesis. I reckon it must have been around Sept-Oct. 1989 (beginning of the school year) since it was still pleasant weather. Altered Beast.

I didn't regularly go to ToysRUs, so it wasn't until December that I played at a TG-16 kiosk (Blazing Lazers, I think).

[ccovell]

The first time I saw & played a 16-bitter was in August 1989 at the PNE in Vancouver.  The TG16 had a "play experience" booth/trailer just like the SNES would two years later.

Also, the various department stores had a Turbo display in their game departments, and that's where I experienced Keith Courage for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd... time.  I don't remember hearing or playing a Genesis until maybe 6 months to a year later.

I don't know if it skewed my view of 16-bit games, but when my family finally had a chance to rent a Genesis on holiday, all they played was Tommy Lasorda Baseball and Super Thunder Blade... neither of which ignited any flames in my heart.

[OldRover]

I find it hard to believe the majority of members experienced the TG16 before the Genesis.

If it were the other way around, perhaps we would be on Sega forums instead.

[MrFlutterPie]

1st 16 bit system was the Genesis in Toronto, CA. It was 1989 and Sega had recently launched the Genesis ,they had a big expo near lake Ontario. Got to try Mystic Defender and Forgotten Worlds that day.

Was it the EX?  They used to have a huge room full of games you could you play there.  I used to play Jurassic Park Genesis when I went.  Than we'd go across to Ontario place and I'd play the Super Scope games they had set up.

[JoshTurboTrollX]

You're asking two different questions.
First next-generation console I played was the Genesis. First one I owned was the TG16 (I was poor).

If you played the Genesis before you owned the TG16, then you experienced the Genny first.  Not two different questions, you just answered one question with two answers.

Lynx should be on the poll too.

If you can hook a Lynx up to a TV as a proper game console then it should be included, but as far as I know, you cannot.  It's a handheld.

[turbokon]

I can't remember my first time playing a 16bitter but the first 16-bit system we owned was a turbografx-16. I remember seeing it on the commericals when it first came out and later in toy'r us ads sometime later along with the Turboexpress. It wasn't until dec of '91 when we were able to convince my dad for one. We got ours from Montgomery Wards for $99. We were blown away with Keithcourage. That was the only game we owned for a while until the only other kid in neighborhood with a tg16 sold us both bonks, china warrior, legendary axe and splatterhouse for $10 each. We picked up a few other games from here and there, super star soldier from a pawn shop, space harrier and sinistron from the flew market and R-Type/Ninja spirit/Dungeon explorer /Super volley ball/Takin to the hoops from a friend from school. Ooh and Aero Blaster and Panza Kickboxing from Toy'r us. That was our tg16 game library. To steal from Esteban, "True story"

[turbokon]

Btw it was good meeting you joshuaturbo at octurborfest:)

[JoshTurboTrollX]

Btw it was good meeting you joshuaturbo at octurborfest:)

Likewise, your mods are legendary!!  I hope the drive back home was safe and relaxing!  See you again at MGC, VGS or next OcTurbo? 

[Arkhan Asylum]

Sega Genesis, bitches.

Then, I saw SNES at the neighbors and was like OH I NEED THAT TOO.

Then my aunt had turbo grafx so I needed that too.

Then I just played games and was oblivious to the bit-wars, because I was like 7.

[Tatsujin]

the PCE in a shopping mall which had imported a core grafx back in 1989. it was tagged with CHF 600.-  what was waaaay out of the range a 14yo could have ever paid back then on his own

2nd was the MD, and then the PCE again at a friends place which got spoiled all the time with video game systems.

[bob]

FIRST experience was Genny.

[Xak]

It was the Genesis. The game was ALTERED BEAST. Wow, talk about blowing my mind. WISE FWUM YA GWAVE wasnt enough (the speech in a cart was new to all) but when I saw the Transformation animation WOW ... the day I saw this at some random house of a friend of a family will be forever etched into my memory bank.

[TR0N]

TG16 first then Genesis 2nd and SNES for last.For the three console mention id played them first at a friends house,then i got the consoles for myself.

[BlueBMW]

During the 16 bit era I first experienced the NES... yep the NES.  I think it was about 1990/91 when my dad and I were at a CompUSA or Computer City maybe and they had a stack of five NES consoles for $25 each.  So my dad bought one with Tetris, Mario 2 and Mario 3.  We took it home and disconnected the old Atari 800.  I soon experienced SNES and Genesis at a friends house but didnt get systems of my own until much later.

I guess a 486 pc doesnt count as that was a 32bit cpu of I remember right...  I guess I would have experienced that system before any consoles.

[Tatsujin]

I guess a 486 pc doesnt count as that was a 32bit cpu of I remember right...  I guess I would have experienced that system before any consoles.

may be it was 32-bit, but played games from like the 4-bit age

[wildfruit]

I answered mega drive in haste but now i think it might have actually been amiga 500 round a friend's house

[MrFlutterPie]

During the 16 bit era I first experienced the NES... yep the NES.  I think it was about 1990/91 when my dad and I were at a CompUSA or Computer City maybe and they had a stack of five NES consoles for $25 each.  So my dad bought one with Tetris, Mario 2 and Mario 3.  We took it home and disconnected the old Atari 800.  I soon experienced SNES and Genesis at a friends house but didnt get systems of my own until much later.

I guess a 486 pc doesnt count as that was a 32bit cpu of I remember right...  I guess I would have experienced that system before any consoles.

Ahh man I grew up with a NES during the 16 bit era as well.  I was super jealous of everybody else lol.

[PunkCryborg]

Parents sold the NES to buy a SNES for me for Christmas. I might have played a turbo or genny before that time at kiosks but I don't remember

[Tatsujin]

I answered mega drive in haste but now i think it might have actually been amiga 500 round a friend's house

Ah ok, if we talking home compis too, then for me it was the amiga as well.
Must have been around 1987  then.

[Otaking]

but now i think it might have actually been amiga 500 round a friend's house

+1
this was going to be my answer too but the OP said your first "console" experience so I went with the PC Engine.

I remember the Amiga being really expensive for the time, only a handful of kids in my school with wealthy parents had one. When the PC Engine & Megadrive arrived they were comparatively cheap and seemed graphically superior to the 16 bit home computers.

[ElSeven]

I inherited my brother's video game habit and my first experience with a 16-bit console was playing his TG16 in 1990.  I'm not sure if the first game that I tried was either JJ & Jeff or Bonk, the memory is too distant to recall in detail.

But even as a 7 year old I knew that Keith Courage was underwhelming...

[retroguy]

My first was the Genesis, first played when my cousin came to visit for the summer and brought hers. I remember getting hooked on Sonic right away, but thinking Phantasy Star was just weird (I'd never seen an RPG before at that point). Then my best friend got one and we had tons of fun with Mortal Kombat, Eternal Champions, X-Men, Risk, Beavis And Butthead...  I know the SNES was the better system from a technical standpoint, but I'll always have a soft spot for Sega.

[Tatsujin]

I know the SNES was the better system from a technical standpoint,

was it?

[majors]

...A TG-16 deal came upon me in '90, so I picked it up.

Was the TG-16 deal the buy the system and get one of 30 games free via mail ?

Nope. Someone (I'm told) had won a TG-16, booster, stick, tap and 5 games in a contest but did not want it. So he sold it for 50% retail at the time.

[Nando]

1st 16 bit system was the Genesis in Toronto, CA. It was 1989 and Sega had recently launched the Genesis ,they had a big expo near lake Ontario. Got to try Mystic Defender and Forgotten Worlds that day.

Was it the EX?  They used to have a huge room full of games you could you play there.  I used to play Jurassic Park Genesis when I went.  Than we'd go across to Ontario place and I'd play the Super Scope games they had set up.

Ontario Place FTW!!!!

It may have been the EX, my memory is hazy. I recall that this was some sort of expo near the lake that Sega was part off. I wish I could remember better. It was gone after a few days.

I went to Jr. High at Jesse Ketchum, we used to go to Yonge street for lunch (and some times to skip class) and play video games at the arcades or swing by Sears and play their free gaming setups. We played a TON of Gautlent on the NES there too. lol Crazy memory recall.

[esteban]

...A TG-16 deal came upon me in '90, so I picked it up.

Was the TG-16 deal the buy the system and get one of 30 games free via mail ?

Nope. Someone (I'm told) had won a TG-16, booster, stick, tap and 5 games in a contest but did not want it. So he sold it for 50% retail at the time.

Dude, that sounds like a TurboPlay contest. If I'm not lazy, I'll see if I can find the issue.

[majors]

Dude, that sounds like a TurboPlay contest. If I'm not lazy, I'll see if I can find the issue.

I got the impression is was one of those ad contests, where you'd win a entertainment setup with multiple systems, TV and sound system. The game IIRC were Bonk, Blazing, L.Axe, A.Crush and World Class Baseball. The seller ask the manager at Babbages to unload it, so I never met the dude. I was one of those kids that would hit the game store every other day hoping for new shipments. I got to know all the employees and eventually got a PT job working there.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I still remember, I saw the SNES at a neighbors house when I was 3.  We already had the Sega Genesis at this time, and an NES.

I was not really that impressed with the SNES.   I was excited that it was new, and I wanted to have it but then while watching the neighbor dude play Super Mario World, I thought to myself "Castle of Illusion is more fun.", so I wasn't really upset that I didn't have it to play. 

Super Mario isn't exactly the most graphically impressive game. Considering that I had Mario 3 and had just finished playing it, I didn't see what was Super about it.   I honestly thought it was just like, an expansion thing that I could find in the used game bin at the game store.

I didn't really become impressed with SNES until I was introduced to Street Fighter II and Mario Kart.  Until then, I was always playing Genesis because Sonic 2 is the best thing ever when you're a little kid hopped up on coke and twinkies.

The coolest thing for SNES to me, still, to this day, is the Super Scope 6.    That is the best part of the SNES.   Those games were awesome.  No lightgun setup was that fucking cool.


My aunt/uncle had Turbo Grafx, and that is where I first experienced it whenever we'd go over there for some family event.

It ruled.    I always thought it was more fun than the SNES/Genesis as far as game variety went.  This is probably because they had Bonk, KC, Silent Debuggers, Dungeon Explorer, Bloody Wolf, Neutopia, Alien/Devil Crush, Blazing Lazers, and R Type.

That's like, a power house of variety right there.


Basically though, I never got concerned with which was really better, because each console had something I liked more.   

Squaresoft defined SNES for me, action games on the Genesis were way better, and TG was my arcade-quality machine.

Who the hell needed to go to the arcade to play shooty games when the TG did it all from my house.

[Tatsujin]

I still remember, I saw the SNES at a neighbors house when I was 3.  We already had the Sega Genesis at this time, and an NES.

I was not really that impressed with the SNES.   I was excited that it was new, and I wanted to have it but then while watching the neighbor dude play Super Mario World, I thought to myself "Castle of Illusion is more fun.", so I wasn't really upset that I didn't have it to play. 

Super Mario isn't exactly the most graphically impressive game. Considering that I had Mario 3 and had just finished playing it, I didn't see what was Super about it.   I honestly thought it was just like, an expansion thing that I could find in the used game bin at the game store.

And that all as a 3yo? I'm deeply impressed!

[esteban]

I still remember, I saw the SNES at a neighbors house when I was 3.  We already had the Sega Genesis at this time, and an NES.

I was not really that impressed with the SNES.   I was excited that it was new, and I wanted to have it but then while watching the neighbor dude play Super Mario World, I thought to myself "Castle of Illusion is more fun.", so I wasn't really upset that I didn't have it to play. 

Super Mario isn't exactly the most graphically impressive game. Considering that I had Mario 3 and had just finished playing it, I didn't see what was Super about it.   I honestly thought it was just like, an expansion thing that I could find in the used game bin at the game store.

And that all as a 3yo? I'm deeply impressed!

CORRECTION: 23 year old.

[Arkhan Asylum]

And that all as a 3yo? I'm deeply impressed!

Yeah, I got an NES when I was 2 and played a lot of Super Mario Bros. 1-3, Kid Icarus, Contra, Bayou Billy, TMNT 1..

and my grandma had the sweet hookup at Sears, so Genesis happened just a year later.

I was never really into sports or playing outside, I guess.   I tried sports, didn't like it.  Ran around outside, but got bored because all the neighborhood kids were dickbags, so, video games = yes.


Had Gameboy too.   Kirby's Dreamland was one of the greatest things I ever got as a kid.  Who needs friends when you've got Kirby.

[Tatsujin]

Had Gameboy too.   Kirby's Dreamland was one of the greatest things I ever got as a kid.  Who needs friends when you've got Kirby.

that's just what my kid is thinking too..lol. he cleared almost any kirby games from GB up to GBA. kirby is his most fav.

[retroguy]

Give him a Pokémon game. You won't see him for weeks.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Had Gameboy too.   Kirby's Dreamland was one of the greatest things I ever got as a kid.  Who needs friends when you've got Kirby.

that's just what my kid is thinking too..lol. he cleared almost any kirby games from GB up to GBA. kirby is his most fav.

all of the Kirby games end up being a bit easy in the end, but they are some of the funnest platforming games I have ever played.   I remember getting Kirby Super Star for SNES and I had my mind blown.