I took good care of toys growing up, because we weren't made of money, but let me be frank: Some toys were stinkers.
I think the all-time worst might have been Domino Rally. I had the regular (not deluxe) version, but you should see the negative comments every version gets. This is a toy that consisted of plastic dominoes and little ramps and tracks that you can supposedly use to build cool domino setups. But the snaps on the dominoes were very easily broken, which ruined them for good by making them unusable in the ramps.
Do an online search for the bad comments this toy has been getting for years.
One of the most dangerous toys I remember was the Lunar Launcher. It was a toy that had little plastic discs that you could fire into the air, and they'd fly for incredible distances. It was dangerous because the discs had to be turned manually, and they'd often go off in your hand.
Erector Sets certainly sucked if you lost either the directions or even most minor piece. Attempting to build things with no directions as a kid was almost impossible. It didn't take long until I found Lego sets with mechanical elements that were way more forgiving and really easier to build from memory.
Speaking of shitty toys my did get one of these as a re-gift one year. :-D
Doesn't sound much more appealing with a healthy set of batteries:
I guess this would be the worst Christmas gift I ever got, more than it is a sucky toy, but it is the only thing that stands out. One year I got a bunch of those peg puzzles you see at like Cracker Barrell from my dad. I was around 12 or so, and it is the only gift I remember getting that as soon as I opened it, I threw it in the trash.
My original Nintendo kind of sucked too, because you had to constantly blow on the cartridges to get them to work, but at least I could it to work most of the time and it was fun when it did work.
Worst toy in my household was for my twin sons. My brother bought them battery-operated fire trucks that drove around flashing lights and sounding an annoying siren. It might have been OK had there been one of them. But when both of them played with the trucks at the same time, the sirens were slightly out of audio sync.
Maybe that's why my brother never had kids - we vowed revenge!
Quote from: ce929wax on November 25, 2019, 01:42:10 AM
I guess this would be the worst Christmas gift I ever got, more than it is a sucky toy, but it is the only thing that stands out. One year I got a bunch of those peg puzzles you see at like Cracker Barrell from my dad. I was around 12 or so, and it is the only gift I remember getting that as soon as I opened it, I threw it in the trash.
My original Nintendo kind of sucked too, because you had to constantly blow on the cartridges to get them to work, but at least I could it to work most of the time and it was fun when it did work.
The NES 2 essentially didn't have that problem. The issue was that that VCR like tray wouldn't line up the pins or would bend them. Blowing into the game just increased conductivity from the salvia. All those companies saying it was dust were full of shit.
Quote from: ce929wax on November 25, 2019, 01:42:10 AMMy original Nintendo kind of sucked too, because you had to constantly blow on the cartridges to get them to work, but at least I could it to work most of the time and it was fun when it did work.
I got an SNES for Christmas in 1994 and it wasn't until about 10 years ago that it started having the same problems. Another issue was when the battery paks in the cartridges would die, which meant that you couldn't save your games anymore. Last year, I was lucky enough to find a mini SNES Classic at Walmart. My original SNES still fires up, though.
I got an N64 in 1999 and surprisingly, the cartridges haven't really been an issue, but the controller joysticks were shit.
The worst Nintendo console I had was the GameCube. I got one for Christmas in 2001 and it lasted about 3 years and then it suddenly stopped reading discs, even those that were brand new. I got another new GameCube in 2004 and that one didn't even make it to 3 years before it stopped reading discs. I did some research online and apparently GameCubes were notorious for that. I gave up and got a Wii in 2009, which still works great today.
The GameCube had great games and controllers, but the console was shit.
Quote from: LM117 on November 25, 2019, 10:11:20 AM
Quote from: ce929wax on November 25, 2019, 01:42:10 AMMy original Nintendo kind of sucked too, because you had to constantly blow on the cartridges to get them to work, but at least I could it to work most of the time and it was fun when it did work.
I got an SNES for Christmas in 1994 and it wasn't until about 10 years ago that it started having the same problems. Another issue was when the battery paks in the cartridges would die, which meant that you couldn't save your games anymore. Last year, I was lucky enough to find a mini SNES Classic at Walmart. My original SNES still fires up, though.
I got an N64 in 1999 and surprisingly, the cartridges haven't really been an issue, but the controller joysticks were shit.
The worst Nintendo console I had was the GameCube. I got one for Christmas in 2001 and it lasted about 3 years and then it suddenly stopped reading discs, even those that were brand new. I got another new GameCube in 2004 and that one didn't even make it to 3 years before it stopped reading discs. I did some research online and apparently GameCubes were notorious for that. I gave up and got a Wii in 2009, which still works great today.
The GameCube had great games and controllers, but the console was shit.
That's why emulation is awesome you don't have to worry about lithium ion batteries dying and losing your data. With then NES you had to hold reset while powering off otherwise the game might erase the stored data. That sucked ass playing games like Final Fantasy or the Dragon Warrior series.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 24, 2019, 11:41:19 PM
Erector Sets certainly sucked if you lost either the directions or even most minor piece. Attempting to build things with no directions as a kid was almost impossible.
I had a hand-me down off-brand (not Gilbert) Erector set that had no instructions. The motor was missing (I discovered years later that my father had thrown it out after it blew the fuse for the living room wall outlets), but I had fun building other things, mostly bridges, with it.
And you're right about older LEGO sets, which were simply a bunch of standardized pieces. With a bit of imagination, you could take the basic pieces and make almost anything. The problem with todays LEGO sets, apart from being way too expensive for what they are, is that they are too specialized with far too many custom pieces. If you lose a few of those pieces, you can't complete the specific model the set is for.
I remember a 'Sesame Street' toy that consisted only of embossed images of lovable Muppet characters. The object of this toy was to rub a crayon on a sheet of paper with the embossed images underneath.
Big wow.
I guess I was too old for this toy when I had it, but I was very, very young (maybe 4). So it must not have been a very impressive toy at all.
I always thought the Magic Slate was a good toy, but they'd wear out after a while. These were very inexpensive toys you'd get at drugstores and stuff. They consisted of a sheet of plastic that had this wax-like backing. You'd draw on it with a special pencil, and erase it just by lifting the sheet. When I was about 4, I think I had a Bugs Bunny slate and a Bert and Ernie slate. I remember one time, my dad used one of these slates to draw a sketch of the Number Painter from 'Sesame Street', and I thought it was hilarious!
The mid-1960s versions of the Kenner Bridge and Turnpike building sets were generally OK. However, both the roadway sections and cross braces were not solid plastic, but vaccu-formed pieces. As a result, they would easily break over time - especially the mounting holes on the roadway pieces. Also, the 'gutter to gutter' width on the roadway sections would work for the smaller Tootsietoy cars and trucks, but was too narrow for most Matchbox cars of the era.
Final production of these sets (about 1967) substituted 'U' shaped stamped metal footings for the Masonite footings originally provided, which made the bridges wobbly.
I don't remember exactly what it was called, but best described as NFL electronic football game. I consisted of metal field that was electric and vibrated. You line up the tiny plastic players, and the quarterback held a felt football, Then you turned on the field, and the players would vribrate around, and you would try to "throw" the football by moving the arm of the quarterback. Probably the only redeeming quality was being able to replicate your favorite NFL team using stick on numbers.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 25, 2019, 10:20:52 AM
Quote from: LM117 on November 25, 2019, 10:11:20 AM
Quote from: ce929wax on November 25, 2019, 01:42:10 AMMy original Nintendo kind of sucked too, because you had to constantly blow on the cartridges to get them to work, but at least I could it to work most of the time and it was fun when it did work.
I got an SNES for Christmas in 1994 and it wasn't until about 10 years ago that it started having the same problems. Another issue was when the battery paks in the cartridges would die, which meant that you couldn't save your games anymore. Last year, I was lucky enough to find a mini SNES Classic at Walmart. My original SNES still fires up, though.
I got an N64 in 1999 and surprisingly, the cartridges haven't really been an issue, but the controller joysticks were shit.
The worst Nintendo console I had was the GameCube. I got one for Christmas in 2001 and it lasted about 3 years and then it suddenly stopped reading discs, even those that were brand new. I got another new GameCube in 2004 and that one didn't even make it to 3 years before it stopped reading discs. I did some research online and apparently GameCubes were notorious for that. I gave up and got a Wii in 2009, which still works great today.
The GameCube had great games and controllers, but the console was shit.
That's why emulation is awesome you don't have to worry about lithium ion batteries dying and losing your data. With then NES you had to hold reset while powering off otherwise the game might erase the stored data. That sucked ass playing games like Final Fantasy or the Dragon Warrior series.
Agreed.
Quote from: kendancy66 on November 25, 2019, 11:44:44 PM
I don't remember exactly what it was called, but best described as NFL electronic football game. I consisted of metal field that was electric and vibrated. You line up the tiny plastic players, and the quarterback held a felt football, Then you turned on the field, and the players would vribrate around, and you would try to "throw" the football by moving the arm of the quarterback. Probably the only redeeming quality was being able to replicate your favorite NFL team using stick on numbers.
My brothers had a baseball version of this. The runners would vibrate along a plastic track between the bases. On the outfield fence was a catapult-like device you used to "pitch" the ball to the batter. If the batter hit the ball, you turned on the field to make the runners move.
Quote from: kendancy66 on November 25, 2019, 11:44:44 PM
I don't remember exactly what it was called, but best described as NFL electronic football game. I consisted of metal field that was electric and vibrated. You line up the tiny plastic players, and the quarterback held a felt football, Then you turned on the field, and the players would vribrate around, and you would try to "throw" the football by moving the arm of the quarterback. Probably the only redeeming quality was being able to replicate your favorite NFL team using stick on numbers.
I remember that.
What was puzzling was how it was supposed to emulate a real football game.
Quote from: kendancy66 on November 25, 2019, 11:44:44 PM
I don't remember exactly what it was called, but best described as NFL electronic football game. I consisted of metal field that was electric and vibrated. You line up the tiny plastic players, and the quarterback held a felt football, Then you turned on the field, and the players would vribrate around, and you would try to "throw" the football by moving the arm of the quarterback. Probably the only redeeming quality was being able to replicate your favorite NFL team using stick on numbers.
Oh gosh, I had both the football and baseball ones as a kid back in the early 1970's. They looked so cool in the Sears catalog! But when we got one, we found out just how lame they were. But it was kind of hilarious to line up both teams in a legitimate scrimmage, just to turn on the power and watch them all move in totally random directions.
If I recall, the quarterback had an arm that could be used to sling the felt "football" around, and a snap/release foot that could be used to kick the ball.
Quote from: roadman on November 25, 2019, 11:09:33 AM
The mid-1960s versions of the Kenner Bridge and Turnpike building sets were generally OK. However, both the roadway sections and cross braces were not solid plastic, but vaccu-formed pieces. As a result, they would easily break over time - especially the mounting holes on the roadway pieces. Also, the 'gutter to gutter' width on the roadway sections would work for the smaller Tootsietoy cars and trucks, but was too narrow for most Matchbox cars of the era.
Final production of these sets (about 1967) substituted 'U' shaped stamped metal footings for the Masonite footings originally provided, which made the bridges wobbly.
I think these were under the Girder and Panel brand. I had a few road sets, and an airport set. My uncle had a set with a lot of pipes and motors that was pretty cool. THe problem with these is that the tabs on the girders and poles tended to snap off easily. Still had fun with it though.
Some McDonald's toy shaped like a flip phone, where the screen showed an ocean, and the goal was to pump the buttons to catch little plastic rings on poles sticking out. I remember my friend and I looking at the buttons at the bottom, joking that we got a "glasses point" every time we scored once in a row, an "ABC point" every time we scored twice in a row, and so on.
It was quite foolish in retrospect to have been obsessing for hours with my friend over something that really was not much more than a cheap artificial trinket. Ah, the good old days...
Quote from: LM117 on November 26, 2019, 07:04:38 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 25, 2019, 10:20:52 AM
Quote from: LM117 on November 25, 2019, 10:11:20 AM
Quote from: ce929wax on November 25, 2019, 01:42:10 AMMy original Nintendo kind of sucked too, because you had to constantly blow on the cartridges to get them to work, but at least I could it to work most of the time and it was fun when it did work.
I got an SNES for Christmas in 1994 and it wasn't until about 10 years ago that it started having the same problems. Another issue was when the battery paks in the cartridges would die, which meant that you couldn't save your games anymore. Last year, I was lucky enough to find a mini SNES Classic at Walmart. My original SNES still fires up, though.
I got an N64 in 1999 and surprisingly, the cartridges haven't really been an issue, but the controller joysticks were shit.
The worst Nintendo console I had was the GameCube. I got one for Christmas in 2001 and it lasted about 3 years and then it suddenly stopped reading discs, even those that were brand new. I got another new GameCube in 2004 and that one didn't even make it to 3 years before it stopped reading discs. I did some research online and apparently GameCubes were notorious for that. I gave up and got a Wii in 2009, which still works great today.
The GameCube had great games and controllers, but the console was shit.
That's why emulation is awesome you don't have to worry about lithium ion batteries dying and losing your data. With then NES you had to hold reset while powering off otherwise the game might erase the stored data. That sucked ass playing games like Final Fantasy or the Dragon Warrior series.
Agreed.
Speaking of baseball, this might not count since it isn't so much of a
toy, really, but I always found the baseball minigame of Wii Sports to be incredibly stupid. If you're familiar with Wii Sports then you might have an idea of what I'm talking about, but to make a long story short, there was no running, the only thing that mattered was the ball's trajectory, and hitting the ball into the audience apparently always caused a home run.
Quote from: inkyatari on December 01, 2019, 09:39:31 AM
Quote from: roadman on November 25, 2019, 11:09:33 AM
The mid-1960s versions of the Kenner Bridge and Turnpike building sets were generally OK. However, both the roadway sections and cross braces were not solid plastic, but vaccu-formed pieces. As a result, they would easily break over time - especially the mounting holes on the roadway pieces. Also, the 'gutter to gutter' width on the roadway sections would work for the smaller Tootsietoy cars and trucks, but was too narrow for most Matchbox cars of the era.
Final production of these sets (about 1967) substituted 'U' shaped stamped metal footings for the Masonite footings originally provided, which made the bridges wobbly.
I think these were under the Girder and Panel brand. I had a few road sets, and an airport set. My uncle had a set with a lot of pipes and motors that was pretty cool. THe problem with these is that the tabs on the girders and poles tended to snap off easily. Still had fun with it though.
The 1964 Bridge and Turnpike sets (#24, # 25, #26, and #26C) were part of the Girder and Panel family, but were marketed as Kenner Freeway USA Bridge and Turnpike. Apart from the two combined Girder and Panel/Bridge and Turnpike sets (#27 and #28) - with which you could build an airport (but it wasn't marketed as such at the time), Girder and Panel wasn't added to the name of the 'bridge and turnpike only sets until a simpler set was reintroduced (as Girder and Panel Bridge and Highway) in the mid-1970s. The International Airport was introduced as a separate set at that time as well. Sears offered variations of the mid-1970s sets under the Little Learners name as well, and also offered a limited edition Worlds Greatest Buildings set when the Sears Tower in Chicago opened.
Quote from: dlsterner on November 26, 2019, 11:59:34 PM
Quote from: kendancy66 on November 25, 2019, 11:44:44 PM
I don't remember exactly what it was called, but best described as NFL electronic football game. I consisted of metal field that was electric and vibrated. You line up the tiny plastic players, and the quarterback held a felt football, Then you turned on the field, and the players would vribrate around, and you would try to "throw" the football by moving the arm of the quarterback. Probably the only redeeming quality was being able to replicate your favorite NFL team using stick on numbers.
Oh gosh, I had both the football and baseball ones as a kid back in the early 1970's. They looked so cool in the Sears catalog! But when we got one, we found out just how lame they were. But it was kind of hilarious to line up both teams in a legitimate scrimmage, just to turn on the power and watch them all move in totally random directions.
If I recall, the quarterback had an arm that could be used to sling the felt "football" around, and a snap/release foot that could be used to kick the ball.
I had something like this as well. Mostly what I remember was the rule that if the ball fell off the player that was "carrying" it, it was a fumble and the ball would just sit there while you waited for another player to randomly move into it. Usually what would happen was after at least 30 seconds, your own player would pick it up and move back into the end zone for a safety.
You could also run two different "plays", which I guess were slightly different vibration patterns. They had the same effect of randomly moving the players around.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 24, 2019, 11:41:19 PM
Doesn't sound much more appealing with a healthy set of batteries:
Maybe I'm showing my age, but those dolls resemble the
Talking Tina doll from the original
Twilight Zone.
Quote from: kendancy66 on November 25, 2019, 11:44:44 PM
I don't remember exactly what it was called, but best described as NFL electronic football game. It consisted of metal field that was electric and vibrated. You line up the tiny plastic players, and the quarterback held a felt football, Then you turned on the field, and the players would vibrate around, and you would try to "throw" the football by moving the arm of the quarterback. Probably the only redeeming quality was being able to replicate your favorite NFL team using stick on numbers.
I got that as a Christmas gift way back when.
Whizzer tops
I was just talking about this topic the other day. For me it was the Vertibird (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQQo5S5yd0)
I remember begging for that thing and, when I finally got it, it was the most useless piece of crap ever invented.
Quote from: Paulinator66 on December 02, 2019, 04:26:44 PM
I was just talking about this topic the other day. For me it was the Vertibird (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQQo5S5yd0)
I remember begging for that thing and, when I finally got it, it was the most useless piece of crap ever invented.
One year, three of my friends and I all got VertiBirds for Christmas. And they all had the same basic flaw. After about 45 minutes of operation, the solder joint connecting the spring in the center console to the rotating rod in the arm (this is what drove the rotor in the copter) broke. Despite my father's best efforts with his soldering iron, we never managed to reconnect it.
Quote from: roadman on December 02, 2019, 04:48:25 PM
Quote from: Paulinator66 on December 02, 2019, 04:26:44 PM
I was just talking about this topic the other day. For me it was the Vertibird (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQQo5S5yd0)
I remember begging for that thing and, when I finally got it, it was the most useless piece of crap ever invented.
One year, three of my friends and I all got VertiBirds for Christmas. And they all had the same basic flaw. After about 45 minutes of operation, the solder joint connecting the spring in the center console to the rotating rod in the arm (this is what drove the rotor in the copter) broke. Despite my father's best efforts with his soldering iron, we never managed to reconnect it.
Wasn't there a Calvin and Hobbes comic about it?
Quote from: TheGrassGuy on December 02, 2019, 06:11:35 PM
Quote from: roadman on December 02, 2019, 04:48:25 PM
Quote from: Paulinator66 on December 02, 2019, 04:26:44 PM
I was just talking about this topic the other day. For me it was the Vertibird (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQQo5S5yd0)
I remember begging for that thing and, when I finally got it, it was the most useless piece of crap ever invented.
One year, three of my friends and I all got VertiBirds for Christmas. And they all had the same basic flaw. After about 45 minutes of operation, the solder joint connecting the spring in the center console to the rotating rod in the arm (this is what drove the rotor in the copter) broke. Despite my father's best efforts with his soldering iron, we never managed to reconnect it.
Wasn't there a Calvin and Hobbes comic about it?
Calvin and Hobbes had a continuing story about a mail-order propeller beanie that took forever to arrive. Calvin thought by wearing the beanie, he would be able to fly. Or course, when it finally arrived, he was very disappointed.
What's the point of wearing a propeller beanie if it can't even make you fly.
Quote from: roadman on December 03, 2019, 09:35:55 AM
Quote from: TheGrassGuy on December 02, 2019, 06:11:35 PM
Quote from: roadman on December 02, 2019, 04:48:25 PM
Quote from: Paulinator66 on December 02, 2019, 04:26:44 PM
I was just talking about this topic the other day. For me it was the Vertibird (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQQo5S5yd0)
I remember begging for that thing and, when I finally got it, it was the most useless piece of crap ever invented.
One year, three of my friends and I all got VertiBirds for Christmas. And they all had the same basic flaw. After about 45 minutes of operation, the solder joint connecting the spring in the center console to the rotating rod in the arm (this is what drove the rotor in the copter) broke. Despite my father's best efforts with his soldering iron, we never managed to reconnect it.
Wasn't there a Calvin and Hobbes comic about it?
Calvin and Hobbes had a continuing story about a mail-order propeller beanie that took forever to arrive. Calvin thought by wearing the beanie, he would be able to fly. Or course, when it finally arrived, he was very disappointed. What's the point of wearing a propeller beanie if it can't even make you fly.
And like any kid, he had more fun with the box it came in.
(https://chrisstich.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/ca18.gif)
I really can't recall any terrible toys I had as a kid...I probably had a few that I quickly ignored and/or were forgettable. My parents tended to opt for durable stuff that didn't require batteries. Blocks, die-cast cars, Legos, action-figures, and whatever I could make with paper, string, rocks, rubber bands, and other household junk, et al.
My kids got a lot of toys over the years. Pretty much anything they've bought/received at Walt Disney World would be the worst. Usually cheaply-made, priced on the high end for quality, and tend to be incompatible with anything else in size/dimension. I'm loathe to buy anything but food and drink there.
Quote from: formulanone on December 03, 2019, 10:18:00 AM
Quote from: roadman on December 03, 2019, 09:35:55 AM
Quote from: TheGrassGuy on December 02, 2019, 06:11:35 PM
Quote from: roadman on December 02, 2019, 04:48:25 PM
Quote from: Paulinator66 on December 02, 2019, 04:26:44 PM
I was just talking about this topic the other day. For me it was the Vertibird (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQQo5S5yd0)
I remember begging for that thing and, when I finally got it, it was the most useless piece of crap ever invented.
One year, three of my friends and I all got VertiBirds for Christmas. And they all had the same basic flaw. After about 45 minutes of operation, the solder joint connecting the spring in the center console to the rotating rod in the arm (this is what drove the rotor in the copter) broke. Despite my father's best efforts with his soldering iron, we never managed to reconnect it.
Wasn't there a Calvin and Hobbes comic about it?
Calvin and Hobbes had a continuing story about a mail-order propeller beanie that took forever to arrive. Calvin thought by wearing the beanie, he would be able to fly. Or course, when it finally arrived, he was very disappointed. What's the point of wearing a propeller beanie if it can't even make you fly.
And like any kid, he had more fun with the box it came in.
(https://chrisstich.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/ca18.gif)
I really can't recall any terrible toys I had as a kid...I probably had a few that I quickly ignored and/or were forgettable. My parents tended to opt for durable stuff that didn't require batteries. Blocks, die-cast cars, Legos, action-figures, and whatever I could make with paper, string, rocks, rubber bands, and other household junk, et al.
My kids got a lot of toys over the years. Pretty much anything they've bought/received at Walt Disney World would be the worst. Usually cheaply-made, priced on the high end for quality, and tend to be incompatible with anything else in size/dimension. I'm loathe to buy anything but food and drink there.
Pro tip: next time you bring your kids to Disney theme parks, buy a bunch of toys online ahead of time, and distribute them at key moments during the trip.
Quote from: TheGrassGuy on December 03, 2019, 08:01:22 PM
Quote from: formulanone on December 03, 2019, 10:18:00 AM
My kids got a lot of toys over the years. Pretty much anything they've bought/received at Walt Disney World would be the worst. Usually cheaply-made, priced on the high end for quality, and tend to be incompatible with anything else in size/dimension. I'm loathe to buy anything but food and drink there.
Pro tip: next time you bring your kids to Disney theme parks, buy a bunch of toys online ahead of time, and distribute them at key moments during the trip.
Yeah, sounds good in theory...but kids want things when they see stores, and relatives enable that.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 25, 2019, 10:20:52 AM
Quote from: LM117 on November 25, 2019, 10:11:20 AM
Quote from: ce929wax on November 25, 2019, 01:42:10 AMMy original Nintendo kind of sucked too, because you had to constantly blow on the cartridges to get them to work, but at least I could it to work most of the time and it was fun when it did work.
I got an SNES for Christmas in 1994 and it wasn't until about 10 years ago that it started having the same problems. Another issue was when the battery paks in the cartridges would die, which meant that you couldn't save your games anymore. Last year, I was lucky enough to find a mini SNES Classic at Walmart. My original SNES still fires up, though.
I got an N64 in 1999 and surprisingly, the cartridges haven't really been an issue, but the controller joysticks were shit.
The worst Nintendo console I had was the GameCube. I got one for Christmas in 2001 and it lasted about 3 years and then it suddenly stopped reading discs, even those that were brand new. I got another new GameCube in 2004 and that one didn't even make it to 3 years before it stopped reading discs. I did some research online and apparently GameCubes were notorious for that. I gave up and got a Wii in 2009, which still works great today.
The GameCube had great games and controllers, but the console was shit.
That's why emulation is awesome you don't have to worry about lithium ion batteries dying and losing your data. With then NES you had to hold reset while powering off otherwise the game might erase the stored data. That sucked ass playing games like Final Fantasy or the Dragon Warrior series.
I've owned video game stores for 10 years now. I learned that the whole 2032 save batteries going bad in NES and SNES games thing is a myth. I wasn't expecting it because they told us back then that the batteries would only last five years. Every single battery we test on NES, SNES, Genesis, SMS is still at least 2.9 volts if not 3+ volts. I just tested a battery on a 5-screw Legend of Zelda which means that at the latest it was manufactured in December of 1987. It was at 3.08 volts (3.00 is par). After 32 years. What does happen is that the game gets dropped or the battery comes loose from being improperly manufactured. This is extremely rare. The reason Nintendo suggested holding Reset while turning the system off is to prevent voltage spikes that had the potential to clear the memory. This is also fairly rare, but not out of the question. What is actually more common, but still very unusual is bad surface mount capacitors on the board that prevent saving. What is most common is that customers don't know how to save the game properly since the protocols for saving were much more ambiguous on older games than on today's games.
Game Boy batteries though, were much smaller 2025s or even the very small 1616s that often had to power a clock in the game. Those are subject to running out in 3-5 years.
Quote from: GCrites80s on December 04, 2019, 11:19:12 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 25, 2019, 10:20:52 AM
Quote from: LM117 on November 25, 2019, 10:11:20 AM
Quote from: ce929wax on November 25, 2019, 01:42:10 AMMy original Nintendo kind of sucked too, because you had to constantly blow on the cartridges to get them to work, but at least I could it to work most of the time and it was fun when it did work.
I got an SNES for Christmas in 1994 and it wasn't until about 10 years ago that it started having the same problems. Another issue was when the battery paks in the cartridges would die, which meant that you couldn't save your games anymore. Last year, I was lucky enough to find a mini SNES Classic at Walmart. My original SNES still fires up, though.
I got an N64 in 1999 and surprisingly, the cartridges haven't really been an issue, but the controller joysticks were shit.
The worst Nintendo console I had was the GameCube. I got one for Christmas in 2001 and it lasted about 3 years and then it suddenly stopped reading discs, even those that were brand new. I got another new GameCube in 2004 and that one didn't even make it to 3 years before it stopped reading discs. I did some research online and apparently GameCubes were notorious for that. I gave up and got a Wii in 2009, which still works great today.
The GameCube had great games and controllers, but the console was shit.
That's why emulation is awesome you don't have to worry about lithium ion batteries dying and losing your data. With then NES you had to hold reset while powering off otherwise the game might erase the stored data. That sucked ass playing games like Final Fantasy or the Dragon Warrior series.
I've owned video game stores for 10 years now. I learned that the whole 2032 save batteries going bad in NES and SNES games thing is a myth. I wasn't expecting it because they told us back then that the batteries would only last five years. Every single battery we test on NES, SNES, Genesis, SMS is still at least 2.9 volts if not 3+ volts. I just tested a battery on a 5-screw Legend of Zelda which means that at the latest it was manufactured in December of 1987. It was at 3.08 volts (3.00 is par). After 32 years. What does happen is that the game gets dropped or the battery comes loose from being improperly manufactured. This is extremely rare. The reason Nintendo suggested holding Reset while turning the system off is to prevent voltage spikes that had the potential to clear the memory. This is also fairly rare, but not out of the question. What is actually more common, but still very unusual is bad surface mount capacitors on the board that prevent saving. What is most common is that customers don't know how to save the game properly since the protocols for saving were much more ambiguous on older games than on today's games.
Game Boy batteries though, were much smaller 2025s or even the very small 1616s that often had to power a clock in the game. Those are subject to running out in 3-5 years.
What I can attest to is my NES games had power in the battery until the last couple year years. My SNES, Genesis and Game Boy (which is weird considering you're seeing 3-5 years) stuff that played recently still can save data. The whole design of the NES not being a top loader I suspect had a part in the save issues I had. Games would often glitch up after several hours of play which probably had a lot to do with bent connector pins which I was temporarily fixing by blowing onto the cartridge before hand. More often than not when a glitch occurred it would start resetting the system which would probably erase save data 25% of the time if not stopped fast.
Hm. My Zelda NES cartridge certainly acts like its battery died. No other NES cartridge I own has kicked the bucket like it.
Remember that in Zelda 1 you must die before you are allowed to save.
Quote from: GCrites80s on December 06, 2019, 02:22:34 PM
Remember that in Zelda 1 you must die before you are allowed to save.
Actually...
When I see the "It's dangerous to go alone" screen, I keep thinking of this one.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 06, 2019, 05:34:39 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on December 06, 2019, 02:22:34 PM
Remember that in Zelda 1 you must die before you are allowed to save.
Actually...
Huh, that's a new one. I wonder if that is left over somehow from the controller 2 functionality from the Famicom version.
Also Game Boy games that do not have a clock in them usually have the full voltage in the battery still and also continue to save.
Quote from: GCrites80s on December 06, 2019, 09:57:45 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 06, 2019, 05:34:39 PM
Quote from: GCrites80s on December 06, 2019, 02:22:34 PM
Remember that in Zelda 1 you must die before you are allowed to save.
Actually...
Huh, that's a new one. I wonder if that is left over somehow from the controller 2 functionality from the Famicom version.
Yeah it was a "secret to everyone" probably until the 1990s. I remember reading about on the gaming bulletin boards on Prodigy Online and I was surprised it actually worked. I want to say it ended up Nintendo Power at some point but I don't recall.
I wouldn't really recommend counting on that every time for a couple reasons. 1) Removing controllers while playing can cause the NES to crash and 2) The possibility of jostling the system around when removing/plugging in the controller that could lead to the cartridge carriage tray popping up which will loosen the game's connection with the 72-pin connector.
Quote from: GCrites80s on December 06, 2019, 10:07:08 PM
I wouldn't really recommend counting on that every time for a couple reasons. 1) Removing controllers while playing can cause the NES to crash and 2) The possibility of jostling the system around when removing/plugging in the controller that could lead to the cartridge carriage tray popping up which will loosen the game's connection with the 72-pin connector.
It does work with both controllers plugged in also, it seemed like the guy in the video didn't have a second one on hand.
Ah, that's a lot safer. It's probably not related to the Famicom version's controller 2 functionality then since Famicom controllers are hardwired and its 2nd controller eschews Start and Select buttons in favor of a microphone. I was thinking unplugging the controller and plugging it back into the 2nd port might have caused a glitch in a game originally made for hardwired controllers.
Quote from: GCrites80s on December 06, 2019, 10:19:27 PM
Ah, that's a lot safer. It's probably not related to the Famicom version's controller 2 functionality then since Famicom controllers are hardwired and its 2nd controller eschews Start and Select buttons in favor of a microphone. I was thinking unplugging the controller and plugging it back into the 2nd port might have caused a glitch in a game originally made for hardwired controllers.
Some NES games do have some strange second controller glitches. One that comes to mind is Mega Man 3 if you hold the A button on the second controller. Pressing A on the second controller allows you to jump into pits and not die. If you stay in a pit long enough Mega Man will be able to moon jump and will go into an undead state with no health. The really weird part is that music cuts out but you are otherwise invincible unless you pick up health or touch a spike. I used to mess with my friends and put a chair on the A button on the second controller, took them awhile to pick up I was exploiting a glitch.
Now I do remember that one. I beat the game that way then shamelessly put it on my "beat that one" list. The trick was in Nintendo Power or EGM.
Quote from: GCrites80s on December 07, 2019, 03:11:05 PM
Now I do remember that one. I beat the game that way then shamelessly put it on my "beat that one" list. The trick was in Nintendo Power or EGM.
There was a couple levels near the end that didn't have bottomless pits that really couldn't be cheesed at least. But by then if someone used the glitch there really isn't much reason not to have nine E-Tanks ready to go.
EasyBake Oven
Everything tasted like crap.
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on December 11, 2019, 07:29:48 PM
EasyBake Oven
Everything tasted like crap.
I always thought the ease of severe burns was more of a drawback.
Going back to the Sixties: Bazooka bubblegum included a little comic. Those comics had ads for various items on them. One showed a pretty cool pair of walkie-talkies for 35 cents (which was real money back then as it would buy a pack of smokes, a gallon of gas or a burger and you got change back) plus half a dozen of the Bazooka comics. The drawing did not match up with what I got, a cheap tin toy that had two pieces connected by a somewhat short string which was made in Taiwan. That toy might have been worth 10 cents at a "five and dime" store, if that. Boy was I disappointed and that is how I learned the value of skepticism when facing a deal which looked too good to be true.
I am still mad (but enlightened) about the bad deal to this day.
Rick
Quote from: nexus73 on December 12, 2019, 01:34:07 PM
Going back to the Sixties: Bazooka bubblegum included a little comic. Those comics had ads for various items on them. One showed a pretty cool pair of walkie-talkies for 35 cents (which was real money back then as it would buy a pack of smokes, a gallon of gas or a burger and you got change back) plus half a dozen of the Bazooka comics. The drawing did not match up with what I got, a cheap tin toy that had two pieces connected by a somewhat short string which was made in Taiwan. That toy might have been worth 10 cents at a "five and dime" store, if that. Boy was I disappointed and that is how I learned the value of skepticism when facing a deal which looked too good to be true.
I am still mad (but enlightened) about the bad deal to this day.
That's like the Sea Monkeys scam. Anyone else remember those?
Quote from: bandit957 on December 12, 2019, 01:37:35 PMThat's like the Sea Monkeys scam. Anyone else remember those?
I believe I got one of those as a grab-bag gift in elementary school back in the mid-70s. Never amounted to anything.
How was it a scam? Little brine shrimp always lived in the ones I saw.
Quote from: Rothman on December 12, 2019, 03:08:00 PM
How was it a scam? Little brine shrimp always lived in the ones I saw.
They were advertised as some amazing creature, but they were just a little brine shrimp the size of a dust speck that lived only a few days.
My brother ordered some from a comic book, and they were a disappointment.
Quote from: nexus73 on December 12, 2019, 01:34:07 PM
Going back to the Sixties: Bazooka bubblegum included a little comic. Those comics had ads for various items on them. One showed a pretty cool pair of walkie-talkies for 35 cents (which was real money back then as it would buy a pack of smokes, a gallon of gas or a burger and you got change back) plus half a dozen of the Bazooka comics. The drawing did not match up with what I got, a cheap tin toy that had two pieces connected by a somewhat short string which was made in Taiwan. That toy might have been worth 10 cents at a "five and dime" store, if that. Boy was I disappointed and that is how I learned the value of skepticism when facing a deal which looked too good to be true.
I am still mad (but enlightened) about the bad deal to this day.
Rick
I remember sending my $1.98 and ten comics in for a cheap plastic camera that used 127 roll film, which was already out of production by the time Bazooka offered the camera. Of course, the required film type wasn't mentioned in the ad.
I remember Bazooka having comics, but I don't remember them offering any prizes, toys, or items. Mostly, people would just hoard the comics, snicker at the jokes because they were so stupid, and chew huge wads of the gum and blow humongous bubbles.
Are there new Bazooka Joe comics? Like Joe giving Mort a hard time for looking at his phone too much or something? Alexa can't understand Mort with his sweater over his mouth?