The great thing about console gaming, and why I always have played PC games and consoles, is it's easy to go back and purchase used consoles and plop in some used games (or new games), that may have otherwise been impossible to access, legally, on PC, or that my computers didn't like, or which had DRM, or bugs, etc. I love my consoles, and I have hundreds of console games, from NES and SNES and N64, to Gamecube, Wii, Wii U, Switch, PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4.

And you know what's most important?

It's never too late to go back and play any of those games. Just get the right setup for a decent price, and have a blast.

Consoles are great because their streamlined and simplistic. They aren't supposed to be the cream of the crop (unless they literally just came out, then they're on par with current tech, maybe). They're just supposed to be fun, marketable, accessible gaming systems where one person, or a even 2+, can play together. While a lot of that is online just like PC, console also have their fair share of couch co-ops still.

What I love about consoles the most, above all else, since I'm not really a tech nut and I'm very grateful for the experiences I get through consoles, is the very fact that I can own any game that is a hard copy. I'm not talking about a handful of online-only MMO's or games with dead servers, even PC has that (and a lot of them). What I'm talking about is all those games that are still ridden with DRM on PC and will take years yet to get onto GOG, if GOG even gets them due to who knows what reasons. There are hundreds of games that are only on consoles, most still come in hard copy format (for now), and many others that are cross-platform have that hard copy, own-it-when-you-buy -it option. Until literally every game is digital, and every digital game is DRM-free, consoles are a great place to get games that DRM-free lovers cannot access on PC, legally.

It's also nice to have a full shelf of discs of games I love. A 3d collection will always be more attractive and feel more rewarding than a digital one :) ...Don't think that means I don't buy here. I own most of the catalog on GOG ;D . Gotta love DRM-free! I could make my own discs if I wanted to :D

I dunno, maybe my English is bad. I think "kid" as a pre-teen, and a youngster as a pimple-faced porn-mag reading young person.

that pretty much describes me and I'm no kid. :P

I grew up on Social Security. I had an Atari 2600 and maybe a dozen games. I missed out of most of the consoles.

I installed one of the Atari emulators a few years back and the few games I played just didn't hold my interest any more. Maybe playing ET and Raiders had something to do with it.

Nah, I just think the A2600 has aged very poorly.

For shits and giggles...and discussion, this just popped up on my Yahoo page and they are all console games.

http://newarena.com/other-sports/ranked-the-25-greatest-sports-video-games-of-all-time/?amxt=fbdt_svrnVE&utm_campaign=yh_rd_dt_25best_videogames&utm_source=yh_ae&utm_medium=yhdt-fbdt_svrnVE&utm_term=HOMEPAGE_US&utm_content=tecmo

I would kind of disagree with that. I think some of the Atari 2600 games aged like milk (especially you, Pac-Man!), but some like River Raid and Missile Command still look good. I still play 2600 games on my DSi from time to time, and even my kid who grew up with the graphics race of the 2000s likes some of them.

I have been split on console gaming hopping between the 2600 and the C64, then Genesis and PC. I finally gave up on console gaming during the PS3 gen. I got tired of every game seemingly looking like generic shooter #4128.

I started playing PC games around '88, on an 8086XT with MCGA graphics. Up until the beginning/middle of the 90s I wished I had an Amiga instead (better graphics, sound, and some exclusive games). I liked some Genesis / Neo Geo platformers, but those got boring quickly.
I've always been mostly into 'thinking'/narrative driven games (still am). So I was mostly on the right platform.
Nowadays, I consider most AAA games on PC to be 'console games'. Most are action/competition oriented. Still, I keep playing games on Windows - it's compatible with all my old games and once in a while nice (none action) RPGs and Adventures, strategy games are being released.

So, might one say you're in-console-able?

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view6/2699594/fish-slapping-o.gif

Thanks, I really needed that!

I wanted one of the end, when he knocks him in the water, but I couldn't find a gif for it, just the full video.

That's kinda like saying "I completely missed out on getting AIDS in the eighties"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NqBWLeP9f4 *Super Sad Crying face*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta0DlcxyY5M *Weird scary Aussie NES commercial*

Original NES back when I was like 4 didn't have MATTEL VERSION plastered on the front plate

That does sound rather interesting. 2010 seems like such a late time to start, especially considering all the PC gaming goodness that came out of the 90s. I remember visiting a classmate's house in 2002 and watching him play a PlayStation fighting game with some friends. The TV screen they played on was fairly massive; I doubt my parents would have shelled out that kind of money back then! Thankfully, I was too deep in my Starcraft phase to entertain the thought of getting my own console system. This is embarrassing, but my understanding of technology is so limited that I know next to nothing about how emulation works (in the case of console games). If I ever seriously pursue these games someday, I'll probably err on the side of caution and go the legal route (whatever that may be). I'm not exactly dying to play said games right now, so I think I can afford to wait until I have much more money to spend. As fun as Zelda II and Crystalis look, I'm admittedly more desperate to buy and play PC games like Rise of Nations and Age of Empires III. The NES Classic Mini...I'll need to look into that. Thanks! It's nice having a starting place for my research.

Also, thanks for recommending Ys VI! I've honestly never heard of it, but it sounds promising. I feel more drawn towards trying Crystalis than Zelda II, so I may need to look into this newer game. I can see myself passing over the classics if a modern game is more accessible and satisfying.

Ah yes, the controller issue is one of my biggest concerns as a longtime mouse and keyboard user. I'm afraid I'll be as clumsy using one as I am with chopsticks. Maybe I'm overthinking this, but something tells me I should just stick to PC gaming for now...

All of a sudden, you reminded me that my sister used to play Pokemon on Game Boy in 1996 or so. I wasn't into the RPG genre back then, but I remember leafing through her strategy guide and being intrigued by all the different Pokemon creatures, their upgraded forms, and their attacks/abilities. I never got around to playing it myself, and I kind of regret not doing so.

Interesting. Do your cartridges still work nowadays? Many of my cassettes and CD-R discs from the early 2000s no longer work, so I wonder how these old games hold up after all that time.

I can certainly feel you on the money issue. I'm in awe of all those people who basically collect every video game cartridge under the sun. I couldn't fathom spending so much on games unless I know for certain that I'll enjoy them. I'd only ever risk paying for lousy games if I did Internet reviewing for a living.

I'm definitely not looking forward to learning the control scheme(s). I'm sure it'll go easier than I think, but it does seem daunting to me. Even the fact that the B button is to the left of A on the NES controller doesn't seem right to my uninitiated brain.