5 Video Game Consoles You Never Knew Existed

Besides the obvious frontrunners in the food chain, there are, whether we like to acknowledge them or not, quite the number of underdog video game consoles out in the wild. And the fact is, with Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo taking the wind out of almost any up-and-coming bit of hardware that dares to speak up, it does mean a lot of strong candidates are somewhat overshadowed.

That said, not every one of these consoles deserves to be showered with eternal praise. And some, believe it or not, remain stapled to the back alley of the market when really, looking at them from all angles, they probably shouldn't be there. But let's go ahead and segue that into some clean examples of such controversial contraptions. Here are, in our opinion, five of the worst video game consoles that you probably didn't know about.

5. Casio Loopy

Back in 1995, Casio, a company famously known for developing calculators and keyboards, tried to knuckle in on the gaming monopoly. As a result, the Loopy was born, which was primarily built to appeal to the female gamer. But in spite of its target audience having already been decided, the console didn't do all that well, which led to its discontinuation in 1998.

In the four years the Loopy was around, the console had just 10 playable games to choose from. But its unique selling point, however, was built around the stickers that the hardware itself printed. Nonetheless, it was destined to flop, as Casio watched one of its first-ever consoles fizzle out before it even left Japan.

4. Pioneer LaserActive

To think, in 1994, it was the PlayStation One that set the new benchmark for aspiring video game developers. With a launch price of $299, it was both affordable and well worth the price tag, given its next-level features. But step back a few months, to 1993, and it was actually the Pioneer LaserActive that had a small pocket of the world on tenterhooks.

The Pioneer LaserActive held an overwhelming price tag of $970, making it one of the highest priced consoles of its time. Because of this, it only went on to survive for a few years before phasing out. The 10,000 units that were built, though, had the ability to play various forms of media, which made them far more than a run-of-the-mill gaming console. But given its $970 tag, it's understandable why it struggled to stay afloat after PlayStation stole the spotlight.

3. Panasonic 3DO

Looking to one-up both Sega and Nintendo, two titans of nineties gaming, Electronic Arts founder and all-round entrepreneur Trip Hawkins formed the Panasonic 3DO, an all-in-one machine that went on to sell for a whopping $700 apiece. But in spite of its high retail price, the console did go on to sell around two million units in North America.

Although the 3DO did perform relatively well given its price, the fierce competition with rival factions did lead to the console's downfall. Come 1996, and Hawkins accepted its failure, claiming the lack of coordination between the console and its developers was partly the reason for its demise. Plus, the fact it was $700 didn't exactly help.

2. Philips CD-i

To be clear, Nintendo does not, under any circumstances, allow for rival gaming firms to use its work. This has been the case for decades, as it's somewhat protective over its award-winning faces and soundtracks. Nonetheless, a platform did, surprisingly, manage to butter the portable titan up once upon a time. But we're talking 1990, when publishers could charge thousands of dollars and expect to get away with it.

the Philips CD-i, with Nintendo's blessing, launched with games such as Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and Link: The Faces of Evil. Coming in at a whopping $1000, the console was quickly branded as the most expensive bit of kit around. And long story short—it succumbed to the incredibly harsh competition by 1998. So, not quite the fairy tale ending Philips would have hoped for.

1. Sega 32X

Because who doesn't love a mysterious console add-on that also looks like a holepunch, right? That's the basic outline for the Sega 32X, and people are still trying to figure out what it's for. Though, from what Sega marketed it as way back in 1994, it was definitely built to bridge two console generations. Those, of course, being the Genesis, and the Saturn.

In two years, the Sega 32X released just 34 original games. As well as it being an unnecessary and bulky add-on to the Genesis, people just weren't feeling its purpose. And so, before it ever really took off, the Sega Saturn swept in to claim all the glory. The Sega 32X, on the other hand, just became nothing more than a bad memory.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

Looking for more content? You could always take a look at one of these lists:

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