Sidebar - New Compact Design

Many systems in their last days will be re-released in a new compact design. These remodeled systems are designed to be inexpensive, often dropping support for unpopular peripherals. They serve two purposes, the first is to provide a cheap entry system aimed at parents. If your kids are nagging for a game system you can either spend $200-$300 on the latest console with 1-2 games or $50-$100 on one of these compact systems and several games. It's a no-brainer for the family on a budget. The other purpose is to offer replacement hardware for devotees with a dead system. I picked-up one of the compact NESs for this exact reason.

Under fifty bucks, now isn't that nice. The Atari 2600 Jr. was released around the same time as the Atari 7800. Since the 7800 was relatively inexpensive and backwards compatible with the 2600 this system didn't really take off.

I remember seeing the Sega Master System II for sale a KB Toys for a decent price. I was tempted to buy one but already had a Power Base Converter and couldn't justify the redundancy.

In 1993 the NES received a facelift and was re-designed into a smaller top-loader. The controllers were rounded off to resemble their SNES equivalent, which also had the benefit of making them more comfortable. The drawback to this model is the absence of A/V ports. The compact NES can only be connected through an old-school RF box. It also doesn't work with the Game Genie unless you're handy with a hacksaw.

In 1998 Sega licensed production of the Genesis to a 3rd party. The result was the Sega Genesis 3. Due to a reduced chipset the 32X, Sega CD, and Power Base Converter won't work with this system. Priced at only $30, it's a good replacement for a dead system.

Nintendo has made very few mistakes when it comes to the Game Boy line (note: that's Game Boy line, which would exclude the Virtual Boy). It was puzzling to some how they continued to manufacture a black & white system while Sega, Atari, and NEC all had technically superior alternatives. Instead of competing on visuals they relied on lower price and better game selection. In the end the Game Boy drove all other handhelds into obscurity. Along the way they made a few odd decisions. In 1995, when consumers asked for a color system they responded by repainting the Game Boy itself. Sega thoroughly mocked Nintendo in a series of television ads for this. In 1996 Nintendo redesigned the Game Boy again. This new model, dubbed the Game Boy Pocket was leaner than its predecessors. It would be shortly deprecated by the Game Boy Color.

A comparison between the PSOne and Atari 2600 Jr. can be made in that the PSOne was released when the backwards compatible Playstation 2 was on the shelves. The difference in this case is that the Playstation 2 was going for $300, if you could even find it. This system is remarkably small; it's great to take on a business trip because it uses up practically no room in the suitcase.

Of course there are exceptions

For their final hardware release, the Intellivision Model III reverted back to a larger design.

The TurboDuo combined the TurboGrafx-16, CD, and Super System Card into one unit. It sold for $300 and was marketed as a competitor to the Sega CD.

The Sega CDX was a compact Sega Genesis/Sega CD combination unit. It was released when the Sega CD was still a viable system and was by no means inexpensive.

The Lynx II was designed to make the platform more competitive with the Game Boy by reducing the bulky size and increasing battery life.

The original Panasonic 3DO was the size of the average VCR and cost $700. When Goldstar manufactured a lower-cost model Panasonic responded by releasing a smaller, cheaper version of their system.

The slim PS2 came out in the midst of the PS2-Xbox war. The new style gave it a sophisticated image that blended-in with any entertainment center. It also presented a sharp visual contrast to its bulky competitor. At the time of this writing it's still a strong seller. There are rumors floating around of a slimmer model being released in 2008.

The Game Boy Micro appeared to be Nintendo's attempt to put the GBA line out to pasture. The strong sales of the GBA SP nixed these plans. The small screen and lack of support for the classic Game Boy line left the Game Boy Micro unpopular.

The Nintendo DS Lite was released at the height of the system's popularity. Rather than offer a cheap alternative, the DS Lite was intended to draw in non-traditional gamers. It has been a smashing success worldwide and cemented Nintendo's dominance in the portable market.