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

[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.

[nodtveidt]

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.

[_joshuaTurbo]

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:)

[_joshuaTurbo]

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]

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.