5 More Failed Consoles That Never Made it Out of Japan

[@robintst]

The Casio Loopy being what it is, I still think the outward design of it is pretty slick looking. It wouldn't look out of place sitting next to a Super Famicom.

[@faenethlorhalien]

The one you prononuced as the "pie - yootah", is pronounced "puter" as in "computer", because it's what it's an abbreviation of. In Japanese , "kompyuuta", shortened to "pyuuta", hence" puter".

[@thelairdslair]

Ok, thanks for the correction, my knowledge of the Japanese language is pretty much non-existent.

[@jamesreece9502]

If the Puter never left Japan, how is it known as the Grand Tutor in the UK?

[@NEStalgia1985]

Pewter?

[@Tommi1981]

Yeahs ​@@NEStalgia1985

[@anonamatron]

I think British people mispronounce Japanese words purposely, like Americans who play "sa-doo-ko" (sudoku) I don't expect people to know other languages of course but man it's a really common game and has a U at the end. In what way do you get a long o sound from a U?

[@jbanks979]

I always wondered why the Pc-Fx was such a massive swing and a miss given the dominance of the PC engine in Japan. I didn’t really realize this is actually their second attempt after the Supergrafx. For a system arriving 2 years late and mammothly underpowered, 500k in sales really isn’t too shabby (it’s roughly 4 times what Jaguar sold in its entire lifespan)

[@thelairdslair]

Slightly off on the figures, 400k for the PC-FX and 225,000 for the Jaguar but I get your point. Without the hentai games I think it would have done a lot lot worse.

[@rafaelgadret]

I love your videos about obscure hardware! please do more like this! thank you!

[@thelairdslair]

There are definitely more to come!

[@craigvard1639]

So PC-FX sold more than Jaguar! Not bad for failed console.

[@fattiger6957]

Bandai probably saw Nintendo, then also a toy company, having success in video games and thought they could replicate that success. People often forget that video game consoles were often classed and marketed as toys in the 80s. And Bandai is Japan's biggest toy company. Ultimately Bandai's forays into video game hardware never paid off, but they considered the market important enough that they merged with Namco. Bandai is still Japan's biggest toy company, but their game publishing wing allows them to take advantage of all the IP they either own or have an exclusive license to (Gundam, Dragon Ball, Ultraman, and a literal ton of anime frachises)

[@thelairdslair]

Totally!

[@johneygd]

The tomy tutar was really ahead for it’s time being technically TI99 4 based and all in 1983 to be even released before the famicom and the SG1000, that’s incredible, And about that pc fx system, it was just released 2 uears waaaay toooo late, but whether the hardware became outdated or not, 3D could be done trough software like on the gameboy advance from 2001 and that handheld was a huge success also because people did had high hopes and expectations of that system once it was released.

[@computer_toucher]

The Marty (or just the fm TOWNS? Can't remember) has the very best Zak McKracken port, and it's the only game I've tried on an emulator. But 1K sprites! At 16x16 it seems made for bullet hell games...

[@thelairdslair]

It's FM Towns but also plays on the Marty too.

[@ArneChristianRosenfeldt]

Even the Jaguar should be able to draw 1k bullets. A 16x16 sprites fits into color RAM at full CRY color. Then blit this all over your frame buffer. If you want to also use the palette, draw all bullets in vertical retrace or halt the GPU and store the pattern in its scratch pad RAM. Or use a resultion

[@UK_Cobra]

8:03 No wait and high speed, as you ran off to the kitchen to grab a snack as the game loaded :) Thanks for another good video.

[@warzardtheboredtimelord2865]

Everything on the Loopy and Playdia could have been on the PC-FX. Of course it would need add-ons for the Loopy features. I remember wanting a Marty so bad when I saw it on a Diehard Gamefan ad. Was too much money for me at the time though. A paperboy can only make so much. LOL

[@whoeverest_the_whateverest]

>the fact that this casio loopy on the thumbnail, being from middle 90s, has it's logo in the same pink and blue-ish colors as the tik-tok logo, and even the form of it is kinda in a same style

[@caseycu]

That Casio console looks almost like they used the mold for a projector or old school digital camera. Really interesting it had the same CPU as the Saturn, but quite a bit slower.

[@mehere3013]

it's a pitty they didn't make a handheld or console version of the x68000 computer

[@thelairdslair]

The hardware was too big and bulky, not to mention expensive, to make that possible really.

[@bozobo3822]

The Towns Marty is one I'd love to own.

[@cabbitkisser2620]

if i remember right. we were spouse to get the wounderswan here in the states. but bandai cancelled it.

[@thelairdslair]

Correct, I covered that story in my WonderSwan facts video, which is linked in the description if you're interested.

[@faenethlorhalien]

These systems are so obscure that if you ask anyone here in Japan of the right age for the system, no one know jack about them. I mean, you probably have to go find people who developed them, if they are even alive. I feel they are better known in the west because of all the retro community than they are in Japan.

[@caseyhayes4590]

Gamefan magazine always had FM Towns and Marty games in the back page import dealers. Always intrigued me.

[@EmperorKonstantine01]

This was very good research. By the way I Find those Japanese Commercials to be so Hilarious, Most of those consoles looked like decorated Childrens christmas Toys and all come out one after another. However I have to admire the devolopers of these consoles at the time as the ideas never stopped progressing or contrubuting to the development of more advanced systems.

[@MaxAbramson3]

What a frickin primo channel!

[@GR8FLMD3AD]

Love your videos!❤

[@thelairdslair]

Glad you like them!

[@caeserromero3013]

I saw a Quickshot supervision handheld on ebay the other day.

[@fumomofumosarum5893]

to be honest, I am looking for a Wonder Swan to this day! ^^

[@srvuk]

As ever, informative and absorbing.

[@Retroman8000]

Of course school wanted Tomy....it had the word TUTOR in title

[@taipion64]

“I can’t believe a company the size of TOMY would rip something off.” Early ‘80’s Japan, I’d be surprised if they weren’t ripping someone off.

[@spodula]

TI were mainly in the business of selling chips. It wouldn't surprise me at all that they basically gave the schematics of the TI-99 on the condition that they used TI processors and video and sound chips.

[@thelairdslair]

I think you are spot on there

[@richardmason-ray3130]

you know the tomy "play computer" was a mechanical toy and not electrical dont you?

[@thelairdslair]

Erm, yeah, what's your point and how does it relate to this video?

[@richardmason-ray3130]

@@thelairdslair No biggie chum, only when it pops up in your video at 4:18 you narration seems to suggest its an "electronic education device". Its a great example of a mechical toy with a mechanism far more complex than you'd think inside. Love your videos!

[@VOAN]

I thought this video would include these other failed consoles that also never left Japan: 1. SG-1000 2. PSX (not to be confused with the PlayStation 1) 3. Panasonic Q 4. NeoGeo CDZ 5. Wonder Swan

[@thelairdslair]

The SG-1000 was officially released in Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia and, rather bizarrely, Italy. The next 3 are variants, not specific consoles, so that would be a different video. The WonderSwan is talked about in this video where I mention I have already made a whole video dedicated to it which is linked in the description.

[@jasonz7788]

Awesome thanks interesting

[@rager-69]

Oh, the lovely Sarah Purcell.

[@joesshows6793]

I have the Tomy Tutor!!!!

[@terran0797]

“I think we all know what happened after the famicom and sg-1000 were released on the very same day, on the 15th of July 1983.” What happened?! Was the famicom ok? Did the sg-1000 win? Why didn’t you say? Why are you keeping it a secret?! lol

[@NEStalgia1985]

Was Tomy that wealthy

[@TheGodzilla2201]

1st

[@skywarp727]

I was wondering when hentai was gonna show up with Japanese consoles lol. I love these videos because you show me consoles and hardware that I've never seen or heard of before. Thank you, love the channel.