10 video game consoles that time forgot

The misjudged, mistimed, and downright atrocious

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The road to video game console success is strewn with the ruins of epic failure. T3 unveils 10 consoles that time forgot. How many do you remember?

Atari 5200, 1982

After hitting paydirt with the 2600, Atari hit only dirt with this more powerful replacement. It was introduced at same time as the Atari 400 and 800 home computers. Alas, Atari's resources couldn't stretch to support them all.

Units sold: 1 million, Top game: Centipede

Bandai WonderSwan, 1999

Boasting the second worst bird-themed name for any console ever (keep reading), this Game Boy rival could be played horizontally or vertically. With some high-profile titles and a whopping 12 buttons it was a hit in Japan - an updated model lands there this summer - but not elsewhere.

Units sold: unknown, Top game: Final Fantasy

Coleco ColecoVision, 1982

This launched with 12 very impressive arcade ports and some bizarre-looking peripherals but was then hit hard by the gaming crash. It went under just 18 months after launch.

Units sold: 2 million, Top game: Donkey Kong

Fairchild VES/Channel F, 1976

The Fairchild VES's cartridge-swallowing innards were designed by Intel founder Robert Noyce. Its success influenced the Atari VCS - so much so that Fairchild later changed the name to the Channel F to avoid any misunderstanding.

Units sold: unknown, Top game: Tennis

Mattel Intellivision, 1980

Advertised as "the closest thing to the real thing" by US sports writer George Plimpton, the Intellivision was Mattel's response to the Atari 2600's huge success. A total of 125 games graced its cartridge slot, but increasing competition and the great gaming crash of 1983 sealed its fate.

Units sold: 3 million, Top game: Tron

NEC TurboGrafx-16, 1987

At 14cm square, this is still the smallest home console ever sold and produced mock 16-bit graphics from an eight-bit CPU. Alas, Nintendo and Sega were already controlling the market.

Units sold: 10 million, Top game: Blazing Lazers

Nintendo Virtual Boy, 1995

The most notorious gaming flop since ET on the Atari 2600, this 32-bit handheld invited gamers to view monochromatic 3D graphics through an eyepiece. Migraine and financial misfortune soon followed for user and seller respectively.

Units sold: 770,000, Top game: Mario's Tennis

Panasonic 3D0, 1993

Panasonic's dream was to lease its CD gaming format to all and sundry, simultaneously ending proprietary cartridges and earning a tidy buck. The 32-bit machine had some top class arcade ports but drowned in the PlayStation's wake.

Units sold: 2 million, Top Game: Road Rash

Sega Saturn, 1994

Sega's four-month headstart on the original Sony PlayStation was squandered by a dearth of launch titles, poor support from third-party developers and a too-high asking price.

Units sold: 9.5 million, Top game: Virtua Fighter 2

Timelex Mega Duck WG-108, 1993

Sold in the US under the equally ill-conceived name "Cougar Boy", this budget handheld was a joint venture between several small companies. It rocked a 2.7-inch LCD display that produced eye-bleedingly rich, five-colour graphics but only ever had 37 games to show off on it.

Units sold: unknown, Top game: Snake Roy

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