-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
I'm Obsessed With Old Game Console Store Display Kiosks (56k)
- Thread starter HotHamBoy
- Start date
depths20XX
Member
Never understood the appeal of collecting these. You're just purchasing a bunch of plastic and junk that a console sits in. Also one of the least comfortable ways to play something so you're just left with a big hulk of shit taking up space.
It's the novelty of the display. Not speaking for myself, but I think a lot of serious collectors of retro consoles want a cool, authentic way of displaying their stuff. It beats locking it up in a case or stick it in a box.
I just think they're geek kitsch.
I'd personally love to have the Game Boy one. The mini-SNES one, too.
And if you have a Virtual Boy I think that tabletop kiosk is *the* setup of choice.
always crazy bacon
Banned
The 2nd Virtual Boy one with the twin stick controls is amazing.
Piston Hyundai
Member
This video fucking sucks, and it's amazing.
KeyBladerXIII
Member
I think they're pretry cool. As a kid, I always rushed to the Gamecube display that had Luigi's mansion and Rogue Squadron whenever my parents took me to the Post Exchange.
Walmart let you play games too, but you had to break your neck looking up at the screen.
Walmart let you play games too, but you had to break your neck looking up at the screen.
FalsettoVibe
Member
So many memories.
Amazing gallery. Thanks for the walk down memory lane, OP!
We had one of those giant Game Boys at my local Wal Mart and it was always really exciting when we would get to go. I used to bug my parents constantly to go to Wal Mart so I could play on the giant Game Boy.
Later on, Best Buy used to have all their video game demo station grouped together in this central hub that was pretty cool. And the Super Nintendo or N64 would be hooked to a big screen that everyone in the store could see. It's kind of taken for granted now, but there's something about the design and layout of these demos that can be magical for kids and get them really excited about the product.
We had one of those giant Game Boys at my local Wal Mart and it was always really exciting when we would get to go. I used to bug my parents constantly to go to Wal Mart so I could play on the giant Game Boy.
Later on, Best Buy used to have all their video game demo station grouped together in this central hub that was pretty cool. And the Super Nintendo or N64 would be hooked to a big screen that everyone in the store could see. It's kind of taken for granted now, but there's something about the design and layout of these demos that can be magical for kids and get them really excited about the product.
I totally stumbled onto it, it's almost worth its own thread. The 90s, man. Can you imagine being forced to watch this shit at work? What asshole wrote this?
Been coveting one for years.
SatelliteOfLove
Member
Finding ones not beat to shit must be half the battle (hence the prices).
The SNES and N64 ones (which I never owned) got some use when I was in town. Always wanted to stop by and play some Mario 64 or Tetris Attack.
The SNES and N64 ones (which I never owned) got some use when I was in town. Always wanted to stop by and play some Mario 64 or Tetris Attack.
My first exposure to Halo 1 was on an Xbox kiosk around launch. Had zero interest in the system but the reviews were mindblowing for Halo and so I took a moment to try out the game and see what all the hype was about during holiday shopping.
Ten minutes later I bought an Xbox.
Ten minutes later I bought an Xbox.
NoFaceNico
Member
I only have a GBA kiosk for the AGS 101 version. Bought it super cheap a few years ago. I think for like $12 shipped because there was a typo in the eBay listing so no one else found it.
I don't have the room right now for other kiosks but if I could get one of those big square DMG Gameboy kiosks, that would be the centerpiece of my entire collection.
I don't have the room right now for other kiosks but if I could get one of those big square DMG Gameboy kiosks, that would be the centerpiece of my entire collection.
Dr_Boris_Goltz
Banned
I remember thinking the monitor quality on this one was INCREDIBLE.
Sadly you might have to continue coveting that one, if I remember correctly that particular Virtual Boy one is not actually a store display. It was a one of a kind custom-created display created for Nathan Barnatt/Keith Apicary a few years back. If I recall correctly, it currently resides in the Game Grumps office space.
One of the small orange/black Dreamcast kiosks popped up on my local Craigslist a few years ago for right around $250... of course I had to be broke at the time because I would have loved to own that.
I'm pretty sure that i'm the only person in history that has ever had one of these fall on them, so i've got that going for me.
SuperShadow271
Member
How funny that this is brought up! I went to a garage sale recently where this guy had the GameCube one in his garage. I asked about it, but he wasn't willing to sell it. Bummer. Would've gotten it too. GameCube is my favorite. But it's funny to see it on Gaf too! I love them as well!
Retromelon
Member
I will never forget playing super mario sunshine at one of those gamecube kiosks at a kmart, around 15 years ago now. I had only ever played gameboy games up til then, and seeing those graphics shattered my world. I remember just swimming around in the ocean in delfino bay and losing my shit
Gameboy415
Member
Oh man I wish I could get some of those classic Nintendo ones!!
I do have a Virtual Boy store display I got at Blockbuster Video ages ago for $30!
Also, it's not a store display but I got a 'Super Famicom Box' hotel unit back when I lived in Japan:
*not my pic
I do have a Virtual Boy store display I got at Blockbuster Video ages ago for $30!
Also, it's not a store display but I got a 'Super Famicom Box' hotel unit back when I lived in Japan:
*not my pic
Oh man I wish I could get some of those classic Nintendo ones!!
I do have a Virtual Boy store display I got at Blockbuster Video ages ago for $30!
Also, it's not a store display but I got a 'Super Famicom Box' hotel unit back when I lived in Japan:
*not my pic
Jealous!
I guess I just like weird novelty shit normal people aren't supposed to have.
I'm a big fan of custom console mods, too. Do we have a thread for that?
HNNNG.
pete_clarf
Member
I worked at Gamestop for 8 years. October 2000 - December 2008. I worked there from the PS2 launch to the PS3 launch and everything in between. I wanted to back my car up to the store and take every single one of these things! I actually did end up getting an N-Gage one. I'm pretty sure the company reps came back and grabbed all of the other ones... though I do know someone that has a PS2 one.
Spiral Insanity
Banned
Oh man I wish I could get some of those classic Nintendo ones!!
I do have a Virtual Boy store display I got at Blockbuster Video ages ago for $30!
Also, it's not a store display but I got a 'Super Famicom Box' hotel unit back when I lived in Japan:
*not my pic
That looks really cool.
GreenMonkey
Member
I always kinda wanted one of these. As a poor kid without one for years, I played a lot of SNES at stores!
Could never justify it though. I'd go 4 player MAME cabinet first.
They're cool in a geeky way though.
Could never justify it though. I'd go 4 player MAME cabinet first.
They're cool in a geeky way though.
Man, the childhood memories of standing in Kaufhof (german department store) and gawking at the SNES and Mega Drive displays...
I remember that one of the guys working there blocked me from playing Sonic because he wanted to see if Sonic did anything after his "laying on the ground bored" idle animation.
The PC section also had a computer that you could insert your own floppies into and copy demos or shareware onto. Early 90s at the latest.
I remember that one of the guys working there blocked me from playing Sonic because he wanted to see if Sonic did anything after his "laying on the ground bored" idle animation.
The PC section also had a computer that you could insert your own floppies into and copy demos or shareware onto. Early 90s at the latest.
HueyFreeman
Banned
Threads like this are what make this board great.
Great OP!
Great OP!
boyshine
Member
I remember this one. It came with "wings" on the side to display games in, which were secured by a screw, but people figured out how to bend it to take the games out, so we lost a lot on that one. I think every single game was gone before we noticed anything. But at least it looked cool.
The giant video game museum in Frisco, TX has a nice selection of these. Here's one photo I took of a family-friendly Splatterhouse rig, on a Laserdisc gaming console:
My full gallery: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/...m-rare-games-crazy-prototypes-and-giant-pong/
My full gallery: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/...m-rare-games-crazy-prototypes-and-giant-pong/
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Thinking about how greasy those gamepads would be makes me nauseous...Anyone remember the Gamecube kiosks at McDonalds? I got my first exposure to Wind Waker there.
It was an early LCD TV with awful awful ghosting. But at the time maybe that registered as a unique look instead of a flaw.
Kerotan Frog
Member
Those dreamcast kiosks hit me straight in the nostalgia. Reminds me of the first time I played one at Epcot in 1998 I think.
BuckRobotron
Member
I remember way back when there was a Bally Astrocade demo station in a department store with the neat gun-handle shaped controllers. Lynx and Virtual Boy demos were memorable too in the less popular mold (loved my Lynx though).
Not too old but I remember these vividly because they used quality Samsung LCD and it was the first time I had seen an HD game and the new generation coming from Gamecube and Og Xbox and PS2. Seeing King Kong etc.
I still remember all the old ones as well. The first time I saw Super Nintendo playing SMB, N64 and SM64, Gamecube, OG Xbox etc.
JOEVIAL
Has a voluptuous plastic labia
OP, this has to be one the best OP's of all time OP. I mean, just look at all those beautiful demo kiosks? I love me some game kiosks also OP. Been looking to buy an Original XBOX one myself, they seem to be the most affordable and the OG XBOX was an instrumental and formative part of my life.
You're bringing on the feels OP. Thanks!
You're bringing on the feels OP. Thanks!
God, I get choked up seeing these. Reminds me how amazing a charity Child's Play is and what a difference gamers make for kids stuck in intensive care during such a formative time in their lives. Gonna go donate right now.
JOEVIAL
Has a voluptuous plastic labia
breadtruck
Member
Being able to play a console I didnt have was the only reason I was ever okay with going shopping with my mom. Seeing these brings back those memories of begging to go to the electronics section and then running like the wind once she gave in and said yes, haha
Martin5000
Member
Please tell us the story! I need to know how it happened
Indeed we did.
Anyone else in the UK have memories of playing the Dreamcast Kiosks at the Virgin Megastores? It's scary to think how long ago that was!
exmachina64
Banned
BumblebeeCody
Member
Oh man these are great!
Jane Mansfield
Banned
If I have the time, money, and craft skills, I could recreate one of the kiosks for my raspberry pi.
Welcome Japan to Vectrex.
That's fucking hot.
Similar threads
- Locked