When was your 3DO cherry popped?

oldskool · Post by **oldskool** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 6:37 pm

I go way back with the 3DO. Bought a new FZ-1 in 1993. I worked at McDonalds, and I was living at home, so I could save the money easily for it. I was the only person that I knew that had one, I had never even seen it demo'd at a store or anything, but I knew it would be something awesome!

I ended up stupidly selling the FZ-1, or trading it off I think for a Sega CD. Eventually I tired of the Sega CD and traded it for an FZ-10. Then I tired of the FZ-10 and sold it to collect money for the PS1 that I pre-ordered.

Yes I went through a lot of consoles. But I am over that these days.

So recently I finally got back into the 3DO. Some people would say that I am crazy, but this shows how much I love the 3DO. I traded off a PC Engine Duo -R plus some excellent games like Dracula X, Rayxanber II, R-Type CD, etc etc for an FZ-1 with about 55 games!! And about 15 or so were sealed/new. But that was not all that I got in the trade. I also got about 10 NES games, 5 Genesis games, a few PS2/Xbox/DC games. Even a new/boxed 32X and 5 or 6 sealed 32X games as well.

So that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

How was your cherry popped?

Post by **3DOKid** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:29 pm

I was at University, working in a chemical factory to make ends meet. I read Edge Magazine, which came out about a year before the 3DO FZ1 in the UK. On Launch day, I borrowed 200 quid off of my sister, 200 quid of my own and scampered into a specialist store and bought one with Super Wing Command, Shockwave and it came with Total Eclipse.

oldskool · Post by **oldskool** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 7:12 am

Nice, so you had one on launch day eh? Yours came with Total Eclipse huh? That's cool, mine came with a sample disc and Crash N' Burn. Sounds like Panasonic liked to release Crystal Dynamic games with their systems.

I remember after getting my 3DO, seeing information in the magazines about a new and upcoming game titled "The Need For Speed", and it showed some screen shots. I HAD TO HAVE IT. My knees shook in anticipation waiting for that game to come out. I remember showing people pics in the magazine and they were in awe just like myself. At the time there was nothing like it. It was revolutionary.

On the last day of school I remember we were allowed to bring anything we wanted to school, so I brought my 3DO and we hooked it up to a TV. EVERYONE got a kick out of Need For Speed. I also brought Samurai Showdown and people were amazed with that as well. People really loved the 3DO, it's too bad it's got such a bad rep now.. ask anyone back then and it was "Hell yeah the 3DO is the best system ever!!!!"

Sorry about the random babbling.

Scarlettkitten · Post by **Scarlettkitten** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:32 pm

I bought my first 3DO second hand in 1996, I had wanted one since the launch but could never afford one, as soon as I got my first full time job and pay packet I ran out and got one. By that time the Playstation was no1 and Nintendo 64 was almost out but hey I loved the 3DO and always will

Vance · Post by **Vance** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 9:58 pm

I have this habit of dropping out of gaming for years at a time, then shoveling up everything in sight at a discount price and having another year or two of playable material. Forget the employee appreciation day at Babbage's, I'd save up all year and walk out of there with hundreds of dollars of purchases for about $120.

My friend sold me his Goldstar unit for $50. My first games were Guardian... Wars, I think. Not interested in looking it up. The little clay golems with the job system, you know what I mean. Wing Commander 3, which I played untilt he disc was paper-thin. The game section at the back of the Waldenbooks never delisted the "coming soon" Wing Commander 4.

I lived near this mom & pop game store that cleared most of their brand new 3DO games out at about $3-$10, including Way of the Warrior and both of the Iron Angel games.

My pad back then... my friends would bring their PS1, N64, and Neo Geo systems, and we'd play on my 50" tv. I barely had any furniture, so we rammed together on one couch and my friends often slept out on the patio during benders. We'd remember whose controller belonged to who by taking them apart and swapped them with different-colored bases ("I have the black and tan" "Mine's the cherry peanut butter!").

Then I got Plumbers Don't Wear Ties. It took a while for us to be able to look each other in the eye after that. Unclean... unclean....

Post by **3DOKid** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 12:33 am

This map shows the 7.2Mile round trip I walked (I thought it was further) to collect a secondhand NTSC copy of Novastorm.

It was very cold, and I was all alone, and Heath Town, even in day light, is bloody scarey.

This was November 1995

oldskool · Post by **oldskool** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 8:05 pm

Damn, now that's dedication!!

T.A.P. · Post by **T.A.P.** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:20 pm

I got into it way later than you guys.

I played the free Star Control 2 copy that came with an issue of Retrogamer, loved it so much I decided to track down the 3DO version and a system.

The only system I could find was a mangled FZ-10 (which I later sold) with a huge crack in the casing. It came with a few games (Cyberdillo, Burning Soldier, and Strahl) and I picked up a few more games, and have been playing with them ever since.

I still need Star Control 2 though.

oldskool · Post by **oldskool** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:49 pm

If the copy they had in the magazine was the PC version, I can tell you that the 3DO version is MUCH better.

T.A.P. · Post by **T.A.P.** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 3:40 am

It was a PC port of the 3DO port of the PC game. It had all the voices and the added features of the 3DO version, but none of the FMV, so while I technically beat it, I still don't know what happened.

oldskool · Post by **oldskool** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 4:11 am

A PC port of the 3DO port of the PC game..

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue May 18, 2010 12:57 am

I was working for a place called thortons at the moor in sheffield england and used to check out video game stores in the area one I went into was a shop with lots of new gadgets and expensive vcr's tv's and such and there is where I saw the 3do on display running demolition man.

I was amazed by the graphics and the full motion video and used to go in there every dinner break for weeks, Think that's all I talked about to my family and friends lol so I pestered my mother for it saving as much as I could myself towards it and I finally got it.

I remember playing Super wing commander with the earphones plugged in until the wee hours trying for the best speed with my friends on need for speed and having a blast on road rash.

If I got tired of doing the missions on wing commander I used to kill my own wingman and see how pissed off I could get the commanding officer lol

Good Times I'll never forget.

Post by **3DO Experience** » Tue May 18, 2010 9:34 pm

I had seen the 3DO for sale in Electronics Boutique for a while. It was in a city about an hour away so I couldn't go drool everyday. I saved my pennies, all 700 of them and got mine shortly before x-mas. I know it had to have been late Oct thru Dec because there was snow. When I bought it there wasn't as big a section as was devoted to SNES. I didn't have a whole lot of choices but I saw Escape from Monster Manor and it hadn't been on the wall the last time I was there. It looked different so I bought it with the system. I think it cost me an extra $60. Well worth it though! It was a while before the next time I got back. The next games I bought were Space Hulk, the box blew me away and Quarantine as I had heard it was good. Those were the days.

Lemmi · Post by **Lemmi** » Tue May 18, 2010 9:49 pm

i saw the price when the 3do came out and i didnt really think about the system at all untill walking into a Funcoland in 1997 and seeing that they had 3do systems and games in their little price paper, i decided to get a 3do and some games instead of the Sega CD games i walked in for

Post by **3DOKid** » Tue May 18, 2010 9:55 pm

I wish I had got a Mega Drive + Mega CD + 32x plus all the 32x games when it was rock-bottom-prices.

Trev · Post by **Trev** » Tue May 18, 2010 11:23 pm

3DO Experience wrote: I saved my pennies, all 700 of them

Talk about a rock bottom price.

jesus 666 · Post by **jesus 666** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:07 am

I bought mine just after the PS1 took off in a big way.

Mainly I bought it due to the fact that I intensely disliked the PS1 when I was a kid and refused to go along with the crowd and buy one myself, there was also an element of wanting to be a rebel involved I think

Not to say I didn't think the purchase through carefully though, I'd seen a system 2nd hand and very cheap, I knew of two shops which stocked used 3DO games and they were also selling very cheap.

Within around 6 months I had like 15 odd games whilst most of my friends had only managed to scrounge up enough money for maybe 5 PS1 games at most.

Unfortunately after I bought all the games that had been in the shops no more ever came in, after a while I ended up moving on to the N64 but I think maybe if i'd had access to all the best 3DO games I could've happily stuck with the system.

Karyyk · Post by **Karyyk** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 3:30 am

I remember taking a day off from college my freshman year ('95) and grabbing my student loan refund check, to the bank and then to the mall. Bought my Goldstar unit and a handful of games for $200.

desiv · Post by **desiv** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:33 am

Let's see.. When did I join here?
Late June 2009?

I remember it vividly.... I got my first 3DO in June of 2009.

OK, maybe not vividly, but I remember going to goodwill with my wife and I saw it and I knew right away what it was...
(UPDATE: OK, I didn't remember at all... I just re-read my first post and I said I had my 3DO for a few years..

I knew 2009 seemed wrong. I actually misread the date and had 2007 in there. Then I read it was 2009 and edited it.. and I was like.. no way.. So I went back and checked my first post here.. So.. I lied.. It as somewhere around 2007 tho, which is probably why I originally misread my join date as 2007.

)

I'd never had one, but not because I didn't know what it was...
I'd always wanted one.

And I got mine for $30 or $40 (can't remember) with 2 joypads.
I had no idea whether or not that was a good deal or not at the time, but I figured it was my chance..

I don't regret that purchase at all..

And it's my wife's favorite of all my systems..

(I have to admit, it's my second favorite. But I paid $65 for my Vectrex, so this was a better deal.

)

desiv

elitegamer · Post by **elitegamer** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 10:31 pm

It was 93' or 94'. Whenever the system experienced it first price drop. I still end up spending like $500, cause I had to get another controller. I personally only ever known 1 person to own the system besides myself (he paid $800... insane even today).

Because of its price and the fact I used the system as a cd player, i thought id always have the one i bought from the store. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, but 3do and i were reunited in 2009. Believe it our not i still retained some of the games i had. Most of were scratched to •ell but i was able to play'em after they were resurfaced.

3do is simi-comparable to modern systems at least in my world. 3do holds the pinnacle position in my game room.

" Put away the toys... 3do is the R.E.A.L Experience !

ArfredHitchcacku · Post by **ArfredHitchcacku** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 7:22 pm

I'm the first (and maybe the only?) one here that has a drastically different story. You see I'm 15 years old, so the 3DO was really before my time. I collected old game systems I while before I finally got my FZ-10 this Christmas, the 3DO marks my 18th game system. (Yes, I had a Colecovision, Atari 7800 and Sega Dreamcast beforehand.) Why did I get it? I gradually got into it (obviously through the internet) and realized how great a library of games it had. For this kind of thing you really have to form your own opinion on the library of games instead of listening to others, because everyone seems to think that there are few good games on 3DO, which is a down-right lie, the 3DO is easily as good as the Super NES and the Sega Genesis. It must have gotten that reputation from the low sales and ridiculous price tag, and the bad FMV games don't help things either.

I'm almost sure I'm the only one in my town to have a 3DO, hell maybe the only one in my county. Then again, I doubt many people own an Atari 7800 either.

Martin III · Post by **Martin III** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:52 am

My story is actually somewhat similar to yours, Arfred. The 3DO wasn't before my time (and it's my 7th game system, rather than 18th), but it certainly wasn't known to me at the time. Even my brother knew of it but had no idea it cost anything like $700. So I too got my 3DO less than a year ago.

JohnnyDude · Post by **JohnnyDude** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:23 am

Unlike afred, it's a boring typical story for me. Pretty sure I got my FZ-1 for $200 used, but maybe less. I'm not sure where, though, and I think I was 15.

I do remember all the games being dirt cheap and coming with controllers! I think I have about 10 controllers (most of which are the crappy ProPad).

On one occasion, I even hooked up 8 of them for the bomberman-clone minigame in Perfect General. People must have thought I was crazy. Ya know ... it's kinda comforting to remember that I've always been that odd and that I'm not just regressing into zaniness.

Trev · Post by **Trev** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:38 am

JohnnyDude wrote: I think I have about 10 controllers (most of which are the crappy ProPad).

On one occasion, I even hooked up 8 of them for the bomberman-clone minigame in Perfect General. People must have thought I was crazy. Ya know ... it's kinda comforting to remember that I've always been that odd and that I'm not just regressing into zaniness.

Ha ha, thats awesome. The minigame might be better than the actual game.

JohnnyDude · Post by **JohnnyDude** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:56 am

Trev wrote:
JohnnyDude wrote: I think I have about 10 controllers (most of which are the crappy ProPad).

On one occasion, I even hooked up 8 of them for the bomberman-clone minigame in Perfect General. People must have thought I was crazy. Ya know ... it's kinda comforting to remember that I've always been that odd and that I'm not just regressing into zaniness.
Ha ha, thats awesome. The minigame might be better than the actual game.

Actually, the game wasn't bad. Pretty boring, though. And, here's a fun fact for ya... Perfect General was by Kirin Entertainment, makers of Plumbers Don't Wear Ties!! I didn't know this at the time, I just noticed it about 6 months ago when I looked at the game boxes I have.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 8:56 am

I think i got my used FZ-1 Pal in late 95.. With a bunch of games. It was a few months after i got my PS at launch anyway.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 8:59 am

ArfredHitchcacku wrote:I'm the first (and maybe the only?) one here that has a drastically different story.

Being 15 and into 3DO is drastically different right there, and you certainly dont express yourself like you are 15, which is a good thing.

Martin III · Post by **Martin III** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:27 pm

grimm wrote:
ArfredHitchcacku wrote:I'm the first (and maybe the only?) one here that has a drastically different story.
Being 15 and into 3DO is drastically different right there, and you certainly dont express yourself like you are 15, which is a good thing.

I had this same thought myself. Thanks for thinking to actually bring it up, grimm.

Post by **3DO Experience** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 4:24 am

grimm wrote:Being 15 and into 3DO is drastically different right there, and you certainly dont express yourself like you are 15, which is a good thing.

Or rather, you don't express yourself like many 15 year-old gamers on the internet do.

Post by **3DOKid** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:06 am

ArfredHitchcacku wrote:I'm the first (and maybe the only?) one here that has a drastically different story. You see I'm 15 years old, so the 3DO was really before my time. I collected old game systems I while before I finally got my FZ-10 this Christmas, the 3DO marks my 18th game system. (Yes, I had a Colecovision, Atari 7800 and Sega Dreamcast beforehand.) Why did I get it? I gradually got into it (obviously through the internet) and realized how great a library of games it had. For this kind of thing you really have to form your own opinion on the library of games instead of listening to others, because everyone seems to think that there are few good games on 3DO, which is a down-right lie, the 3DO is easily as good as the Super NES and the Sega Genesis. It must have gotten that reputation from the low sales and ridiculous price tag, and the bad FMV games don't help things either.

I'm almost sure I'm the only one in my town to have a 3DO, hell maybe the only one in my county. Then again, I doubt many people own an Atari 7800 either.

You're absolutely correct of cause.

The 3DO has a pretty small following, so we don't have the armies of angry fanboy's that other systems (Jaguar / NeoGeo CD I'm looking at you) command. So, despite the influence 3DO had on the industry, the simple fact the 3DO project was a commercial failure is enough to banish it to an unjust obscurity. It is often dismissed completely unfairly.

I like some of the FMV games mind you. Daedalus Encounter, Psychic Detective, Snow Job, they are actually pretty neat.

15?!? Do you provide forum conduct lessons? There are a couple of people on here that could use them

(Me for starters

)