The Goldstar / LG 3DO Alive II - A 3DO M2 in Disguise! Rarer than Rare!
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- Of all the 3DO consoles ever made the Alive II is the rarest...and the 3DO Alive II branded with the LG logo is the rarest version OF the Alive II. It was originally intended to house the 3DO M2 from LG before Panasonic bought the rights to the 3DO M2 and killed my retro gaming dreams!
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Of all the 3DO hardware available there are two rarities; the Goldstar Alive II and the even rarer LG branded Alive II. Rarity is awesome and all but...
This console is special due to the fact it's actually housed in the mold for the prototype Goldstar 3DO M2 consoles that were shown off in magazines and at CES in 1995/1996. Once M2 was sold to Panasonic / Matsushita exclusively Goldstar had no use for the mold due to the fact they would not be able to manufacture 3DO M2's so...they released a very rare Korean exclusive 3DO using the same design!
Questions? Comments? Just leave them below and I will do my best to answer each and every one of them!
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VGE
![Консоль для ОЧЕНЬ БОГАТЫХ! Мои игры для 3DO [Уже на полке]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rm9r5XkP8kI/mqdefault.jpg)
These rare 3do consoles are crazy
They are all a fun time and some are very weird
That’s a nice looking console all things considered. Thanks for all the time you dedicate to providing the retro community with a wealth of knowledge.
you are welcome :) I genuinely enjoy doing it!
I'm in love with the design of this thing.
Same. It’s got such a great look to it
Years ago I had two of the Panasonic M2 Kiosk units. They basically showed you how the console was going to be as far as expansion potential goes. Both had a hard drive, a DVD drive, and both setups had VGA, Svideo, and composite out support, along with support for standard 3DO gamepads. I was able to play that one racing game IMSA World Championship Racing once it was leaked. I uploaded video of me testing one of the units out years ago with that game, so its still on my channel. One of my units had included a disc in the drive for car dealership stuff for General Motors also, so I included that in the video I did way back even though it wasn't game related. Even though Konami did put games out for the hardware in the arcade, I would not consider them as good examples of what the hardware could do.
IMSA World Championship Racing showed off just how much more capable M2 was as far as lighting, texture mapping, polygon count, frame-rate and resolution ability goes. The thing would have easily curb stomped the N64 in raw performance, with a much higher frame-rate at a higher resolution. If I had to make a comparison, I would say based on IMSA, that the hardware was in that Voodoo1/Pentium 200 range. Not quite at Dreamcast level, but it would have been nipping at it's heels for sure had there been a retail launch with actual support.
I still play IMSA once a year just because why not
Love seeing rare consoles from the 90s
It’s always fun for sure. This one is exceedingly rare
I want the m2 so bad back in the day. It could have been Dreamcast power levels but years earlier.
Same! I even had it pre-ordered at EB Games
I didn't know they meant to use these for M2s. That explains why they released this 3DO so late in its life. Probably sold just enough to not lose money.
Yeah they spent all the money on the mold work...had to put something in there!
I've seen those Goldstar M2 pictures numerous times, and it never clicked to me that the Alive II has practically the same shell! Quite a better reuse than being turned into a vending machine, if you ask me.
Haha yeah most people never make the connection that LG / Goldstar used the M2 casing for a 3DO
Or a dental camera for that matter.
That was Jaguar
@@VideoGameEsoterica Yeah I know. That one was a rather unusual use case.
Ahh I thought you meant 3DO and dental camera
It looks like if a PlayStation had a twin but the twin had some secrets. Like, it knows a guy that knows a guy or something
That’s one way to put it 😂
What a deep dive. Thank you for doing what you do with these videos.
Happy to do it :) I enjoy filling in the blanks on gaming info
Well done. I shared this to 3do collectors fb group.
Thanks! This is half a stats test for a fall series. 3DO or Taito Type X2. Gauging interest
From all of us at former Next-Gen, thank you for correcting the magazine article.
Haha what did I correct? I made this video like late summer 2021. So I forgot what I said? (I work in advance and reschedule a lot of stuff on whims)
@@VideoGameEsoterica 7:07 in, towards the end.
Lemme take a listen
Ahah yes. Well I mean you weren’t “wrong”...that info came out years later from some documents and first hand accounts!
Cool design! Wish they had released the M2. But the competition was tough :-(
It was mostly Panasonic being dumb with their decision making. Curse them!
And it would also be worth mentioning that it use the ANVIL chipset. Not quite the "standard 3DO chips" to most people, though that *was* normal for all the later models.
That is true. 3DO had a decent amount of revisions in its life chip wise
the sega story sounds interesting
really hope to see a video out of it
I did one. Few months back
Excellent video, once again. 💪🏻
And yeah, please do that Sega M2 video. That will be very interesting to see.
I did. Few months back. I uploaded these out of order
@@VideoGameEsoterica oh, I saw that one. I assumed you were now referring to a second part or extended edition of it. ☺️
There's a guy in Germany which has the M2 LG version which D2 prototype running in it. Unfortunately, it will never see the daylight because he is not allowed to show it to the world. 😂
lololol...I hear he has a Picasso too...a lost one! but he can't photograph it...he respects Picasso too much!
@@VideoGameEsoterica 😂😂😂😂
what a joke
@@VideoGameEsoterica you didn't know? Picasso didn't want people to see his work
🤣
Gorgeous machine!
Yeah I love the aesthetics
Lookin' good! I love that little thing.
I thought you hated 3DO? lolol
@@VideoGameEsoterica Oh, yes. I still hate 3DO, but I own that console now. It's only because of it's resemblance to a Playstation One that I love it, of course!
Makes total sense!
That little power output beside the RCA jacks is likely to power an RF conversation unit. The original 1k Model ps1 with the RCA jacks had the same thing
I forgot about that on the PS1 and my PS1 literally had it haha
Pretty neat looking 3DO. Very reminiscent of the PSOne but in blackish grey. Perhaps the Ying to Sony's Yang lol. Really dissapointed that it has no S-Video, but with something this rare I highly doubt you're going to use it for gaming anyways right?
Yes the lack of S video is a bummer
Fascinating. Love its shell.
It’s a unique design for sure
DAMN. What a good looking thing.
Aesthetically it really is a 10/10
1:58 Ah ! I know that baguette language hahaha ! Do you from what magazine this was, interested in trying to track it down :D
And always yes for more Sega - 3DO M2 of course !
I’ll see if my scans show what mag it is
The dc out could be to power an rf adapter. Original playstation model had something similar.
Also a decent theory
Archive 3DO, where's that fourth screw? (Would love to see that Sega deal video)
Maybe one day
Definitly takes a bit of inspiration from the PS1 design. Its pretty cool IMHO
I enjoy the design for sure
might as well cover all the 3DO models now :)
Haha this is half a stats test to see if there is enough 3DO interest for a fall series...so I may :)
Vaguely reminiscent of the PSone design. I don't know how the dates line up for which came first
This shell would have come first
I want those M2 controllers
who knows...they may still exist somewhere
Just noticed this today, but the initial Alive model had Korean lettering on the Goldstar controller, but the LG Alive II model did away with this
Yes to correct the new branding :)
Yes I want the Sega video!!!
What video? I can’t remember what I said 😂
@@VideoGameEsoterica video about the M2 almost going to Sega
I did. Check “how Dreamcast could have succeeded”. It’s on my channel
Hah! That missing screw! (It was also missing a couple more internal screws)
The amount of rare / dev / prototype consoles I've had in front of my camera that are missing screws...has been all of them!
LG... it's in the game.
hahaha exactly...and the refrigerators, washing machines and dryers
@@VideoGameEsoterica lol
rumor has it all LG fridges made to this day use 3DO chipsets inside them!
@@VideoGameEsoterica The TVs might have an M2 board inside you should take one apart!
Haha I mean ATMs in Japan had them so....it’s not as weird as it sounds
damn this looks dope!
Yeah it’s a fun design for sure
Hey, I have one, released by LG. How much do you think I can get for it?
No clue. They rarely sell. So there isn’t really enough track record to put a price to it. Whatever anyone wants to pay LOL
So...you able to advise on sites you use to find things like this? I know of some auction sites for Japan but I'm trying to find some things as well. Also, I'm trying to find computer/crt/electronic related devices within the new england area either up for auction, donations that people can pick up or just a lot that I can purchase.
It all depends. Most of my rare stuff comes either from YAJ or the “nerds with too much sfuff” trade network...which is just knowing people who have things LOL
My FIL goes to the town dump in New Hampshire and they let him go through the electronics recycling. He is an engineer and always scores good parts. Maybe try that?
@@VideoGameEsoterica ok. Any networks you're open to share that is a good start? Do you have a discord? (I'm sure you've said if you do or not on videos but my minds slipping)
It’s in the video description :) at the bottom
Can you also do the other M2 potential, Philips? Doubt there is much info around that though, but 100% to Sega!
Wasn't the LG Alive 2 also released into Russia/Europe?
No, but it made its way to Russia. Russia has a large 3DO fan contingency.
It did get imported into the grey markets of Europe and Russia where it was converted to PAL. All of the PAL Alive II I've seen (two or three, to be fair) still have flux around the video timing crystal and a bodge resistor at the region select pads. I suppose it's possible those mods were done by hand in Korea before export, though.
Yes its hard to say this was "officially" released in Russia. More of a grey market thing for sure
I believe the 3DO was officially released in some major European markets (UK, France, Germany and possibly Spain..) but in most countries I think it was available only a grey import. I think it was the case even in western countries like Italy.
@@amerigocosta7452 Yes, the 3DO was available normally in those markets. The specific model shown in the video, the Alive II, was a Korean exclusive that got exported via the grey markets.
Looks like an ergonomic PS1.
In a lot of ways yes
The power and open buttons look suspiciously like the Playstation power and open buttons... Even moreso in one of the pictures you showed that appeared to have the lettering printed on and not stamped on.
silk screening the text on was a way to keep molding costs down. Pretty standard
@@VideoGameEsoterica Gotcha. I meant to say the size and shape of the buttons may be exactly the same as the ps1 and maybe they cloned those buttons. Just jumped out to me that they looked exactly like those buttons.
They are similar for sure
😍
:)
Super cool info, it´s like if Sega Genesis Model 3 was intended to have a Saturn inside :)
haha that is a VERY apt comparison actually
Any chance to dump it BIOS?
I think archive already did. Ask him, it’s his
woooot?
Yeah it’s a fun one!
You can see the strong influences they took from the original PS1. The general shape and design is quite similar
Except rounded. I love the rounded aspect
Great video. But I think I'm the only person who doesn't really like the design of this thing, and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's too curvy.
I think it’s the curves that I like the best
It looks like a PS1 system
It does have some similar vibes for sure
Dc out for karaoke
Maybe?
looks like psx
very similar for sure
8th like
appreciated as always!