The Ten Greatest Game Consoles of All Time: - My Personal Favorites (My 300th Review)
Aug 14 '06
The Bottom Line The Greatest Video Game Consoles of All Time; In My Opinion.
Writing a list of the top ten greatest game consoles of all time seemed like a good idea when I was trying to decide what to write in lieu of my 300th review. I've been gaming for 18 years, and although I for the most part missed out on the Atari years, I'm the proud owner of many a console. Either way, here's my list; brace yourself for my top ten most favorite consoles of all time...
#10. - Turbografx-16
Manufacturer: NEC
Life Span: 1989 - 1993
Barely even into the list and I'm sure that I've already got many of your faces lit up in disgust. Although technically an 8-bit console, the Turbografx was nary the talk of the gaming community. Although it achieved much success in the land of the rising sun, which had a lot to do with it's pornografic games (which never made it outside of Japan), NEC's console was a big blunder in North America. This is even despite a pretty solid line-up of shooters and platformers. Not even an awesome CD attachment could bring it into the limelight. Still, NEC's Turbografx is a wonderful little system that's substantially fun in an Arcade style sense. Plus, the system's cute little caveman mascot, Bonk, simply rocks.
Highly Recommended Titles:
Military Madness
R-Type
Bonk's Adventure
Bonk's Revenge
Splatterhouse
Super Star Soldier
Neutopia
Ninja Spirit
Fantasy Zone
Dragon Spirit
#9. - Sega Dreamcast
Manufacturer: Sega
Life Span: 1999 - 2002
The Dreamcast was Sega's final console. How sad, I've still got some inner hope that Sega will once again rise up and release a new console. Either way, the Dreamcast is awesome. Everything down to it's zany, large controller, to the quirky little VMU memory cards just reeks of coolness. The system supports a truly impressive line-up of games from both Sega themselves, and third party supporters. What's more is that the Dreamcast was the first console to have wide support for it's Online plan, and it came online capable right out of the box. Although it's a bit overrated in modern times, the Dreamcast certainly deserves this spot on the list. Here's to you Sega.
Highly Recommended Titles:
Skies of Arcadia
Grandia II
Sonic Adventure
Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Last Blade 2
Typing of the Dead
Illbleed
Power Stone 2
Samba De Amigo
Soul Caliber
#8. - Neo Geo
Manufacturer: SNK
Life Span: 1991 - 1995
Here's another entry that few probably expected. I've only recently stumbled into the wonderful world of Neo Geo, but I'm hooked. Never before have I seen a console with so many high quality fighters, and the system's 24-bit processor renders most of them beautifully. The Neo Geo consists of ports of arcade games running on SNK's arcade hardware, and as such, the games are completely arcade perfect. Also cool is that you can buy a converter so you can play the oddly shaped Arcade cartridges on your home system, intead of having to buy the more expensive console carts. Either way, if you're a fan of fighters and other arcade games, you must pick one of these babies up.
Highly Recommended Titles:
Fatal Fury
Fatal Fury Special
Real Bout Fatal Fury
The Last Blade
Samurai Shodown
Samurai Shodown 2
Last Resort
Pulstar
Nam 1975
Aero Fighters 2
#7. - Sega CD
Manufacturer: Sega
Life Span: 1992 - 1995
While technically not a console (it's an add-on for the Sega Genesis) I've still decided to give it's proper due. The Sega CD is the first piece of hardware from Sega that I would actually consider underrated. It features some of the greatest, and most elaborate 16-bit games of all time, but the add-on's price is ultimately what killed it. What a shame too; the Sega CD deserved much better. I guess Sega's partly to blame, as the release of this CD unit is ultimately the turning point in their successful run in the hardware business.
Highly Recommended Titles:
Lunar: The Silver Star
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue
Popful Mail
Vay
Dark Wizard
Sonic CD
Soulstar
Shining Force CD
Android Assault
Snatcher
#6. - Sega Genesis
Manufacturer: Sega
Life Span: 1989 - 1997
I've always been more of a Super Nintendo kinda guy personally, but the Sega Genesis is still a terrific console. This was Sega at their height in the video game business, and the astoundingly huge library of games is proof of this. The system is known for it's excellent sports titles, and a large collection of high adrenaline shooters. On top of that, you've got a healthy serving of the good old Sega magic. No console collection is complete with at least one of these babies. Blast processing forever!
Highly Recommended Titles:
Shining Force
Shining Force II
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Castlevania Bloodlines
Comix Zone
Gunstar Heroes
Phantasy Star 4
Gaiares
#5. - Nintendo 64
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Life Span: 1996 - 2001
Call it nostalgia, but the memories I have with the Nintendo 64 help to plummet this underrated console to the number 5 spot on this list. Super Mario 64 was my first proper introduction into the world of 3-D gaming, and the first time I booted up the game was pure video game magic. Although it never featured an elaborate or diverse library, the Nintendo 64 was king of it's time with first person shooters, platformers, and multiplayer games. It's also the first mainstream console to feature four player support right out of the box. I doubt I'll ever forget the first time I played through Ocarina of Time.
Highly Recommended Titles:
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Kart 64
Diddy Kong Racing
Goldeneye 007
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Perfect Dark
Starfox 64
Super Smash Bros.
Conker's Bad Fur Day
#4. - Sony Playstation
Manufacturer: Sony
Life Span: 1995 - 2002
In the mid 90s Sony was the newcomer and the underdog at that. After failed proceedings with Nintendo to develop and release a CD add-on for the Super Nintendo, Sony took what they had learned at put it into effect with the original Playstation. Surprisingly, Sony one upped both Nintendo and Sega, and is the undisputed champion of the 32/64-bit console war. The reason the Playstation did so well was because of it's vast library of games. You'll find more games on this console than anywhere else, and there are some truly huge and epic titles to be played. This is also the console which brought RPGs into the mainstream. Although I'd say it's slightly overrated, the original Playstation is still a fantastic piece of gaming history.
Highly Recommended Titles:
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy IX
Suikoden
Suikoden II
Resident Evil 2
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Silent Hill
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Grand Theft Auto
#3. - Nintendo Entertainment System
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Life Span: 1985 - 1994
This is it, the ultimate 8-bit console. This also just happens to be the very first gaming system that I ever owned. The Nintendo Entertainment System (or NES, if you will) plummetted Nintendo up to legendary status amongst adolescents and teens. The companies name became synonymous with video games because of the impact the NES had on the world. This beast had a near monopoly on the video game market, and because of this you'll find hundreds of games, and a very well rounded library. The console is especially good for side scrollers, sports games, and even shooters. If you're looking for the perfect represenation of the golden age of gaming, look no further than the NES.
Highly Recommended Titles:
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 3
Gradius
Life Force
Final Fantasy
Dragon Warrior
Ninja Gaiden
Bubble Bobble
Snow Bros.
#2. - Sega Saturn
Manufacturer: Sega
Life Span: 1995 - 1998
This will probably be considered the biggest upset of the entire list. The Saturn seems to be one of the most univerally unappreciated consoles of all time, yet it's made #2 on my list. The main reason for this is simple; the Saturn has the most Sega magic out of any other gaming system that I've ever played. While many will disagree with that statement, nothing has come close to shattering my opinion on the matter. The console had a great controller, an original and diverse line-up of games, but it has a terrible reputation due to Sega's inability to properly market, and their flimsy hardware support in the past. Although the console is already fantastic on it's own merit, it becomes absolutely legendary when you add in all the available import titles. If Sega ever decided to rejoin the world of game consoles, I'd hope that their new system could be akin to the Saturn.
Highly Recommended Titles:
NiGHTs Into Dreams
Albert's Odyssey: Legend of Eldean
Dragon Force
Radiant Silvergun (Import)
Fighter's Megamix
Panzer Dragoon II: Zwei
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Shining Force III
Burning Rangers
Guardian Heroes
#1. - Super Nintendo
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Life Span: 1991 - 1998
Here it is, my favorite console of all time. It wasn't even hard to decide on this one; the Super Nintendo is a god of a game console. On top of a superior line-up of games from Nintendo themselves, you've also got some of the finest titles from third parties that you'll ever find. The only weak link in the library is Sports games, but it's a genre I've never personally cared about. In my opinion, this is the best system you'll ever find for RPGs, side scrollers, and even puzzle games. The sheer amount of titles released for it is fantastic, and you'll never be without fantastic games should you own one. I'm under the impression that no system will dethrone the SNES, ever.
Highly Recommended Titles:
Final Fantasy II
Chrono Trigger
Super Mario World
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Soul Blazer
Harvest Moon
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Mega Man X
Well that's the end of the list. Saw an entry you liked? One you didn't? Feel free to leave me a comment, but keep things polite.
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Epinions.com ID:
jeremy1456
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Member: Jeremy
Reviews written: 456
Trusted by: 288 members
About Me:
Currently Binging on Classic Games and Bad Horror Films.
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