|
User
Album Ratings 0
Last Active 01-20-16 12:20 am
Joined 01-20-16
Review Comments 189
| Video game consoles ranked (with games)
Taking a trip down memory lane with a retrospective look back at the gaming consoles that shaped my gaming life. This ranking takes into account the quality of the library of games on the respective console and the impact and influence the console had in it's era and on future generations. In my ranking i'll include a selection of key games for each console and one "Dark horse" pick for a game that didn't get the attention it deserved. Ahh the nostalgia. | | 1 |  | Hiroki Kikuta
Secret of Mana: OST
SNES (SUPER NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM)
The SNES takes top place for the sheer amount of quality games it boasted and the influence these games had and still have on gaming culture. Some of the most iconic gaming franchises had released iconic games in the series (Mario, Final Fantasy, Zelda, Metroid, etc) and they still hold their own in today’s gaming landscape - no mean feat for a 16-bit 2D console. The golden era of gaming.
Key games - Super Metroid, Legend of Zelda: ATTP, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Donkey Kong Country, Mario 3
Dark horse pick: Earthbound | | 2 |  | Koji Kondo
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OST
NINTENDO 64
As the gaming world went through the transition from 2D to 3D, the N64 followed in the giant footsteps of the SNES and Nintendo had more at stake than any other gaming console because of the legacy of flagship gaming franchises, Zelda, Mario, Mariokart etc. Once the N64 was released with Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time, the gaming world was turned upside down and the rest is history.
Key games - Mario 64, Zelda: OOT, Majoras Mask, Goldeneye 007, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie
Dark horse pick: Conkers Bad Fur Day | | 3 |  | Koji Kondo
Super Mario Bros.
NES - NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
Looking back through nostalgic tinted glasses, the original NES holds my earliest gaming memories, Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt being two after-school homework killers for a whole generation of young gamers. While graphically the NES doesn't quite hold up as well today and it doesn't have the sheer quantity of classic games like the SNES, there's no denying the influence and impact it had on a generation of gamers young and old.
Key games - Super Mario Bros 1, Super Mario Bros 3, Castlevania, Legend of Zelda, Metroid
Dark horse pick: Battletoads | | 4 |  | Masami Ueda
Okami: OST
PLAYSTATION 2
It could be argued it wasn't until the year 2000 that Playstation really ascended the gaming throne with the release of the PS2. The PS1 had laid a solid foundation and by the time the next gen had come around Sony was competing with Microsoft's Xbox for the crown, with Nintendo's Gamecube a distant third. What the PS2 had that the Xbox didn't was the quality of games like God of War, Final Fantasy X, Gran Turismo 3, Shadow of the Colossus and ICO amongst others.
Key games – Prince of Persia trilogy, God of War 1 + 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Shadow of the Colossus, Final Fantasy X
Dark horse: Okami | | 5 |  | Austin Wintory
Journey Original Soundtrack
PLAYSTATION 3
Since the dawn of gaming, the PS3 has delivered some of my all-time favourite gaming moments and for millions worldwide. The hardware horsepower of the PS3 allowed for some of the most beautifully realised HD graphics, with the HD remake of Okami being the best looking video game I’ve ever set eyes on. The other drawcard it has over the PS2 and PS1 is the advent of the online gaming compatibility that changed the gaming landscape in a massive way. I also firmly believe the Ps3 has a more comprehensive range of exclusive licensed games that just give it the edge over the Xbox 360.
Key games - Red Dead Redemption, The Last of Us, Uncharted 2, GTA V, Mass Effect, Skyrim
Dark horse: Brutal Legend | | 6 |  | Hideki Naganuma
Jet Set Radio: OST
SEGA DREAMCAST
By the time the Dreamcast was unleashed in 1999, Sega had lost a lot of ground with the commercial failure of the Saturn (which wasn’t THAT bad a console). Up against the 6th gen of consoles in the market - the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox, the Dreamcast didn’t capture the imagination of the mass gaming public. For those lucky enough to own a Dreamcast (I rented one for a few weeks which was a big deal) they were treated to some of the best games of the era with some of the best graphics of it’s time. The Dreamcast also holds the distinction of being the first console with a built in Ethernet jack for online gaming. The legacy of games such as Soul Caliber 2, Jetset Radio, Shenmue, Chu Chu Rocket, Capcom vs SNK 2, Marvel vs SNK 2 shows Sega at it’s innovative best and the Dreamcast was gone too soon.
Key games: Soul Caliber 2, Shenmue, Capcom vs SNK 2, Marvel vs SNK 2
Dark horse: Jet set Radio | | 7 |  | Nobuo Uematsu
Final Fantasy VIII: Original Soundtrack
PLAYSTATION 1
Sony's first foray into the gaming world came with the release of the Playstation 1 in the mid 90's. Up against the N64, the Playstation gave gamers a more realistic gaming experience, boosted by the Playstation's hardware capabilities.Some games such as Final Fantasy IX were so epic they came with 4 discs (a novelty back then, a damn hindrance nowadays). In the late 90’s it came down to the battle of the disc vs cartridge, and if you had both, then it was your mates crashing your place after school for multiplayer sessions of Twisted Metal, Tekken 2 and Jonah Lomu Rugby. The PS1 also allowed for multiplayer gaming using the multi-tap which added an extra dynamic to the console. Also I can't forget to mention the Gameshark cheat cartridge which opened up a whole new pandora’s box of possibilities!
Key games - Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, Resident Evil 2, Final Fantasy VII, Gran Turismo, Oddworld: Abes oddyssey
Dark horse pick: Twisted Metal 2: World Tour | | 8 |  | Koji Kondo
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker OST
NINTENDO GAMECUBE
As Nintendo shifted into the 2000’s, the gaming landscape had changed dramatically and young gamers were now asking for Playstation or Xbox presents when sitting on the knee of some dirty old bastard in a red suit down at the shopping mall. With the release of the ‘Cube, Nintendo swapped cartridge for disc, Mario for Luigi and saw the return of Samus Aran in Metroid Prime. The initial reception of the Gamecube was slow and critics were keen to put the boot in Nintendo. But time has been kind to the ‘Cube and people started to realise the quality of it’s games. Plus the Gamecube controller is tied with the N64 and Ps4 as the best controller ever made.
Key games: Zelda Wind Waker, Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime, Super Smash Bros Melee, Metroid Prime 2
Dark horse: Zelda Twilight Princess (most people have only played the Wii version but it was originally released on Gamecube and plays better on it too) | | 9 |  | Fear Factory
Demanufacture
SEGA MEGA DRIVE
Sega’s second entry into the gaming world came via the Mega Drive (or Genesis as known in North America and Canada). Released in 1990, the Mega drive boasted a library of quality games and none more infamous than the Mortal Kombat series – controversial for it’s time – and it gave birth to Sega’s answer to Mario – Sonic the Hedgehog, which would go on to become one of the biggest selling game franchises of all time. The hardware capabilities of the Mega Drive enabled games with better graphics and it was a blast to play.
Key games: Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Mickey Mouse Castle of Illusion, Mortal Kombat (hence the nod to Fear Factory - Zero Signal)
Dark horse: NHL 94 | | 10 |  | Koji Kondo
The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony
NINTENDO WII
Released in 2006, alongside PS3 and the Xbox 360, Nintendo entered the 7th gen with the Wii. Rebounding after the commercial failing of the Gamecube console, Nintendo needed to make a serious impression in the gaming market or risk fading into obscurity. And make an impression Nintendo did. The Wii’s motion control compatability and family-orientated market of games like Wii sport, Wii fit etc reached out to everyday folk who wouldn’t know an RPG from an MMO. Personally the idea of a bunch of middle aged men using the Wii for yoga poses and calorie counting is sacrilege to gaming, but to each their own. For all the hype and success of the Wii in the early years, it became clear that due to the Wii's lack of HD gaming and true online capabilities it exposed Nintendo's inability to keep with the times. The addition of the virtual console was a fantastic idea though.
Key games: Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy 1+2, Metroid Prime 3, Mad World, Super Smash Bros | | 11 |  | Flying Lotus
You're Dead!
XBOX 360
The release of the Xbox 360 in the 7th generation of consoles saw Microsoft make big ground on Sony and really cemented their place in the gaming market. With online capabilities, Microsoft online store, a huge library of diverse games plus the Kinect accessory proving popular, the 360 became a bona-fide success. I have it ranked below the PS3 for two reasons; 1) the PS3 had the Uncharted and God of War series and 2) Xbox had the “red ring of death”.
Key games: GTA V, Red Dead Redemption, Left 4 Dead, Halo 4, Bioshock
Dark horse: Life is Strange | | 12 |  | The Ataris
Anywhere But Here
ATARI 2600
Before most of us were tadpoles in our old man’s ball-sack, way way back in 1982, the Atari 2600 was released into the gaming world and the rest they say, is history. Now you’ve gotta remember before 1982, gaming was as primitive as Space invaders on Arcade machines. So imagine in 1982 being a young kid and your parents bring an Atari 2600 into your home with games like Space invaders, Pac-Man, Pole Position, Pitfall and Frogger. The Atari 2600 was a game-changer that revolutionized gaming and despite the graphics ageing horribly, there’s no denying it’s influence.
Key games: Pitfall, Pac-Man, Pole Position, Asteroids, Space Invaders. | |
50iL
04.26.16 | Dang, this is a quality list. Your time and effort in it is notable, congrats. The descriptions are entertaining to read and give the reader a lot of information. I hope this gets featured! | Keyblade
04.26.16 | even tho this has nothing to do with music, feature this plzzz | Yotimi
04.26.16 | put sooo many hours into Twisted Metal 2 when it came out | Yotimi
04.26.16 | also, FFVI is SNES not PS1 | ryu
04.26.16 | too right yotimi, Twisted Metal was seriously fun. whoops. that should have been FFVII instead. fixed. | tacos n stuff
04.26.16 | its a tie between ps2 and gamecube for me
snes and n64 are verrrry close tho | Keyblade
04.26.16 | who had world class track meet for the NES back in the day with the power pad? that shit was way ahead of its time and hella fun. it was like the wii, 20 years before it existed | tacos n stuff
04.26.16 | wind waker, metroid prime, OoT remaster, AND melee, like holy shit
but ps2s got shadow of the colossus, R&c trilogy, J&D trilogy, AND Okami
its a damn hard choice | Yotimi
04.26.16 | hell yeah. used to have parties as a kid where we played it all night Key | MarsKid
04.26.16 | Love the L4D series so much. I used to play them both and got crazy good. Those were fun times. | tacos n stuff
04.26.16 | holy crap key, i remember that shit. Never owned one but I recall one of my childhood friends having one and us trying it out | Keyblade
04.26.16 | i just remembered it out of nowhere haha. my pad stopped working after a few years which made the game useless | tacos n stuff
04.26.16 | Totally gonna be alone on this but the dark horse of 360 was Lost Odyssey. It was the Final Fantasy of that gen that square never gave us | tacos n stuff
04.26.16 | that ps3/360 list is in some serious need of FUCKING DARK SOULS. | Keyblade
04.26.16 | 360 deserves props for perfecting the online experience. back in like 06 xbox live was unparalleled | tacos n stuff
04.26.16 | I remember all that total bs of kids fighting about which console was better, while most of the games me/my friends played weren't even exclusives so it never mattered
good times, good times | ryu
04.26.16 | Agreed. fighting over consoles was narrow minded, we just played for the thrill of it didnt care about the status. Otherwise your missing out on the unique attributes of each console. Console>PC tho | Keyblade
04.26.16 | console wars only exist on the internet. for the rest of us, it's just w/e console we have at home. if anything i always wanted to play other consoles at friends houses | ryu
04.26.16 | Would anyone like to give a handheld gaming ranking a go? I'm a little out of my depth when it comes to handheld gaming.. | ryu
04.26.16 | How does a list get a feature on this site? | LotusFlower
04.26.16 | ok real talk this is an outstanding list but there is no way in hell that the N64 controller can be called good much less "one of the greatest" | ryu
04.26.16 | Unless you had hands like horses hooves or fingers like sausages, the N64 controller was like a pussy in your palm. Sorry Clover. | Keyblade
04.26.16 | yea honestly. and the z trigger is like the goat button. ingenious | Royl123
04.26.16 | 1 is 1. Great list! | Ovrot
04.26.16 | Dreamcast number 1 any other answer is for false unmetal posers | ryu
04.26.16 | Come on bro lets keep things in perspective here | oWhoadYo
04.26.16 | Wii is not better than the 360. Plus your 360 games selection is poor. Halo 4 over 3?? And where are any of the gears of War games?? | RVAHC13
04.26.16 | No love for the original Xbox? I've had mine since 2002, still works, the thing is indestructible | LotusFlower
04.26.16 | the controller for the xbox was the worst thing ever and backwards compatibility on the 360 negates it. | Dis_Con_Nec_Ted
04.26.16 | Conker on list. List approved. |
|
