With the first games console having been released over 40 years ago — the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972 — there is a long line of games consoles we can look back on fondly. However, some games consoles are more fondly remembered than others, and thanks to the MakeUseOf readership we can focus on five of the absolute greats. Can you guess which five came out on top?
We asked you, What Is Your Favorite Games Console Of All Time? A fair few of you chose to take part in the discussion, and we thank each and every one of those who did so. Having tallied up the number of mentions each machine received, we have compiled a list of your favorite games consoles of all time. Prepare for nostalgia nirvana.
The Xbox 360 was released in 2005 as the successor to the original Xbox. Microsoft upped its game considerably, with Xbox Live being a remarkable achievement. Unfortunately, the Red Ring of Death was a big problem for millions of gamers.
The Atari 2600 was released in 1977 and came with two of those iconic Atari joysticks plus a copy of Combat. Other big games released for the Atari 2600 include Breakout, Defender, Missile Command, Pitfall!, and Space Invaders, but it’s the wooden styling that is most memorable.
The NES was released in 1983 (and known in Nintendo’s native Japan as the Famicom). The NES was hugely popular around the world, and kick-started Japan’s dominance of the industry. Big NES games include Metroid, Super Mario Bros. 3, Duck Hunt, and The Legend Of Zelda.
The original PlayStation was released in 1994 as part of the fifth-generation of gaming. Despite being Sony’s first games console, it beat the competition with amazing games such as Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy VII, Tomb Raider, and Metal Gear Solid.
The SNES, which is, according to you guys, the best games console that has ever existed, was released in 1990 to compete with the Sega Genesis. Games such as Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, Star Fox, and F-Zero ensured both its victory and legacy.
We received a lot of great comments, including those from KT, Jo-anne P, and James Bassett. Comment Of The Week goes to Josh W, who wins a T-shirt chosen from those available through the catalog for this comment:
For me, the best system is the Super Nintendo. Not only for the sake of nostalgia (so many memories), but I think it’s in a rather special place in video game history, as the advent of 3D gaming hadn’t completely changed the industry yet. But developers often had a lot of experience working on the NES, so they were really able to push the system to its limits. Some of the prettiest 2D games came out for that system, and many franchises started, restarted, or found new strength on the system.
While there have been many great 2D games to come since then, I consider the SNES the last, and therefore greatest, 2D-centered system ever made, with developers working within its limitations to great effect, providing some the of the greatest games in history.
We chose this comment because it attempts to answer exactly why the SNES is this particular gamer’s favorite console of all time. The explanation that the SNES remains forever in people’s hearts because it straddled the line between 2D and 3D makes absolute sense too. Unless you have a better explanation you would like to tell us about in the comments below…
We Ask You is a weekly column in which you have your say about a particular subject. We ask you a question each week, with the results compiled and compressed into a follow-up article the following week. This column is nothing without your input, all of which is valued.
Image Credit: Fjolnir Asgeirsson via Flickr
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