Editorial: The Top Five Consoles

By Zac Pritcher | November 30, 2006

Note: This editorial is my opinion and nothing more. If you disagree, feel free to post your own and discuss why you thought I was wrong. Enjoy!

The last Top Five I did covered the many adventures of Link through his Hyrule quests. This time im covering something a little more controversial. The Top Five game systems ever released. Without another word of waste, I present to you: The Top Five Consoles.

5. Playstation – Released in 1994, the Sony Playstation system showed the world that CD based gaming was truly the way to go with exclusive hits like Tekken and Metal Gear Solid. Before this, however, Sony was in contract with then-number-one now might-regain-title-as-number-one Nintendo to create a system that played both discs and cartridges code-named Play Station. Nintendo, however, made the first bad choice in a line of bad choices that still manages to label the company today as inferior by non-hardcore gamers and casual sports gamers. Sony then ventured on it’s own into the console arena and -until recently, that is- became the undisputed king of gaming.

4. Sega Genesis – Released in 1989, the Genesis was the very first system to ever pose as a threat to Nintendo

Topics: Articles, Industry | Comments

Enjoy this article? You may also like:

No similar posts were found

Nate

I agree. nice artical

Matt

SNES Is the best! By far!

Zack

the 64 was a piece and the playstation is 5th? Was this article written by a small child of some sort

Shawn

nice list... Xaq? stange name. anyway, i agreed with most of your picks, but mine would go like this

5.nes
4.playstation
3. dreamcast
2.n64
1.snes

so agreed with the noms but not the choices. nice article, btw, do you do these editorials a lot?

patrick

quite a few systems could be #1

nes for saving console gaming
snes for expanding that palette with some of the best games ever made
playstation 1 for making major corporations like sony and micrsoft enterting the market
atari for starting it all?

that said the nintendo 64 while sporting 2 of the best games ever, ocarina and super mario 64, is probably the height of nintendos arrogance and does not deserve #1. basically they kept cartrdiges for a generation too long and their icy relationship with 3rd party developers finally caught up with them. those 2 factors alone knocked nintendo to 2nd then 3rd with gamecube.

hopefully wii will reverse that trend and expand what gaming can do but thats another discussion

James

N64 is the most disappointing Nintendo console of all time. I'd even rate it worse than the Gamecube. Horrible choice.

TheBrain

5. Nintendo 64
4. Playstation
3. NES
2. Super Nintendo
1. Playstation 2

Subnet6

"All in all, the N64 deserves its spot despite its weaknesses and I doubt many people will argue with its position."

Whoa. While, I am a big fan of the N64 and could destroy you all in a goldeneye death match, I have to say that your comment may have gone astray above.
I think LOTS of people might argue with N64 as the number one console EVAR. Like I said, I really enjoyed it but the incredibly small library was devastating. Sure the best of the N64 was the best of anything out there, 2 good games per year doesn't a masterpiece make (even if one was OoT)

Personally, I would rank the top five as follows:

5. Playstation
4. N64
3. Playstation 2
2. SNES
1. NES
Honorable Mention: Gamecube and Genesis

Ok, so I like Nintendo. :)

Also, in a year or 2 I see 360 popping off the original playstation and more than likely the Wii worming its way on the list as well.

The NES however shall always be locked on my number one. Maybe thats because I'm 32 years old and all my greatest gaming memories were born on that machine. Also, the flip top design was so freaking cool. I was so pissed when they announced the SNES and it looked like..........a stinking Atari Toploader!
;)

XAQ!

I'm glad you guys have enjoyed this top five. I might start to do it more often. And it's good to see people with down to earth choices. KEEP GAMING!

Mouse

Where's the Atari 2600? The console that made it even possible for games to be played at home instead of going to an arcade...and that's not even on there?

I can see some of your choices for the rankings, however choosing N64 as the #1 is not as thought out as you think...ya it had a different controller, but other than that it really didn't make as much of an impact on the industry as Atari or NES or the PS1.

My top 5:

1. PS2 - integrating DVD playback and truly merging the consumer with a multifunctional system made this a winner.

2. Game Boy - Yes, still considered a console. This tiny bugger has ruled the pocket gaming industry for decades.

3. PS1 - Truly crossing over into the CD based gaming system, integrating a format that's so mainstream friendly that it could also play CDs. Add it's enormous third party support and this one beats N64 hands down.

4. NES - Pulling the game industry out of the dark age, this console was the easy monopoly and brought back people's confidence in the game system.

5. Atari 2600 - Like I said before, without the success of this console, there would be no top 5...

RoboJ1M

How do you define "Top"?

Numbers sold? (Gameboy)
Innovation? (Dreamcast? Playstation 1 w/ CDs and analogue, XBox with Live? DS? Wii?)
Financial success? (Big N made a profit on all 4 consoles)

I consider the PS2 the loser. Ugly, slow, counter-innovative with a long long list of generic titles-for-the-masses.

My Number1?

Dreamcast, god rest her soul.

In an alternative reality, imagine if the DC had been given the DVD playback capabilities. That's the reality *I* live in :D

J1M.

Name

1. snes
2. genesis
3. ps2
4. n64
5. ps1

Nate

Yep, SNES is my favorite also. I didn't have money as a teenager for a n64, and the only game that every held my interest was goldeneye. Back then i was playing PC games and the n64 just made me want to play more pc games, and not actually buy a n64.

The reason why SNES is the best console ever: Super Metriod, Link to the Past, and Secret of Mana, my 3 favorite games Of all time. Super metriod might have the best ending to a game i've ever experienced. Nothing made me feel more in awe than playing SMetroid the first time through. That's all

Big.Daddy

Meh.

You made some great points, but I don't agree w/ the order.

I logged wayyyyyyy more hours on the NES JUST on Zelda and all the SMB's then I did playing all the titles on the 64 and SNES combined.

5. Genesis
4. Playstation
3. N64
2. SNES
1. NES

Sure, that looks like a bit of fanboy-ism, but gosh darnit, that's how I feel. (Based on hours spent, games played, and overall enjoyment.)

Qwirk

XAQ, I disagree. It wasn't the 2600 itself that killed it's own era. It was the crap that random developers were making for the system. Had Atari reigned in the quality of games being made then they may have lasted a bit longer.

The 2600 was released in 1977 and they still sell consoles today as the Atari Flashback series.

The popularity of the 2600 above all showed that another home gameing system was at least feasible.

I think the 2600 deserves to be in the top five because of its dominance during the life of the system. Even over next-gen Atari systems.

Fronz

without thinking my gut instincts are:

5. PS2
4. NES
3. N64
2. SNES
1. PS1

Kyle

To be honest, I don't really agree, but just because some consoles aren't old doesn't mean they aren't good. What about the Xbox or Gamecube?

Cruds

sweet! lil' lists, I want to make one too.
5. NES
4. Gamecube
3. Dreamcast
2. Sega Genesis
1. SNES

NES at 5 because while a bunch of my friends had one 1 was more a arcade player then a console player, I always thought the controller was weird with only 2 buttons and no joystick. Haven't played the N64 enough to give it a proper judgment. I own the ps1 and ps2 didn't choose either one of them because while both have some great games the majority are games I have no interest in.

Cruds

for the top3 on last generation mine would be:
3. Playstation2
2. Gamecube
1. Dreamcast

Done with the lists for now.

XAQ!

Kyle: You said "what about the xbox and gamecube?" I say(this is my opinion)those systems aren't as great as the ones i mentioned. Now, I absolutely love my gamecube, its fast and has some of the best games one any of the 3 current gen systems. but all of those games are first party. With the Gamecube, Nintendo didn't succeed in reviving its 3rd party development support. It had some awesome 3rd party games(Resident Evil 4, to be sure)but never accomplished anything revolutionary. It had those cute little discs, but those are dead now... the Wii isnt even using the same format. But I do think the Wii will make it on that list one day.

As for Xbox(my opinion)... I just dont like it. Besides Xbox live it did nothing. Sure, it had Halo... but c'mon. I like it for playing some PC ports that my other consoles couldnt handle(half-life 2, doom 3) but it never really revolutionized anything.

Also, this article was just to express my favorites. The N64 was the first console I ever really got into. It houses some of my fondest memories. The others came later in my life, thought they were released sooner and my eyes were opened to just how great games can be in 2D.

marc

cool article zaq...gonna have to agree with you on the n64!

Jeremy

Dude what a great line up of consoles and great info about each one.

Essence

although the older consoles have made a place in my heart, i will always consider the newer consoles to be the best, but the playstation was the console that opened up a world of video games for me...

Comments

Site Friends

AeroPolls

AeroTeam

AeroTags

Channels

Podcasts

Latest Game Reviews

Nintendo Power Read-a-Long

Video Game Jobs

AeroLinks

Forums

Podcasts

Editorial: The Top Five Consoles