Gaming Steve: What Was The Greatest Video Game Console of All Time?

January 28, 2008

What Was The Greatest Video Game Console of All Time?

A few days ago CNet blogger Don Reisinger caused a small stir when he stated that the Super Nintendo was the greatest video game system of all time. Although I don't personally agree with his choice, the question itself is quite interesting as I would say that every console, both good and bad, has contributed to video game industry as a whole.

Take, for example, the world's first video game system the Magnavox Odyssey. The graphics for this system were so basic that my analog watch has better graphics, but the Odyssey introduced concepts such as game cartridges, the ability to play video games on your TV, custom game controllers, and so many other innovations.

In fact, aside from technology improvements over the past 36 years, the basic functionality of the Odyssey is nearly identical with the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii – which is pretty amazing if you think about it. You could almost say that the entire console industry owes its existence to the Odyssey – so who's to say that the Odyssey isn't the "greatest" of all time?

So my question this week is, "What was the greatest video game console of all time?"

Personally I would have to go with the Atari 2600 as my pick. Sure I have a soft spot in my heart for every system (even the Sega Saturn), but as a kid growing up in the 1980s Atari was the system of the day. All the cool games were on the Atari 2600 (Pitfall! Adventure! Yar's Revenge! River Raid! ET! ... okay, maybe not ET), nobody else could come close to the Atari in sales and popularity, and the culture of Atari is the stuff of legends. If you played video games in the 80s you played Atari, period.

Sure times have changed and Infogrames Entertainment (AKA the "new" Atari) have done their best to destroy the once proud name. And the 2600 had it's problems, like the joystick which was built as if to give you carpal tunnel syndrome by design, but for me the Atari 2600 was still the greatest system of all time.

What about you? What system was the greatest in your opinion?

Posted by Gaming Steve at 10:00 PM | Comments (30) | Posted to Poll |

Comments

While I give the early consoles credit for what they did but the games on them aren't what I consider games. This, of course, is the opinion of someone who totally missed the early generations and grew up with the Nintendo Entertainment System.

My favorite system would have to be the Super Nintendo, the games I played on that console were the first 'feature-length' games that were engrossing. The level of polish in the games put them far and above their predecessors and they were FUN. I still play the Super Nintendo to this day (I'm currently running through Chrono Trigger) and it is still as fun as any of the newer consoles.

Posted by PatMan33 at January 28, 2008 11:17 PM

I'm going to go ahead and say the 360. I know that no one else will agree with me, but in terms of the games I want to play, the 360 wins.

N64 wasn't bad tho

Posted by Sub at January 28, 2008 11:46 PM

I have to agree, the SNES. There was a *ton* of quality games on it, it advanced new ideas about how games could be played, and the games on it are still fun to play today (with emulators, my actual SNES died a decade ago), which I really can't say is true with any other console, at least personally.

Of course, my father claims Intellivision was the greatest, so I guess for a lot of people it comes down to what they have the fondest memories of.

Posted by Fobok at January 28, 2008 11:51 PM

The Super Nes. Super Metroid and EarthBound were on the system, that alone makes it the best.

Posted by Gamingasshole at January 28, 2008 11:57 PM

SNES here too. Maybe it's just because it was my first real console, but still there are so many great games and still my favorite RPGs are all SNES games.

I never really got the 2600. Maybe it's because I was too young when it came out, but those games are all boring. Yes I know the importance of the system and some games are fun for some time, but I couldn't spend hours playing them.

Posted by Sturek at January 29, 2008 12:21 AM

SEGA MASTER SYSTEM

Space Harrier, Zillion, Out Run, Alex Kidd, Wonderboy, 3d glasses! How could SMS not be the greatest system ever?

Yes I was happy to hear that it's games are coming to the Wii.

Posted by ilikesanta at January 29, 2008 12:43 AM

SNES.
For me, this system had the games that delivered to me the most fun and enjoyability with the least amount of frustration and BS.

I could really sit down and just play a game back then.
These days, I feel like I constantly have to take breaks; either I'm getting a bit too pissed off, or I'm falling asleep.

Posted by Gauphastus at January 29, 2008 1:30 AM

Xbox 360.

Posted by Gorman Conall at January 29, 2008 3:09 AM

I have to admit as soon as i read the title my 1st instinct was SNES. There is just too much awesome packed into that generation that you have to love it.

Posted by Cobra at January 29, 2008 4:34 AM

Personally, red rings aside, the Xbox 360 was the console that managed to interest me in something other than PC gaming, so I have to give it to that.

Posted by Sander at January 29, 2008 6:20 AM

The SNES has some powerful memories for me. It came out when I was old enough to get an allowance and had to save up the money to buy it myself, as my birthday and Christmas were months away. It was the first system I bought myself, and it was quite a feeling of accomplishment.

Plus, lots of great games, including Final Fantasy 4 (or 2, as it was called back then), Chrono Trigger, E.V.O. (well, the game was all right, but the concept rocked, hence my current obsession with Spore). It may not have taken off, but I liked the Super Scope, too.

Besides, nothing says gaming like blowing dust out of a malfunctioning cartridge!

Posted by Skewed Jester at January 29, 2008 8:01 AM

I would say that the best system created would be the Famicom\NES. The primary reason being is that it rose from the ashes of the 1983 video game crash and brought the full bore of Japanese gaming into America. Japan has the singular ability to keep pushing out games while simultaneously pushing the limits of the system.

The NES was a durable system with a whole lot more power to it than originally used. It also hosted the launch of the bona-fide "console" game. Games like Zelda which could never be played in an arcade due to the amount of time required to finish it. It was the base for genre-defining series like Mega Man, Super Mario Brothers, and Metroid.

Sure, bigger and better games were created for later systems, but most of this can be attributed to the natural evolution of games. More original IPs were developed (and have had worthy successors) on the NES than any other console.

Those who say the 360 is the best console are going to have a hard time proving its worth over time. Very few original foundations for gaming have been created on the 360, but its power and price point to lend it to become the new NES.

What kept me from saying the SNES was the best console was that most of the killer apps for that system were sequels to games created on the NES. Super this and Super that. Yes, it brought the fighter and Pseudo 3-D to the console world, but it still falls short as far as revolutions in the console gaming paradigm.

Posted by Tr0n at January 29, 2008 9:31 AM

saturn behbeh

Posted by shiloh at January 29, 2008 9:33 AM

Sega Genesis, was the first console I ever got, back when it was brand new. Dunno why but games back then seemed a hell of a lot better than games today, although if you go back and play them, then that's not the case.

Posted by Tarious at January 29, 2008 10:16 AM

I'm going to say Gameboy as it has provided me with the most gaming goodness.

Posted by lemurbouy at January 29, 2008 11:14 AM

NES, is there a bigger success?

Posted by Andreas at January 29, 2008 11:33 AM

Althought I never owned a Nintendo system, my vote goes to the NES.
It singlehandlely saved the homeconsole videogame industry. Most importantly, it started the great console wars, which spurred by competition, created several great othe consoles, including the console we play today. We have a lot in debt to the NES, because without it, we wouldn't be playing our X360's and PS3's.

Posted by DoggySpew at January 29, 2008 11:52 AM

SEGA MEGA DRIVE

Posted by Colsncmac at January 29, 2008 12:13 PM

I have to say the NES for many of the same reasons Tr0n mentioned. It's the only console I wish I still had. I think I would give up both my PS1 and PS2 in a heartbeat to get my old NES back.

Posted by n10sity at January 29, 2008 12:43 PM

The best of all time - that's a tough question, because everyone is opiniated by the systems they owned and played by themselves. I never owned any Nintendo console except for the GameBoy, but it truly is a matter of fact that these consoles had a great impact. I had a lot of fun with the 2600 during my childhood, but was it the best of all time? Maybe not.
My Genesis truly wasn't, same to the GameGear. PS1? Well, 3D Graphics were new and amazing, but not very detailed.
No. I'll vote for the PS2, because it is a huge success until this day, with an amazing variety of games. From Katamari to God of War and The Warriors, you can have it all.

Posted by Mr Harz at January 29, 2008 1:29 PM

It seems that everyone likes NES, well it was great system so I'll also have to go with NES. Xbox360 is second place for me, I really like what MS did this gen.

Posted by Bosnique at January 29, 2008 3:37 PM

Greatest console impact-wise? I'd say the NES, for singlehandedly saving the console market and whatnot. And tied with the NES I think is the PC, for being the first platform to support some awesome real full length games (which IMHO top anything on the SNES), including DOOM, Masters of Orion, Civilization, Elder Scrolls: Arena, and, of course, Skifree...

Greatest console fun wise? I couldn't choose...they're all fun in one way or another. Except cellphones. I poop on them.

Posted by Hizzah at January 29, 2008 5:29 PM

Nintendo 64. It was the advent of long-game development and creation, the upbringing of 3-dimensional graphics, and was still in the "middle age" of our human design.

What I mean by that is what humans do when they find something new. First they seek to master control over it, then they try to see just how far they can take it, then it turns into business.

Anything pre-SNES was the control-finding age, from SNES to the Playstation's release was middle time, where people tried to make good games because they were fun.

From the Playstation's release to the Xbox's release was a time of competing to make great games. From the release of the Xbox onward is the 3rd age, where it's just a business move to release a video game.

Posted by Paroxysm at January 29, 2008 6:03 PM

PC Hands down. Everything you can play on consoles, you can play on PC and then some. MMOs alone, with the social aspects and expansiveness, gear the PC toward the greatest and most versatile gaming platform in existance. Further, the customizability of most games allow for near infinite experiences using the same engine (ie portal, team fortress 2, HL2... etc). Finally, nothing bests the control of mouse/keyboard. FPS, 3PS, RTS, MMO, RPG, etc... all maximized for the PC.

Now, I know PC isnt really a console by video game standards, but I just wanted to add something different to the thread and my own view of things.

If I had to pick a console, I'll take my good ole genesis. I loved that system.

Posted by verkinix at January 29, 2008 9:45 PM

The PC isn't a console. If you include PCs then of COURSE the PC wins. It's always had the best graphics, the most popular of all gaming platforms, and frankly PC games are the most breakthrough of any console, and gaming as a form of entertainment originated on the PC, so it wins automatically.

Posted by Sander at January 30, 2008 5:23 AM

Does anyone here agree that the n64 and DREAMCAST took huge leaps foward. My personal favorite was indeen the sega dreamcast.

Posted by gameraxis at January 30, 2008 7:16 AM

For me the SNES is the best console ..............

Posted by wodtech at January 30, 2008 7:42 AM

Sega Mega Drive all the way!

Posted by Ranzor at January 30, 2008 4:54 PM

i do like the N64 but for this one im going with Xbox 360 nothing beats those graphics and the games are wicked fun

Posted by griffmister at February 11, 2008 6:17 PM

My pick would be the vastly underrated Sega Saturn (the Super Famicom comes pretty close). Its library is absolutely legendary. It has everything from shooters to fighters and the best arcade ports. The true gaming machine.

Posted by MPG at March 27, 2008 8:44 PM