8 - Sega Saturn. You may scratch your head at this entry. I don't mind. The Sega Saturn is sometimes categorized as a forgotten system. If you are one of those that wondered if this was a thing, and yes. It was. The Saturn was one of the first system to utilize CD technology for game consoles. Revolutionary at the time, and now it's a modern staple. Everything about the Saturn was improved from cartridge games. The sound felt crisper. The graphics cleaner and more 3 dimensional. Game play was much faster. Sega gave us a console that stepped up their game. This is where we saw the first console version of Vritua Fighter, and my favorite game ever NiGHTS: Into Dreams. The classic World Series Baseball, considered the best of the franchise, was on the Saturn. As well as quirky, wanna-be mascots, Bug! and Gex: The Gecko. The biggest problem with the Saturn was it's launch time. Within a year, Nintendo released the Nintendo 64, and it blew away all console sales. From 1994 to 1998, only 9.26 million units of the Saturn were sold. In gaming terms, that's considered a commercial failure. By the end of it's cycle, many of the features the Saturn held were already overshadowed by PlayStation and Nintendo. But the Saturn was a notable footnote in gaming history showing that CD was the future.
7 - Atari 2600. A classic, and one of the first consoles we had in our home. While the ware between CalicoVision and Atari raged on, we always went to the Atari for it's multiplayer games and adaptations from arcade legends. Pac-Man, Pitfall, Pong. Lots of P-titled games. But they created a generation of TV junkies ready to play video games. The Atari is easily the sillies looking system, with wood paneling. How 70's of it. And yeah, the joystick controllers with one button were pretty dumb. At least it wasn't a knob like the CalicoVision. But what it lacked in aesthetics it made up for with a huge library of games. It was easily the winner in content, and helped paved the way for future consoles.
6 - Nintendo 64. The reasons why the Nintendo 64 is awesome has to do with the following: GoldenEye 64, Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Ogre Battle, and Star Wars Battlefront. Nintendo hit it's golden age with the 64 unexpectedly. In a time where we weren't too sure if cartridges still had life left in them, Nintendo released the 64 and blew our minds. It provided new 64-bit experiences of our favorite games and original titles. The experiences were dynamic. The game play always enjoyable. The controller is arguably one of the best and you'll often find it listed in the top 5 of best designed. Even today's Smash Bros. pros prefer the 64 style over the classic controllers. This was one of the last consoles to embrace cartridges before the change to CD's, and it did it well.Artikel Terkait
5 - Sega GameGear. While we had GameBoy's at home, the GameGear showed us the future of handheld. It was a clunky system and not the most portable, but it was good enough to travel with. What always impressed me with the GameGear is how vibrant the games were. They were almost a mini-version of what we could get on the Sega Genesis. Sure the screen looked a bit flatter and the characters not as well-shaded, but it was still better then the GameBoy. This one gave us full-framed color! I don't remember the games being as astounding on the system. Most of them were ports from the Genesis. But I do remember enjoying playing this handheld more then anything else at the time.
4 - Sega Genesis. From the GameGear to the Genesis. This console always boasted a rivalry to Nintendo, trying to topple the empire by being the hip, cool, teenage version. All 32 bits of power created some dynamic gaming experiences. This was the console that every kid on our block wanted, and we had it. Mostly to play Mortal Kombat and Sonic. This was easily one of our favorite early gaming systems to have. It felt like one of the most advanced pieces of technology on the market, even compared to the Super Nintendo. What it lacked in games it made up for in unique experiences. It was a system that you had to play to understand why it was so much cooler then anything else on the market at that time. 
3 - Nintendo DS. As far as handhelds are concerned, the Nintendo DS is king. It took everything that was great about the GameBoy and GameGear and created new touch-screen technology that worked. It wasn't a gimmick. It wasn't a throw-away idea. The touch-screen capabilities on the DS were the stuff dreams were made of. It was smart. It was thoughtful. And it was well crafted. What I love about the DS is that it brought portable consoles back into the limelight the right way. It was just big enough to get the screen space you needed to game without being cumbersome. The control pad made sense. It was blocky because of the system, but it worked well. And that touch screen. Who knew this would be the future of gaming. The level of interactivity is phenomenal. Games like Ace Attorney, Monster Hunter, and Super Mario are so much more enjoyable with the touch screen. And it brought a wave of new rhythm and music games such as Elite Beat Agents. Because it's Nintendo, this is a system that would last. I still have my original DS and it works as well as my 3DS. You can't go wrong having this with you on a road trip.
2 - Super Nintendo. If you have to pick a Nintendo system, the SNES is usually at the top of the list. While the Nintendo started it all, the Super Nintendo helped refine and define a generation of gaming. Taking many of the classic games such as Mario and Metroid to higher bit-rates, the SNES helped create a culture of gamers. The system itself is not very flashy. It looks like a more adult version of the original Nintendo with much bigger cartridges. The controllers at least looked better and weren't as boxy in one's hands. But what matter the most were the games. Super Mario Kart, Super Mario RPG, Super Star Wars, Clayfighters, Donkey Kong Country, and Final Fantasy VI. These were the games that capitalized on the power of the SNES. It's still hard to believe that Mario Kart and DKC came from the same system. You can't help but be in awe by how creative developers were with the SNES. Without it, we wouldn't have the Nintendo dynasty that exists today.
1 - Sony PlayStation 2. Of all the non-handheld systems on the list, this is the most "current gen" one. The PS2. I remember being floored when this system was released. I couldn't believe video games could look so good. And it easily had one of the best controllers on the market. Much better then the N64. The thumbstick placement and the curve of grips made sense. It felt like anyone could hold that controller and instinctively know how to use it.The PS2 was the birthplace of franchises and revolutionary games that would change the face of gaming: Resident Evil 4, GTA: Vice City and San Andreas, Ico, Katamari Damacy, Jax and Daxter, Kingdom Hearts - the list is endless. For a time, the PS2 was the most bought console ever. And it was part of the last in a series of consoles that was just for gaming. It wasn't a multi-functional unit. It played games and it did it really damn well. The tech behind the system was phenomenal. The XBox and Nintendo Gamecube couldn't compete with the raw power of the PS2. It was practically a portable computer in a corrugated box.
The PS2 is easily my favorite console. It introduced me to Dragon Quest. For that I am eternally grateful.
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