The best gaming consoles have brought joy to millions, with classics like the NES featuring favorite characters. Nintendo’s Wii made gaming accessible to everyone with its motion controls, while the PS4 raised the bar with stunning graphics.
The best gaming consoles of all time
The best gaming consoles of all time have provided endless entertainment to gamers around the world. Classics like the Nintendo Entertainment System introduced us to iconic characters like Mario. The PlayStation 2 pushed the boundaries with its huge collection of games and DVD playback.
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 revolutionized online gaming with Xbox Live. Nintendo’s Wii brought motion controls to the masses, appealing to all ages. Enhanced graphics and immersive experiences of Sony PlayStation 4. Each console has its own unique features and unforgettable games, shaping the gaming landscape for generations.
1. Game Boy
The Game Boy was released in North America on July 31, 1989. When it first came out, it cost $89.99. In the old days, people couldn’t imagine playing games while traveling. Many companies tried to make portable game consoles in the 1960s and 1970s, but Nintendo did it in the late 1980s. Their console, the Game Boy, became more famous.
Many other companies tried to make consoles, such as Sega, Atari and TurboExpress, but they did not sell as well as the Game Boy. The Game Boy was a huge hit. It sold far more than all other similar consoles combined. Because of its success, Nintendo went on to produce more handheld consoles such as the GBA, DS, and even the Switch.
2. PS2
On October 26, 2000, the PlayStation 2 was introduced in North America. It was a super popular console. It cost $299 when it launched. It is considered one of the best consoles ever because it made 3D games better, had a huge collection of games and could also play DVDs, which were expensive at the time.
When it came out, it massively beat its competitors, outselling the GameCube and forcing Sega to stop making consoles altogether. It’s the best-selling console ever. That said, it’s had a ton of really good games, with over 50 getting super high scores on Metacritic.
3. Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch appeared in North America on March 3, 2017. It cost $299.99 at launch. The Switch is famous because it can be both a home and handheld console. Because of this, it has attracted many people and could become the best selling console ever.
Nintendo Switch has many great games made by Nintendo and that’s why people love it. Although it is not as powerful as other consoles and its network features are not the best, it is still very popular because it is not tall and easy to use.
4. SNES
The Super Nintendo, also called the SNES, appeared in North America on August 23, 1991. It cost $199 when it was first released. The SNES didn’t have a lot of fancy new features, but it was really good at what it did.
It was one of the last major consoles to focus on 2D games, and many game makers became very good at making them. So the SNES has some of the best RPG games and some fantastic 2D games from Nintendo’s famous series.
5. Dreamcast
The Dreamcast was released in North America on September 9, 1999. It cost $199 when it was released. The Dreamcast was way ahead of its time. It was the first console to get online play right, and it also attempted to use motion controls in some games.
The Dreamcast didn’t have a lot of games, but the ones it did have were super important for different types of games. Games like SoulCalibur, Skies of Arcadia and Shenmue were very popular and successful.
The Dreamcast didn’t do well. Sega, the company that made it, has already made some bad decisions with their other consoles like the Saturn and accessories for the Genesis. Also, it was easy for people to pirate games without doing anything on the console. But the big problem came when the PlayStation 2 came out. That’s when the Dreamcast really failed.
6. Nintendo entertainment system
The Nintendo Entertainment System or NES appeared in North America on October 18, 1985. It cost $179 when it was first released. Before the NES, the video game market was in trouble, but the NES changed that. It brought popular arcade games like Mario and Donkey Kong into people’s homes. It also introduced new games like The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy.
Although the NES looks simple compared to today’s consoles, it was really cool in the 1980s. It didn’t have fancy graphics like the arcade machines, but it had many excellent games that were perfect for playing for a long time. That’s why it sold millions and set the stage for what was to come in gaming.
7. PlayStation
The PlayStation was released in North America on September 9, 1995. It cost $299 when it was first released. Sony actually planned to make a console with Nintendo called the Nintendo PlayStation, but that didn’t happen. So Sony made the PlayStation themselves.
The PlayStation used discs instead of cartridges, which allowed game makers to do more with their games. Because of this, some major game series have moved from other consoles to the PlayStation. Unlike other consoles that had one main character, the PlayStation had several popular ones such as Lara Croft, Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon.
The PlayStation was the first console to make the big leap from 2D to 3D games. Although it wasn’t perfect, it was the first to do it, and that’s why it’s considered one of the best consoles ever.
8. Sega Genesis
The Sega Genesis was released in North America on August 14, 1989. It cost $189 when it first appeared. The Genesis was a big competitor to the Super Nintendo. It even outsold the Super Nintendo in some places. The Genesis had many great games, and some were even better than those on the Super Nintendo.
Sega did a lot of marketing for the Genesis in America. They created a character called Sonic the Hedgehog, who became very famous. Sega said the Genesis has something called explosion processing, which makes it feel fast and cool. This helped Sega become a major player in the home console market.
9. Wii
The Nintendo Wii was released in North America on November 19, 2006. It cost $249.99 when it was introduced. The Wii was different because it used motion controls, which made gaming more fun for everyone, not just gamers.
Many families liked the Wii at first, but some grew tired of the motion controls after a while. Still, over 100 million Wiis have been sold worldwide, which shows how much people like it.
The Wii was easy to start playing and had lots of practice games. But because of the motion controls, some people have accidentally broken their TVs or other things in their house when they swung their Wii controllers too hard.
10. Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 appeared in North America on November 22, 2005. It cost $299 when it was first released. The original Xbox had a hard time catching up to the PS2 because it came later. But Microsoft learned from this and released the Xbox 360 almost a year before the PS3. The Xbox 360 came out before the PS3 and was cheaper, so many thought it was better.
Microsoft made Xbox-only games like Forza, Gears of War, and Halo, which helped sell a lot of Xbox 360s everywhere. But sometimes the Xbox 360 had a problem when it stopped working, called the “red ring of death”. Even with this problem, it was still popular, especially in the West, because it had many great games and a good online system.
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Categories: General
Source: HIS Education