Best video game console generation?

[Rogue Nine]

Best in terms of overall effect on the industry, availability and selection of games, innovations, quality of product with respect to era, etc etc...

[LordOfTheFish]

7th, no comparison.

[Litofsky]

Having only experienced the 5th Generation and onwards, I cast my vote for the 7th Generation. The detail projected by some of these consoles are simply amazing. Not to mention the fact that some of the best-selling games of all time are for the newest consoles/new generation.

[Giant Graffiti]

Third, it brought it back from the icy depths of the abyss.

[LordOfTheFish]

The 3rd definitely was a good time for the industry, but the depth of the 7th generations are simply amazing.

[Inyri]

SNES for the ultimate win.

[Ctrl Alt Del]

Any that's not the current one.

 

More especifically, the last gen (128 bits) is one I'm very fond of. The fact that the PS2 dominated it completely isn't at all bad (in fact, it was a safe bet to all gamers, genre notwithstanding). On the other hand we saw the fall of SEGA and the rise of - even with a not so good start - Micro$oft on the consoles scenario. The Gamecube was the repetition of Nintendo's strategy on unsuccessfully trying to predict the gamers wishes (the gamers don't want internet, the gamers do want connectivity with their handhelds). Althought the company seems to have scored with the Wii on this generation, their direction still bugs me a lot - along with a queue of hardcore gamers.

 

16 bits generation was also sweet. Many of my favortie games date from this era, and the war between SEGA and Nintendo was priceless (Genesis and Super Famicom/Nintendo), which provided the audience with brilliant after shining game.

 

32 bits was smooth sailing to Sony. Both classics appeared on the PS then (Metal Gear Solid) as well as crappy products (someone cared about Robo Pit?)

 

64 bit is a very particular gen. Of course, the N64 had the way clear for it to shine. Although it did cost Nintendo some money-maker franchises (Final Fantasy) due to the inexcusable use of cartridges, some of the most popular and good games of all time showed up then (Zelda).

 

I'm leaving the other generations out of this. Their importance is well-known to me, but, overrally, those aforementioned ruled above them.

[The Betrayer]

6th gen. Seeing beautiful 3d games=mindblowing.

[Det. Bart Lasiter]

5th generation. Some of my favorite games of all time (OoT, Goldeneye to name a few) are for the N64. The games for current generation consoles are pretty boring, they're mostly knock offs of each other or are for PC.

[Jeff]

I also think the 5th is the best, I had Playstation and I played the hell out of that thing. I'm not sure how I would rank the rest of the generations, each has good and bad points. The 4th was my first exposure to console gaming with Genesis and I really loved that thing. The 6th I had Xbox and enjoyed it alright, and it was definitely a huge step up in terms of graphics from the 5th generation. The current gen is sort of hard to say. I have the Wii and really like it and have some great games, but there is so much unused potential from the developers I think. And a lot of games for Xbox 360 and PS3 seem to sacrifice gameplay for graphics.

[SW01]

I say 7th. My reaction on playing a PS3 game for the first time on an HD TV, after years with the PS2 on a dinky screen was something comparable to this:

 

The new consoles seem to have almost unlimited potential. Consider the graphical quality of the first-wave games, like Assassin's Creed (great...but admittedly rushed) against the best games PS2 had to offer towards the end. Make a comparison of TFU on the PS2 against PS3 - you'll see my point.

[swaaye]

I don't consider graphics very important, but that is not how most people see things.

 

I'd go with the 5th gen because it brought us 3D worlds and their gameplay. Comparing 5th gen to its predecessors shows you a huge contrast. Also among 5th's achievements was the first decent racing and shooter games on consoles. You saw gameplay enhancers such as passable physics simulation, analog control, force feedback, really good music in HQ MIDI and CD audio, FMV, etc.

 

6th and 7th gen are just revisions and enhancements to the 5th generation formula. Not much has changed aside from the online multiplayer aspect. Not that that's not significant, but it's not so much for me because I don't play any online multiplayer stuff.

 

It's hard to choose between the 5th and 3rd though because the NES took the world by storm. It revived gaming in a big way. I also think the Wii is significant and almost separate from 360/PS3 because it has found a new type of gamer, IMO.

[jrrtoken]

I think the Wii is significant because it has found a new type of gamer, IMO.

QFT

 

The Wii should have a generation of it's own, since one of Nintendo's goals for the Wii was to not directly compete with Microsoft and Sony, which usually ends up in more repetitive games and consoles. And that's why I love my Wii: it's outside of the box.

 

 

But really, the 3rd generation was the greatest. The NES singlehandedly saved the video game industry after the crash of '83, which made video gaming as we know it today possible.

[M@RS]

I was bummed that I didn't see PC but I voted for the 7th Generation, the graphics are awesome...

[GeneralPloKoon]

But the PC isn't considered a console, I like the 6th the best!

[Endorenna]

I started out with the original Nintendo (nvmind the fact that I started three or four years ago and that thing's twenty years old ), and once I got sick of Tetris and Mario Brothers I graduated to another old console: The Super Nintendo! Super Mario brothers got reeeeeaaally old reeeeeaaaally fast. Toy Story didn't hold me over for long either. (Boy, I played some stellar games, didn't I? ) Then I broke down, got a PS2 with Battlefront 2 and Revenge of the Sith. A few months ago, I got a PS3 so I could play TFU (then they moved the release date from April to September ), and I've decided that as much as I love my PS2, I have to vote for the current gen!

[Rogue Nine]

I was bummed that I didn't see PC but I voted for the 7th Generation, the graphics are awesome...

PC can't really be shoehorned into a particular generation because of how often hardware is updated, allowing for newer and faster games to be made constantly.

 

And how do you answer critics of the 7th generation who say that graphics are taking precedence over gameplay and story in modern console games? Sure they're pretty, but do they have any substance to them? And is that substance a product of current innovation or something that has been pioneered by a previous console? And if not, are the graphics really enough to make this generation the best one?

[Marius Fett]

4th Gen ftw!

[jrrtoken]

And how do you answer critics of the 7th generation who say that graphics are taking precedence over gameplay and story in modern console games? Sure they're pretty, but do they have any substance to them? And is that substance a product of current innovation or something that has been pioneered by a previous console? And if not, are the graphics really enough to make this generation the best one?

Nope, this generation is far from the best. Truly, most of the games we have right now are really all based off of games released in the 5th generation, where 3D graphics were first being implemented. Almost every game in this generation has been touted fro it's graphics, with little focus on innovating the actual core gameplay. Take Crysis for example; the game was specifically developed for it's graphics, and although they are amazing, the actual gameplay is just another repetitive and tedious first person shooter. The same can be said for Gears of War; most of the media coverage of it has all been focused on the Unreal Engine 3, while truly, the gameplay looks almost identical to it's predecessor: a run and gun shooter. Yet another reason why I love my Wii: It's the gameplay, stupid, and that's all I really care about. Of course, the Wii has shown off some pretty graphics (Seriously, play Super Mario Galaxy. Ooh, shiny!), but really, the Wii was developed to innovate gameplay in video games, and I believe they've done so, which is something that I unfortunately can't say about Sony and Microsoft.

[ChAiNz.2da]

Toss up between 3rd and 4th (considering consoles are the question and not PC's ).

 

While they may not have the best 'graphics' of other generations.. I by far had the most fun playing the games introduced in the era. I went through 2 NES systems because of playing it so much... but I have a fondness for the Sega Genesis too.

 

I voted for 3rd though since the NES got a more thorough workout in my house back in the day. All-day CONTRA / Metroid benders and Zelda FTW.

[Thrik]

There were so many games I loved in the 6th generation that I have to give it my vote, although nostalgia was seriously tempting me into voting for one of the previous three.

 

Games like Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes (remake of 1), 2 & 3, all the first-party Nintendo titles (Mario Kart, Zelda, Metroid Prime, etc), Resident Evil 4, Shadow of the Colossus, Beyond Good and Evil, and many more serious classics.

 

There've been some good games this generation, but it's far from having the sheer volume of high-quality titles that we saw last time. With that said, there's plenty of time to go.

[Great Scott!]

I'm gonna go with the third generation. Nothing more relaxing than playing an 8-bit masterpiece, NES controller in hand, under a cool fan.

[EnderWiggin]

I agree with Jaymack, and voted for the 5th gen.... but the 3rd gen comes in a very close second

 

_EW_

[M@RS]

PC can't really be shoehorned into a particular generation because of how often hardware is updated, allowing for newer and faster games to be made constantly.

 

And how do you answer critics of the 7th generation who say that graphics are taking precedence over gameplay and story in modern console games? Sure they're pretty, but do they have any substance to them? And is that substance a product of current innovation or something that has been pioneered by a previous console? And if not, are the graphics really enough to make this generation the best one?

 

No, I just said that the graphics are awesome but a lot of the newer games do have good plots but not as good as the older console

[Rogue Nine]

No, I just said that the graphics are awesome but a lot of the newer games do have good plots but not as good as the older console

...No, you didn't.

I was bummed that I didn't see PC but I voted for the 7th Generation, the graphics are awesome...

And I posed those questions to generate discussion, since most of the people voting for the 7th generation are only citing graphics as their reason. Way to not answer them.