Best video game console generation?

[LordOfTheFish]

Graphics play a big part in a game to me. A good story line isn't good without descent graphics.

[Rogue Nine]

Graphics play a big part in a game to me. A good story line isn't good without descent graphics.

You epitomize everything I just said about 7th gen supporters.

[Negative Sun]

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.

QFT, got my vote as well!

[Ctrl Alt Del]

Seems to me that the current gen is vastly overrated....

 

Just to clear things out on my last post, I go for the 6th gen.

[jrrtoken]

On second thought, I vote for the -1st generation: Anyone up for some table tennis?

[swaaye]

Maybe we should judge based on which generation had the best Star Wars games?

 

In that case, hmmm, I'd have to go with either 4th or 5th. I like the Super Star Wars games on SNES a good bit. However, Shadows of the Empire on N64 was excellent, along with Pod Racer and Rogue Squadron.

 

On the other other hand, I think my fav Star Wars games are all on PC anyway. Shadows looks, sounds, and plays best on PC. Dark Forces/JK and the X-Wing games are only (or best) on PC. SW Rebellion is obviously PC only.... So, hmmmm...... Ya I'm afraid my best gaming memories are primarily on the PC.

 

I think the fact that 7th is getting the most votes tells us that the voters are generally new to gaming. I'm not sure how anyone could go gaga over the current console game libraries and very unsure of how this generation could be someone's favorite!

[SW01]

The Force Unleashed?

 

For best Star Wars, if not on PC I'd have to choose 6th gen. - PS2 Battlefront and Battlefront 2.

[Rabish Bini]

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.

Agreed, Mega Man 2, Super Mario Bros. and Mike Tyson's Punch Out! were the most replayable game sin the history of mankind, besides WBC2.

 

3rd Gen FTW. Specifically, the NES, but the SNES is close.

[Hayden Kered]

I vote 7th the graphics rock! Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the old school consoles.

[Pho3nix]

I'm torn between fifth and sixth gen.

 

I voted 5th for the nostalgia though. <3 N64 & PS

[urluckyday]

This is the first genration that we actually have a choice between consoles w/ noticeable differences.

Wii: Obvious reasons...it's a new way to game

360: Best online service available w/ amazing graphics

PS3: Great graphics and free online (not nearly as good as Live though)

 

The choices are better than before...and the differences are more than just games now...that's why this is the best generation

[swaaye]

Well, I kinda think that the games are all that matters. What is so much better about today's console games? The only new thing going compared to older generations is extensive multiplayer. Is that all that matters now?

 

Is the newest generation most popular simply because the market keeps growing and is like 10x larger than it was 10 years ago? Think about it: there are fewer people to vote for the older consoles.

 

I think consoles were WAY more exciting back when they were an arcade counterpart. You had the arcades that were budgetless technology showcases. Then they'd try to port the games to the consoles and you'd see how it went. New and coming consoles were compared to the $10k arcade hardware. Arcades were also way more fun than today's chatroom gaming IMO. They were somewhere to go hang out and chat with fellow crazy gamer folk.

[Rev7]

I have only played the 5th onward. I remember when my brother gave me his PlayStation one year and that just started everything. It was pretty awesome.

 

I did vote for the 7th generation though because...the graphics have just gotten better and better. Awesome consoles.

[Det. Bart Lasiter]

NINER CHANGE MY VOTE TO 7TH GEN GRAPHICS OVERWHELMING OH GOD

[Serpentine Cougar]

If graphics were the only qualification, obviously it'd be the 7th gen, since it's the most recent. If the selection of games was the only qualification, I'd say the 6th gen, since it contains the majority of my favorite games ever (PS2 I love you!). But in terms of which one was best for the industry and pushing things forward, I'd say the 5th gen. It was the first one with real 3D graphics and kind of cemented in the well-known genres that we see today on consoles.

 

Interesting, no one likes 1st or 2nd gen; can't imagine why....

[Samuel Dravis]

Because only the tk was alive in those horrible days before you could have a supercomputer for a desktop.

[Litofsky]

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.

 

A bit late, but...

 

Truthfully, I'm not a real console gamer. Again, having only experienced the 5th Generation and onward, I voted for the latest one. Even there, I've only played a few games, but I enjoy those more than the ones from the 6th. Sure, the graphics are great, but the games I've played have a pretty decent story. It's all about your opinion.

 

Of course, the PC has a special place with me. I started using it when I was a few years old, and I haven't put it down since.

[SW01]

If sheer graphical quality is not enough justification (which, actually I agree with - too many good-looking games with no story), then I justify 7th as, first the generation with the greatest potential.

 

Of the games that I have played so far on PS3, I have been impressed by the graphics, certainly, but also the better storylines that are cropping up. Assassin's Creed - the first next-gen that I played - for all of it's flaws had brilliant graphics coupled with an engaging, evolving storyline.

 

GTA IV was, in my opinion, infinitely superior to its PS2 cousins, both graphically and in terms of story.

 

This was one of the failings for many - not all - games later in the 6th gen. I think it became more of a war for the best graphics that could be squeezed out of the console.

[K_Kinnison]

3rd or 4th gen. 16 bit systems One of the last times that game designers were limited by the hardware, and forced them to rely on gameplay over eye candy.

 

Re-playability was the key. heck, i was playing games on a TRS-80 back in the day and I was enjoying ASCII graphics based games written in BASIC because of simple decent randomness

[Ctrl Alt Del]

This was one of the failings for many - not all - games later in the 6th gen. I think it became more of a war for the best graphics that could be squeezed out of the console.

 

Initially, yes. But the industry naturally matured after a time. That problem exists till today on the current gen, though.

[K_Kinnison]

I think the biggest tell is promotional trailers for videos games show more cinematics then gameplay. Which also makes more people buy the game for the graphics then playability. FFS i could buy an anime movie if all I wanted was to watch Eyeball popping computer graphics

[Boba Rhett]

Hmmmm, this is difficult. I have nothing but fond memories of my SNES though so I suppose I should choose that.

 

Those of you choosing based on "best graphics", are doing it wrong.*

 

 

 

 

 

So. So wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like worse than, "Epic Fail", wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like, I'm borderline physically disgusted by you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go to your room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

* = unless you limit the graphics pool to the consoles' set generation.

[stingerhs]

well, for me, it all comes down more to the games than the consoles. the most revolutionary games all seem to start with the sixth generation of consoles. the fifth generation was more about expanding the idea of a 3D environment, and thus the gamepay was never really that great with a few exceptions. if you think about it, a lot of games that we call "derivative" are all based around solid ideas and gameplay foundations that were introduced mostly in the 6th generation of consoles.

 

it was a fairly revolutionary time for the gaming industry, and outside of the Wii, it really seems to be nothing more than evolution ever since. still, the best games of today all had their roots somewhere, and you can trace most of them back to that 6th generation of consoles.

[Ctrl Alt Del]

well, for me, it all comes down more to the games than the consoles. the most revolutionary games all seem to start with the sixth generation of consoles. the fifth generation was more about expanding the idea of a 3D environment, and thus the gamepay was never really that great with a few exceptions. if you think about it, a lot of games that we call "derivative" are all based around solid ideas and gameplay foundations that were introduced mostly in the 6th generation of consoles.

 

it was a fairly revolutionary time for the gaming industry, and outside of the Wii, it really seems to be nothing more than evolution ever since. still, the best games of today all had their roots somewhere, and you can trace most of them back to that 6th generation of consoles.

 

I agree wholly with this statement.

[zelda 41]

Voted for 5th.

It was around the era I was able to play video games, basicly leading me into it's mindless-self indulgence. The N64 had some fantastic games (Super Mario 64, Zelda, Donkey Kong 64, etc), and I didn't really play the original playstation (except some Tomb Raider game).

 

Also, who didn't love 'Hey You, Pikachu'?