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Favourite Gen
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NES 8-bit!!!!
Everyone had them. All the games were on it. It was the the last 1-system generation. Sure the Sega was fun and cool (I loved mine)....but it didn't compete with Nintendo.
Everyone had them. All the games were on it. It was the the last 1-system generation. Sure the Sega was fun and cool (I loved mine)....but it didn't compete with Nintendo.
how can someone pick THIS gen?! HAVE YOU NO SHAME!? :
But yeah... tough one. I picked Snes/Genesis (Megadrive? wtf Jimmi?) just because I still play games like Yoshi's Island, Chrono Trigger, Link to the Past (best Zelda e.v.e.r.), Super Mario World, Phantasy Star IV, Shining Force, good awesome 2-D Sonic, etc.
NES is close, I still love the old games and their collective music is still probably the most nostalgic *hugs Gyruss*
But I did nearly crap myself playing Mario 64 and Final Fantasy VII. And FFT is my favorite game ever made... hmmm....
But yeah... tough one. I picked Snes/Genesis (Megadrive? wtf Jimmi?
) just because I still play games like Yoshi's Island, Chrono Trigger, Link to the Past (best Zelda e.v.e.r.), Super Mario World, Phantasy Star IV, Shining Force, good awesome 2-D Sonic, etc.NES is close, I still love the old games and their collective music is still probably the most nostalgic *hugs Gyruss*
But I did nearly crap myself playing Mario 64 and Final Fantasy VII. And FFT is my favorite game ever made... hmmm....
how can someone pick THIS gen?! HAVE YOU NO SHAME!? :
Wasn't me! i voted for NES lol that thing is awesome.
Must have been one of those younger guys that voted for the current gen...
I DID NOT OWN A NES!!! I had a SMS, but my friend loaned me his NES to play Zelda -- Bless his soul!
I DID NOT OWN A NES!!!
I had a SMS, but my friend loaned me his NES to play Zelda -- Bless his soul! 
I have always been an exclusive Nintendo owner until this generation, but I would have to say my favorite was the GameCube, based purely on fond memories.
I can remember getting it on launch day and playing Rouge Squadron. I can still smell the fresh sent of the plastic. It was such a joy to just hold it and look at it.
I remember playing games like Metroid Prime, Wind Waker and Resident Evil 4 for the first time. I can remember my friend and I playing Melee for hundreds of hours. It might not have been the best selling, but it was the best fun I can ever remember a console giving me.
Sure I love my PS3 and Wii, but they will never give me the pure bliss my purple cube gave me.
I can remember getting it on launch day and playing Rouge Squadron. I can still smell the fresh sent of the plastic. It was such a joy to just hold it and look at it.
I remember playing games like Metroid Prime, Wind Waker and Resident Evil 4 for the first time. I can remember my friend and I playing Melee for hundreds of hours. It might not have been the best selling, but it was the best fun I can ever remember a console giving me.
Sure I love my PS3 and Wii, but they will never give me the pure bliss my purple cube gave me.
I started my gaming with the NES generation, so I'm a little young, yeah, but it's not my favorite gen by any means. I would probably rank my favorites this way:
SNES Gen
Current Gen
N64 Gen
Last Gen
NES Gen
That's my preference, so deal with it.
SNES Gen
Current Gen
N64 Gen
Last Gen
NES Gen
That's my preference, so deal with it.
I shot for the Mega Drive/Snes but I suppose that also includes the Amiga (same times, capabilities and such). Sonic 1-3 were just godlike and though I never owned a SNES myself Mario World was pretty much the greatest thing I ever played.
My worst is probably this gen. It's a time of charging for horse armour and basic online play, for needless media formats, for hit and (mostly) miss gesture controls. It's a brave new world but has a lot to learn.
My worst is probably this gen. It's a time of charging for horse armour and basic online play, for needless media formats, for hit and (mostly) miss gesture controls. It's a brave new world but has a lot to learn.
It's a tie between the Mega Drive/SNES gen and N64 gen. The N64 is in my view the best console ever made and and the only good thing about that gen. However I chose MD/SNES because that whole era was great compared to just the N64 in it's gen. Master System/NES (which was my first console) is close behind.
I'd rate them as follows:
N64
Mega Drive
SNES
NES
Master System
IMO the N64 was the last great console. Maybe it's just me getting older but nothing since then even compares with what was on offer at the time.
I'd rate them as follows:
N64
Mega Drive
SNES
NES
Master System
IMO the N64 was the last great console. Maybe it's just me getting older but nothing since then even compares with what was on offer at the time.
Super Nintendo was just brilliant. I was still a young boy but I can remember every arse whooping I got in Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Mortal Kombat II. I'll never forget the blowing into the cartridge or sticking a piece of paper in the slot to stabilize the cartridge.
SNES and PS2 were the groundbreakers.
Note: You might want to put Sega Genesis for the westerners..
Bless
SNES and PS2 were the groundbreakers.
Note: You might want to put Sega Genesis for the westerners..
Bless
PS1 since most of my favorite games come from that system. Funny because that was the last system I owned from that generation, I had Saturn first, then 64 before getting a PS1 for FF7. 2nd is NES. The 64 made me hate Nintendo for their $80 games, stupid overpriced accessories, and general bull**** from that system, I have never felt so ripped off from a console before (not to mention almost all of its games were absolutely terrible, its only saving grace was GoldenEye and Zelda). So my favorite system and most hated system come from the same generation, I was neutral with Saturn since it was the ultimate console for arcade games so it had its uses.
SNES/SEGA for me. Though it's incredibly close and every generation has fond memories for me. This is the gen for me that has the right balance of story/game accessibility. Could play a great game, but also not have to sacrifice your personal life to play.
Paul
Paul
I like how you worded that pcypert.
In some cases I do appreciate accessibility in a game, especially when playing with friends, or to pass a little bit of time, but for some games -- excluding any in-game tutorial, it should be left at the door.
In some cases I do appreciate accessibility in a game, especially when playing with friends, or to pass a little bit of time, but for some games -- excluding any in-game tutorial, it should be left at the door.
I would be interested to see this poll showing the ages of people who voted. I would guess some folks were not born yet during the Atari/Intellivision era...or much to young during the NES era. Age probably skews the results of the poll...
My first console was an Intellivision and (though obviously, technically a computer) a Commodore 64 (I used it only for games...and it had a cartridge slot where you could put in a game cartridge, just like a console). I loved my NES and the games of that generation. However, The SNES and Genesis era was the best and what I consider the most fun. The games were extremely fun without all the "technical and graphical" focus that seems to be the highest priority of modern games. The final gaming genres also seem to be established/set in that era.
Something was lost with the transition to 3D...Though, I can't really describe what. There have been many great games from the N64/PS era to now.....but it still feels like there's just something missing in modern games.
My first console was an Intellivision and (though obviously, technically a computer) a Commodore 64 (I used it only for games...and it had a cartridge slot where you could put in a game cartridge, just like a console). I loved my NES and the games of that generation. However, The SNES and Genesis era was the best and what I consider the most fun. The games were extremely fun without all the "technical and graphical" focus that seems to be the highest priority of modern games. The final gaming genres also seem to be established/set in that era.
Something was lost with the transition to 3D...Though, I can't really describe what. There have been many great games from the N64/PS era to now.....but it still feels like there's just something missing in modern games.
Well I'm 23 and voted Mega Drive/SNES. I first got the NES probably around 1991-3, then Mega Drive sometime around 93-5, then the N64 in 97. (I had these and friends had the others... MS, SNES, PS.)
I agree. With the N64, Dreamcast and PS1 the focused still seems to be on gameplay, only transferred to a 3D environment. However as the technology grew graphics becomes an important factor. That said, I think the biggest factor is just growing up. I bet kids today feel the same way about the PS2 and Xbox as we did about the Sega/Nintendo years.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed some of the older games, my favourite era has to be the late nineties. In the early to mid eighties, we had games such as Elite. It involved moving a few dozen (and I mean that literally) primary-coloured lines around the screen. In order to translate that into a game, imagination was required. Once that was added, we were each on the bridge of our very own starship, trading across interstellar distances and running the gauntlet of police, pirates and hostile aliens! The content of Elite provided maybe 10% of the game. The other 90% came from our imaginations. Not everyone was able to provide that 90% and so computer gaming was quite a niche pastime, but those that could were rewarded with an incredible immersive experience and we eagerly anticipated and speculated on how gaming would improve as it matured.
Fast forward to the start of the playstation era. By this time the capabilities of the various game platforms had improved beyond recognition. Less imagination was required in order to access the games, resulting in a broader appeal. I would say that content provided around 50% of the game while the player's imagination provided the other 50%. Games like the original Tomb Raider, Doom and Quake had minimal storylines but that was OK. Gamers brought their own imagination. Everyone played a slightly different game. For example: did Lara slaughter every animal that crossed her path or did she only kill where she couldn't avoid it? Core weren't saying. It depended on who was actually playing the game at the time. Every player brought their own version of her back-story. Her minimal biog was probably due to it being considered unimportant. In fact, it's very minimalism was probably vital to the game. I would say that this balance (enforced by hardware limitations of the day, admittedly) between content and imagination gave us a "Golden Age" of video games. It seemed like all aspects of gaming were just getting better and better in all regards.
Since then, the games industry has ballooned out of all proportion. The hardware is awesome, as are the budgets for producing the games and I believe that this has brought unforeseen problems to the world of gaming. While the graphics and the physics have improved along with the hardware, sometimes the actual game design and scripting have suffered badly. Big money requires that every little detail be micro-managed. A lot of games are so overproduced that there's not enough room left for imagination anymore. Everything's too tightly scripted. Content accounts for maybe 90%, while imagination is left with a paltry 10%, and that's why I feel a lot of today's games aren't particularly satisfying when compared with some of the more "open" games from the past. There's not enough involvement in them and they feel more like passive entertainment like TV or movies.
Perhaps I'm just getting old...
Fast forward to the start of the playstation era. By this time the capabilities of the various game platforms had improved beyond recognition. Less imagination was required in order to access the games, resulting in a broader appeal. I would say that content provided around 50% of the game while the player's imagination provided the other 50%. Games like the original Tomb Raider, Doom and Quake had minimal storylines but that was OK. Gamers brought their own imagination. Everyone played a slightly different game. For example: did Lara slaughter every animal that crossed her path or did she only kill where she couldn't avoid it? Core weren't saying. It depended on who was actually playing the game at the time. Every player brought their own version of her back-story. Her minimal biog was probably due to it being considered unimportant. In fact, it's very minimalism was probably vital to the game. I would say that this balance (enforced by hardware limitations of the day, admittedly) between content and imagination gave us a "Golden Age" of video games. It seemed like all aspects of gaming were just getting better and better in all regards.
Since then, the games industry has ballooned out of all proportion. The hardware is awesome, as are the budgets for producing the games and I believe that this has brought unforeseen problems to the world of gaming. While the graphics and the physics have improved along with the hardware, sometimes the actual game design and scripting have suffered badly. Big money requires that every little detail be micro-managed. A lot of games are so overproduced that there's not enough room left for imagination anymore. Everything's too tightly scripted. Content accounts for maybe 90%, while imagination is left with a paltry 10%, and that's why I feel a lot of today's games aren't particularly satisfying when compared with some of the more "open" games from the past. There's not enough involvement in them and they feel more like passive entertainment like TV or movies.
Perhaps I'm just getting old...
The genesis/snes gen had some good games but I found it to be kind of bland. I would say the NES and PS1 gen was my favorite because they brought so many new things to the table. With the NES it was the first console to have colorful graphics with relatively deep gameplay, unlike atari which was just too simple to do anything cool with (which is why it almost destroyed the video game industry, the technology didnt allow developers to make different kinds of games, everything was the same and it was all really bad). The NES brought a ton of new genres to video gaming, allowing developers to do almost anything they wanted. Genesis/SNES on the other hand didnt bring anything new, it just made NES style games better, they were the same kind of games but upgraded. Then the 3d gen came and just like the NES it brought a whole load of new genres, it made gaming fresh again. With the NES/3dstuff I was so busy trying different kinds of games that it never made me bored , even if the game wasnt very good it was still fun because it was new (and if it was good then it was an amazing experience), I cant say that about Genesis/SNES or PS2.
This gen is just like the SNES/PS2 days, everything is just an upgrade from the old genres. There may be some really good games but you have to wait for them, the bad games dont have any appeal anymore because they dont offer anything new, plus they still dont offer that same experience that you got from playing a new genre for the first time.
I dont believe that developers are getting lazy or worse at all (its impossible to be worse than the atari shovelware days). I think its just people expecting something completely new like they got with the older systems. They were just as focused on graphics back then as they are now, the obsession with "bits" was out of control.
This gen is just like the SNES/PS2 days, everything is just an upgrade from the old genres. There may be some really good games but you have to wait for them, the bad games dont have any appeal anymore because they dont offer anything new, plus they still dont offer that same experience that you got from playing a new genre for the first time.
I dont believe that developers are getting lazy or worse at all (its impossible to be worse than the atari shovelware days). I think its just people expecting something completely new like they got with the older systems. They were just as focused on graphics back then as they are now, the obsession with "bits" was out of control.
I'm 35. I voted for the Genesis/SNES, I think because it was the first generation where I could afford all of the games, because I had a job. They were the first consoles I bought with my own money.
There were a couple of games like Ghouls 'n Ghosts and Phantasy Star 2, which are still my favorites.
BUT in no way did I miss out on the GREAT years.
Here's what we had in our house during the eighties;
TI-99
C64
C64 SX-64 All in one with a 5" color screen. It was truly UBER!
Sinclair 1000
Sinclair 2068
XT Turbo ~i~
I had a SMS..
My father refused to buy us an Atari 2600, but did buy us a Ti-99, which I appreciate quite a bit looking back on it.
My friends and family had had 2600s, later Colecovisions and Intelivisions, NES, and before these consoles, one of my friends had PONG, and my uncles had a Fairchild Channel F -- many fond memories of playing UFO.
If there were a C64 option, I would have voted for it over "any" console, but if there were a PC gaming, option, I would have picked it over the C64, but only by a little bit. My favorite games of all time, absolutely the best games I've played are on the PC, even to this day.
I agree with you on the 3D thing. So much has been lost in favor of these tech-demos. It killed games like grapic adventures. The CG scenes look purdey, but they lack that zeal that old school graphics offered. I found the space simulators on my C64 more realistic than the crap now days.
Most modern games are bloated generalized vomit, created by, or bastardized by committees. Games from the early days were created by individuals/small-groups that loved games and computers. They enjoyed solving puzzles. They wrote their dialogue from an adult perspective, not as an adult trying to think like a kid. Their games were intelligent. These are attributes that have been lost, or get filtered out for the masses. Even games like Sam & Max don't hold up to their MCGA counterpart. The old games felt like truly interactive stories/adventures, I rarely get that now days, even with all of TEH GRAPHIX.
OK, I have not eaten and I've rambled up a storm.