Thread: Best console generation

So throughout time we have seen many consoles come and go but those consoles gave us many a great games. Everyone has their own favorite console generation for one reason or another and here we can discuss which generation of console gaming was the best and why.

For me, the best console generation in gaming is the beginning of the PS1/N64/Sega Saturn era all the way to the end of the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube era. Here technology was big advanced enough to allow more interesting mechanics but it still wasn't quite as corporate as it is in the current console generation. As a result, many great game series came from that generation from Metal Gear Solid to Resident Evil to Hitman among other series. Not to mention it had a strong middle market as well so we got to see more obscure and experimental games that probably wouldn't get greenlit these days.

I'm almost in complete agreement with you there. That was an excellent generation and a very close second to my favourite generation which is often considered the "golden age" of consoles: 16-bit or the fourth generation. Arguably, the next generation may have stronger games but for the most part 16-bit games were what I grew up with as a little boy and most of my best gaming memories involved playing them. You can tell my favourite game series, you know, back in the day when it was worth being a fan of this speedy fellow... (I think I shared this photo here once which is one of the only ones I've shared. )



Sonic and other 16-bit games were definitely the most magical gaming experiences of my youth. (Though I'd say completing FFVII at nine years old was life-changing and the start of my appreciation for game narratives.) I was a Sega gamer, though I did play Nintendo too less regularly. So I would say that nostalgia does play a strong part in my decision here and I'm sure it would for many others too. Despite that bias however, I do think it was an outstanding generation. 8-bit was home console gaming in its complete infancy and subsequently many game mechanics could have been considered experimental. Just look at the AVGN's videos. He's reviewed many crappy 16-bit games but most of the truly awful ones have been 8-bit. As for 32-bit, like I said it was a great generation and if it wasn't for my bias I'd likely choose it. My favourite game (Final Fantasy VIII) is a PlayStation game and I think 32-bit was the best for JRPGs, amongst other genres. (For instance, survival horror for sure!)

For me, the PS2 era was my childhood.

It's really hard to say for me what the best console generation is. The first game console I ever got was the Nintendo 64, and between that and the Playstation, that generation was really tough to beat. That being said, a definite case can be made for the 16 bit era. It's definitely the era that I think of when I think of video games. The 16 bit era, in my opinion, took everything that was great about the 8 bit era and made it better. It also had the big Nintendo vs. Sega console war that has become so iconic.

In conclusion, I think it's a toss up between the SNES/Genesis era and the N64/PS1 era.

Despite not growing up in the 16-bit era, going back and playing most of those games via emulators it becomes clear what a magical, creative time for video games it was. Everything was new all the time.

I have a lot of nostalgia for the PS2 era, there were so many obscure little gems released during that generation that you just don't see anymore, probably because games have become so expensive to develop. It has been tragic to see companies like Sega, Capcom and Konami fall from their previous greatness over the past two generations or so, things weren't looking good for the Japanese gaming scene for a while but thankfully that seems to be changing with Nintendo getting their act together and studios like Platinum and FromSoftware to freshen things up.

I think overall I have to say N64 and the other consoles around the same time area. I played a lot on N64 and it was at a time I still enjoyed single player games. These days I really have to be interested in a game to play single player. I am not sure what happened there.

PS2 is unrivaled, best console ever, the console which made it's own generation.