Daunting, trust me, I know. This is going to be even harder for me because I was born in the late 90s and many people will consider the 80s/90s the golden years of gaming consoles. Let’s break it down though (in no particular order).
Well this one is just a no-brainer. I don’t think anyone can deprive such a list of their PC. Whether you’re hardcore downloading games off Steam and playing Fortnite, or you’re casually playing 8 ball pool on Miniclip, everyone games on the PC. It’s so versatile. Actually, I’d say it’s undoubtedly the most versatile gaming console. Also, everyone at Game Protocol games with their PCs, in case you were wondering.
The Nintendo Entertainment System. Originally released in 1983 in Japan, the NES is considered by many the GOAT (Greatest of all Time) of all consoles. What classics did the NES not have? The NES is the definition of classic. It’s like the Beatles to music. The most remarkable Nintendo game of all time made its debut on this console in 1983, Mario Bros. Let’s not forget Zelda, Punch-Out!!, Final Fantasy, Kirby, Castelvania, etc. (the list goes on forever, seriously).
This one has a bit of bias because Pokémon Fire Red on the Gameboy is one of my most nostalgic memories. It was the first video game I fully immersed myself into and I still play Pokémon today (over 16 years later). But the Gameboy did not limit itself to Pokémon.
Remember Racoon Mario from Super Mario Bros. 3? Being able to float though the air and deflect shells was awesome! Once again, there’s another million titles on the Gameboy marking it a classic in my books. I think the Gameboy earned its spot on this list despite the bias.
If I’ll be real, I don’t really have much attachment to this console because its older than I am. However, I can respect when something beyond my time deserves its recognition, and the Sega Genesis paved the way for many of the great gaming consoles we see today. The Genesis offered tons of titles, but most notably, they made sure to give Sega’s mascot a run. In North America, most, if not all Sega Genesis’ came packaged with Sonic the Hedgehog as a free game included alongside the console.
Although most American marketing disagreed with the idea of Sonic and thought it wouldn’t appeal to the American youth, they were quickly proven wrong (Sonic boosted Genesis sales by 65%). Beyond Sonic, the Genesis was a massive success and lasted a long time.
The Atari 2600 is once again an artifact to me. From my research and knowledge given by the elders at Game Protocol I have come to understand that this console introduced the idea of in-home gaming in a big way. Before this, you had to bring an entire arcade machine into your home which was costly, spacious, and all to play a single game.
This device bridged the gap between arcade games and video games. It offered classic arcade titles like Space Invaders and Frogger but all within the convenience of your home.
Okay so you may be wondering why I wrote PS2 instead of just the Playstation, or maybe even the most recent in the series, the PS4. Let’s break it down. From an aesthetic standpoint, the PS2 delivered the nicest console that had ever been on the market up until that time. Beyond the lustrous casing, the PS2 had by far the nicest graphics out of all consoles on the market. No debate.
The 1999 Tech Demo trailer that featured clips of Gran Turismo blew us all away. The cars had a reflection and a gloss to them. Everyone was dying to get their hands on the PS2 and that was reflected in its ground-breaking sales. Sony really delivered with the PS2, as can be seen by its ongoing legacy. Definitely classic.
