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[skaldicpoet9]

Just wondering what everyone's favorite consoles were around the TIGS.

Here are my favorites:

NES: No brainer. I grew up on the NES and it still gets as much play time as my Wii does

PS1: When the PS1 came out it was amazing. I would go over to my friends house all the time because my parents were broke until my parents could actually afford one. I really started taking a greater interest in the story structure of games during this time. It opened me up to the fact that games had the potential to be tremendously expressive medium.

Dreamcast: Man, I really loved my Dreamcast. I thought it was a shame when Sega went under. They did a lot of great things with the VMUs and Sega.net, too bad it was too late for Sega as a console manufacturer.

Wii: The Wii now holds a special place in my heart. I love what they are doing for the games industry. Many say that this exposure isn't what the gaming industry needs but I think that is ridiculous. What better way to get all generations on the same page on the subject of video games then to unite them in their experiences? I love the fact that that Wii breaks those barriers that formerly lead to an increasingly pronounced emphasis in the media and by politicians on the adverse effects of video games. However, these day there are many positive things to be said about video games and I believe the Wii is a definite part of that.


I can't wait to see what the future brings for home consoles. It'll be very interesting at the least...

[1337-n00b]

Despite all the flak the system gets, I'm a Nintendo 64 man through and through.  It may not be the best system, but it's undeniably the one that's ultimately had the biggest impact on my life.  Second place would probably go to the SNES, simply because the library was amazing at the time and is still phenomenally fun today.

As far as this generation is concerned, I find I'm playing my 360 more than my Wii.  My biggest complaint with the Wii is that it still hasn't proven itself, in my humble opinion, as capable of truly delivering core gaming experiences with the same innovation present in it's casual games or with the same punch as 360 games.  One or the other would be fine, but I honestly haven't seen either.  All the same, I'm excited to see what Nintendo and third parties can do on the machine.

What really gets me excited is how common-place downloadable content is becoming on consoles.  It's allowing the indie game scene access to a complete new audience.

[Ryan]

SNES: My first gaming system. All my fond memories of video games come from this time period. In fact, most of my time playing games is on the SNES. I suppose I'm stuck in the past.

Gameboy: I still remember getting that huge grey brick of awesomeness. It was hard to see, but it was fun playing Wario and Kirbys Block Ball when my mom dragged me out of the house when she needed to go somewhere.

PS1: My second console. I really only played action/adventure games on it. (All Crash Bandicoots, Gex: Enter the Gecko, Croc: Legend of the Gobos, etc). I think this was my gaming prime. I played everything. Since then I haven't really gamed much at all.

I suppose that's all for me, pretty pitiful. I have been meaning to get a 360 since forever, but I haven't yet. Who knows? Maybe it'll provide me as much enjoyment as my PS1 did.

Edit: Oh, and thanks for making this topic. A bunch of awesome memories flooded back to me as I was thinking about this. Thanks again.

[PoV]

Commodore 64: Not a console in a traditional sense, but with it's quantity of games, it was my "NES" and "Atari" growing up.  First computer.

Gameboy: First "traditional" console I ever owned, in all it's black and white (green and yellow?) glory.  Also the first console I coded for (Gameboy Color Era).

Neo Geo Pocket: I loved the joystick on this.  Yes, joystick.  Instead of a lame ass D-Pad, this portable features a spring loaded thumb nub 8 way joystick.  They don't make them like this anymore.

I own just about everything else, with various things I like about each.  The above are my "non super console" favorites though.

[Alex May]

The only console i've owned that i wasn't particularly enamoured with was the XBox. The rest have been awesome.

[Keops]

My favorite would have to be the SNES.

I also loved my NES and my PlayStation.

I did love my Dreamcast too, but I hate how the poor thing ended (and I HATE the controller with a passion too... VMU batteries were also a hassle).

[Soulliard]

The Genesis was the first system I owned, and it still holds a special place in my heart. It's library was not quite as good as that of the SNES, but Sonic and Alisia Dragoon made up for it. (The SNES is another one of my favorites)

I'm surprised no one's mentioned the PS2. There are loads of great games for the system from just about every genre. I haven't gotten so much enjoyment out of a console since the SNES.

My all-time favorite system, though, is the Virtual Boy. That was pure two-color, neck-cramping, eye-straining fun! It was so great that I bought every game ever made for the system. All five of them!

[Akhel]

The SNES, but probably mostly because it was the console I spent the most time with. I'm really more of a PC gamer.

[AdamAtomic]

DS and Megadrive, hands down.  With the DS's GBA support, there are waaaay too many awesome action games and platformers and just straight up old school goodness.  But then I'm a Treasure whore....

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

Atari 2600 probably.

[moshboy]

My favourite isn't a console.. it's an Amiga (with a whopping 500k upgrade bringing it to a total of 1mb ram). I think was a brilliant system for its time and the only thing my parents would let me own (for which I came to own hundreds of games for).

Before this, many friends owned Commodore 64s (again not a console, which I grew to love).

I do have a soft spot for SNESs, Dreamcasts and Wiis though.

[Radnom]

My PS2 is my favourite console by far. So many incredible, original games.

[Farbs]

I keep this happy little puppy on my desk at work. It can boot all my childhood memories from a single CD

[team_q]

I love my super Nintendo, It always felt like it was the last time professional video games wern't about escalating graphics and more about wacky game play. Though now  I think we are reaching that point again, where video games can be wacky, new and have a large budget.

[kitty]

All but one of the consoles I have owned were Nintendo. (The other was a PS2 that I ended up with for free).

My favorite console is the Wii because of the virtual console... I have a NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, a GameCube, and a Wii all in one tiny package.

[Jimbob]

My favourite isn't a console.. it's an Amiga (with a whopping 500k upgrade bringing it to a total of 1mb ram). I think was a brilliant system for its time and the only thing my parents would let me own (for which I came to own hundreds of games for).

Man, the Amiga, I thought nobody else would mention it!
I spent way too much on that thing, even after we got a PC. Mainly because of Sensible Soccer, Cannon Fodder, Alien Breed and the other hundreds of games (as you said) that are around for it.

After that, it'd probably be my range of Game Boy's. From playing Zelda/Tetris on the brick one, Pokemon Blue on the pocket one, Chu Chu Rocket on the Advance (kinda missed out on the 'color' one), and now Mario on the DS (okay, technically not a game boy but screw it, it's awesome anyhow). But yeh, handhelds for the win.

[Blaster]

I'll third Amiga as my favourite gaming platform (it may aswell have been a gaming console, I can't remember using it for anything else at all). Many wonderful games.

I'm afraid I've only ever experienced SNES & NES through emulation, so though I've had a blast with both on the computer it wouldn't really be fair to call either of them my favourite. They weren't very popular in New Zealand in comparison to the Master System & the Mega Drive (only now do I realise how ridiculous those names are).
We had a Mega Drive for a short while, but when I think about it, there were only a few titles I loved at the time on it (plus a couple more now, through emulation...)

I may as well jump the rest of the consoles that have been in the household since then, and go straight to the DS. It's wonderful. Just... so wonderful...

*touches his DS* 

[skaldicpoet9]

Yeah, I regret not being able to be around when the Amiga first came out. I just read an awesome article about the history of the Amiga. It is pretty sad though that the Amiga went out the way it did. I actually watched the launch of the Amiga and compared it to the launch of the Mac and man the Amiga just totally blew me away. I guess bad advertising really did it in because as far as I heard the Amiga was cheaper by far as well as more powerful then the Mac. Great stuff. Here's the link if you want to check it out: A History of the Amiga

I don't know if you already know about the Amiga's history (which if you owned one I am sure you do) but it is still a well written series of articles regardless. Btw the link is to the 5th part because it has the links to all of the other parts of the article linked to it (and oddly all of the other parts do not).

[Farbs]

If you're interested in playing old amiga games then I recommend picking up a CD32 on ebay. There are CDs floating around the 'net with hundreds of old A500 games on em, and you get to act all smug when people ask you if it's some kind of megadrive.