EGM's top ten best systems of all time

In the latest issue of EGM, there's an article listing their picks for the best systems of all time. I was just wondering what other people thought about their picks. Here's the list for those who haven't seen it:

10. Nintendo 64

9. Dreamcast

8. Gamecube

7. Genesis

6. Xbox

5. Playstation 2

4. Game Boy Advance

3. Super Nintendo

2. Playstation

1. Nintendo Entertainment System

They gave reasons for each system being where they were, but I really don't feel like typing all that out.

I generally agree with EGM's list, but there are a couple of change I'd make. First of all, the only system on the list that I have no experience with is the Genesis, so I'd have to put it at #10. Nothing personal.

Secondly, I think the Dreamcast should be much higher. I think the Dreamcast had, by far, the best ratio of great games to crap games of any system on the list. Sure it had its share of crap games, (what system doesn't?) but they were few and far between. It's really a shame that it didn't get the support it needed to keep Sega afloat as a hardware developer.

Lastly, (and I know I'm gonna get some flak for this) I wouldn't put the NES at #1. Now if the list had been called 'The top ten most influential systems of all time', there would be no question that the NES is #1, but as far as it being the best goes, I'd disagree. Those "classics", for the most part, simply don't hold up as well compared to today's games. How many people would really rather play the original Legend of Zelda over Ocarina of Time or Wind Waker? There are tons of great games to be found here, don't get me wrong, but I get the feeling that nostalgia played a big factor in the decision to make the NES #1.

So what does everyone else think? Do you agree, disagree, not care? Feel free to make your own top ten if you feel like it.

 

I wouldn't put Playstation above Super Nintendo, but I'm a Nintendo fanboy so I'm a bit biased. However, despite my Nintendofanboyishness, I wouldn't put the GBA over the Genesis, PS2, XBOX, etc.

 

Dremcast should be higher IMO.

In fact, it should be number 2, right behind the NES. Dreamcast had such an amazing library. Very varied NES is number 1, for obvious reasons.

 

Totally agree the Playstation should not be so high. This is how I would rank them:

10. Sega Master System 2. I liked this machine about half as much as the NES but still a lot of fun.
9. Playstation. A bit of fun and a lot of titles.
8. Gameboy. Who didn't have one? The perfect choice for gaming when the NES became stale.
7. Nintendo 64. Had about four truly mindblowing games and... that's it! What happened?
6. XBOX. The top machine on the market but, IMHO, left its run a year too late. Otherwise better than PS2. Hate the controller and design.
5. PS2. Some terrific and plentiful games with the bonus of cool design and DVD player.
4. Gamecube. I only got this recently and am in awe over how good the games and controller are. Limited by third party support.
3. Genesis (Megadrive). Probably because it was always fighting for no.1 spot against SNES. Never really played many games but I know it was loved.
2.SNES. Took what the NES had and delivered even more satisfying games. Did everything the NES was limited at.
1. NES. Because it pretty much started the whole thing. Sure it wasn't the first console but it brought challenging, fun games to the living room and blew me away.

note. I haven't played a dreamcast or Gameboy advanced much.

 

My top 10:

10 - Turbo-Grafx/Turbo-CD: A very underrated system. Lots of fun and some great games here.

09 - N64: Zelda 64 and Mario 64 was enough to make it to the list and showed us what the wonderful world of 3D gaming was capable of.

08 - SNES: Took Nintendo one step further. It was the NES on acid. Enough said.

07 - Sega Master System: This baby was a powerhouse in visuals and sound. And innovative with 3D glasses and games offered in both cart and card format. It's failure was that it did not offer the amount and variety of games NES had, but what it did have, was very special. Phantasy Star, Alex Kid, Wonder Boy, Shinobi, Double Dragon (arcade), etc.

06 - Collecovison: Better than the Atari by far. Superior graphics, games, etc. It was an amazing little machine. It was to Atari what SNES was to NES. Took gaming further.

05 - Genesis/Sega CD: I love this system. Was always a Sega fan through and through. Sega and Nintendo were in the heat of the 16-Bit wars and contrary to belief, Nintendo did not come out number one. The top spot changed hands too many times to count. Both shiffting from number 1 to number 2 on and off. Sega had the games catered to the mature gamers and it had 2 aces up its sleeve: Sonic and of course, EA sports(which had more titles and ran better on Genesis than SNES) and Sega Sports. Genesis brought gaming to mainstream America (not PSX) with it's never ending sports titles (Madden series), making Genesis a staple in college dorms everywhere and a casual gamer is born. NES brought gaming into the mainstream youth. Genesis brought gaming into an all age group mainstream (not just kids).

04 - PS2: Not a fan of PSX and PS2 was more like an upgrade. PS2 is what the PSX should have been (not in terms of graphics), but in gaming.


03 - Sega Saturn: I loved this system. NiGHTS into Dreams was beautiful and it had great games. Sega failed with the Saturn because it released it too early, too expensive at 400 dollars and with an architecture that was very hard to program for (worse than the PS2).

02 - Dreamcast: My personal favorite system of all time. Best system since the original NES. Online gaming, variety, innovative memory cards. Better than it's next gen brothers (PS2, Xbox, GC). Before the PS2 came out, it had the highest selling launch in NA history. The system itself was not a failure. It was actually successful in the USA. The failure was Sega had a huge debt and Sega of Japan's poor management. Sega of America tried to keep it a float, but Sega of Japan stopped that. Of course PS2 would come out the best selle, but DC would have been right behind if still alive. Only reason it wasn't number one on my list is cause NES wins due to historical context.

01 - NES. As said, not the first console. But brought us a new era of gaming and classics forever loved.

 

Master System before SNES? Surely you jest!

 

Alrighty, here's my top ten. I know I said I'd put the Genesis at #10, but I just thought of a system that I've actually played that belongs at that number. Keep in mind that I'm kind of a youngling. I'm afraid I wasn't around for the golden age of gaming, so my #1 pick will probably not sit well with some of you old fogies.

10. Neo-Geo I'm lucky enough to have a semi-rich buddy whose dad was able to afford this system and it games. Even with all the cool new games coming out these days, we still find time to play Samurai Showdown 2, King of Fighters, and Metal Slug. There are just way too many awesome exclusives on this system to ignore it. Sure it was waaaay too expensive, but it was (and still is) an incredible system.

9. N64 It's really too bad that no one other than Nintendo and Rare were making games for this system. Nevertheless, if you're looking for 3D platformers, you won't find a better system. Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie and Conker are still among the best in the genre. And Goldeneye, despite outdated graphics, is still an incredible multiplayer experience all these years later.

8. Xbox Other than graphics, this system doesn't really do anything particularly better than any other system, but still, it's got some great exclusives (KotOR and such). It's just a good all around system.

7. PS2 The only reason why it doesn't rate higher is because of the incredibly slow start it got off to. Up until a year after I got the system at launch, I was really wondering if I'd wasted my money or not. There was almost nothing worth getting. Then, right around the time Twisted Metal:Black came out, things started to turn around. I haven't been disappointed with it since.

6. Gamecube There aren't many games for the system... kinda like the N64, (I notice a pattern here, Nintendo) but when the games do come, they're usually classics.

5. Game Boy Advance Not only is this system like a portable SNES, but you also get a huge established library of original GB games thanks to the backwards compatability.

4. Dreamcast This is the hardcore gamers system. I really wish this one had had more sucsess over in Japan. Too many great games to list... but I'll list a few anyway. Shenmue, SNK vs. Capcom, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Jet Grind Radio, Skies of Arcadia, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, NFL 2K series, and the list goes on. Yes, most of the games mentioned above got sequels or remakes on other systems, but you saw 'em here first.

3. SNES My experience with the SNES is limited to occasionally playing my cousin's old one and playing the GBA ports, but just based on that, this system deserves to be placed this high. I'm really considering going to a Gamestop or something and buying a used one and a bunch of old games. Maybe once I've logged some decent time on the SNES, it'll rank higher.

2. NES Up until recently, I'd never played the NES at all, but my cousin (same cousin whose SNES I played) gave me his old one and about 50 games a few months back. Now the only reason this system isn't #1 for me is because of the reason I mentioned above. Yes, these games were awesome... for their day, but I just don't see myself playing these games too much in place of the newer games. Take the game 'Kung Fu' for instance. Now, I can see how some poeple would be a little nostalgic about this game. It is pretty fun, afterall. But the game is over in like ten minutes. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but... whatever.

1. PSX Okay, the reason this is #1 for me is very simple. RPG's are my favorite genre, and there has never been a greater system for RPG's. Ever. Some might argue that the SNES is better, but I'd have to respectfully disagree. And I'm not even talking about how it ushered in the 3D RPG and overblown cinematics. I actually prefer 2D RPG's. Final Fantasy Tactics (this might technically be a strategy game), Suikoden 1 & 2, Arc the Lad, and so on.

Now here are the systems that I've haven't played, but would like to:

Genesis/Sega CD
T

 

Hmm, I actually perfer SNES and Gensis (read: Sega CD) for the RPG's.

Sega CD has Lunar 1 and 2 and Genesis with Phantasy Star 2-4 and the Shining Force series and SNES had FF 4 and the goldy, superior to 7, FF6 and the Dragon Quest games. And Breath of Fire and so on.

PSX had great RPG's... but I felt SNES had more memorable.

Hmm, forgot about Neo-Geo. Great system, but mostly for fighters and some kick ass arcade style sports games. Mainly fighters.

Too expensive though. More powerful systems than the 24 bit Neo Geo were much much much cheaper. 200-400 bucks for games? 600 for a system? It was only 24-bit. But it did kick ass.

 

No virtua-boy?!

SEriously though, I didn't even own a DC and I think it should be higher in the list... It was revolutionary man!

 

When games are made to great care and degree and utilizes a systems max potential... they stand the test of time anbd hold up.

I popped in Super Mario Bros. 3 the other day and I was impressed not only that it still played terrific, but that the game still looks good. I can play SMB3 and not say "man, look at those graphics haha". It still holds up well visually even thought it's 8 bit... because it was designed so well. And the gameplay is still clever, challenging as deep as ever with all the insane secrets.

And very fun.

 

The NES was probably the most important console, but that by no means makes it the best console.

Concievably, as far as games go, my money's on the Seeeeeeeeeeega Dreamcast. It was the one console whose most defining games were'nt all lumped up in one genre, seeing as in these days, you find that the PS2 is RPG/Racing orientated, X-Box is FPS/RPG orientated, Gamecube is Mario orientated (sigh), while the Dreamcast had a plethora of different, varied and altogher brilliant original titles; Code Veronica, Soul Calibur, Shenmue, Jet Set Radio, Skies of Arcadia, Virtua Tennis, Crazy Taxi (not to mention the introduction of the Fishing Rod for Sega Bass Fishing (and Soul Calibur)). All the games managed to withstand the test of time, and ended up either getting ported or having sequals on other consoles, it's just a shame that very few people bothered with the games on their home system.

 

That is why I said it is my favorite system of all time. It is just... pure gaming love.

But gave NES number one cause of historical context and it was, in a way, the first.

Funny thing, Dreamcast ports look like crap on the PS2. For all the polygon pushing PS2 could do, it lacked the Dreamcast's ability of auto anti aliasing and to produce great bump mapping.

My favrite DC game was indeed Jet Set Radio. I still play the hell out of that game.

I miss Sega and they need to get back in the console business.

 

I'd argue that the PSX *should* be up there. It really was the first succesful 'next generation' console, which revitalised the console industry. Without that there wouldn't be the PS2 or the XBox.

The Jaguar was am amazing machine, and *should* have been the market leader if it wasn't for Atari's horrible marketing and inhouse-only games production.

The Neo-Geo is also very important because it was the first machine to let you play actual arcade games at home. The same ROM board that was in MetalSlug in the arcade could be bought and played in the comfort of your own home.

We won't mention the 3DO.

Sega have made a couple of bad moves. The SEGA-CD was a great idea, but lacked gripping games (although it contained the *only* english translation of Snatcher, perhaps the greatest RPG at the time). Hardly anyone has played Snatcher because of it's limited availablity, but it was an awesome game (you can now pick it up on ebay for $100).

Similarly the Dreamcast lacked enough quality titles.

I can't argue with the NES being at number 1. It changed video gaming, and brought it to the millions. Very fond memories of Super Mario, Zelda, Contra and Duck Hunt.

 

I found that the general PlayStation tactic was to release as many games as humanly possible in the 5 years it was on the market for and really, the only games worth mentioning really were diamonds in the rough.

Anyway, while it hardly revitalised the games industry, but in the long run, it did...
a) opened up the market for more first time developers
b) made platform production values for 3D games more viable
c) offered CD-based media for lots and lots of space for media (which, in general, is only all that good if you're a fan of watching FMVs)

 

I think the DC had a great number of quality titles. It had a big library. Not as big as PS2... but what it did have, was mostly quality. I had about 50 games for my DC, and most were pretty good all around.

 

The only thing that keeps the DC from jumping to the top of my list is the lack of RPG's. Other than Skies of Arcadia, (which is a damn fine RPG) there weren't any RPG's that I could get into. At least, none that I can recall. I didn't really dig Phantasy Star Online.

 

In my opinion the NES is the father of the modern video game console. Atari was the father of the 1sts, early 70's video game consoles.

700 Post.

 

NES as #1 is understandable but I think my top 3 would be:

1. SNES
2. NES
3. Sega Genesis

It may be a tie for first between the Nintendo systems, I don't know. Both had a good amount of awesome games.

 

DC did lack in RPG's, but what what it did have, was damn good:

Skies of Arcadia
Grandia 2
Phantasy Star
Record of Lodoss War
Shenmue 1 & 2

 

I forgot about Grandia 2. Awesome game! And while I love the Shenmue games, I personally wouldn't classify them as RPG's. More of a 'cinematic adventure' game, I'd say. But whatever, that's nitpicking.

 

I would definitely put the Playstation at the top of the pile at number one. Pound for pound it could hold it's own if not surpass the NES and the Super NES in most genres aside from platformers, although Ape Escape and Spyro were pretty solid. All the big RPG's for the NES and the Super NES can be found on the PSX, FFI-V aswell as Chronotrigger. Not to mention games like FF VII, FF Tactics, Vagrant Story, Valkyrie Profile Xenosaga, RPG Maker, Monster Rancher, Suikoden I & II, Chrono Cross, Persona and Star Ocean II. In terms of Fighters, sports, sims, RPGs, action games, shooters and racers the PSX comes out on top.

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I did not like the PSX very much. I love the PS2, but not PSX. PSX had a more crappy to good game ratio and outside of the RPG's, the other type of games I felt were done better on other systems.

PS2 has it's good share of crappy games. But the line-up is way more solid.

 

The NES is way over-rated - the games looked ugly even at the time, and it's dated badly. As far as I can see, aside from a few choice games (not including the Marios, which had superior SNES remakes) nostalgia is the only real reason to go back to it.

The SNES, on the other hand, deserves to go down as one of the greatest achievements on the early years of gaming. I barely gave it the time of day at the time, but over the last few years I totally fell in love with the machine and its games.