Looks like just about everyone is in agreement that 16-bit era was the golden-age of video games.
8-bit was great, but 16-bit just has.... so many hits. It's just hard to deny... RPGs hit their stride, 2D fighters shone, some great action/adventure titles - Sports took a big leap forward. It seemed to be the generation that actually delivered on the promise of "next-gen".
Then the first real "next-gen" hype started after that and... well it started a bit of a slide. It's interesting to see if we'll have almost a bottom-out period then another breakthrough.
-AB+
Holy crap. It's been a while.
My vote for worst goes to the generation immediately before NES. Colecovision, Atari 5200, and Vectrex. Getting into any of these systems today is a pain in the ass, and more expensive than they should be. Colecovision and 5200 both have pretty bad issues with the controllers. And the generation was too short-lived, with only the Colecovision amassing a really substantial library, and the Vectrex library being absolutely tiny. There are some great games, especially for the Coleco, but it just doesn't stand out, particularly in light of its many issues.
Best would be the 16-bit era, with 32-bit following.
Originally Posted by TheShawn
Sounds like most people prefer the generation they really got into video gaming. For me that would be the 8-bit era. Even though it had some great games the Playstation 2/Gamecube/Xbox era is my least favorite.
Best: the PS1 era. I can never forget FFVII. No game on earth has ever gripped me that much.
Worst: PS2. Talk about generic. 90% of PS2 games are either racing or FPS.
The master system has the most impressive 1st party lineup of all time. 90% of the games released in North America were made by Sega. Making that many games themselves its surprising how great quality they were.
I must also comment on some comments made about the PS1-Era. Many of you are listing it as the worst era because the graphics have aged badly. Indeed they have in most games. I however, feel that it is second only to the 16-bit era in terms of greatness.
Case in point:
The PS1 is a console with so many classics it is mindblowing. There are great RPGs such as FFVII, Chrono Cross, Suikoden II and adveture games like Resident Evil 2 and Metal Gear Solid. There are also great racing games such as Wipeout XL, R4 and Gran Turismo. Then there is Castlevania:SotN, and some great 2-D SHMUPS like Einhander, R-Type Delta and G-Darius and Klonoa in "2.5-D". Crash, Tomb Raider and Tekken do kinda suck now though.
The N64 had Mario, the Zeldas, Goldeneye, Starfox, Waverace, Paper Mario and more. MK64 does kinda suck in hindsight. Just be sure to play these on the Wii-VC if you don't wish to vomit from the horribly blurry graphics. Don't say I didn't warn you....
The Saturn had a slew of unique classics like Panzer Dragoon, Guardian Heroes, Nights, Dragon Force, Panzer Saga, Bomberman and imports like Radiant Silvergun. Overall, this console generation is every bit as good as the 16-bit era. Just don't use these machines to only play mediocre 3-D games and you will remember it fondly.
And, yes I do feel that the Current Generation we are in does suck. When the biggest thing I am looking forward to is Majora's Mask being released on the Wii-VC or the Wii remake of Klonoa on the PS1, there is definitely something wrong here. What about us hardcore gamers???
Last edited by erik; 07-02-2009 at 05:59 PM.
Why play a classic game when you can play one that sucks??!
Yes, I know. I was just pointing out that I only had those two upcoming releases to be excited about at that time.
Why play a classic game when you can play one that sucks??!
As everybody else, it seems,
best 16 bit
worst 32 bit.
The Playstation1 generation games haven't aged well, and load times are HUGELY annoying.
Can someone give me specific examples of 32-bit games that "haven't aged well"? I own a large number of Playstation and Saturn games and I just don't see it.
Originally Posted by TheShawn
Battle Arena Toshinden
As for the worst gen, I'd pick the current one. Nothing is particularly interesting, and all the consoles have unreliable hardware. Xbox 360s RROD, my Wii gets very hot when in standby mode, and the PS3... we'll I don't own one, but I'm sure it's got issues too.
Best will always be 16-bit for me. Genny, TG-16 and SNES will always have a place in my home.
Worst would be this cycle. First time I've been satisfied with only one of the available home consoles. Then again, it might also be because the DS (mostly) and PSP help fill the gaps of the missing 2nd console. That and there is no clear 2nd choice to be made.
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What about games like:
Tekken
Mario Kart 64
Sonic the Fighters
Mortal Kombat 4
Crash Bandicoot
Spyro the Dragon
Those early 3D games didn't really translate all that well, and some franchises suffered for it. Have you played Mario Kart 64 recently? The game has aged so badly when compared to the rest of the Mario Kart games (except for Mario Kart: Super Circuit, which also aged horribly) that it's borderline unplayable.