Best FIRST game to play on each System

[Dashopepper]

I need to branch out a bit. I have quite a few systems that I've really never played besides testing it to see if it works. So I'm not looking exactly for the "best" game but rather which great game represents the system the best. For example I think I should play a FMV game on either the 3DO or Sega CD. So what are your suggestions? These are my systems I've yet to put some time in with:
Colecovision
Sega CD
3DO
Dreamcast
Saturn

[ProjectCamaro]

Many will disagree but here's my suggestions. For me at least when I think of these consoles these are the games that set them apart and the first ones I go back to first when I play them.

Saturn: Panzer Dragoon
Dreamcast: Sonic Adventure
3DO: Road Rash

[DigitalKarma]

Sega CD - Night Trap lol
3DO - Dragons Lair
Sega Saturn - any Panzer Dragoon game :)

[DigitalKarma]

Also if you can get your hands on them

Sega CD - Snatcher
3DO - Policenauts
Saturn - Guardian Heroes

[Flojomojo]

I'm not going to limit myself to just one per system.

Colecovision
Pepper II: a fun, quirky maze game with great music and unusual gameplay. Also play Venture, which is like Dungeons and Dragons in its purest form. Both wonderful ports of somewhat obscure arcade games. Then play Donkey Kong and Q*Bert.

Sega CD
Sonic CD, assuming you haven't played the superior remakes on mobile or console. If you want a system exclusive, play Eternal Champions, it's a fun cartoon fighting game with gross-out cutscenes.

3DO
Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger. Fast, fluid, and fun space shooter with almost zero load time, hammy acting from 90's B-listers, and just brilliant with a joystick. It's a crime that no one has remade THIS VERSION for consoles and mobile phones. Also try Star Control II if you haven't played UQM elsewhere.

Dreamcast
Space Channel 5 (Japanese version) is my favorite game. Then play Crazy Taxi, Soul Calibur, Hydro Thunder, and San Francisco Rush 2049 because they're great.

Saturn
Virtua Fighter 2, Virtua Cop, Sega Rally: yeah, it's three games, but they're cheap and common and excellent arcade ports. Once you get good at VF2, try Fighting Vipers! Also play Panzer Dragoon, preferably #2 Zwei.

[Flojomojo]

It occurs to me that your question is to "represent each system the best." This is an unflattering exercise, but here goes....

Colecovision: single-screen blocky sprite maze, or janky scrolling, with resolutions only one step above VCS/Intellivision graphics.

Sega CD: low resolution "screen door" full motion video, with lots of loading time

3DO: higher resolution versions of Sega CD games, early 1990s "multimedia PC" ports, nice still shots but stiff controls

Dreamcast: SEGA arcade ports, with lots of pre-PS2 late 1990s PC ports shoveled in

Saturn: SEGA arcade ports, a few excellent scrolling shoot-em-ups, a bunch of Playstation and the occasional 3DO port

I think that playing the best games on each platform is a better way to go. Just about any non-current platform can be eviscerated by listing the traits of its lowest common denominator in software.

[T2KFreeker]

Sega CD - this was a hard one, however, there is one game I keep coming back to on this system, and it's only if you are an RPG buff, but Lunar The Silver Star was amazing for it's time. Even though I really enjoy the PSX remake of these games, the original Sega CD versions are so much better and more fun. Might want to try and track down Shining Force CD as well. Final Fight CD is awesome, Nuff' Said. Lastly, if you haven't played the PC version, the Sega CD version of The Secret of Monkey Island is VERY well done. It's a classic game and really fun. Well worth the look.

Saturn - Panzer Dragoon anything is a MUST. If you want a unique platformer that is exclusive to the system, check out Mr. Bones. Very cool game and really does a nice job of showing some of the power the Saturn actually had. I am also surprised that nobody has brought up Astal yet. That game really shows the 2D power going on with the machine. Simply beautiful and fun as Hell.

Dreamcast - This system is a mixed bag of some really amazing stuff. Crazy Taxi is a must. Arcade stuff is awesome on here. If you want another system exclusive that is really pretty awesome in multiplayer, check out Outrigger. Again, if you are an RPG buff, there is also Skies of Arcadia, or for the Diablo fan in you, check out Record of Lodoss War.

3DO - This system is a tough one. If you like fighters, I still think that, hands down, it has the best version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo of it's time if you can find the soldier pads. I have to throw Sewer Shark in here too as it's so much nicer than the Sega CD version and really shows what the game is really about. As stated above, Wing Commander III is a must as is Road Rash. I'm also going to throw Killing Time in here. Mind you, once you get used to the frame rate, you will discover a really nicely done FPS that is exclusive to the 3DO system. I know there was a PC version, however, it isn't the same game. There are HUGE differences in them.

I know that's a few choices for each system, but any of the listed games would be fantastic starting points for them.

[o.pwuaioc]

It occurs to me that your question is to "represent each system the best." This is an unflattering exercise, but here goes....I think that playing the best games on each platform is a better way to go. Just about any non-current platform can be eviscerated by listing the traits of its lowest common denominator in software.
I think the OP wants games that represent the best of the system, though not necessarily the best game on the system. With that in mind, my picks are:

Colecovision: Cosmic Avenger

Bright, colorful, fun, a shooter too! Cosmic Avenger doesn't have the best graphics, but it looks great, plays great, and you can't go wrong with it. It's not as hard as later hori shmups, but it emphasizes scoring a bit more.

Sega CD: Sonic CD

For all the reasons given above.

Dreamcast: Crazy Taxi

Yeah yeah yeah yeah! This crisp game is the epitome of everything the Dreamcast stood for. Fun, arcadey gameplay combined with a late 90s cool vibe (typified by a recently revived Offspring, whose smash album [pun maybe intended] Americana was a huge hit in 1998) really recaptures the feel of actually being in an arcade in the late 90s, far, far more so than the Cruis'n series on the N64 do (which they do not at all do).

Saturn: Virtual Cop (3D), Strikers 1945 (2D shmup)

Can't go wrong with Virtual Cop! Still fun to this day, but you'll need to get a light gun. If you want to stay in order, though, start with the first one. If you're a fan of shooters, Strikers 1945 is a great one, or if you want fighters, perhaps X-Men: Children of the Atom is a fantastic choice. If neither of those genres appeal, then Guardian Heroes is a fun beat em up with some RPG elements to it.

[profholt82]

Sega CD: Snatcher or Soul Star
Saturn: Daytona USA or Virtua Cop
Dreamcast: Soul Calibur or Shenmue

All of these games show off the systems' capabilities to some extent and represent some of the better available titles.

[Trebuken]

Dreamcast : Expendable
3DO : Crash n' Burn
Colecovision : Lady Bug
Saturn : Panzer Dragoon

These are about the first games I played on these systems. I would not claim they are the best on any of the systems, but they are good starters.

[T2KFreeker]

Dreamcast : Expendable

Now that really did put a smile on my face. I adore this game and it's nice to see I'm not the only person to admit to playing the Dreamcast version. VERY cool game. On a side note, avoid the Playstation version like the plague. It was horrid and then some.

[mercuryshadow09]

For Colecovision I highly recommend WarGames.

[Neb6]

ColecoVision - Donkey Kong Jr.

3DO - Space Hulk

Dreamcast - Soul Calibur


The ColecoVision is more than one step above the 2600 and Intellivision.

[Flojomojo]

The ColecoVision is more than one step above the 2600 and Intellivision.

Colecovision games say on the box that their stuff "plays, sounds, and scores just like the arcade game" ... but it's interesting that they don't mention the graphics. I'm not going to quibble about what's better than what and by how much, but I'll put this here:

Atari 2600 resolution 160 x 192
Odyssey 2 resolution 160 × 200
Intellivision resolution 159 x 192
Colecovision resolution 256 × 192
Commodore 64 resolution 320 × 200
Atari 5200 resolution 384 x 240
Sega Master System resolution 256 x 192
Nintendo Entertainment System resolution 256 x 240
Atari 7800 resolution 320 × 240

Wikipedia puts the Colecovision in the same "second generation" with Atari VCS, Intellivision, and Atari 5200.

[Rickstilwell1]

I tried a bit of Panzer Dragoon. My first impression was "Star Fox clone," except it was more like Star Fox 64 than SNES Star Fox, and it came before Star Fox 64.

[jammajup]

Colecovision- Lady Bug http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AyFZz4oSqU

Sega CD- Final Fight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeWkue8axG8

3DO- Escape From Monster Manor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR_-E-UCsf0

Dreamcast- Shenmue http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8RpDgxAyKI

Saturn- Panzer Dragoon or Saga http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=170eyPKa9aE

[RetroCynical]

Colecovision: anything but the sports games
Sega CD: Sonic Cd, Dragon's Layer, or Sewer Shark
3DO: Nothing haha
Dreamcast: Shenmue, Crazy Taxi, or Powerstone
Saturn: Virtua Fighter Kids

[bb_hood]

Everyone mentions panzer dragoon, but I kinda think its overrated. Its a decent game but not the best for saturn.
The first game you should get for saturn should def be Darius Gaiden. Its not mega rare or expensive and its just awesome.

Also Nights into Dreams, get Nights also and make sure to get the 3d controller.

[goldenband]

The ColecoVision is more than one step above the 2600 and Intellivision.

Oddly enough, the sound hardware is effectively one step below the Intellivision's. It's the same basic timbral palette (AY-3-8910 vs. SN76489), but the CV can't reproduce bass frequencies. Same issue with the Master System.


3DO- Escape From Monster Manor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR_-E-UCsf0

That's a very good choice -- a solid if simplistic FPS that runs cleanly and smoothly -- though I think Road Rash would still be my first pick.

A few others:

Odyssey^2 - Smitheerens in 2P (with The Voice), Killer Bees or Pick Axe Pete in 1P
Intellivision - AD&D: Cloudy Mountain, with Utopia in 2nd place and Tower of Doom in 3rd
Tandy CoCo 1/2 - Dungeons of Daggorath
TI-99/4A - Parsec
32X - Virtua Fighter
Nintendo 64 - Gauntlet Legends