What system impressed you the most when it launched?

[VG_Maniac]

What system were you impressed by the most when it first launched? This could be because of the system's graphics, features, launch titles, etc.

I think I was the most impressed by the Dreamcast. Its graphics were such a HUGE step up from N64 and PSX. I remember how amazed I was when I first saw Sonic Adventure, Soul Caliber, House of the Dead 2, and NFL 2K in action. Not to mention...it had the best lineup of launch titles out of any system I can think of.

[poloplayr]

SNES.

I remember seeing the Mode 7 effects of F-Zero and hearing the audio on Super Mario World and being blown away. It was such a huge step from the NES.

[jajaja]

Ye, I remember when SNES came. Looked sp fucking good. Wanted one so bad hehe, but couldnt afford one and my parents said no.

[Pedro Lambrini]

I'd have to say the DS. The graphics may not be as nice as the PSP but compared to the GBA it was a massive leap. The surround audio in Mario 64 was unexpected and was a total surprise and the mini games (most of them!) were genius. The dual screen worked much better than I had feared. The whole thing kept me excited for days after getting it - much longer than any other console launch. For the first time ever I wasn't slightly dissappointed *Note to self: Ignore all launch hype!* A year later and the wee machine is still surprising me!

[Jumpman Jr.]

Dreamcast and the N64.
Moreso the N64 though. I remember first playing Super Mario 64 on it. I was truly amazed.

[segagamer4life]

I gotta say, the genny, I mean I can still remember the first time playing thunder force, and then to play Altered Beast, is arcade perfection, that was on the powerful 16-bit genesis, that game blew me away back then, and still today is a great port.

[Frica89]

yea im gonna say tha n64 too. seeing mario in 3D for the first time is something ill ever forget

[Zilla]

The Dreamcast. The first time I saw NFL 2k running on it I was amazed. Looked real. You could see steam coming from players mouths while it snowed on the field. Players were fluid. Then I saw Soul Caliber....are you kidding...it was amazing.

[AMG]

It's a three way tie for me.

Sega Genesis: The grapics just floored me. Altered Beast was amazing!

N64: Mario 64 was such a huge leap forward in gaming for me. Spot on controls and amazing 3D graphics in it's day.

Sega Dreamcast: The VMU memory card was just so cool. The sound in games was great. Then we have the graphics, Soul Calibur, what needs to be said? This game made my jaw drop like no game has since.

[smokehouse]

The SNES was really impressive to me at the time. The looks of the system, the controllers, the sound and graphics, it was amazing compared to the NES. The difference between Super Mario World and SMB 3 was staggering.

I know this is the retro section but the PS2 also shocked me. First off, the design was amazing for it’s time. Compared to the systems of the time (the N64 was still out, looked like a Playschool toy and the tiny blocky Dreamcast) it was a leap forward in design. Hell, even the deep blue box was cool. When I got it home and popped in Ridge Racer V, I was blown away.

[fishsandwich]

The PSone impressed the hell out of me.

We had Ridge Racer and Toshindin. Good times.

[Rob of the Sky]

I was most impressed with the launch of the N64. I remember playing Super Mario 64 for the first time and was blown away by it. It was like I had stepped into the future or something. I mean, the N64 was capable of so much more than the SNES or Genesis. I guess that was the launch I was the most impressed with.

[Amy Rose]

Dreamcast here, too. I wanted one of those so badly, but my dad didn't have the cashola for it.

[smokehouse]

I guess I forgot about the original PS1. My buddy’s mom rented one for us from Blockbuster (not too long after launch) and I was blown away. Titles like Ridge Racer and Wipeout were unlike anything I had ever seen. As a matter of fact, it was this console that made the N64 seem so instantly outdated when I bought it at launch. It only took me one month with the N64 until I finally returned it and bought a Playstation. To me the PS1 was the step forward, not the N64 (and this is coming out of the mouth of a former Nintendo fanboy).

[Felixthegamer]

As I kid, I remember loving Super Mario bros. and playing it at the neighbors down the street when it first came out. They were the first on the block to have it and I was floored! It really impacted my childhood in a positive way as I have many memories.

As adult, I was impressed with the dreamcast. It seemed really cool, I liked how it looked and the controllers and having sonic didn't hurt.

[Damaramu]

TG-16: I remember seeing these in the Sears X-mas catalogs, thinking "Wow! Look at all the anime stuff in those games!!"

Genesis: I was very impressed by the gameplay and shear speed of Sonic The Hedgehog

Saturn: I was working at TRU in the video department when our first shipment came in. One of the managers took one and hooked it up in the breakroom. We were all pretty wowed! Until.....

PSone: Yup, it was games like Toshinden, Ridge Racer, Warhawk, and ESPN Extreme Sports that impressed the hell out of me and my friends.

and finally-

Dreamcast: The last real system to wow me. Again, Sonic Adventure with it's speed, gameplay, and graphics and Soul Calibur. SC was the selling point for me; convinced me that I had to have a DC.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Nintendo 64, seeing Mario in 3D finally

Genesis, I remember the large crowd of people surrounding the Kiosk at a Sears during that Fall...Altered Beast truly stood on it's own, when at last, the Arcade could finally be captured on a console.

Dreamcast, when I first saw House of the Dead 2 and Sonic Adventure in action. Heck, even "Ready to Rumble Boxing" was beyond impressive at the time too.

Sega GameGear. I wasn't too fimilar with the Turbo Express or the Atari Lynx at that time, I just knew what Sega stood for as a company. Yet the GameGear really came strong and slapping GameBoy around in each commerical had a good impact to add to that hype. Seeing a portable Sonic the Hedgehog was simply mind blowing

[Pantechnicon]

Model I Gameboy - The concept of a handheld system that was cartridge based is universal today, but was a gamer's dream come true in 1989.

Dreamcast - I have never considered myself a fiend for graphics, but the DC's capabilities definitely were jaw-dropping, although the first time I played the system I didn't like it at all (Power Stone, which I have since come to appreciate).

[Ruudos]

NES. I was used to Atari 2600's blocky graphics. Then certainly I got a running guy and flying ducks. Who looked like them.

[s1lence]

Dreamcast is the one that impressed me the most. The scene in Sonic when you are running on the beach and the dolphins jump over you, the effect of the lighting and water just blew me away.