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My top 4 would be... (these aren't my personal favorites but the ones I think had the biggest impact)

1. Atari 2600 - It showed the home console was a viable product.
2. NES - it showed gaming was far from dead and so much more.
3. Playstation - it made gaming mainstream.
4. Xbox 360 - it perfected modern gaming.... we're still here in my opinion.

Note I didn't include handhelds in my list and that brings up a whole other conversation over the switch. I think the switch is another smart marketing move by Nintendo but in the grand scheme of things I'm not convinced it's more important than the systems I've listed. I'm interested in seeing what others have to say.

Well duh! The obvious answer is Sega Genesis four times.

Saturn
Genesis
XBOX
SNES

But this list is super super super subjective.

Fanboy over games not consoles.

But I will fight you over the Saturn.

Emerson Arcadia 2001
Amiga CD32
Pegasus Computer Family Game
Zeebo

I’m not explaining why these consoles are the greatest. I hate discussion, and you should just know.

/thread

Easy list.

NES
SNES
Genesis
PC Engine

1. Sega Saturn - the replay value is off of the charts with games like Dragon Force, Saturn Bomber an Dark Savior and Burning Rangers. It features one of, if not the best jrpg ever made in panzer dragoon saga. It had the best arcade ports of fighting games, the best non analog stick controller and was the place for SHMUPS.

2. PS2 - It hurts my nostalgic kid heart to say this as I was an avid dream cast fan, but looking at it now it is a spectacular place for some of the most insane software titles. Robot Alchemical Drive, Road Trip, Mr. Mosquito, Chulip.... all insane. Add to it some of the most iconic entries to popular franchises such as Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Virtua Fighter, metal gear solid, grand theft auto and much more. It really was a big player.

3. N64 - The king of 3d platformers, the king of local multi-player and the father of the analog thumbstick.

4. Sega Genesis - Shining Force, Sonic, Phantasy Star, Landstalker, the best version of mortal Kombat, streets of rage, shinobi and so much more. I love the system. When it's music is on point it is infinitely better than any snes music.

5. Wii - Mario galaxy is stupendous, tons of hidden gems, the modern messiah for light gun games and the harbinger of old games in the virtual console. I also love motion controls a lot... Yes I am stupid.

Yes I listed a top 5 because top 4 seems strange to me.

My favorites:

1. SNES
2. N64
3. Dreamcast
4. Xbox 360

Fifth would be the PS2.

For me it is not which consoles are the best but which of their libraries are the best. (Which it turn relies of course on your genre preferences.)

In no particular order:

Gameboy Advance
Genesis
Playstation one
SNES

Well, the top 4 consoles could be settled empirically by simply looking at total unit sales, or comparative unit sales at the time, or even corporate profitability. Otherwise it's just a case of listing your favorites.

marurun wrote:Well, the top 4 consoles could be settled empirically by simply looking at total unit sales, or comparative unit sales at the time, or even corporate profitability. Otherwise it's just a case of listing your favorites.

Nothing wrong with listing favorites and talking about why. Especially when we see our opinions change over time.