Top 5 Video Game Consoles
Published:From the days of the Atari 2600 to the modern era of the Playstation 4/XBox One, a lot has changed in the video game world-- from a time when the graphics in the game Pong were considered revolutionary, to now, where graphics are so lifelike you feel like you’re there! And there have been countless great systems and games in between!
1) Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
- The best lineup of classic games of any system (Super Mario World, Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, F-Zero, Mario Kart, Earthbound, Star Fox, etc.)
- Ended up winning the console war with Sega, beating out the Genesis
- The SNES controller was the precursor for the four-button styles of both the PlayStation and Xbox controllers
- Took the experimental first steps into 3D gaming
- Release year: 1991
2) Playstation 2
- Best-selling console ever with more than 130 million units sold
- Not only was one of the highlight moments for Sony, but also helped launch the DVD into the mainstream
- Produced classic titles like Grand Theft Auto 3 and Guitar Hero
- Games are still being produced for it to this day, which hints at this system’s staying power with consumers
- Release year: 2000
3) Sega Genesis
- Had many classic games in nearly every game genre
- Some consider the six-button Genesis controller to be the best ever
- There were moments where the Genesis had greater market share than the SNES, making it momentarily the most popular console in the world
- Perhaps most well-known for the classic Sonic the Hedgehog franchise
- Release year: 1989
4) XBox 360
- First high-definition video game system ever released
- Also the first system to offer a wireless integrated controller
- Marked a huge software push in terms of creating an all-encompassing media and gaming platform with Xbox Live
- Extended the lasting appeal and life expectancy of the average console
- Release year: 2005
5) Atari 2600
- One of the very first home video game consoles
- Became the most important system of its era with titles like Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Missile Command
- By 1982, the 2600 was a $2 billion business for Atari
- Without the 2600, there might not be a video game industry today
- Release year: 1977
