Let's rank the Video Game Generations!

[KayJay]

Hey guys, some of you who know me know that i love to rank things, so i figured It'd be fun if i did a rank the gens topic! Without further ado, i will go first. (Note: I love all games, and all generations, so this is not a "Best to worst" list, as much as it is a "Most to least favorite" list.)

1:Gen 6: (Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, GBA) the only gen that had the big 4 in it all at the same time, this generation brought forth a lot of amazing and innovative games.

2:Gen 7 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS) Although this gen suffered from some issues, like on-disc DLC, it also had some of the most innovative games.

3:Gen 4 (SNES, Genesis, Gameboy, Game Gear) The one that brought some of the best games of all time, and revolutionized gaming. Only reason it's not higher is because, in my opinion, most of the "revolutionary" games have had sequels which bested the originals. Still, a very innovative generation.

4:Gen 5 (PS1, Saturn, N64) Great generation which suffers, due to how the games aged. still, it brought us some great games.

5:Gen 3 (NES, Master System), Amazing gen that rebooted gaming for everyone. Sadly, most of the games have either aged badly, or are very broken, due to the lack of experience. Still, there are great games, mostly from Nintendo, Konami, & Capcom.

6:Gen 2 (Atari 2600, Intellivision) Good gen, but it killed gaming, and most of the games are primitive today. still has some great ones, like Crystal Castles, and Mappy.



All of these are just my personal preference. I love all games, as i said above. Anyways, what about you guys?

[Sarge]

It's a tough call in a lot of ways, because there are different games in each genre that fare better in older or newer generations. I think G4 and G6 are the two that would top my list, followed up by G3 and G7. But I actually like the platformers for G3 the best overall, the RPGs from G4 through G6 are wonderful, G5 gave us SotN, G7 gave us some great action games... man. It's just so hard to really choose.

Basically, though, if I were stuck on a deserted island, I'd probably go G4.

[KayJay]

@Sarge, i actually agree there; I liked platformers during the NES era more, but RPG's during the 4th gen were boss.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Not counting 1st and 8th, from "worst" to best...

2nd - Ranking this last is a testament to how good the other generations are, not how "bad" this one is. I love the 2nd generation, so much innovation and an absolute flood of games. The Atari 2600, Intellivsion, and ColecoVision are all brilliant and the Channel F, Odyssey², Vectrex, and Atari 5200 aren't too shabby either. This is, of course, also the "Golden Age" of arcades where many of the great franchises emerged. Most of the classics of this era have aged perfectly, I can still pick up and play Donkey Kong or Pac-Man any time. The biggest problems with this gen are the lack of viable handheld options and the insane amount of shovelware / clone games / unplayable games. Definitely do your research before diving in here.

5th - The "awkward" era of gaming. When this gen dropped in the mid-90s I found it mostly uninteresting and decided to simply stick with my SNES. I still find that most of the "classic" action-adventure games released during this time are awkward at best and unplayable at worst. On the flipside, the RPG scene on the Saturn and PlayStation is phenomenal. And the N64 is loaded with great first-party titles. This is also one of my favorite eras of PC gaming (WRPGs specifically).

6th - Four consoles, a seemingly infinite number of games. Not a huge fan of the action/FPS stuff that was big in this era but the RPG selection is once again phenomenal. I would have the 6th gen almost "tied" with the 5th but it squeaks ahead due to the existence of the GBA. What a handheld.

7th - Two reasons I'm ranking this so high. First: handhelds. For the first time Nintendo had a competitor in this market and both the DS and PSP are incredible. Second, the Wii. What a ridiculously good system and a treasure trove of hidden gems. PS3 and Xbox 360 have their share of strong titles but I've never been interested in the "AAA" games that defined those systems.

3rd - If this consisted of nothing but the NES I'd still rank it this high. That console was synonymous with "video games" throughout the bulk of my childhood and to this day remains one of the best ever released. The NES brought tons of innovation: the first really comfy controller, an enormous library of smooth-scrolling action-platformers and run 'n' guns, the birth of the "JRPG", and so on. I also enjoy the Master System and 7800, but to a far lesser degree.

4th - PC Engine, Genesis, SNES, Neo Geo. Need I go on? For me this is when everything "peaked." No controller has ever topped the SNES controller. This is the final era when beautiful 2D graphics and pixel art were commonplace. Game soundtracks hit an all-time high. RPGs and platformers were never better than they were here. All four aforementioned systems were unique and had their own niche (as opposed to copying their competitors but doing it "better"). I could probably spend the rest of my life just playing games from this gen.

[Ack]

I could probably spend the rest of my life just playing games from this gen.

This has basically been how I feel, and nowadays I focus almost exclusively on the SNES and PC games. With over 700 titles on the Super Nintendo in a variety of genres, there is so much here that is worth playing through. I've completed around 160 NTSC-U SNES games, and I still have a lot more quality gaming to get to.

One day I may beat them all...but that day will be a long time from now if it ever comes.

[Exhuminator]

both the DS and PSP are incredible. Second, the Wii. What a ridiculously good system and a treasure trove of hidden gems

Bone spittin' truth and nothing but.

[Luke]

Whatever generation is Gen X, I choose that one.

And I mean "Gen X" in the sense that you watched Channel 1 during Home Room.

[KayJay]

Not counting 1st and 8th, from "worst" to best...

2nd - Ranking this last is a testament to how good the other generations are, not how "bad" this one is. I love the 2nd generation, so much innovation and an absolute flood of games. The Atari 2600, Intellivsion, and ColecoVision are all brilliant and the Channel F, Odyssey², Vectrex, and Atari 5200 aren't too shabby either. This is, of course, also the "Golden Age" of arcades where many of the great franchises emerged. Most of the classics of this era have aged perfectly, I can still pick up and play Donkey Kong or Pac-Man any time. The biggest problems with this gen are the lack of viable handheld options and the insane amount of shovelware / clone games / unplayable games. Definitely do your research before diving in here.

5th - The "awkward" era of gaming. When this gen dropped in the mid-90s I found it mostly uninteresting and decided to simply stick with my SNES. I still find that most of the "classic" action-adventure games released during this time are awkward at best and unplayable at worst. On the flipside, the RPG scene on the Saturn and PlayStation is phenomenal. And the N64 is loaded with great first-party titles. This is also one of my favorite eras of PC gaming (WRPGs specifically).

6th - Four consoles, a seemingly infinite number of games. Not a huge fan of the action/FPS stuff that was big in this era but the RPG selection is once again phenomenal. I would have the 6th gen almost "tied" with the 5th but it squeaks ahead due to the existence of the GBA. What a handheld.

7th - Two reasons I'm ranking this so high. First: handhelds. For the first time Nintendo had a competitor in this market and both the DS and PSP are incredible. Second, the Wii. What a ridiculously good system and a treasure trove of hidden gems. PS3 and Xbox 360 have their share of strong titles but I've never been interested in the "AAA" games that defined those systems.

3rd - If this consisted of nothing but the NES I'd still rank it this high. That console was synonymous with "video games" throughout the bulk of my childhood and to this day remains one of the best ever released. The NES brought tons of innovation: the first really comfy controller, an enormous library of smooth-scrolling action-platformers and run 'n' guns, the birth of the "JRPG", and so on. I also enjoy the Master System and 7800, but to a far lesser degree.

4th - PC Engine, Genesis, SNES, Neo Geo. Need I go on? For me this is when everything "peaked." No controller has ever topped the SNES controller. This is the final era when beautiful 2D graphics and pixel art were commonplace. Game soundtracks hit an all-time high. RPGs and platformers were never better than they were here. All four aforementioned systems were unique and had their own niche (as opposed to copying their competitors but doing it "better"). I could probably spend the rest of my life just playing games from this gen.

Awesome ranking, dude.

[Gunstar Green]

What Bone said, I've got nothing to add to that.

[Sarge]

That is a good ranking.

To clarify mine, I think it'd go...

G4 - G6 - G7 - G3 - G5 - G2. With G4 and G6 neck and neck, G7 and G3 very close as well, G5 just tailing those, and G2 last.

G2 is the hardest to evaluate. I mean, there was a ton of growth in the industry, and it begat so many innovations... but there are very few games that have much depth, so it goes to the bottom. Sorry, G2!

Handhelds also throw a kink into my rankings. I tend to delineate by the consoles, so it gets really tricky throwing in all the odd timings the handhelds came out at. Although having the GBA in G6 certainly strengthens its case, and having the DS/PSP in G7 also strengthens its case as well. It might actually put a bit of a gap between it and G3.

And that's not even mentioning PC gaming! That one's even harder to place in neatly. But having the C64 in there likely boosts G2 up, and also helps alleviate my complaints about depth.

Long story short, there's good stuff to experience in every generation of gaming!