Video Game Systems

In the 30-odd years of video gaming history, there have been dozens of video game systems to hit the market. Some were flops (Atari Jaguar), some were huge successes (Super Nintendo), some made small splashes (3D0), and others struggled and were ultimately defeated, leaving a small but dedicated fan base to keep the memory alive (Sega Dreamcast). The dozens of video game systems that have been available have had thousands of similar games, yet each offered something unique to gamers.

The Biggest Video Game Systems

Out of the slew of consoles released over the years, which ones really mattered? Every gamer holds fond memories of certain systems, no matter how their sales figures looked. And while each system contributed something to the video gaming world, a few stand out as revolutionaries.

Atari 2600 Often seen as one of the first true home console systems, the Atari 2600 was an early machine that wowed video game fans with the ability to change games by inserting cartridges.

Game Boy Nintendo's Game Boy system immediately dominated the portable video gaming market upon its release. Though the system was bulky and featured a small monochrome screen, great games such as Tetris made it a winner with gamers. The Game Boy line continues to this day with the Game Boy Micro system and is still the top-seller in the handheld market.

Nintendo Entertainment System Nintendo introduced the home gaming console in the mid-1980's to a somewhat deflated market. However, with titles like Super Mario Bros. to play, the NES went on to sell millions of units worldwide in just a few years time.

Sony PlayStation Originally intended as a CD add-on to the Super Nintendo, Sony instead released the system on its own. The PlayStation was an immediate hit and its successors dominate the home video game market even today.

Xbox The Xbox was Microsoft's entry into the video game industry. It was the first console to feature a PC-like interface with loads of customization possible. It also marks the first entirely U.S.-based entry into the worldwide gaming market.

Future Video Game Systems

About every 5 years, the big hardware manufacturers in the video game industry release more powerful successors to their present models. The current "big three", Nintendo's GameCube, Sony's PlayStation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox, have been going strong for several years and are now about to be replaced with their big brothers.

The Nintendo Revolution, Sony PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 all feature more power than their current siblings. Sony touts their PlayStation 3 as "more than a gaming machine". Microsoft counters with similar reports as they push their system specifications against Sony. Nintendo vies for more innovative gaming and introduced a new style of control for the upcoming Nintendo Revolution.

List

A list of 36 of the most popular/memorable video game systems. Bolded items are still supported by developers.

• 3DO
• Atari 2600
• Atari 5200
• Atari 7800
• Atari Jaguar
• Atari Lynx
• Commodore 64
• Sega Dreamcast
• Game Boy
• Game Boy Advance
• Game Boy Color
• Game Gear
• GameCube
• Gizmondo
• Neo-Geo
• Neo-Geo Pocket Color
• Nintendo Entertainment System
• N-Gage
• Nintendo 64
• Nintendo DS
• Nintendo Revolution (2006)
• Phillips CD-i
• PlayStation
• PlayStation 2
• PlayStation 3 (2006)
• PlayStation Portable
• Sega 32X
• Sega CD
• Sega Genesis
• Sega Master System
• Sega Saturn
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System
• Virtual Boy
• WonderSwan
• Xbox
• Xbox 360