If you were a kid before the turn of the century, it’s pretty likely you played some console now considered retro. If you’re looking for a trip down memory lane, we’ve got you covered! Today, we’re rounding up the ten best retro consoles that you’re never going to forget! Did your favorite make the list? Read on!
10. Playstation
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Sony’s first foray into the gaming industry was certainly a memorable one. The PlayStation, released in late 1995, promised to be a more mature, adult-friendly console than Nintendo’s N64. To be fair, in many ways, it was. Boasting games like Twisted Metal, Metal Gear Solid and Tomb Raider, the original Playstation solidified itself as a real competitor for Nintendo.
Notably, Nintendo’s N64 console opted to use cartridges, instead of CD’s, for storing games. However, this led to some developers, like Square Soft, opting to make games for the Playstation instead of the N64. For instance, the ground-breaking Final Fantasy VII, initially slated for an N64 release, went to the Playstation. This migration of third party developers would go on to really sting for Nintendo in the coming console generations.
9. Sega Dreamcast
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The ill-fated Dreamcast remains a favorite of many gamers. It is largely considered one of the most-often forgotten retro consoles. The Dreamcast is largely remembered for being Sega’s last game console. Following a reasonable release, the Dreamcast lost ground to the Playstation 2. So, Sega decided to cut their losses and become a game publisher instead of a console manufacturer.
Yet Dreamcast had an eclectic library of unique games. While considered by many to be ahead of their time, many of these games are cult classics now. Jet Set Radio, Shenmue and Crazy Taxi are all considered to be examples of the interesting and new designs Sega was exploring. Also unique for the time was the Dreamcast’s built-in modem for supporting online play. However, due to the release of the PS2 and increasing competition in the industry, the Dreamcast was to be Sega’s last console.
8. Game Boy Color
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While the original Game Boy sold an absurd number of units, its successor is largely remembered by millennials as their first handheld console. The Game Boy Color boasted graphics in color (gasp!) on a handheld system, a first for Nintendo. Handheld versions of classic Nintendo series like the Legend of Zelda and Mario helped solidify the Game Boy Color as a must-have retro console.
A conversation about the Game Boy can’t leave out the juggernaut that is Pokemon. Originally a fun, cute little RPG about training little monsters became an international phenomenon. Millennials are united by their shared memory of how freaking huge Pokemon was. Between the card games, the cartoon and the video games, you couldn’t escape Pokemania. The first Pokemon Games were technically original Game Boy games, but Pokemon Yellow was a Color exclusive so we’ll count it.
7. Sega Saturn
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The Saturn was created as a competitor to the then-aging Super Nintendo. Sporting more “mature” titles like Virtua Fighter and Panzer Dragoon, the Saturn tried to set itself apart from Nintendo. Well remembered for its faithful ports of many arcade fighting games, the Saturn was a must-have for fighting enthusiasts.
While the Saturn would go on to be eclipsed by the more powerful Playstation, it is still fondly remembered by many as home to many interesting games and great ports. In addition, notable non-fighting games on the system included Nights into Dreams, a trippy rail-shooter, and the blisteringly-hard Panzer Dragoon series.
6. Xbox
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While consoles released after 2000 might not feel like retro consoles, they still fit the bill for this list. The original Xbox, released in 2001, marked Microsoft’s entry into the console wars. Buoyed considerably by the phenomenal Halo: Combat Evolved, the Xbox defined its niche as a serious-minded console. Sony’s Playstation 2 was viewed by many as a direct competitor with the Xbox, while Nintendo’s GameCube was somewhat relegated to “kiddy-console” status.
The Xbox is largely remembered for its humongous controller and as being something of a successor to the Sega Dreamcast. Sega released a sequel to Jet Set Radio, called Jet Set Radio Future, and another entry in the Panzer Dragoon series on the Xbox. However, Halo can’t be overstated: many millennials fondly remember LAN parties playing Halo. Additionally, when the sequel, Halo 2 was released, it pioneered Microsoft’s Xbox Live online service, showing a glimpse into the future of gaming.
5. Playstation 2
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Sony’s successor to the Playstation would go on to become one of the best-selling consoles of all time. Home to countless incredible first- and third-party games, the Playstation 2 is considered by many a high-water mark for video games. From racing games to fighting games to first person shooters, the PS2 had something for absolutely everyone. Almost everyone had one of these things. Heck, they even played DVDs back in the days when DVD players were pretty expensive!
With a library encompassing Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Sly Cooper, Shadow of the Colossus, Okami and numerous other masterpieces, it’s no wonder so many millennials remember this retro console.
4. GameCube
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The successor to the N64, the GameCube was Nintendo’s first console to use an optical drive. For some inexplicable reason they chose to use mini-DVDs for storing games. This marked the second generation in a row that Nintendo chose to forego the industry standard for game storage. While the PS2 had countless games from 3rd party devevlopers, the GameCube is an example of how strong first-party support can make a console. Hence, beloved games like Wind Waker and Super Mario Sunshine helped the console prove its pedigree.
Yet as the console wars wore on in this generation, it became clear that Nintendo was moving more into their own space. While this allowed Sony and Microsoft to duke it out, Nintendo was making “purer” games, forgoing the flash and glitz of their competition. While this was met with mixed success, not all gamers loved it. Many found it refreshing that Nintendo stuck to their guns as a family-friendly developer. Others found this frustrating and longed for a more serious Nintendo.
3. Nintendo 64
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How many strange decisions can a console manufacturer make and still create one of the greatest systems of all time? Let’s check the N64 to find out. Giant, three-pronged controller with odd button layout? Check. Uses cartridges instead of CDs for physical media? Check. Near-total lack of third-party support? Check.
Jokes aside, if you thought the GameCube got along on first-party support alone, the N64 is the poster child of the “Nintendo-machine” stereotype. However, Rare Games released game after awesome game in this era. For instance, Banjo Kazooie and Diddy Kong Racing are examples of Rare’s excellent design. However, nearly every other notable game was Nintendo-made. Pokemon Stadium, Ocarina of Time, Star Fox 64, the list goes on.
Rather than blemish its memory, however, this is one of the coolest retro consoles of them all, and it easily earns its high spot.
2. Game Boy Advance
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If you’re a millennial there is a 95 percent chance you owned a GBA. This thing was huge. It’s far and away the best-selling console of all time, and for good reason. The GBA represented a renaissance of the 16-bit era, and developers were in rare form on the console. After spending a whole generation perfecting 16-bit design on the Super Nintendo, Nintendo’s developers were clearly poised to flex their design muscles. Therefore games like Metroid: Zero Mission, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Golden Sun are examples of some of the greatest games ever.
In addition to introducing a whole generation of gamers to gaming in general, the GBA also had a great series of ports. Older games like Link to the Past and the NES Classics series introduced a ton of millennial gamers to an era they might have otherwise overlooked. Because of its ubiquity, it’s impossible to overstate just how popular and influential the GBA was. Most of all, the GBA is remembered as the greatest of the handheld retro consoles.
The Best of the Retro Consoles: The Super Nintendo Entertainment System
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Nintendo easily swept the top half of this list, and it’s not hard to see why. Because the consoles they released in these eras were defining, helping usher tons of kids into the hobby. The Super Nintendo is the most impressive of them all. With a revolutionary controller layout that would go on to define every gamepad that followed and some seriously impressive hardware for the time, the SNES left its mark.
This generation served as a golden age for 2D-platforming and RPGs. Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country represent the very greatest of the former. Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III are the prime examples of the latter. Other notable games, like Star Fox and F-Zero, showed off what the future of 3D games might end up looking like.
In retrospect, it’s incredible just how many mind-blowing games were on the SNES. Looking back, you can see the seeds for modern game design taking root for the first time in this era. The legacy of this generation lives on today in the design philosophy of all major studios. It also lives on forever in the memories of the kids who grew up playing these amazing games.
The Final Thought
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