IGN: Top 25 Game Consoles

[kool kitty89]

http://www.ign.com/top-25-consoles/index.html

Hadn't seen this posted yet, and the final 5 still haven't been revealed, but though I'd share it. (noticed it in the jaguar forum over at atariage)

[gamevet]

I believe IGN makes these lists crappy on purpose. It's a great way to generate talk, about what would otherwise be just another list.

[AD2101]

I'll reserve final judgment until I see the top 5, but the fact that the Genesis hasn't been mentioned yet is a positive sign. It'll probably go something like this though.

1. NES
2. SNES
3. PS2
4. I honestly don't know
5. Sega Genesis

[gamevet]

4. I honestly don't know


Atari 2600 ;)

They'll go against common sense and list either the PC or DS.

[Baloo]

This list has been pretty shoddy from the start, with the JAGUAR making the top 25, which is preposterous.

My top 5:

1. NES
2. SNES
3. Genesis
4. DS
5. Atari 2600

PS2, AKA Gaystation 2, shouldn't make the last.

[jesus.arnold]

This list has been pretty shoddy from the start, with the JAGUAR making the top 25, which is preposterous.I don't understand why they didn't make it a top 20, they obviously didn't have enough consoles to fill out the list :lol:

[Iron Lizard]

I believe IGN makes these lists crappy on purpose. It's a great way to generate talk, about what would otherwise be just another list.

LOL, it all makes sense now.

[16-bit]

IGN = buncha n00bz

[Rusty Venture]

IGN = hasn't been good since 2000.

[kool kitty89]

This list has been pretty shoddy from the start, with the JAGUAR making the top 25, which is preposterous.

My top 5:

1. NES
2. SNES
3. Genesis
4. DS
5. Atari 2600

PS2, AKA Gaystation 2, shouldn't make the last.

Yeah, but what should have gone in place of the Jag, huh? CD32 or CD-i perhaps... or a sega add-on?

Wait... there are more golden age consoles that could be in there... Hey there's no Vectrex! Come on, portable, a gamepad-like contoller with 4 well arranged buttons and quality analog thumbstick. Gah!

And I don't think they're including handhelds.


So far I think I liked GameTrailer's top 10 better, granted they chose PS2 as #1 and claimed the N64 cartridges were "an effecient use of resourses."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW0qt3OiVok

also note this IGN thing has coresponding video clips as well.


IGN = hasn't been good since 2000.
That Sega retrospective was pretty good though. (exception that proves the rule I guess)

[Joe Redifer]

They won't list the DS. They won't list the GameBoy, either. That's because this list is about console systems and not handhelds.

[Cornugon]

1 Sega Megadrive/Genesis
2 Amiga CD32 (oh wait, it wasn't released in the US ;) Just like we didn't get any 'TG-16' and 3DO)
3 Nintendo
4 Supernintendo
5 ehh Commodore 64GS (well no, seriously a cartridge based C64? For what 5 titles?)

Seeing this list is a console only (no handheld) list, I don't understand why people here include the DS :p

But this list would probably be like:

1 Playstation 2
2 NES
3 SNES
4 Genesis
5 Atari 2600

[Devil N]

This list has been pretty shoddy from the start, with the JAGUAR making the top 25, which is preposterous.
As they say, you can't spell 'ignorant' without IGN.

[kool kitty89]

So far I think I liked GameTrailer's top 10 better, granted they chose PS2 as #1 and claimed the N64 cartridges were "an effecient use of resourses."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW0qt3OiVok

Scratch that... I just watched it again, and while I was wrong about PS2 as #1 (it's #4), they put:
10 DC
9 2600
8 N64
7 GameBoy
6 Genesis
5 GBA
4 PS2
3 NES
2 SNES
1 PSX

That, and they sited the whole "Nintendo singlehandedly resurected the industry" bs....


1 Sega Megadrive/Genesis
2 Amiga CD32 (oh wait, it wasn't released in the US ;) Just like we didn't get any 'TG-16' and 3DO)
3 Nintendo
4 Supernintendo
5 ehh Commodore 64GS (well no, seriously a cartridge based C64? For what 5 titles?)

Seeing this list is a console only (no handheld) list, I don't understand why people here include the DS :p

But this list would probably be like:

1 Playstation 2
2 NES
3 SNES
4 Genesis
5 Atari 2600

Yeah, that seems likely, definitely those 5, not necessarily in that order. (heh, swap Genesis with 2600 and you've got them in order of best sales)

If I was stuck with those 5, personally I think I'd put PS2 as #5, 2600 as 4, NES as 3, and SNES/Genesis is a toss up for me. But yeah, they're likely to go with exactly how you ordered it.

[Christuserloeser]

Looking forward to their top-100 handhelds.

[Rusty Venture]

IGN continues to prove my assessment of their website is correct.

[kool kitty89]

Looking forward to their top-100 handhelds.
:lol:

[gamegenie]

my guess.

5. PS2 (PS2 was great, but it wasn't that great when you factor that it sold mainly on overhype and DVD, hindsight DC was better game system)
4. 2600 (help expand and kill the gaming industry, the godfather of gaming)
3. SNES (graphically enhanced NES, not much I can say to put SNES over Genesis really)
2. Genesis (most expansive console made, helped re-establish strong competition, literally destroyed Nintendo's monopoly)
1. NES (revitalized the gaming industry, dominated 90% plus of the industry)

[gamegenie]

also, how the hell did the 5200 get a higher ranked than the Jaguar. :|

Jaguar > 7800 > 2600 (which is probably in top 5) > 5200

I don't know what they're basis on that was for, I wished you linked the forum to the Atari forum, I bet they're not happy with that ranking either. >(

[QuickSciFi]

I'm just glad that the genesis hasn't yet been mentioned. It gives me hope. It would be sad to see it omitted, though. I concur with most guesses:

5. Atari 2600
4./3. Genesis or SNES
2./1. NES or PS2

P.S.> If I had it my way, I'd put the Genesis as number 1. But knowing IGN, it's a far cry. Keeping fingers crossed, though.

[Zebbe]

I think it's gonna be...

5. Atari VCS/2600
4. Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
3. SNES/SFC
4. PS2/DVD player
1. NES/FC

[QuickSciFi]

I think it's gonna be...
...
4. PS2/DVD player
...

Lol

[Cornugon]

Maybe they should make a top-10 most overrated consoles with the number 1 being the PS2/DVD-player :p

[kool kitty89]

also, how the hell did the 5200 get a higher ranked than the Jaguar. :|

Jaguar > 7800 > 2600 (which is probably in top 5) > 5200

I don't know what they're basis on that was for, I wished you linked the forum to the Atari forum, I bet they're not happy with that ranking either. >(

Well, it depends who you ask... A lot of the 5200 guys think the 5200 is the best (or right behind the 2600), and many of the non-jaguar Atari fans dislike it entirely. (of course there's the Lynx as well, and the 8-bit computers -whcih were really gaming machines, and the ST, but that's more of a shift toward a "real" home computer, still a lot of games though)

Anyway, in terms of sales, it's be 2600>7800>5200>Jaguar Though I haven't seen solid figures for the 5200 I think it sold ~1 million (at least including dumped inventory)
7800 sold at least 3.7 million (in US alone), which kind of surprised me.

Oh, and th efinal 5 rankings are up, not exactly what I'd expected either (in terms of order, 2600+NES+SNE+Genesis+PS2 was pretty much a given):
but it went:
5: Genesis
4: SNES
3: DVD player :p
2: Atari 2600
1: NES

I was surprised PS2 was below #2 and that 2600 made it so high. (most rank it lower, usually reasonig this due to its contribution to the crash)

I really hate the overemphesis on how the NES "singlehandedly" revitalized the industry.
If you look at what was happening, by 1985 the market had kind of settled and in many regions was ready for more. Atari Corp. released the 2600 Jr. in mid 1985 (before the NES was even on the scene), and with virtually no marketing effort they sold out by th eholiday season (and would have sold more had they had the production capacity).
Nintendo was still small time, with its test markets by early 1986, and expanded them a bit, but didn't make a full release until mid/late '86 (well after the 7800 had been released, and around the time the Master System was) I beleive it was at that time that SMB became the standard pack-in.

Nentendo just had the strongest advertizing and was the most aggressive at getting developer support (they already had a lot from Japan of course, but started getting western developers on board) Particularly significant to getting their foot in the door at retailers was their arrangement with Worlds of Wonder. (plus there was the R.O.B. gimick, but I think that really had less effect than is often credited -which was manly pushed in the early/test markets anyway)

Still, by early 1986 a decent amount of attention was distributed between Sega, Atari Corp, and Nintendo, late 1986, with the NES at full release being the time it started to realy take off. With 1987 being the year it really started to dominate the market and become a household name. (but not until a bit later still would it have the same kind of universal public recognition as a brand like Atari did)

[Cornugon]

I'm surprised as well with the Atari 2600 ending so high, but the NES and PS2 in the top-3 doesn't surprise me really, nether does the SNES ending higher than the Genesis. The NES was still one of the first consoles which sported descent graphics and more complex games in general, unlike the Atari 2600.
But still, I know the PS2 was the most popular console ever, but in what way is it actually 'better' than other same generation consoles, like the XBox, Gamecube and Dreamcast. Aside from the popularity and devs-support. It doesn't even have anti-aliasing...

[QuickSciFi]

It was a good list overall.

[Lightningrodc]

Fuck IGN.

[gamegenie]

By being an extension of the Genesis, this list puts Sega CD and 32X above the previous 20 consoles :D

It's about time somebody showed these peripherals some respect, thanks IGN.

[jesus.arnold]

For anyone who can't be bothered to watch the videos

25. Magnovox Odysey
24. Jaguar
23. Atari 5200
22. 3DO
21. Magnovox Odysey 2
20. Master System
19. Neo Geo
18. Saturn
17. Atari 7800
16. Gamecube
15. PS3
14. Intellivision
13. TG-16
12. Colecovision
11. XBox
10. Wii
9. N64
8. Dreamcast
7. PS1
6. XBox 360
5. Genesis
4. SNES
3. PS2
2. Atari 2600
1. NES

[jesus.arnold]

Anyone else find it strange the numbers of pre-NES consoles placing high on the list?

Also, I may not be much of a Saturn fan but it is clearly placed too low. The TG-16 is also placed strangely high :?

[Da_Shocker]

They had top speak about the PCE because the TG16 was horrible in the states. I mean how on earth did Street Fighter 2 get left in Japan?

[Cornugon]

Anyone else find it strange the numbers of pre-NES consoles placing high on the list?

Also, I may not be much of a Saturn fan but it is clearly placed too low. The TG-16 is also placed strangely high :?

I found it strange as well, both the Coleco and Intellivision higher than the PS3, Saturn and Gamecube?
Also the N64 seems to be placed just a little too high...

[gamegenie]

I found it strange as well, both the Coleco and Intellivision higher than the PS3, Saturn and Gamecube?
Also the N64 seems to be placed just a little too high...

Got to cater to older gamers too than the young. The 35+ olds.


Anyone notice CDI has been completely forgotten from that list.

Who could forget memorable gems like Super Mario Hotel, or Zelda's Adventure

[MrMatthews]

I agree with the list for the most part, except I predicted that the PS2 would end up as #1

[AD2101]

Looking at it in it's entirety, it's not a bad list. Better than anything I've ever seen on ScrewAttack, at least. The PS2 probably *should* have been #1 but you knew from the start the NES was going to win this.

[Baloo]

PS2 definitely shouldn't have been number 1. And the inclusion of crappy Atari 5200 and Jaguar systems makes this list = fail.

[Cornugon]

Anyone notice CDI has been completely forgotten from that list.

Who could forget memorable gems like Super Mario Hotel, or Zelda's Adventure

CDI is a console made for edutainment and video-cd's. You had to buy some addon to actually play the games. CDI is based on a nice idead but a big fail. The Commodore CDTV wich is somewhat similar also misses from the list.
Personally i think the CD32 should have been somewhere (low) on this list (since it does include the Atari 5200 and Jaguar)

[MrMatthews]

The PS2 probably *should* have been #1 but you knew from the start the NES was going to win this.


PS2 definitely shouldn't have been number 1.

I never thought the PS2 should be number 1, I just figured that it would.

[kool kitty89]

They had top speak about the PCE because the TG16 was horrible in the states. I mean how on earth did Street Fighter 2 get left in Japan?
Anyone else find it strange the numbers of pre-NES consoles placing high on the list?

Also, I may not be much of a Saturn fan but it is clearly placed too low. The TG-16 is also placed strangely high :?

Well, the success of the PCE is true, but if they were tinking in a global perspective they should have mentioned how successful the Master System was in UK+Europe (and South America). It was more popular than the NES overall (though I think the NES did sell better in some EU countries, like the SNES)
The same should have been mentioned for the MegaDrive, it actually was the "winner" of the 16-bit war over there.


CDI is a console made for edutainment and video-cd's. You had to buy some addon to actually play the games. CDI is based on a nice idead but a big fail. The Commodore CDTV wich is somewhat similar also misses from the list.
Personally i think the CD32 should have been somewhere (low) on this list (since it does include the Atari 5200 and Jaguar)

Actually it was video CDs it couldn't play out of the box (MPEG module required like with the 3DO or Saturn), games were fine (inless there were some that required the MPEG module)

The CD32 sold less than any console on the list though and was mainly in Europe. (maybe Canada, but uncommon, and had some legal issues with a US launch -not sure about Asia though)

Personally, if they expanded things at all, they should have included some of the gaming computer consoles (esp C64 and Amiga), and then maybe handhelds.

[jesus.arnold]

Well, the success of the PCE is true, but if they were tinking in a global perspective they should have mentioned how successful the Master System was in UK+Europe (and South America). It was more popular than the NES overall (though I think the NES did sell better in some EU countries, like the SNES)
The same should have been mentioned for the MegaDrive, it actually was the "winner" of the 16-bit war over there.This is probably going to annoy Tomaitheous, but I think it's strange to rate the TG-16 higher than the Saturn, when they're such easily comparable and similar systems.

I guess maybe they're got other criteria to take into account, maybe the TG-16 is higher placed for pioneering the CD medium or something.

[Alianger]

They used a pic of a dirty Genesis.

Fuck this site!

[kool kitty89]

They used a pic of a dirty Genesis.

Fuck this site!

Hey, at least they used a HDG Model 1 for the pic. ;)

[gamegenie]

CDI is a console made for edutainment and video-cd's. You had to buy some addon to actually play the games. CDI is based on a nice idead but a big fail. The Commodore CDTV wich is somewhat similar also misses from the list.
Personally i think the CD32 should have been somewhere (low) on this list (since it does include the Atari 5200 and Jaguar)

I know Philips flopped with the CDI, but they did attempt to try to market it the unit as a game console in it's final years.


CD32 probably isn't on the list because IGN only focused on systems released to the US.

[Alianger]

Hey, at least they used a HDG Model 1 for the pic. ;)

And yet there is not mention of its superiority in the writeup. Instead they describe Ecco as an edgy action game, and one editor reminisces about how he was too poor to buy PSIV and actually beat it. That's his best memory of the Genesis. Failtastic!

[jesus.arnold]

I only just noticed that they have a written article as well as the video's.

Their Master System write-up and notable games section is a total FAIL

[AD2101]

I never thought the PS2 should be number 1, I just figured that it would.

Phew, good thing that was what I thought, and not saying that's what you thought. ;)

Once the nostalgia factor becomes relevant with the PS2, i think it will be seen as #1 at some point in the future. After all, it is the best selling console of all time and has many of the highest regarded games of all time on it.

[MrMatthews]

Phew, good thing that was what I thought, and not saying that's what you thought. ;)






Defensiveness? Really?

Time to go night night, I guess.

[HappehLemons]

I stopped going to IGN when they gave God Hand a 3.0. I have had a hard time taking anything they come up with seriously.

lol @ Xbox 360 being number #6, while the PS3 is is number #15.

[Tanegashima]

My quick 2 cents:

The Atari 5200 AFAIC was Atari's best home console, period. The controllers sucked, they should have thought up better ones...but I had a 5200 (bought it so I could play Zaxxon) and the sound and graphics were absolutely awesome. Berzerk had all the voices...it was a cool system. No doubt about it. Not to mention the best home port of PENGO I've ever played.

I sold it because it just took up a gigantic amount of room.

[runback22]

How in the hell can they justify the 360 being 9 spots ahead of the PS3 and ahead of the PS1?!?!?!?!?! That is absolutely stupid. The NES resurrected gaming and the PS1 made gaming what it is today. The PS1 brought gaming into the mainstream and the PS2 turned gaming into the phenomenon it is today.

To put the 360 that high is ridiculous.

[Kogen]

Grrrr!!! How DARE IGN not like consoles I like. :mad::mad::mad:

[Why-Disciple]

lol @ Xbox 360 being number #6, while the PS3 is is number #15.

It's obvious they just want the Sony fanboys to get mad and post the list on every forum for publicity. The GT list is much better imo.

[Zebbe]

Well, it was a good list except SNES was placed before Mega Drive.

[AD2101]

Defensiveness? Really?

Chill out man, I'm just glad your back.

[gamegenie]

How in the hell can they justify the 360 being 9 spots ahead of the PS3 and ahead of the PS1?!?!?!?!?! That is absolutely stupid. The NES resurrected gaming and the PS1 made gaming what it is today. The PS1 brought gaming into the mainstream and the PS2 turned gaming into the phenomenon it is today.

To put the 360 that high is ridiculous.

that is an overstatement at best. gaming has been mainstream since the 2600, and at the same hands I read it died with Atari and was revived with Nintendo.

My first game system was a NES and I can sure tell you the gaming industry was quite popping before PSX came along. All PSX done was shift the focus of next gen gaming away from FMV and VR which SEGA and NINTENDO were heading into, over to just 3D games.

[InternalPrimate]

I stopped going to IGN when they gave God Hand a 3.0. I have had a hard time taking anything they come up with seriously.

lol @ Xbox 360 being number #6, while the PS3 is is number #15.


How in the hell can they justify the 360 being 9 spots ahead of the PS3 and ahead of the PS1?!?!?!?!?! That is absolutely stupid. The NES resurrected gaming and the PS1 made gaming what it is today. The PS1 brought gaming into the mainstream and the PS2 turned gaming into the phenomenon it is today.

To put the 360 that high is ridiculous.


It's obvious they just want the Sony fanboys to get mad and post the list on every forum for publicity. The GT list is much better imo.

IGN probably put the 360 so high because of the countless AWESOME games on the console. Seriously, the library is stacked with classics, and Live is a full generation ahead of anything put out by Sony or Nintendo (make that three generations ahead of Nintendo ;) ). Yes, it's unreliable in its construction, but lets not pretend that its excellent software doesn't exist.

[Cornugon]

IGN probably put the 360 so high because of the countless AWESOME games on the console. Seriously, the library is stacked with classics, and Live is a full generation ahead of anything put out by Sony or Nintendo (make that three generations ahead of Nintendo ;) ). Yes, it's unreliable in its construction, but lets not pretend that its excellent software doesn't exist.

Well why did the 2600 came second than? It has countless crap games. And yes most of the oldschool classics came out on that platform but seriously: A game of Pac-man or Space Invaders, while enjoyable in the eighties and somewhat less in the nineties feel rather limited now. You would play it for 5 minutes and that's it. Most people don't give much anymore about reaching high-scores with the same playlevel sped up over and over again. At least the NES/SMS and Genesis/SNES have countless of games still enjoyable now, even without the ability to save/passwords/saving highscores.
That's probably also a reason why people went to C64, Spectrums, BBC's and Amstrads en masse in the first place. They actually had decent games (but also a shitload of crapgames ofcourse).
And not to forget the 2600 even seems to have to worst Pac-man version there is.
Just having Pitfall doesn't satisfy it being second :p
Or is it just second because (besides the NES) everybody used to have one and played at least once on it? So it's in most people's memory because of that and the nostalgic vision makes it better than it actually was?

[Joe Redifer]

IGN probably put the 360 so high because of the countless AWESOME games on the console.

I can't really think of many AWESOME games for it... only a few.

[MegaSaturnDrive86]

Kinda weird list. While the Atari 2600 was very groundbreaking, I don't think it's stronger than most of the consoles on this list. I would probably place the Atari 2600 at #18 rather than #2 due to having not many great exclusives, but instead having huge amounts of shovelware (The Wii will never top the 2600 in this area).

My top 10:

1. Super Famicom/SNES - Practically had everything covered genre-wise and a very polished library of games.

2. Megadrive/Genesis - Had better action games than the SNES, as well as an excellent platforming selection, but not as polished as the SNES's library.

3. Famicom/NES - While at least a couple classics really haven't aged well (Metroid and River City Ransom), it's still has a fairly awesome library of games.

4. Sega Saturn - It has a great selection of games that I can get by as I'm a huge shooter fan, even if it's mostly arcade ports. Unlike the Dreamcast, however, it also had a sizable amount of original games such as Panzer Dragoon Zwei, Shining Force III, and Nights Into Dreams.

5. Playstation - Has more games than the Saturn, but the Saturn usually had better ports of both console and arcade ports, save for a few games. Still, it has a great library of original games and ports that covered every genre.

6. Playstation 2 - Not a huge fan of Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, and Grand Theft Auto; it still has a really good amount of games that practically had every genre covered, just like it's predecessor.

7. PC-Engine - Being a huge fan of shooters, I really love this console. However, it also had a very sizable amount of games to please non-shooter fans.

8. Dreamcast - A little overrated (I think it's the second weakest of Sega's major consoles), but still has a really fun selection of games. Not too many original games for it, however.

9. Xbox 360 - Most of its games are multi-console, but still stands out in terms of better ports and downloadable content.

10. Neo-Geo - A definitive console for SNK's arcade games. SNK was one of the best arcade game developers of the 90s.

[Why-Disciple]

IGN probably put the 360 so high because of the countless AWESOME games on the console. Seriously, the library is stacked with classics, and Live is a full generation ahead of anything put out by Sony or Nintendo (make that three generations ahead of Nintendo ;) ). Yes, it's unreliable in its construction, but lets not pretend that its excellent software doesn't exist.

Thing is, it's not that different from the PS3. Most of their games are multiconsole, and both have obvious pros and cons, so the debate of which console is technically better continues. And I personally feel that this generation isn't much better than last gen, game wise.

[Diosoth]

Knowing IGN, they pick their choices with a dart board. The exact same method by which they score games, I believe.

[Devil N]

Hey, do not underestimate the scientific relevance of the dart board!