The Best Gaming was the xbox/ps2/gamecube era

[micrometers]

That is my honest opinion. Everything since then has been more or less the same except with shinier models. In terms of gameplay there isn't much difference between Prince of Persia Sands of Time and Batman Arkham Asylum, for instance.

 

[Arkaign]

I disagree, but understand personal preferences.

 

[micrometers]

The reasons are that:

1. It was the first generation to seriously reap from the 3d card revolution of the 3dfx era.

2. several new genres were spawned in that generation, like the prince of persia walking on walls or the KOTOR 3rd person RPG.

 

[Dari]

I preferred the PSX/Saturn/N64 era. At least, then, you still had the great 2D games and 3D was really interesting.

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

I don't think so. In that era online gaming was mostly confined to the Xbox. Both the PS2 and the GameCube struggled with online gaming, they had poor game support, most people don't even realize it was possible to get online with a GameCube. The PS2 generation was really only good because it was the generation where 3D took off.

The PS2 had the most games and is arguably the most successful console ever, but both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 provide a better experience. The games are prettier, the online gameplay is easy to use, and the controllers are perfect. The Xbox 360 and the PS3 are the pinnacle of console gaming.

 

[RavenSEAL]

A lot of games lack originality now a days and most are half-assed, the future of gaming looks bleak...

 

[janas19]

The N64 brought 3D games. The Wii brought a more user-friendly, casual game experience with the Wii remote and motion sensors. What exactly did the Gamecube bring? A small CD instead of a cartridge? Quality, 3rd party games were very sparse on that platform if I recall. And even Nintendo's offerings weren't that stellar, either.

 

[micrometers]

The N64 brought 3D games. The Wii brought a more user-friendly, casual game experience with the Wii remote and motion sensors. What exactly did the Gamecube bring? A small CD instead of a cartridge? Quality, 3rd party games were very sparse on that platform if I recall. And even Nintendo's offerings weren't that stellar, either.

zelda windwaker was the best zelda game IMO.

 

[Rage187]

Pfft. The golden age was the SNES days when the latest Square RPG came out. Those were the days.

 

[sandorski]

I would object, but probably would be violating the integrity of the "Console Gaming" forum.

 

[Arkaign]

This is a pretty subjective topic. My reasons for disagreeing are fundamentally that I wasn't having much fun with the consoles of that era. I prefer much older consoles such as NES, Genesis, TG16, and SNES. Other than a handful of AAA Nintendo titles, I didn't care for N64 much. PS1 had a lot of great stuff, but I was transitioning most of my gaming to PC by that point, and was already into PC for stuff like Wing Commander 1 and 2, Prince of Persia, Wolf3d, Doom I and II, etc.

I can see the appeal of the newer consoles like the 360 and PS3, but I skipped them until recently I got a 360 for free, and I've probably put less than 3-4 hours on it, it just feels antiquated and the titles mostly don't interest me. I may pick up a football game or a SF game, as fighting and sports have always been best on console anyway.

 

[jlee1]

Imo the dreamcast revolutionalized new gaming standards. I use to love pso

 

[HeXen]

OP must be young. i prefer the 8bit/16bit era. where we had more developers and publishers out there than you could shake a stick at. and we had these places called Arcade rooms. tons of cabinets with the latest game tech. Air filled with the smell of popcorn, the sound of plunking quarters....ah

 

[Sulaco]

Been console gaming since the Atari 2600, and have 15+ consoles (most in their original boxes) sitting in my closet.

Saying one "era" is the best is kind of naive and silly, without heavily tempering that with it just being your own personal preference.

For me, I'd say it would have to be the 16-bit era, followed closely by the PSX era. The classics and "greats" from that time STILL stand the test of time, and don't have to stand on graphics for their success.

 

[crisium]

I hold vehemently that the SNES is the greatest console of all time in terms of best original software. But the Genesis was a bit weak overall, imo, only having the Sonic and Streets of Rage series in addition to the excellence that is Gunstar Heroes. So overall, it may or may not be the best era.

The N64 and Saturn are my next two favourite consoles, so the "32-bit" era might be the best as well. Then throw in the Playstation for the Final Fantasy games and SOTN, and it makes it a strong generation.

The OP's generation was really good for the action games it invented, such as God of War and Ninja Gaiden. But it really wasn't revolutionary for anything else except Sandbox games which I'm not too into. FPS was really quite weak overall except for Halo and Halo 2, honestly. The current gen refined that gen far better, and I prefer it.

If you're into 2D platformers and 2D RPGs, the SNES era wins. If you're into 3D platformers and 2D/2.5D RPGs, then the PSX era wins. If you're into 3D action and sandbox games, the PS2 era wins. Anything else, and I think the current gen makes a hell of a strong case, especially for FPS. And, you know, motion gaming if you're into that (it makes Killzone 3 fun). Even if you hate motion, this gen has resurrected 2D platformers which is a win.

 

[coldmeat]

The reasons are that:

1. It was the first generation to seriously reap from the 3d card revolution of the 3dfx era.

2. several new genres were spawned in that generation, like the prince of persia walking on walls or the KOTOR 3rd person RPG.

How does that make it the best. That just means that it came out at the right time.

Just because something was the first doesn't mean it was the best.

Given the choice, I would take my 360 over every other console combined. That makes it the best IMO.

 

[janas19]

This is a pretty subjective topic. My reasons for disagreeing are fundamentally that I wasn't having much fun with the consoles of that era. I prefer much older consoles such as NES, Genesis, TG16, and SNES. Other than a handful of AAA Nintendo titles, I didn't care for N64 much. PS1 had a lot of great stuff, but I was transitioning most of my gaming to PC by that point, and was already into PC for stuff like Wing Commander 1 and 2, Prince of Persia, Wolf3d, Doom I and II, etc.

I can see the appeal of the newer consoles like the 360 and PS3, but I skipped them until recently I got a 360 for free, and I've probably put less than 3-4 hours on it, it just feels antiquated and the titles mostly don't interest me. I may pick up a football game or a SF game, as fighting and sports have always been best on console anyway.

Not necessarily subjective. You could compare each gen of consoles in terms of innovations, features, target market lol

 

[OptimumSlinky]

It's all subjective based on your age and experiences. I had an NES, but it wasn't until the original PlayStation that I really began to love games. Colony Wars, Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, Soul Blade, these were the games that I remember most fondly.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Halo: CE and Prince of Persia: Sands of Time on the original Xbox (the first sold me the system and the second remains platforming perfection in my mind), but it was the PSX that forever holds my heart.

I love my 360, and I have more games for it than I had in all the other gens combined. I think XBL truly brought online gaming to the masses in an effective fashion, and I love several games from this generation (MW1, Mass Effect, Gears of War 1). But even with all of that, exploring caves with Lara Crofts and fighting for colonial freedom among the stars are my favorite memories and my favorite era.

 

[Veliko]

I probably had the most fun with my N64 but that was because it was the first console I bought with my own money, I had lots of free time and I was young.

Most of those games are incredibly dated now.

 

[Arkaign]

Not necessarily subjective. You could compare each gen of consoles in terms of innovations, features, target market lol

Eh, yeah, but :

(1)- Innovation is a good point, but I think there's a good argument that there really hasn't been a ton of it over the years.

Written by one of my gaming buddies :

http://kotaku.com/5860138/innovation-has-never-been-the-cornerstone-of-the-video-game-industry

(2)- Features, see above ^^.

(3)- Target market? This if anything is a mixed bag. It's good that Nintendo and Sony/Microsoft have different target markets though.

 

[Fingolfin269]

This discussion is pretty much a function of age.

 

[Oyeve]

SNES, Genesis and a PC with a Voodoo card, peak gaming goodness. Everything else pales, even with HD graphics.

 

[tdawg]

I like shooting others online and playing high-production-value sports games and this generation's consoles makes that fun and easy to do from the comfort of my couch and with friends. No desire to go back to the "good-ol'-days" of prior consoles.

 

[Sulaco]

This discussion is pretty much a function of age.

Very true. Though, perhaps through my own bias, I'm much more interested in someone's opinion who has been playing games for awhile and might be swayed by some nostalgia, than a kid who started with a PS2 and thinks he's hardcore because he played Final Fantasy VII...on a Playstation!

 

[jaha2000]

The fact that i cant goto any mall and play in a real arcade anymore drives me insane.
The 8bit/16bit era was the best IMO.
They did not have fancy graphics, had to focus on gameplay and storyline..
Ill take FF or Shining force over any RPG that exists..