Edge - Top 10 Consoles

[Sinclair Gregstrum]

Edge's 20th anniversary issue is now on shelves and one of the many interesting features contained therein is a top 10 consoles list from the past 20 years. It's a controversial one on some fronts, obvious on others:

10. Dreamcast
9. Xbox
8. Wii
7. Playstation 3
6. DS Lite
5. Gamecube
4. Nintendo 64
3. Playstation
2. Xbox 360
1. Playstation 2

Personally as a Sega kid it's great to see the Dreamcast in there, although it should be in the Gamecube's spot for me, and the Saturn isn't in there at all which is just plain wrong! They've also not included anything that release before the last 20 years but may still have been going strong within that bracket, eg. Megadrive, SNES, so I'm assuming that was a conscious choice otherwise they'd both be there.

Sticking to that criteria my top 10 would be:

10. Wii
9. 3DS
8. Playstation 3
7. Xbox
6. Playstation
5. Dreamcast
4. Nintendo 64
3. Saturn
2. Playstation 2
1. Xbox 360

Thoughts and your own lists gang?

[DomsBeard]

10. PlayStation 3
9. Xbox
8. DS
7. Wii
6. PlayStation 2
5. GameCube
4. PlayStation
3. Dreamcast
2. Xbox 360
1. Nintendo 64

[DomsBeard]

I would imagine if included the SNES/Megadrive would've had 1 and 2 sewn up. Nintendo 64 is an easy number one for me as I've never felt the same buzz playing a console day one as I did with that.

[hazeredmist]

Nintendo 64 is an easy number one for me as I've never felt the same buzz playing a console day one as I did with that.

In terms of the wow factor I can't disagree here.

[dezm0nd]

Oh man, top lists are one of those things which wind me right up, not because I disagree with them but because there's not really much point in listing something which is decades old in a numbered fashion.

Right now that's out the way, where's the most important console of all time? The NES! It just feels like they've plonked the most recent consoles on that list and jumbled them up in a random order.

[ratsoalbion]

I agree with dez. With no disrespect intended to the OP (I'm a sucker for a list myself), trying to rank consoles in some sort of order of merit is nonsensical, and is exactly the sort of feature or poll that we would never run on C&R.

[Sinclair Gregstrum]

Ouch, blimey Leon, feel like you've been a bit unkind there despite the 'no disrepect' preface. Thought it might stir up some interesting discussion on peoples favourite console memories, like Doms Beard said with is 'wow' moment with his N64, but won't contribute from here on if an innocent sharing of a poll is greeted with such elitist vitriol. Not quite the friendly spirit I've come to expect here.

[RoboticMonk3y]

Oh man, top lists are one of those things which wind me right up, not because I disagree with them but because there's not really much point in listing something which is decades old in a numbered fashion.

Right now that's out the way, where's the most important console of all time? The NES! It just feels like they've plonked the most recent consoles on that list and jumbled them up in a random order.

true that!
where's the snes or the megadrive?
I think the problem with something like this, is that if it's anything more the a list of a single person's favourite consoles, then it's not really anything that can be defined that easily.
I played on an atari 2600 for hours and really enjoyed it, granted, looking back the games were all remarkably similar, but the fact it was like an arcade machine in my home, for me, puts it really high up on my list.

Like Leon says, no disrespect to the OP, an interesting article, but I always tend to find that "top ten best ever" lists are almost always click-bait, from EDGE too?

[ratsoalbion]

Please accept my apologies Sinclair, I didn't mean for that to come across so sternly.

There's of course nothing wrong with a good, friendly discussion about such matters - please ignore my grumpiness (having a bad week, though that's no excuse) and carry on.

I couldn't possibly name a favourite, or rank them into any sort of order myself though, I really couldn't.

[RoboticMonk3y]

...I couldn't possibly name a favourite, or rank them into any sort of order myself though, I really couldn't.

indeed!
like I said, at my young age of hitting an atari 2600, it blew my mind and I found endless entertainment in playing, but I'm not really sure I can compare that top-down tank game to say, halo 4? It's like comparing a pepperoni pizza to a sports car. Both are pretty rad, but in entirely different ways.
I reckon it was a slow news week at the EDGE offices and they need to fill a few pages in the lead up to the immanent console explosion.

[DomsBeard]

You should check out unikgamer site it's great for lists and stuff. Top 10's are down to people's preferences and experiences and everyone's is different.

[ratsoalbion]

I think that's my problem with a list like EDGE's there, the idea that it's objective and/or definitive.

I also always fear threads like these devolving into ignorant, pointless fanboyism, but I should trust you guys more than that.

[DomsBeard]

Yeah it'll probably end in a row

[Electric Crocosaurus]

I don't have a problem with lists such as these as long as people don't take them too seriously. The idea that anyone (or group of people) could sit down and objectively say 'this console is better than that' is ridiculous. I have a lot of love for the Mega Drive but for me I'd have to put the original PlayStation on top. It was the console of my 'tween' years so I've never sank as much time into gaming as I did back then, and I'll never forget being blown away seeing Tekken running on one for the first time.

I will also fight anyone who says that the PlayStation didn't have the best boot-up noise. BWAAAAARNG!

[ratsoalbion]

That's why Jay picked it for our YouTube channel

But the Gamecube startup was super-cute (and there was the secret version)...

[DomsBeard]

Dreamcast one's better ha ha

[ratsoalbion]

I think the only console I never felt any affection for was the original Xbox. Ugly, cynical thing.
I bloody loved Halo though, which brings us back to the old 'it's all about the games' addage.
Because it is.

[ratsoalbion]

Dreamcast one's better ha ha

Yeah DC startup is coooool.

[hazeredmist]

Like them or loathe them, top ten lists (like review scores) serve an important purpose - generating interest and debate which is often interesting if it doesn't devolve into fanboyism. They shouldn't be dismissed entirely. Not that I'm suggesting C&R should adopt anything like this, it's not their style.

[RoboticMonk3y]

the playstation startup noise used to make my stereo speakers bottom out.
I like the Nintendo gameboy pla-plink! startup noise