Which era of console gaming was the absolute best time to be a gamer?
The history of video game consoles is measured by generations.
Even still, those discussions often boil down to arguments that can be as emotional as logical.
In those discussions, though, are crucial pieces of conversation if not always truth.
However, PC games and PC gaming devices were not considered in this discussion.
There are quite a few asterisks you better attach to this era when discussing it in this particular context.
The second home console generation was a time of great contrasts.
Unfortunately, thats also the biggest problem with this generation.
Much of that growth wasnt regulated by the industry-wide quality standards that home consoles desperately need.
However, this situation isnt quite so simple as all that.
The Eighth Generation of gaming is filled with games that would achieve blockbuster status while revolutionizing the industry.
Ultimately, this generation suffered from serious hardware problems.
Its primary competition, meanwhile, suffered from trying to be just a little too different.
Thats not something you always get to say at the end of a console era.
Gaming became so much more than anyone dared to dream it could be.
Thats exactly what the N64 and PS1 provided.
Its library was strong, but thats largely because it supported the OG Game Boy library.
Theyre separated by mere degrees and deserve nothing but admiration and respect.
Its a debate that rages on to this day.
Think about the significance of that longevity for a second.
Yes, the entire console war concept is sometimes the root of many evils.
However, its a war that gamers everywhere are ultimately supposed to win.
Thats what we saw with the Fourth Generation.
Perhaps you could look back at one console and say that it was the better one for you.
Some genres were being perfected and others were being created.
Even the Atari Lynx wasnt quite as bad as its sometimes made out to be.
Console gaming was thriving rather than surviving, and the best was yet to come.
Thats whats amazing about the Seventh Generation of gaming.
It didnt just often exceed those expectations but did so in ways that few could have ever seen coming.
Yet, that element of surprise most certainly applies to the Xbox 360 as well.
As for the PlayStation 3…ok, its widely considered to be Sonys worst console ever.
At the very least, the PlayStation 3 got off to an abysmal start.
Still, it recovered in the end and proved to be a formidable piece of hardware.
This was also almost certainly the best generation for handheld gaming.
And thats really what the greatness of this generation will ultimately be measured by: the games.
At a different time, it could have been the console that turned Segas hardware fortunes around.
Unfortunately, the competition proved to be too significant.
In some ways, the Dreamcast defines this particular generation of gaming.
It perfectly (if tragically) represents the creativity and competition that made this era so special.
Games likeThe Wind WakerandMetroid Primeruffled some feathers at their time but are now widely considered to be masterpieces.
And what more can you say about the PlayStation 2?
Along with being the best-selling console ever, it may just be the greatest console ever made.
