Games Played: Streets of Rage 2 (0:01), Contra III (0:10), Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando (0:25), Super Mario 64 (0:45), Rayman (1:10), Mega Man 3 (1:18), Metal Slug X (4:35), Katamari Damacy (7:10)
Ps2/GameCube/Xbox/Dreamcast era hands down, video games was at its peak developers were making masterpieces left and right, that’s where 3D gaming was refined to perfection.
I'm with you on all that except the refined to perfection part. In terms of playability, yes. In terms of realism, there was still a long way to go. Human faces and animations still showed a lot of limitations. Cut scenes (close up shots) are where the limitations really showed but sports games with much wider camera angles could look realistic. It was a great era to be playing games.
@Divine Retribution Yeah, I'm with you on that. Close up angles and character animations have improved but still have a way to go in sports games. Still a lot of refining needed. Some other games present this much better but even movies aren't without their flaws in this area
I agree with ya somewhat, I will say that was the last generation that i got a "wow" factor, i havnt got that since the og xbox launch, but I was a teenager in the 32bit era and I have best memories tied to that
A single generation is difficult to crown....you get the feeling you're leaving something too important out. I know I'm cheating, but 1989-2005 is my personal golden age of gaming.
5th gen. It lacks the refinement and accessibility of the gens on either side of it, but it spawned so many new genres while literally adding another dimension of immersion to existing ones. I feel the advancements made during its span were most impactful; You can distinguish a game developed late in the generation from an early game, far more than gens 4 and 6. It went from Club Drive to Gran Turismo inside a generation, from Doom-clones to Medal of Honor, from Ballz to Tekken 3, Iron Soldier to Armored Core...
Gen 4 / "16-bit era" has to be my favorite. The games were complex enough by that point to be engaging while still simple enough to be picked up and played in a little bit of spare time.
@@HiNRGboy i personally prefer 8-bit or even 16-bit pixel graphics over the ultra realism of today's 3d games. Sure they look nice but i much prefer something like Ninja Warriors over Call of Duty. Pixel graphics appeal to me more.
6th Gen was when all three companies were running at full power. Graphics are still pretty good to go back to, and there were no patches, DLC or micro transactions.
The only time games did DLC on the Original Xbox is if sold well like Skyrim The Legend Of Zelda Breath Of The Wild Grand Theft Auto 5 Street Fighter 2 also the Sega Dreamcast did DLC
Star Wars Battlefront Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Star Wars Battlefront 2 Elder Scrolls 3 Morrowind and Ninja Gaiden are all examples of Games that had DLC during the original Xbox era apparently it was a good idea that ended up getting corrupted over time
Listen man let me tell you, as I was born in the great year of 82and had 2 older brothers who constantly had to have the top shelf games and it was without question the 16bit generation, the 32bit was great as well from the view point of a then Saturn owner
@@brettdulaney697 Born in 82 as well... Without question for me it's EVERYTHING that came about in the fourth generation, don't really know how or why but that's when game development really hit it's stride and almost everyone who made games where able to put out works that where bigger and crazier then anything else before it without being to concerned about development cost or sales!
Chrispy that’s interesting. I wasn’t born either but I only collect for the Neo Geo. Not necessarily into the libraries themselves like you are but just because you don’t have things like that anymore that are as impressive to me. Retro Bird
Born in 1980. The fourth generation was when games really started to mature and have stories, like Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star and Chrono Trigger. The creators had learned lessons from the third generation and everything was more refined. By and large, since games were still 2-D, they were running at 60 fps, making them feel smoother and faster, along with negligible load times from the cartridge format. Since the hardware was so close at that time, Nintendo and Sega tried to outdo each other with software instead of hardware, at least until late in that era with Sega's bizarre hardware releases. All together, these combine to make what is probably one of the best eras in gaming.
I agree. The 16-bit generation is the only one that had four awesome consoles. Actually, the GC/PS2/Xbox/DC generation also had 4 great consoles, but their game lineups weren't quite on the level of the 16-bit systems. If I had to choose a favorite console I'd pick the NES, but the 8-bit generation only had two good consoles (NES and SMS).
@@marcretro Yes, the Neo Geo had the advantage of being a 24-bit system in a 16-bit era. If it hadn't been so expensive it probably would have won the console war.
I would say the 7th generation was the best because it made backwards compatibility more popular whether it was digital or physical and it also made video game consoles into multimedia devices showing how video game systems can be used for many other ways of entertainment.
I think the 6th generation was the best. 3D graphics and, more importantly, controls were much more refined when compared to the 5th gen. You also still had publishers that were willing to publish new/unique games. That is something that started to die off in the 7th generation.
I feel like the best console generation in terms of actually living through it is Gen 5 because the 3D games at the time were new, exciting, and not outdated like they are today but also had a slew of 2D games especially if you were one to import Japanese titles
Yeah, what you say at the end about Japanese titles is key. I was living in L.A. in the 90s and had several connections to import Saturn games. Many of the best 2D shmups and fighters of all time, plus other fun & quirky games that Sega of America decided (in their infinite wisdom) that westerners wouldn't want to play. Some of my friends were importing JP-PS1 games as well, quite a few gems there. My friends and I could not believe the amazing games we were playing at home in that period 96-98. Saturn had great worldwide releases as well like Nights, Tomb Raider, the Panzer Dragoon games. And the PS1 and N64 game libraries consist of classic after classic. What a great era for console gaming ... nothing since has touched it, in my opinion.
My personal favourite is the 7th gen. I love all generations but the 7th is my favourite. It was the first time game graphics got somewhat realistic. And the games were very cinematic, which I really like. It’s also the generation that I remember playing as a little kid, so that is definitely a contributing factor to why I love it so much
6th gen was the best! Just like what generation 4 is to generation 3, the developers are already used to the tech resulting in technically impressive games. The shear amount of masterpieces and influential games across ALL four consoles is unbeatable. Also the game developing cost wasn't as high so there are many impressive experimental games as well.
Nah, but they were def great!!! I would say 6th gen is at least better than the xboxone/ps4 era and even the now ps5 era. The last good gen we had was the 36p era
@@redcrimson1028 6th gen is better than 7th gen period the Xbox 360 and the Wii was only good in the first half the PS3 became the the best place to play in the second half of the generation 6th gen is like from start to end is bangers all 4 consoles bangers
@@dxtremecaliber what consoles came out in the 6 gen again? In my book even in thr end 360 still spanked ps3, ps3 was crankin out the exclusives though, but I don't like all their exclusives, see where I'm going with that? I only like resistance and uncharted. I don't care much for God of War, gran tourism, Ratchet and clank or the last of us (which is a really great game by the way but still, I can live without that game)
7th gen is the best if you ask me. Motion controls, graphics that still hold up today, numerous good exclusives, quick system updates, and being able to play games from previous gens for a quick nostalgia fix. Nintendo spokespeople even came to my door to play Wii Sports with me. Truly a great generation.
Im subscribed to alot of gaming channels but i recently stumbled upon yours, watched a few vids and then hit that subscribe button as quick as i can. First up, i gotta say that i like your funny witty personality and you great ideas for video content. You remind me of the serverely underrated Dom from the youtube channel known as " its all fun and games " Seriously you both look different but have the same quirky personality and unique ideas, topics, and funny humor when it comes to your video content. Id seriously check out his channel. Unfortunately dom left youtube and i was sad to see him go. If you want to see what i mean... check out the video he did titled... "why i stopped 'collecting' video games".
I pick the 6th generation for its great library of 3D games that held up well but also you get a great wealth of 2D games with the GBA. Best of both worlds for me as I grew up with the GC and GBA
I can't believe it's taken this long to come across this channel! It's all well stated, no words wasted, and I love the whimsy in the editing and that jingle at the end! Awesome, wholesome content! Good job! 😎👍
A lot of good points, and yes of course any ranking like this will be subjective to each gamer's tastes and gaming history. I've been able to experience all of the first 8 generations when they were out (starting with Pong games in the 70s, and my brothers and I had an Odyssey 4000 at home in '77, before switching over to Atari), and I can feel the strengths and weaknesses of each. Haven't bought into 9th gen yet, but I'm monitoring game releases and trends closely, and even though I'm generally underwhelmed I'll certainly get a PS5 in a couple of years to play a handful of cool JRPGs & action games. I consider Switch to be 8th gen and Dreamcast to be 5th gen (both of which I know are up for debate), and here are my rankings: - 1. 5th gen - Nothing ever felt so special as the creative, new kinds of games during this era, especially out of Japan but also western 3D platformers. Those of us who imported Saturn games know how many 2D shmups/fighters were missed out in the west. Also, late 90s one of my favorite eras for PC gaming (next to early-mid 80s). - 2. 4th gen - The best of 2D. PC Engine shmups, classic SNES JRPGs, and the Genesis' sense of fun & 90s excitement lift this above 6th gen for me. - 3. 6th gen - Diverse games, great gameplay, the last era with a pervasive sense of fun. - 4. 8th gen - A resurgence of varied games especially out of Japan ... but also the worldwide indie game scene just taking off, especially on Switch which has an amazing library. I may eventually rank this above 6th gen because of that variety, but right now nostalgia, RPGs, and 3D platformers keep 6th gen above it. - 5. 3rd gen - Classic games which bring a lot of joy. - 6. 7th gen - Plenty of great games to play here, but also plenty of soulless dreck. - 7. 2nd gen - Loved the Atari, Intellivision, Colecovision at the time ... but let's be honest, in the early 80s all the best games were in the arcades. In the mid-80s, my home gaming was mostly playing RPGs and adventure games on Apple IIe rather than console games. - 8. 1st gen - Very fond memories of this time playing games with my brothers, but games were very limited in their scope. I'll be interested to read others' opinions and friendly disagreements. Cheers!
Sounds like my dad he was practically there from the beginning. I mean I am the first generation to have one of my parents grow up with video games. When he was 5 and in kindergarten Circa 1974 he had a friend he would visit and play the Magnavox Oddesy when it still had some relevancy and from then on he was there to see The second gen (Advanced Line and dots) , Third gen (crude 2D), Fourth gen (Better or perfected 2D), fifth gen (crude 3D), sixth gen (Better or perfected 3D), etc..... Heck I benefited from the Fifth generation being my first cause of my dad.
The 4th generation war was my favorite. Gloves off, no holds barred, man. I still have PTSD. Blast Processing vs. Playing It Loud. Oh man, that was a time to be alive!
What I remember fondly in retrospective about the 4th generation (snes / Genesis console war) is all the conversations/arguments/fights we had in school each defending "our" console. I had a Sega Genesis and I loved it. But deep inside I also knew there were other games I couldn't play at home because they were in the "other" console.
Anything from 4th-7th generations are all amazing. Anything beforehand is a bit too primitive for me with some exceptions of course. Really wasn't a fan of the 8th gen. Aside from the rise of indie games, it hasn't been a good 8 years. Hopefully, we'll look back on this as the dark age of gaming. The 5th or 6th generation will end up being my favorite for sure. Such an experimental time, so many games that could never be made nowadays because it wasn't as corporate and creators could make weird unique awesome games.
Couldn't say, I grew up with the Wii. However, I started my collection with F-Zero on the SNES and a CRT this week. We may not be the majority but I know lots of people my age that are passionate about retro games. I think there's still a good future ahead for the hobby. Your channel is one of my favorites by the way, keep it up!
@Gengar Yea I've heard it used to be ridiculously cheap! Regardless, better now than later right? I'm trying my best not to waste my money on stuff I won't play
TurboGrafx-16...The console with game cards that's the size of a credit card, but the TGCD add-on was the console to pioneer in games being played on optical media.
Thank you Retrobird for finally giving the Master System the recognition it deserves! I'm from the Netherlands myself and grew up with the Master System. Sega sold more Master Systems and Megadrives then Nintendo sold their consoles in Europe. But because of the main infuences from American blog/vloggers a lot of people over here are thinking that Nintendo sold more. Which is sad because what Sega did accomplish in Europe is a real Goliath story. Megadrive is still my favorite console ans I still kiss my Rocket Knight Adventures asleep every night.
As a huge SNES fan, I also have an interest in Genesis as well because many of the games are similar on both systems. But some games look different. Batman Returns is different on both consoles. The SNES version is a beat 'em up, and the Genesis version is a platformer. One obscure game I like is Super Chase HQ. This is a fun game where you play as a cop and chase down outlaws on a highway. You have to ram into their cars to disable them. Both ports are different, because the SNES version has a first person perspective, and the Genesis version is 3rd person. Some people might say "why not put the same version on both systems"? But I think it's cool that I can play 2 different versions of a game.
Glad somebody realized this. Thats what i loved about that era the games werw differwnt on each system and utilize each syatem strengths , basically being creative
A major challenge in the preservation of the 7th gen experience is keeping the online multiplayer component alive. A lot of the nostalgia of that era comes from memories of a vibrant online community of people playing Call of Duty and Halo. What's great about the 4th and 6th generations is that you can play those games exactly how they were experienced back in their heyday.
The more comfortable and solid: sixth. Most intriguing from the past to learn about: 16bit or fifth Enjoy for its gimmicks and solid experiences: seventh Also nice showing the PC-FX or Neo Geo successor in there. That Gizmondo bit was also a surprise. Either way some good skits/points in this one, a good approach to the video then I would have thought.
I’m not going to say that one generation of consoles is the best (especially considering my love for Atari) but rather I’ll say that I feel video gaming peaked somewhere in the 16-bit era.
I am going with 5th Gen. The Best blend of games ever. You had the Pinnacle of 2D in this Gen with the Saturn especially and the PS1 to some degree. This Gen was a Shmup and RPG lovers Haven as well with the PS1 and Saturn. The 3D games that came out here are unforgettable and revolutionary. I think Ocarina of time is still the highest rated game ever to this day. This was also when gaming was all about gaming and not ran by Sony and Microsoft with Dvd players and FPS Galore. There was still so much experimentation and imagination during this Generation. The N64 was a Muliplayer powerhouse. So fun. The Saturn has one of the Best Controllers of all time and hell the PS1 Dual Shock is still being used in an advanced form today. This was also at the perfect time where developers still had to focus more on the game play and writing to make you feel something because voice acting was as prevalent as it would become later. Also, the music in this Gen is incredible. There are so many games that have amazing soundtracks here. Plug a PS1 or a Saturn to a Crt with HD Retrovision Component cables and the N64 to a Crt with a Monster S Video cable and the visuals will look very nice. Much respect and love to the other Gens but this will be my fav followed by the 4th gen, then the 6th gen, then the 8th Gen, then the 3rd, then the 9th, and finally the 7th.
5th gen was also the best time for PC games on top of it all IMO. AOE, Starcraft, Diablo, Grim Fandango, Quake, and the list goes on etc. Check Wikipedia for the full list of games that came out in 96/97/98. It is fucking insane that we received so many games so often, many considered the best of all time to this day. And you really need to own all four platforms to experience it all.
@@edwest2263 You are so RIGHT! I didn’t even think about PC bit yeah. Amazing time in PC games too and it was still at the time where PC and console releases felt separate and different from each other. Some others I loved around that time maybe a little before or after were Warcraft II Tides of Darkness, Command and Conquer, and the Original Baldur’s Gate along with Tales of the Sword Coast Expansion.
Subjectively: 4th and 5th generations. The Sega Genesis and Sega Saturn are my all time favourite consoles and still have some of my favourite games on them. Objectively: Probably 6th gen. It was when developers finally got a proper grip on 3D games, the hardware was up to scratch, and we had not hit the generation of day one patches yet.
Sega Saturn was so underrated. Such a great catalog Japanese only shooters and arcade games. I would have voted 5th soley for that If not for the Gamecube it definitely be my favorite console.
Great video! I'm still a NES guy but I admit that is pure nostalgia. I played NES all thr time and never owned a SNES until I was an adult. After NES I didn't get back into gaming heavy until Dreamcast which I bought as soon as it released. I got it shortly after getting married and my wife and I had a lot of fun playing mostly Soul Caliber and Crazy Taxi. I bought a PS3 on release day and it is still one of my all time favorite systems. PS4 didn't hit my buttons the same way. I finally just bought a Switch and have gone all in, even bought my wife her own Switch Lite. This latest Nintendo system is so great to me because it embraces retro type games while still providing modern experiences. I still value gameplay and fun factor above graphics so the Switch has hit homerun for me. So to the question of which generation is best? I have no idea... I am not really a fan of much of what we got in the 5th gen with N64 and first Playstation but I appreciate what those systems led to. I own nearly every system made at this point in my life and still fire each one up for certain games when I get the itch.
Hey mate! Great young/small channel you have with tons of growth potential and can't wait to see where you go! Keep putting in the time and it'll pay off, you've got a good thing going. If you ever want to team up on anything (videos), let me know! I don't have the time to put out too many videos but would always be interested in fun opportunities. Cheers!
My fav is definitely the 6th gen. I love the amount of experimentation that went on in that gen. So many unique and creative games released in that gen. In addition it was still at a point where visuals could still really wow players. I remember being utterly taken aback by Shadow of The Colossus and the enemies the game expected you to fight. Great video as always Retro Bird!
between 4th and 5th generation everyone was inovating to the point that opening magazines talking about the upcoming releases was a thrill by itself. I think those were the most exciting times, even though it might not have the "best" games(wich i disagree, but whatevah).
Honestly despite my love for the SNES/Genesis generation the PS2/Xbox/Dreamcast generation was such a pinnacle moment in gaming for me. So many good games that I thought looked amazing at the time haha.
While we all may like a different generation in gaming , I think we all have to agree the ending theme lyrics to your videos are untouchable and infectious. I laugh at it more than I care to admit. Glad I found your channel.
I'm glad I wasn't alone on that. I knew they would be safe because Retro Bird loves those, but at the same time I was like "please be careful and never do this again."
In a sort of "desert island" situation where I had to pick only one generation for the rest of my life, I could be happy with 4, 5, or 6. I love NES, but most of those games were still a little too simple, comparatively.
The 16bit era (aka. 4th generation) was definitely my favorite. That was the time went sprite based graphics was reaching it's zenith and the blocky infancy of 3D graphics was just emerging. The best part is that the recent slew of mini consoles allows consumers to easily relive those days with instant collections of classic games.
My go to answer was the incredible Genesis /Snes rivalry of the early 90s! I mean, the marketing blitz was amazing! How could you argue with "blast processing!"? Ya cant! However, as a budding teenager with raging hormones, I gotta give it to the amazing Playstation/N64/Saturn Trifecta. Walking into my friends older brothers room in 95, and hearing "Daaay-TOO-nah, let's go away!" with the Hornet car bumping along will forever be burned in my memory. Jaw on the floor. Later that year purchasing my Ps one and only having the demo disc to play for 3 months as they hadn't started renting out the disc's at launch. And BTW, you know EXACTLY where you were when you first plaged Mario 64! Retro B, your channel is criminally under-subscribed to.
The fifth was definitely my favorite, I love the 64, but the fourth was probably the best as it was the generation of the SNES, likely the best console of all time.
I started playing in the 2600 days, so there's no way for me to pick an absolute favorite generation; watching the evolution of games as it happened has been quite the experience. The 4th generation was the first time I'd ever had the chance to play game collections on "modern" hardware (with games like Williams Arcade Greatest Hits on the SNES), but even that experience has been improved upon through the years. Every generation has had strong points as well as low points, and the gap of those highs and lows seems to get wider with every generation. That said, I'll just go with the "I love them all" stance.
Overall? My vote would be 6th gen. Dreamcast, Gamecube, PS2, Xbox. It struck juuuuuust the right balance. The graphics were really good but still LOOKED like videogames, the games were just the right length to really feel like you were getting your money's worth without overstaying their welcome, there was a very wide selection of different genres represented without it feeling like one genre was more dominant than the others and each console's library of exclusives felt different enough from the other consoles that choosing which console to get was actually a legit decision to make and there really was no wrong answer. The generations before had some of these qualities but not all of them and, with the exception of Nintendo who always did their own thing, the generations after felt way too similar to each other and had less diverse games.
6th gen for me. All 4 consoles offered something different and each had great exclusives. No gimmicks, DLC, patches or micro tranctions to deal with. Games were complete and original. But I must admit the 9th generation has blown me away so far.
My fave was PS3/360. I remember watching a football game and the Gears of War Mad World commercial came on and my dad said "WOW" when he saw it. He never played or talked about video games before. I was a PS3 boy and even I was drooling over the graphics. 7th gen was the sweet spot where the graphics were good enough and games didn't take 7 years to come out. We fucking got trilogies of games in a single generation. Now you're lucky if 2 games in a series comes out in a decade.
What a great topic, you excelled this time Retrobird. My fave as to be the 8bit generation, the 3rd Gen Master system and Commodore64 years. Awesome games and times. Second best is the Amiga and Atari ST years from 1991 to 1996. Back in the day in the UK, you had a 16 bit computer and you was the man or woman.
For me 6th gen. You still had experimental games and publishers tried to sell complete games based on their quality instead of monetising dlc and microtransactions.
Technically my favorite generation would be the 5th generation, but really it's just that the N64 is my favorite console. And it's my favorite pretty much only because of all the fantastic Rare games, plus a few other titles like F-Zero X and Doom 64. Scoot over Mario Kart, I've got a date with Diddy Kong Racing! Super Mario 64? Never heard of it, have you, Banjo-Kazooie? And so on.
Great video! Labeling the best generation is going to be impossible for me. As a boy I went from a 2600 to a NES (a masterclass trade by my dad) and was blown away. From that point on, I have been incredibly impressed with the technical advancements found in each generation. There is literally something for anyone now....if you can afford it is a different conversation. Lol.
Despite having grown up with all generations my favourite was the lucky 7th. It covers lots of different generations what with backwards compatibility and compilations. It gave us the live arcade and I think creatively studios hit their peak during its cycle. Plus the fact its still supported two generations down the line is a miracle. I am about to get an 8th gen console though and I'm sticking with xbox as my number one choice. My children rock the other two so we have lots of bases covered over here.
@@rac1equalsbestgame853 Exactly, the final years were kind of bad with the Wii losing steam, and the other 2 consoles embracing predatory publisher practices like microtransactions, online passes, excessive pre-order bonuses, etc... But overall it had so much going for it, especially it you add the handhelds.
@@19Szabolcs91 The PSP and DS were muah (even if the PSP is more like a portable PS1 to me) The Wii still had some good games, namely Super Mario Galazy 2 (personally prefer 1 though) and Skyward Sword. I can't think of anything Xbox 360 and PS3 wise, Infamous 2, GTAV, and Sly 4 and some multiplats like the Rayman games. Nothing else comes to mind.
I would have said the 4th for the SNES for most of my life... but now I'm leaning towards the 5th for the PS1. I just love its games and how they look.
As a rough guide/reminder: Gen 1: Atari Pong/Nintendo CTG/Coleco Telstar Gen 2: Phillips Odyssey2/Mattel IntelliVision/ColecoVision Gen 3: Atari 2600/NES/Sega Master Gen 4: NEC TG16/Sega Genesis/SNES Gen 5: N64/PS1/DreamCast Gen 6: PS2/GameCube/Xbox Gen 7: Xbox 360/PS3/WiiU Gen 8: Switch/Xbox One/PS4 Gen 9: Xbox SS/PS5/Xbox SX
What each Generation roughly represents: Gen1 - started it Gen2 - forgotten generation Gen3 - Proper 2D images starting Gen4 - More immersive 2D sprites and Sound Gen5 - Proper speech audio, crude 3D images Gen6 - Fleshed out 3D gaming Gen7 - High Definition gaming AND online multiplayer Gen8 - FHD gaming, subscription services Gen9 - Proper hardware upgrades to SSD/CPU/Graphics to achieve great 4K gaming I think the strongest contenders for the "best gen" are ones where they were revolutionary and immersive for gamers. Here's the generations that are not in the contender for "best": .......Gen9 is a little too early to tell. Gen8 has finished, and we've gotten some good times with it, but, it also had some bad business issues. From privacy, to subscriptions, microtransactions, and mainly anti-consumer behaviour. On top, it didn't really revolutionise the gaming scene from the Gen7 period, so this one is an obvious wash. Gen2 is the forgotten generation for a reason. Everyone agrees Gen1 was absolutely horrible, but it was the first so who cares. Gen3 saw the rise of "proper" video games, but the games themselves weren't too interesting or inspiring, at least when comparing it to Gen4. The same reasoning is given to Gen5, where the 3D did give a boost to immersiveness, it fundamentally fell short in other aspects. Most developers focused on the crude 3D graphics and did little about the story-telling. So which are the contenders: .....So the SNES has a strong claim to the throne, because we finally had moving pictures on a screen tell a story that was believable (at least for children). That is revolutionary. However, Gen4 is actually not the "best gen" and reasoning behind this is because without the SNES, you're left with the NEC and Sega which weren't as immersive. Gen6 has a load of great titles on the PS2, very impressive graphics on the Xbox, and some neat exclusives on the GameCube (and Wii if that counts). Honestly, it's a well-rounded generation. And here it felt like story-telling or immersion was much improved. Removing the GameCube or Xbox doesn't make it a "bad gen" but the PS2 really did have a big input/influence. The biggest drawback is that online multiplayer was very niche at that point, or in some cases, it didn't work properly or supported. Gen7 did pretty up the graphics, and story-telling was as strong as the previous generation. Besides some hardware faults (covered under warranty), there wasn't much in the way of anti-consumer behaviour. We had strong online multiplayer in the Xbox 360, and also a decent PSN option which was free, whilst Nintendos efforts lied more on social aspects. Strong story-telling in the PS3, with some alternatives from MS and Nintendo. And if you wanted to something quirky like motion controls or tablet use there was the Nintendo WiiU (or Wii if that counts). And in terms of nostalgia, they all had some sort of backwards compatibility, either hardware or downloadables. Each console was successful and brought something to the table, that if you removed one, you still would be left with good options. WINNER: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii/U.
@@ekinteko Um, couple of quibbles with your rough guide list. - Atari 2600 should be Gen 2 (released in 1977). Atari 5200 & 7800 are arguably Gen 3, though not as nearly as important as NES & SMS. - You left out my favorite console ever: 5th gen Saturn next to its baby brother Dreamcast.
That joke was actually right on the edge of being cut out for not being family friendly enough. But then I thought "families talk about bathroom stuff all the time"
Finally a shout for the 7th. So many great titles a lot of which we are still playing came out during those two generations. I lean more to the 7th though. Its not because that's what I grew up with either because I've been here since the dawn of it all. Yes the retro stuff is great but I'm happy enough to get my nostalgia kick elsewhere now. Somewhere right between the new and the old.
@@whatwhatyep The late stuff feels more like movies than games but they were not quite there in the early days of the gen. The early days has straight up some of my favorite games of all time, like the Ratchet and Clank Future series
Ofcourse 16bit generation But i also love the third gen and also the 5th and 6th. But no more than that. I cant really connect to 7th and 8th eather im too old to try new things or ...
16-bit generation. Nowadays, the libraries on game consoles are like 90% identical (at least when it comes to Sony and Microsoft). With the SNES and Genesis, they were only around 20% identical. You had a few multi-platform games like Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, and Earthworm Jim...but just about everything else was a console exclusive. I do greatly prefer the SNES over the Genesis though. Even though the Genesis had a larger variety of games...I feel the SNES had the higher quality games. If you look at any "100 best games of all time" list, you'll most likely find several exclusive SNES games on there like Zelda: A Link the Past, Super Metroid, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, etc. Probably the only exclusive Genesis game you'll find on there would be one of the Sonic the Hedgehog games.
Being 35, I lived my early childhood with the 3rd gen and my early teen years with the 5th one, which I've both rediscovered recently. Plenty of good stuck on both sides. But let's be honest here for a sec: between the two, the SNES/Genesis combo is enough to earn the crown here AND you add the Grafx and the Geo to the mix? That's pretty much a no contest. Fourth gen wins: flawless victory! Great content as always
That’s how I feel, and I started with the 5th Gen and FFVII. 2D games just aged better, but since Americans never really experienced the Saturn library, which is a 2D powerhouse, if they did, they would be more Saturn mentions.
I know I’m late to the party, but my personal golden console generation was generation 5. There were so many new ideas overtaking the game industry with revolutionary titles like Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VII, Spyro, Tomb Raider, Smash Bros, Symphony of the Night, Resident Evil, etc.
I feel like the 2007-2012 period is underrated and gets little attention. 2008 with Dead Space? Solid 2009 with InFamous, Assassin's Creed II, and Arkham Asylum? Awesome 2010 with Red Dead Redemption? Fantastic 2011 with Dead Space 2, Arkham City, InFamous 2 *and* Skyrim? Unbeatable
I was never a PS1 guy but I sat down and played a majority of titles both American and Japanese, and quickly found it to be my favourite console. There's so much bizarre experimentation and creativity in fun game design on that thing. And that's primarily what I want out of games when I player older consoles.
Definitely the GameCube/PS2/Xbox gen. It was the biggest leap forward graphically, most likely by a wide margin. More features were added that we take for granted, such as autosave. Large companies were still innovating with wacky titles like Chibi Robo, Billy Hatcher, Katamari Damacy (sp?), Battalion Wars, etc. Graphics were almost modern, with most games running at least 480p at a solid 60 fps. Textures were often smooth and nice. We had online gaming, yet NO MICROTRANSACTIONS, and GAMES WERE COMPLETE ON DAY ONE WITH NO DOWNLOADS!!!
I will say 6th gen, though I have a huge amount of favorite games from nearly all generations of gaming. Even Atari has Battlezone, Moon Patrol, Super Breakout, Frogger, Asteroids, Missle Command etc.
I gotta go 6th gen.I think you nailed it on the head, the amount and frequency of releases that could keep you entertained for months on end was astounding as well as the sheer variety and creativity of them. It was the first gen where I managed to acquire all the systems (sans dreamcast) during their lifespan, and while we certainly weren't rich, when I did manage to find myself at a rental place or EB games or making a christmas or birthday list, the sky was the limit. I think 7th gen is the last real "retro" generation, and not just because of the amount of time since it. It was when several industry-altering trends and technologies were premiered and polished before changing the market and nature of gaming entirely in the 8th gen. The last gen where a large portion of consumers were still playing on "low def" TVs, the last gen before digital media overtook physical, the last gen before a constant online connection and use of an online service was an expectation of players, and the last gen before the monetization model of gaming shifted from a good to a service. Consoles and games were designed with these considerations in mind and it shows in the overall experience, which is much closer to memories old or new with our retro consoles than say, booting up an Xbone or a Switch. one more thing of note is that the 7th gen, for reasons I can only speculate on, had roughly twice the lifespan of previous generations. Earlier titles in it are often substantially different in scope, mechanics, and design than later ones. They don't feel like 6th gen games, but they sometimes feel like 6th gen games with a 32x and an expansion pack if that makes any sense.
I'm pretty sure we are the same age, the way you talk about SM64 is similar to my experience. Late 1996 being 8 years old and going to stores and playing super mario 64 on the kiosks and just having your mind blown at the open world 3d and endless paintings to jump in and explore. The graphics seemed amazing at the time, it's easy to compare it to games now but you'd need amnesia goggles to understand. Like today you can't be blown away by a photo realistic game, you'd just be like wow that looks great, law of diminishing returns.
Oh man, such a hard decision. Someone else commented 1989-2005 is really solid, and the 4th gen is my favorite and maybe "best" for me. But what does best mean? While not my favorite by any means, I think an argument could be made for the 5th generation purely for the Playstation. I know there were adults that played games before that but that system really brought something for all age groups. I was working at Toys R Us towards the end of the generation, and you just really saw so many different kinds of people buying different games. I think that gen really established games as not just a kids or a nerd thing, but really a mainstream thing for everyone that was here to stay. Gen 6th followed up and cemented that with the PS2 and Xbox.
The Sega Saturn without any doubt for me. I grow up with the Megadrive but the Saturn was way more amazing with rpg and fighting games. Of course this is a personal taste. The master system was very popular here ( Portugal) and my cousin and I played it a lot)
The best generation to live through for me was the 4th and 5th gen. But the 5th gen is harder to go back to. But man, I loved reading EGM and Next Generation. But my new favorite is 6th gen. GameCube has become my favorite.
My favourite generation is the 6th and 7th generation because I was just a kid when the 6th and 7th gen came out. Also my favourite 2d generation is the 2nd generation because I grew up playing my dads Atari 2600
Easy answer for me is 16-bit era as it has the most amount of games I return to, year after year. I do feel that there are generally great games each generation & retrospectively the 7th generation will be looked back on fondly as well. This is primarily due to games still being games back then (for the most part). As these were the days before, but also introduced day one patches & dlc. I also feel like each generation has something unique to it as well, which is why I enjoy playing all of them!
Nothing will ever beat the 3rd gen in my mind solely because of the NES. If you weren’t an elementary school student in the late 80s I don’t think you can understand what a huge deal it was and what an impact it had on the culture. No other system or generation has had the cultural impact since.
By the time we got to the 6th gen, I couldn't enjoy it as much because I went out a lot. I didn't have time to game because of work and outdoor hobbies. It wasn't until years later that 6th gen became my favorite.
Honestly I think the Xbox 360/PS3/Wii era was the best. So many great new franchises and awesome sequels to established franchises. HD and 3D gaming, motion controls, new casual gamer base, and online multiplayer and digital downloading became mainstream for console gaming.
I loved the Playstation/N64 era the most because that was the height of playing games with friends. I also watched a lot of single player games being played and even that was fun in that generation.
Games Played: Streets of Rage 2 (0:01), Contra III (0:10), Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando (0:25), Super Mario 64 (0:45), Rayman (1:10), Mega Man 3 (1:18), Metal Slug X (4:35), Katamari Damacy (7:10)
The way you push stuff into frame on your close shots is hilarious!
The obvious answer is whatever dumb name the Xbox gives for their equivalent to the Playstation 7. Obviously.
Chall time.🤫😝😮💨😮💨🍆
Ps2/GameCube/Xbox/Dreamcast era hands down, video games was at its peak developers were making masterpieces left and right, that’s where 3D gaming was refined to perfection.
I agree with this completely. The triple-A titles now are primarily just continuations of games introduced during this generation.
This
I'm with you on all that except the refined to perfection part. In terms of playability, yes. In terms of realism, there was still a long way to go. Human faces and animations still showed a lot of limitations. Cut scenes (close up shots) are where the limitations really showed but sports games with much wider camera angles could look realistic. It was a great era to be playing games.
@Divine Retribution Yeah, I'm with you on that. Close up angles and character animations have improved but still have a way to go in sports games. Still a lot of refining needed. Some other games present this much better but even movies aren't without their flaws in this area
I agree with ya somewhat, I will say that was the last generation that i got a "wow" factor, i havnt got that since the og xbox launch, but I was a teenager in the 32bit era and I have best memories tied to that
A single generation is difficult to crown....you get the feeling you're leaving something too important out. I know I'm cheating, but 1989-2005 is my personal golden age of gaming.
You are not wrong
Not wrong about that
Will we allow it? (looks around)... yeah, we'll allow it.
I agree I haven't moved past ps2
The Neo-Geo existed from 1990-2004 so that would give your argument a whole lot of credence.
5th gen. It lacks the refinement and accessibility of the gens on either side of it, but it spawned so many new genres while literally adding another dimension of immersion to existing ones. I feel the advancements made during its span were most impactful; You can distinguish a game developed late in the generation from an early game, far more than gens 4 and 6. It went from Club Drive to Gran Turismo inside a generation, from Doom-clones to Medal of Honor, from Ballz to Tekken 3, Iron Soldier to Armored Core...
That's a good point. There was quite a difference between games from 1995 and games from 1999. So much progression in one generation
Gen 4 / "16-bit era" has to be my favorite. The games were complex enough by that point to be engaging while still simple enough to be picked up and played in a little bit of spare time.
yep, I agree!! God i miss that era so much! After that the magic was gone.. 3D realism ruined it for me
Gen shmen. Can't we simply just say generation? Sorry, i don't particularly care for some gaming lingo. But the 16-bit era was my favorite as well.
@@HiNRGboy i personally prefer 8-bit or even 16-bit pixel graphics over the ultra realism of today's 3d games. Sure they look nice but i much prefer something like Ninja Warriors over Call of Duty. Pixel graphics appeal to me more.
I agree 8 and 16 are my favorite because they are just more simple and easy to jusy chill and play with a good bit of difficulty
@@COPS4BLOPS likewise!
6th Gen was when all three companies were running at full power. Graphics are still pretty good to go back to, and there were no patches, DLC or micro transactions.
The Original Xbox did technically have dlc but it wasn't bad like it is now they literally purposely remove content from the game to make extra money
The only time games did DLC on the Original Xbox is if sold well like Skyrim The Legend Of Zelda Breath Of The Wild Grand Theft Auto 5 Street Fighter 2 also the Sega Dreamcast did DLC
Star Wars Battlefront Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Star Wars Battlefront 2 Elder Scrolls 3 Morrowind and Ninja Gaiden are all examples of Games that had DLC during the original Xbox era apparently it was a good idea that ended up getting corrupted over time
Same! Especially the cell shaded games have aged pretty well! (Like Okami and Jet set radio for example).
@@ComicBooksandVideoGameNerd96 ps3/360/wii era was pretty good to
Genesis, Turbo Grafx 16 and SNES generation for me. I wasn't even alive for it, but dang, those libraries are insane.
Listen man let me tell you, as I was born in the great year of 82and had 2 older brothers who constantly had to have the top shelf games and it was without question the 16bit generation, the 32bit was great as well from the view point of a then Saturn owner
@@brettdulaney697 Born in 82 as well... Without question for me it's EVERYTHING that came about in the fourth generation, don't really know how or why but that's when game development really hit it's stride and almost everyone who made games where able to put out works that where bigger and crazier then anything else before it without being to concerned about development cost or sales!
Chrispy that’s interesting. I wasn’t born either but I only collect for the Neo Geo. Not necessarily into the libraries themselves like you are but just because you don’t have things like that anymore that are as impressive to me. Retro Bird
Born in 1980. The fourth generation was when games really started to mature and have stories, like Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star and Chrono Trigger. The creators had learned lessons from the third generation and everything was more refined. By and large, since games were still 2-D, they were running at 60 fps, making them feel smoother and faster, along with negligible load times from the cartridge format.
Since the hardware was so close at that time, Nintendo and Sega tried to outdo each other with software instead of hardware, at least until late in that era with Sega's bizarre hardware releases. All together, these combine to make what is probably one of the best eras in gaming.
I am only talking about my collecting standards.
I think the 6th generation and up are my favorite games. PS2 Wii PS3 are all good
The SNES, Genesis, TG-16, and Neo Geo is such a legendary lineup.
I agree. The 16-bit generation is the only one that had four awesome consoles. Actually, the GC/PS2/Xbox/DC generation also had 4 great consoles, but their game lineups weren't quite on the level of the 16-bit systems. If I had to choose a favorite console I'd pick the NES, but the 8-bit generation only had two good consoles (NES and SMS).
@@thewingedavenger1007 The Brits would want you to add the Commodore 64 to that 8-bit list.
Neo Geo is 24 bit
@@marcretro Still the same console generation as the SNES, Genesis, and TG-16.
@@marcretro Yes, the Neo Geo had the advantage of being a 24-bit system in a 16-bit era. If it hadn't been so expensive it probably would have won the console war.
I would say the 7th generation was the best because it made backwards compatibility more popular whether it was digital or physical and it also made video game consoles into multimedia devices showing how video game systems can be used for many other ways of entertainment.
pretty much. 7th gen is the best generation. The newest consoles after that are just iterations with better specs, obviously.
Agreed with this. Specifically the Wii which allowed for gameplay of all generations prior.
Your content is under appreciated in my opinion. 100k Subscribers, here we come 🍺
Thank you for your support as always, my friend :)
I think the 6th generation was the best. 3D graphics and, more importantly, controls were much more refined when compared to the 5th gen. You also still had publishers that were willing to publish new/unique games. That is something that started to die off in the 7th generation.
Yes every new modern technology in audio-video effects and meckanics in gamplay are invented in 6th generation, even online playing
I feel like the best console generation in terms of actually living through it is Gen 5 because the 3D games at the time were new, exciting, and not outdated like they are today but also had a slew of 2D games especially if you were one to import Japanese titles
Yeah, what you say at the end about Japanese titles is key. I was living in L.A. in the 90s and had several connections to import Saturn games. Many of the best 2D shmups and fighters of all time, plus other fun & quirky games that Sega of America decided (in their infinite wisdom) that westerners wouldn't want to play. Some of my friends were importing JP-PS1 games as well, quite a few gems there.
My friends and I could not believe the amazing games we were playing at home in that period 96-98. Saturn had great worldwide releases as well like Nights, Tomb Raider, the Panzer Dragoon games. And the PS1 and N64 game libraries consist of classic after classic. What a great era for console gaming ... nothing since has touched it, in my opinion.
My personal favourite is the 7th gen. I love all generations but the 7th is my favourite. It was the first time game graphics got somewhat realistic. And the games were very cinematic, which I really like. It’s also the generation that I remember playing as a little kid, so that is definitely a contributing factor to why I love it so much
6th gen was the best! Just like what generation 4 is to generation 3, the developers are already used to the tech resulting in technically impressive games. The shear amount of masterpieces and influential games across ALL four consoles is unbeatable. Also the game developing cost wasn't as high so there are many impressive experimental games as well.
Nah, but they were def great!!! I would say 6th gen is at least better than the xboxone/ps4 era and even the now ps5 era. The last good gen we had was the 36p era
@@redcrimson1028 6th gen is better than 7th gen period the Xbox 360 and the Wii was only good in the first half the PS3 became the the best place to play in the second half of the generation
6th gen is like from start to end is bangers all 4 consoles bangers
@@dxtremecaliber what consoles came out in the 6 gen again? In my book even in thr end 360 still spanked ps3, ps3 was crankin out the exclusives though, but I don't like all their exclusives, see where I'm going with that? I only like resistance and uncharted. I don't care much for God of War, gran tourism, Ratchet and clank or the last of us (which is a really great game by the way but still, I can live without that game)
7th gen is the best if you ask me. Motion controls, graphics that still hold up today, numerous good exclusives, quick system updates, and being able to play games from previous gens for a quick nostalgia fix. Nintendo spokespeople even came to my door to play Wii Sports with me. Truly a great generation.
Im subscribed to alot of gaming channels but i recently stumbled upon yours, watched a few vids and then hit that subscribe button as quick as i can.
First up, i gotta say that i like your funny witty personality and you great ideas for video content.
You remind me of the serverely underrated Dom from the youtube channel known as " its all fun and games "
Seriously you both look different but have the same quirky personality and unique ideas, topics, and funny humor when it comes to your video content. Id seriously check out his channel. Unfortunately dom left youtube and i was sad to see him go.
If you want to see what i mean... check out the video he did titled... "why i stopped 'collecting' video games".
I pick the 6th generation for its great library of 3D games that held up well but also you get a great wealth of 2D games with the GBA. Best of both worlds for me as I grew up with the GC and GBA
That's a good point actually :D I grew up with a ps2 and GameCube combined with a Gameboy player so it really was the best of both worlds
The 16 bit era is still my favorite. SNES, Genesis & Turbografx 16 are awesome consoles with a ton of great games.
I can't believe it's taken this long to come across this channel! It's all well stated, no words wasted, and I love the whimsy in the editing and that jingle at the end! Awesome, wholesome content! Good job! 😎👍
Thank you and welcome to the channel :)
Even though this is the 64th comment, gotta go with the 4th generation. Best level of competition and love the 16-bit style.
can’t believe I stumbled upon this awesome channel by accident I so glad I found it
Glad you found it too!
A lot of good points, and yes of course any ranking like this will be subjective to each gamer's tastes and gaming history. I've been able to experience all of the first 8 generations when they were out (starting with Pong games in the 70s, and my brothers and I had an Odyssey 4000 at home in '77, before switching over to Atari), and I can feel the strengths and weaknesses of each. Haven't bought into 9th gen yet, but I'm monitoring game releases and trends closely, and even though I'm generally underwhelmed I'll certainly get a PS5 in a couple of years to play a handful of cool JRPGs & action games. I consider Switch to be 8th gen and Dreamcast to be 5th gen (both of which I know are up for debate), and here are my rankings:
- 1. 5th gen - Nothing ever felt so special as the creative, new kinds of games during this era, especially out of Japan but also western 3D platformers. Those of us who imported Saturn games know how many 2D shmups/fighters were missed out in the west. Also, late 90s one of my favorite eras for PC gaming (next to early-mid 80s).
- 2. 4th gen - The best of 2D. PC Engine shmups, classic SNES JRPGs, and the Genesis' sense of fun & 90s excitement lift this above 6th gen for me.
- 3. 6th gen - Diverse games, great gameplay, the last era with a pervasive sense of fun.
- 4. 8th gen - A resurgence of varied games especially out of Japan ... but also the worldwide indie game scene just taking off, especially on Switch which has an amazing library. I may eventually rank this above 6th gen because of that variety, but right now nostalgia, RPGs, and 3D platformers keep 6th gen above it.
- 5. 3rd gen - Classic games which bring a lot of joy.
- 6. 7th gen - Plenty of great games to play here, but also plenty of soulless dreck.
- 7. 2nd gen - Loved the Atari, Intellivision, Colecovision at the time ... but let's be honest, in the early 80s all the best games were in the arcades. In the mid-80s, my home gaming was mostly playing RPGs and adventure games on Apple IIe rather than console games.
- 8. 1st gen - Very fond memories of this time playing games with my brothers, but games were very limited in their scope.
I'll be interested to read others' opinions and friendly disagreements. Cheers!
Sounds like my dad he was practically there from the beginning. I mean I am the first generation to have one of my parents grow up with video games. When he was 5 and in kindergarten Circa 1974 he had a friend he would visit and play the Magnavox Oddesy when it still had some relevancy and from then on he was there to see The second gen (Advanced Line and dots) , Third gen (crude 2D), Fourth gen (Better or perfected 2D), fifth gen (crude 3D), sixth gen (Better or perfected 3D), etc..... Heck I benefited from the Fifth generation being my first cause of my dad.
The 4th generation war was my favorite. Gloves off, no holds barred, man. I still have PTSD. Blast Processing vs. Playing It Loud.
Oh man, that was a time to be alive!
What I remember fondly in retrospective about the 4th generation (snes / Genesis console war) is all the conversations/arguments/fights we had in school each defending "our" console. I had a Sega Genesis and I loved it. But deep inside I also knew there were other games I couldn't play at home because they were in the "other" console.
6th generation for sure. Peak. Right before the dark times, right before patches and DLC.
Anything from 4th-7th generations are all amazing. Anything beforehand is a bit too primitive for me with some exceptions of course. Really wasn't a fan of the 8th gen. Aside from the rise of indie games, it hasn't been a good 8 years. Hopefully, we'll look back on this as the dark age of gaming. The 5th or 6th generation will end up being my favorite for sure. Such an experimental time, so many games that could never be made nowadays because it wasn't as corporate and creators could make weird unique awesome games.
Couldn't say, I grew up with the Wii. However, I started my collection with F-Zero on the SNES and a CRT this week. We may not be the majority but I know lots of people my age that are passionate about retro games. I think there's still a good future ahead for the hobby. Your channel is one of my favorites by the way, keep it up!
@Gengar Yea I've heard it used to be ridiculously cheap! Regardless, better now than later right? I'm trying my best not to waste my money on stuff I won't play
1:55 "... nowadays instead of asking people 'Do you find life to be meaningful?', I just ask 'Do you play video games?'"
Best Retro Bird line EVER.
Snes. Amazing controller and sound chip. The games speak for themselves.
TurboGrafx-16...The console with game cards that's the size of a credit card, but the TGCD add-on was the console to pioneer in games being played on optical media.
Thank you Retrobird for finally giving the Master System the recognition it deserves! I'm from the Netherlands myself and grew up with the Master System. Sega sold more Master Systems and Megadrives then Nintendo sold their consoles in Europe. But because of the main infuences from American blog/vloggers a lot of people over here are thinking that Nintendo sold more. Which is sad because what Sega did accomplish in Europe is a real Goliath story. Megadrive is still my favorite console ans I still kiss my Rocket Knight Adventures asleep every night.
I figured people from other parts of the world would appreciate that. I'm always down to show Sega some love too!
In America the Sega Master System was the third place system. The Atari 7800 beat out the Master System in America.
As a huge SNES fan, I also have an interest in Genesis as well because many of the games are similar on both systems. But some games look different. Batman Returns is different on both consoles. The SNES version is a beat 'em up, and the Genesis version is a platformer. One obscure game I like is Super Chase HQ. This is a fun game where you play as a cop and chase down outlaws on a highway. You have to ram into their cars to disable them. Both ports are different, because the SNES version has a first person perspective, and the Genesis version is 3rd person. Some people might say "why not put the same version on both systems"? But I think it's cool that I can play 2 different versions of a game.
Glad somebody realized this. Thats what i loved about that era the games werw differwnt on each system and utilize each syatem strengths , basically being creative
Agreed 100%. I really love the Genesis version of Jurassic Park, since you can be a riptor in it
A major challenge in the preservation of the 7th gen experience is keeping the online multiplayer component alive. A lot of the nostalgia of that era comes from memories of a vibrant online community of people playing Call of Duty and Halo. What's great about the 4th and 6th generations is that you can play those games exactly how they were experienced back in their heyday.
Dude, you're such an excellent creator. Best of luck to your channel and hope you keep putting out those awesome videos.
Thanks so much! I appreciate you saying that :)
The more comfortable and solid: sixth.
Most intriguing from the past to learn about: 16bit or fifth
Enjoy for its gimmicks and solid experiences: seventh
Also nice showing the PC-FX or Neo Geo successor in there. That Gizmondo bit was also a surprise. Either way some good skits/points in this one, a good approach to the video then I would have thought.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the way I tackled it :)
You deserve at least 1M subs, your channel is like a rare hidden gem.
Thank you for the continued support :)
@@RetroBirdGaming No problem!
@@RetroBirdGaming I posted another comment about your video's question!
Another awesome video, I'v always loved you camera angle you use when showing gameplay, super cool!
I’m not going to say that one generation of consoles is the best (especially considering my love for Atari) but rather I’ll say that I feel video gaming peaked somewhere in the 16-bit era.
They peaked when open world games became a thing.
I like the most either the n64 area or ps2 /GameCube area
I am going with 5th Gen. The Best blend of games ever. You had the Pinnacle of 2D in this Gen with the Saturn especially and the PS1 to some degree. This Gen was a Shmup and RPG lovers Haven as well with the PS1 and Saturn. The 3D games that came out here are unforgettable and revolutionary. I think Ocarina of time is still the highest rated game ever to this day. This was also when gaming was all about gaming and not ran by Sony and Microsoft with Dvd players and FPS Galore. There was still so much experimentation and imagination during this Generation. The N64 was a Muliplayer powerhouse. So fun. The Saturn has one of the Best Controllers of all time and hell the PS1 Dual Shock is still being used in an advanced form today. This was also at the perfect time where developers still had to focus more on the game play and writing to make you feel something because voice acting was as prevalent as it would become later. Also, the music in this Gen is incredible. There are so many games that have amazing soundtracks here. Plug a PS1 or a Saturn to a Crt with HD Retrovision Component cables and the N64 to a Crt with a Monster S Video cable and the visuals will look very nice. Much respect and love to the other Gens but this will be my fav followed by the 4th gen, then the 6th gen, then the 8th Gen, then the 3rd, then the 9th, and finally the 7th.
5th gen was also the best time for PC games on top of it all IMO. AOE, Starcraft, Diablo, Grim Fandango, Quake, and the list goes on etc. Check Wikipedia for the full list of games that came out in 96/97/98. It is fucking insane that we received so many games so often, many considered the best of all time to this day. And you really need to own all four platforms to experience it all.
@@edwest2263 You are so RIGHT! I didn’t even think about PC bit yeah. Amazing time in PC games too and it was still at the time where PC and console releases felt separate and different from each other. Some others I loved around that time maybe a little before or after were Warcraft II Tides of Darkness, Command and Conquer, and the Original Baldur’s Gate along with Tales of the Sword Coast Expansion.
@@edwest2263 Totally agree that 96/97/98 game releases may be unmatched forever ... and I've been gaming since 77!
I like the 5th gen just because of the ps1 and sega Saturn but I really didn't care for the N64.
@@alfredocanas6802 I loved the N64 more as a kid but the Saturn and PS1 have aged better for sure although there are still some great 64 titles.
Subjectively: 4th and 5th generations. The Sega Genesis and Sega Saturn are my all time favourite consoles and still have some of my favourite games on them.
Objectively: Probably 6th gen. It was when developers finally got a proper grip on 3D games, the hardware was up to scratch, and we had not hit the generation of day one patches yet.
Sega Saturn was so underrated. Such a great catalog Japanese only shooters and arcade games. I would have voted 5th soley for that
If not for the Gamecube it definitely be my favorite console.
Great video! I'm still a NES guy but I admit that is pure nostalgia. I played NES all thr time and never owned a SNES until I was an adult. After NES I didn't get back into gaming heavy until Dreamcast which I bought as soon as it released. I got it shortly after getting married and my wife and I had a lot of fun playing mostly Soul Caliber and Crazy Taxi. I bought a PS3 on release day and it is still one of my all time favorite systems. PS4 didn't hit my buttons the same way.
I finally just bought a Switch and have gone all in, even bought my wife her own Switch Lite. This latest Nintendo system is so great to me because it embraces retro type games while still providing modern experiences. I still value gameplay and fun factor above graphics so the Switch has hit homerun for me.
So to the question of which generation is best? I have no idea... I am not really a fan of much of what we got in the 5th gen with N64 and first Playstation but I appreciate what those systems led to. I own nearly every system made at this point in my life and still fire each one up for certain games when I get the itch.
I grew up with a PS3. Did not apreciate it untill much older. Which are your favorite PS3 games?
Hey mate! Great young/small channel you have with tons of growth potential and can't wait to see where you go! Keep putting in the time and it'll pay off, you've got a good thing going. If you ever want to team up on anything (videos), let me know! I don't have the time to put out too many videos but would always be interested in fun opportunities. Cheers!
I feel like I just found a gem in this channel
Feel like I found a gem in a viewer! Welcome aboard :)
My fav is definitely the 6th gen. I love the amount of experimentation that went on in that gen. So many unique and creative games released in that gen. In addition it was still at a point where visuals could still really wow players. I remember being utterly taken aback by Shadow of The Colossus and the enemies the game expected you to fight.
Great video as always Retro Bird!
Thank you!
This may be my favorite video yet!Nintendo and Turbografx 16 were my favorite.
between 4th and 5th generation everyone was inovating to the point that opening magazines talking about the upcoming releases was a thrill by itself. I think those were the most exciting times, even though it might not have the "best" games(wich i disagree, but whatevah).
Honestly despite my love for the SNES/Genesis generation the PS2/Xbox/Dreamcast generation was such a pinnacle moment in gaming for me. So many good games that I thought looked amazing at the time haha.
While we all may like a different generation in gaming , I think we all have to agree the ending theme lyrics to your videos are untouchable and infectious. I laugh at it more than I care to admit.
Glad I found your channel.
Thank you! I'm glad to have you around as well :)
Had a heart attack seeing the TG-16, neo geo, genesis, and snes that close to a stove fire.
Haha. Believe me, I made sure they were more than safe :)
Agree, my 11-year-old son was sitting next to me, and we totally freaked out!!
I'm glad I wasn't alone on that. I knew they would be safe because Retro Bird loves those, but at the same time I was like "please be careful and never do this again."
Meanwhile, not one person was bothered seeing that Xbox 360 go into the oven. 😂
Retro Bird is the most consistent Bird of all time
Lol this guy content be so good and hella funny for example the wii selling more than the snes 😂😂😂 that brain lag was real! Thank you!
Glad you like it! Thanks :)
In a sort of "desert island" situation where I had to pick only one generation for the rest of my life, I could be happy with 4, 5, or 6. I love NES, but most of those games were still a little too simple, comparatively.
Best experience at the time goes to Gen 4 for me. Best overall library looking back is Gen 6 though.
Your ending song sounds so much like a song that’d be in Homestar Runner
The 16bit era (aka. 4th generation) was definitely my favorite. That was the time went sprite based graphics was reaching it's zenith and the blocky infancy of 3D graphics was just emerging.
The best part is that the recent slew of mini consoles allows consumers to easily relive those days with instant collections of classic games.
My go to answer was the incredible Genesis /Snes rivalry of the early 90s! I mean, the marketing blitz was amazing! How could you argue with "blast processing!"? Ya cant! However, as a budding teenager with raging hormones, I gotta give it to the amazing Playstation/N64/Saturn Trifecta. Walking into my friends older brothers room in 95, and hearing "Daaay-TOO-nah, let's go away!" with the Hornet car bumping along will forever be burned in my memory. Jaw on the floor. Later that year purchasing my Ps one and only having the demo disc to play for 3 months as they hadn't started renting out the disc's at launch. And BTW, you know EXACTLY where you were when you first plaged Mario 64!
Retro B, your channel is criminally under-subscribed to.
Thanks for the kind words!
The fifth was definitely my favorite, I love the 64, but the fourth was probably the best as it was the generation of the SNES, likely the best console of all time.
5th is actually first consoles I collected for, I have the main 3
I started playing in the 2600 days, so there's no way for me to pick an absolute favorite generation; watching the evolution of games as it happened has been quite the experience. The 4th generation was the first time I'd ever had the chance to play game collections on "modern" hardware (with games like Williams Arcade Greatest Hits on the SNES), but even that experience has been improved upon through the years. Every generation has had strong points as well as low points, and the gap of those highs and lows seems to get wider with every generation.
That said, I'll just go with the "I love them all" stance.
Overall? My vote would be 6th gen. Dreamcast, Gamecube, PS2, Xbox. It struck juuuuuust the right balance. The graphics were really good but still LOOKED like videogames, the games were just the right length to really feel like you were getting your money's worth without overstaying their welcome, there was a very wide selection of different genres represented without it feeling like one genre was more dominant than the others and each console's library of exclusives felt different enough from the other consoles that choosing which console to get was actually a legit decision to make and there really was no wrong answer. The generations before had some of these qualities but not all of them and, with the exception of Nintendo who always did their own thing, the generations after felt way too similar to each other and had less diverse games.
6th gen for me. All 4 consoles offered something different and each had great exclusives. No gimmicks, DLC, patches or micro tranctions to deal with. Games were complete and original. But I must admit the 9th generation has blown me away so far.
16 bit wars for sure!
My fave was PS3/360. I remember watching a football game and the Gears of War Mad World commercial came on and my dad said "WOW" when he saw it. He never played or talked about video games before. I was a PS3 boy and even I was drooling over the graphics. 7th gen was the sweet spot where the graphics were good enough and games didn't take 7 years to come out. We fucking got trilogies of games in a single generation. Now you're lucky if 2 games in a series comes out in a decade.
What a great topic, you excelled this time Retrobird.
My fave as to be the 8bit generation, the 3rd Gen Master system and Commodore64 years. Awesome games and times. Second best is the Amiga and Atari ST years from 1991 to 1996. Back in the day in the UK, you had a 16 bit computer and you was the man or woman.
For me 6th gen. You still had experimental games and publishers tried to sell complete games based on their quality instead of monetising dlc and microtransactions.
Technically my favorite generation would be the 5th generation, but really it's just that the N64 is my favorite console. And it's my favorite pretty much only because of all the fantastic Rare games, plus a few other titles like F-Zero X and Doom 64. Scoot over Mario Kart, I've got a date with Diddy Kong Racing! Super Mario 64? Never heard of it, have you, Banjo-Kazooie? And so on.
Great video! Labeling the best generation is going to be impossible for me. As a boy I went from a 2600 to a NES (a masterclass trade by my dad) and was blown away. From that point on, I have been incredibly impressed with the technical advancements found in each generation. There is literally something for anyone now....if you can afford it is a different conversation. Lol.
Despite having grown up with all generations my favourite was the lucky 7th. It covers lots of different generations what with backwards compatibility and compilations. It gave us the live arcade and I think creatively studios hit their peak during its cycle. Plus the fact its still supported two generations down the line is a miracle. I am about to get an 8th gen console though and I'm sticking with xbox as my number one choice. My children rock the other two so we have lots of bases covered over here.
The first half of this gen was glorious
For me too, the handhelds were also excellent. Many happy memories.
@@rac1equalsbestgame853 Exactly, the final years were kind of bad with the Wii losing steam, and the other 2 consoles embracing predatory publisher practices like microtransactions, online passes, excessive pre-order bonuses, etc... But overall it had so much going for it, especially it you add the handhelds.
@@19Szabolcs91 The PSP and DS were muah (even if the PSP is more like a portable PS1 to me)
The Wii still had some good games, namely Super Mario Galazy 2 (personally prefer 1 though) and Skyward Sword.
I can't think of anything Xbox 360 and PS3 wise, Infamous 2, GTAV, and Sly 4 and some multiplats like the Rayman games. Nothing else comes to mind.
I would have said the 4th for the SNES for most of my life... but now I'm leaning towards the 5th for the PS1. I just love its games and how they look.
PS2, XBOX, Dreamcast and Gamecube
PS2 wins in sales
XBOX wins in power
Gamecube wins in 1st party games
Dreamcast won our heart
I think gamecube was more powerful than other consoles, dreamcast was very powerful too but it didn't have enough time to shine in that category,
I just discovered your channel yesterday and you make excellent content! Keep up the great work.
Thank you and welcome to the channel :)
4th Gen was great
5th Gen is revolutionary
Great era of gaming
As a rough guide/reminder:
Gen 1: Atari Pong/Nintendo CTG/Coleco Telstar
Gen 2: Phillips Odyssey2/Mattel IntelliVision/ColecoVision
Gen 3: Atari 2600/NES/Sega Master
Gen 4: NEC TG16/Sega Genesis/SNES
Gen 5: N64/PS1/DreamCast
Gen 6: PS2/GameCube/Xbox
Gen 7: Xbox 360/PS3/WiiU
Gen 8: Switch/Xbox One/PS4
Gen 9: Xbox SS/PS5/Xbox SX
@@ekinteko Unfortunately I think Atari 2600 is Gen 2, Sega Saturn is Gen 5 and Dreamcast is Gen 6. Otherwise, its a decent guide
What each Generation roughly represents:
Gen1 - started it
Gen2 - forgotten generation
Gen3 - Proper 2D images starting
Gen4 - More immersive 2D sprites and Sound
Gen5 - Proper speech audio, crude 3D images
Gen6 - Fleshed out 3D gaming
Gen7 - High Definition gaming AND online multiplayer
Gen8 - FHD gaming, subscription services
Gen9 - Proper hardware upgrades to SSD/CPU/Graphics to achieve great 4K gaming
I think the strongest contenders for the "best gen" are ones where they were revolutionary and immersive for gamers. Here's the generations that are not in the contender for "best":
.......Gen9 is a little too early to tell. Gen8 has finished, and we've gotten some good times with it, but, it also had some bad business issues. From privacy, to subscriptions, microtransactions, and mainly anti-consumer behaviour. On top, it didn't really revolutionise the gaming scene from the Gen7 period, so this one is an obvious wash. Gen2 is the forgotten generation for a reason. Everyone agrees Gen1 was absolutely horrible, but it was the first so who cares. Gen3 saw the rise of "proper" video games, but the games themselves weren't too interesting or inspiring, at least when comparing it to Gen4. The same reasoning is given to Gen5, where the 3D did give a boost to immersiveness, it fundamentally fell short in other aspects. Most developers focused on the crude 3D graphics and did little about the story-telling.
So which are the contenders:
.....So the SNES has a strong claim to the throne, because we finally had moving pictures on a screen tell a story that was believable (at least for children). That is revolutionary. However, Gen4 is actually not the "best gen" and reasoning behind this is because without the SNES, you're left with the NEC and Sega which weren't as immersive.
Gen6 has a load of great titles on the PS2, very impressive graphics on the Xbox, and some neat exclusives on the GameCube (and Wii if that counts). Honestly, it's a well-rounded generation. And here it felt like story-telling or immersion was much improved. Removing the GameCube or Xbox doesn't make it a "bad gen" but the PS2 really did have a big input/influence. The biggest drawback is that online multiplayer was very niche at that point, or in some cases, it didn't work properly or supported.
Gen7 did pretty up the graphics, and story-telling was as strong as the previous generation. Besides some hardware faults (covered under warranty), there wasn't much in the way of anti-consumer behaviour. We had strong online multiplayer in the Xbox 360, and also a decent PSN option which was free, whilst Nintendos efforts lied more on social aspects. Strong story-telling in the PS3, with some alternatives from MS and Nintendo. And if you wanted to something quirky like motion controls or tablet use there was the Nintendo WiiU (or Wii if that counts). And in terms of nostalgia, they all had some sort of backwards compatibility, either hardware or downloadables. Each console was successful and brought something to the table, that if you removed one, you still would be left with good options.
WINNER: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii/U.
@@ekinteko Um, couple of quibbles with your rough guide list.
- Atari 2600 should be Gen 2 (released in 1977). Atari 5200 & 7800 are arguably Gen 3, though not as nearly as important as NES & SMS.
- You left out my favorite console ever: 5th gen Saturn next to its baby brother Dreamcast.
9:34 well that wasn't an image I was expecting to see in my head on this fine Saturday morning lol.
That joke was actually right on the edge of being cut out for not being family friendly enough. But then I thought "families talk about bathroom stuff all the time"
6th Gen followed by the first half of the 7th gen are my favorites 😁
Finally a shout for the 7th. So many great titles a lot of which we are still playing came out during those two generations. I lean more to the 7th though. Its not because that's what I grew up with either because I've been here since the dawn of it all. Yes the retro stuff is great but I'm happy enough to get my nostalgia kick elsewhere now. Somewhere right between the new and the old.
@@whatwhatyep The late stuff feels more like movies than games but they were not quite there in the early days of the gen. The early days has straight up some of my favorite games of all time, like the Ratchet and Clank Future series
Kind of weird to think that none of this will matter in the end.
Ofcourse 16bit generation
But i also love the third gen and also the 5th and 6th. But no more than that. I cant really connect to 7th and 8th eather im too old to try new things or ...
16-bit generation. Nowadays, the libraries on game consoles are like 90% identical (at least when it comes to Sony and Microsoft). With the SNES and Genesis, they were only around 20% identical. You had a few multi-platform games like Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, and Earthworm Jim...but just about everything else was a console exclusive.
I do greatly prefer the SNES over the Genesis though. Even though the Genesis had a larger variety of games...I feel the SNES had the higher quality games. If you look at any "100 best games of all time" list, you'll most likely find several exclusive SNES games on there like Zelda: A Link the Past, Super Metroid, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, etc. Probably the only exclusive Genesis game you'll find on there would be one of the Sonic the Hedgehog games.
New Video!!!, Awesome!!! 👍
Being 35, I lived my early childhood with the 3rd gen and my early teen years with the 5th one, which I've both rediscovered recently. Plenty of good stuck on both sides.
But let's be honest here for a sec: between the two, the SNES/Genesis combo is enough to earn the crown here AND you add the Grafx and the Geo to the mix? That's pretty much a no contest. Fourth gen wins: flawless victory!
Great content as always
That’s how I feel, and I started with the 5th Gen and FFVII. 2D games just aged better, but since Americans never really experienced the Saturn library, which is a 2D powerhouse, if they did, they would be more Saturn mentions.
6th gen good variety graphics were ironed out and 99% of the time we got a finished product
I know I’m late to the party, but my personal golden console generation was generation 5. There were so many new ideas overtaking the game industry with revolutionary titles like Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VII, Spyro, Tomb Raider, Smash Bros, Symphony of the Night, Resident Evil, etc.
My favourite generation is the current one because its the only one I've properly experienced.
Ps5?
@@manirahnema9585 PS4, Xbox one and Switch
Just picked up a Turbo Grafx, oh man I'm anxious to dive in!
7th gen. Easy
Weird way to say 4th but il give you some slack.
I feel like the 2007-2012 period is underrated and gets little attention.
2008 with Dead Space? Solid
2009 with InFamous, Assassin's Creed II, and Arkham Asylum? Awesome
2010 with Red Dead Redemption? Fantastic
2011 with Dead Space 2, Arkham City, InFamous 2 *and* Skyrim? Unbeatable
Nokia Gaming
I was never a PS1 guy but I sat down and played a majority of titles both American and Japanese, and quickly found it to be my favourite console. There's so much bizarre experimentation and creativity in fun game design on that thing. And that's primarily what I want out of games when I player older consoles.
Definitely the GameCube/PS2/Xbox gen. It was the biggest leap forward graphically, most likely by a wide margin. More features were added that we take for granted, such as autosave.
Large companies were still innovating with wacky titles like Chibi Robo, Billy Hatcher, Katamari Damacy (sp?), Battalion Wars, etc.
Graphics were almost modern, with most games running at least 480p at a solid 60 fps. Textures were often smooth and nice.
We had online gaming, yet NO MICROTRANSACTIONS, and GAMES WERE COMPLETE ON DAY ONE WITH NO DOWNLOADS!!!
I will say 6th gen, though I have a huge amount of favorite games from nearly all generations of gaming.
Even Atari has Battlezone, Moon Patrol, Super Breakout, Frogger, Asteroids, Missle Command etc.
I gotta go 6th gen.I think you nailed it on the head, the amount and frequency of releases that could keep you entertained for months on end was astounding as well as the sheer variety and creativity of them. It was the first gen where I managed to acquire all the systems (sans dreamcast) during their lifespan, and while we certainly weren't rich, when I did manage to find myself at a rental place or EB games or making a christmas or birthday list, the sky was the limit.
I think 7th gen is the last real "retro" generation, and not just because of the amount of time since it. It was when several industry-altering trends and technologies were premiered and polished before changing the market and nature of gaming entirely in the 8th gen. The last gen where a large portion of consumers were still playing on "low def" TVs, the last gen before digital media overtook physical, the last gen before a constant online connection and use of an online service was an expectation of players, and the last gen before the monetization model of gaming shifted from a good to a service. Consoles and games were designed with these considerations in mind and it shows in the overall experience, which is much closer to memories old or new with our retro consoles than say, booting up an Xbone or a Switch.
one more thing of note is that the 7th gen, for reasons I can only speculate on, had roughly twice the lifespan of previous generations. Earlier titles in it are often substantially different in scope, mechanics, and design than later ones. They don't feel like 6th gen games, but they sometimes feel like 6th gen games with a 32x and an expansion pack if that makes any sense.
I think the 90's Era was if not the best one of the besr. The last good generation we had was the 360/ps3 era, everything after that is a wash.
I'm pretty sure we are the same age, the way you talk about SM64 is similar to my experience. Late 1996 being 8 years old and going to stores and playing super mario 64 on the kiosks and just having your mind blown at the open world 3d and endless paintings to jump in and explore. The graphics seemed amazing at the time, it's easy to compare it to games now but you'd need amnesia goggles to understand. Like today you can't be blown away by a photo realistic game, you'd just be like wow that looks great, law of diminishing returns.
Oh man, such a hard decision. Someone else commented 1989-2005 is really solid, and the 4th gen is my favorite and maybe "best" for me. But what does best mean? While not my favorite by any means, I think an argument could be made for the 5th generation purely for the Playstation. I know there were adults that played games before that but that system really brought something for all age groups. I was working at Toys R Us towards the end of the generation, and you just really saw so many different kinds of people buying different games. I think that gen really established games as not just a kids or a nerd thing, but really a mainstream thing for everyone that was here to stay. Gen 6th followed up and cemented that with the PS2 and Xbox.
The Sega Saturn without any doubt for me. I grow up with the Megadrive but the Saturn was way more amazing with rpg and fighting games.
Of course this is a personal taste.
The master system was very popular here ( Portugal) and my cousin and I played it a lot)
The best generation to live through for me was the 4th and 5th gen. But the 5th gen is harder to go back to. But man, I loved reading EGM and Next Generation. But my new favorite is 6th gen. GameCube has become my favorite.
My favourite generation is the 6th and 7th generation because I was just a kid when the 6th and 7th gen came out. Also my favourite 2d generation is the 2nd generation because I grew up playing my dads Atari 2600
Easy answer for me is 16-bit era as it has the most amount of games I return to, year after year. I do feel that there are generally great games each generation & retrospectively the 7th generation will be looked back on fondly as well. This is primarily due to games still being games back then (for the most part). As these were the days before, but also introduced day one patches & dlc. I also feel like each generation has something unique to it as well, which is why I enjoy playing all of them!
Nothing will ever beat the 3rd gen in my mind solely because of the NES. If you weren’t an elementary school student in the late 80s I don’t think you can understand what a huge deal it was and what an impact it had on the culture. No other system or generation has had the cultural impact since.
Check out this 20/20 video from 1988 for some perspective on the NES’s impact: ruclips.net/video/yt4KG9ib8S4/видео.html
By the time we got to the 6th gen, I couldn't enjoy it as much because I went out a lot. I didn't have time to game because of work and outdoor hobbies. It wasn't until years later that 6th gen became my favorite.
Honestly I think the Xbox 360/PS3/Wii era was the best. So many great new franchises and awesome sequels to established franchises. HD and 3D gaming, motion controls, new casual gamer base, and online multiplayer and digital downloading became mainstream for console gaming.
I loved the Playstation/N64 era the most because that was the height of playing games with friends. I also watched a lot of single player games being played and even that was fun in that generation.