Summary

• The Magnavox Odyssey laid the foundation for home video game consoles, introducing cartridges and controllers.
• Nintendo's Virtual Boy, although short-lived, paved the way for impressive 3D visuals in gaming.
• The Neo-Geo AES brought arcade-quality gaming to homes by seamlessly scaling sprites and innovative features.

The Magnavox Odyssey was the first home video game console to hit the market back in 1972. Although very primitive, the Odyssey gave us cartridges and controllers, a standard to this day. Since then, the video game industry has made leaps in technology through hardware and software. Many pioneers who pushed the envelope had to be Nintendo, Sony, and even Atari, despite causing the video game crash of꧟ 1983.

With a history spanning over 50ꦡ years, we will take a look at some of the consoles which innovated and shook the industry by adding feaꩵtures, improving graphics, and expanding capabilities.

10 💛 Virtual ꦉBoy

Nintendo's failure was an interesting 'portable' console that displayed the industry's first monochromatic 3D visuals with graphics rendered only in black and red. The Virtual Boy was promoted as a portable system as its two screens were embedded in a visor held on a stand, making it look awkward.

Although only lasting for about a year, the console did have potential if it did display full color as the 3D effect was still impressive for 1995. Being the first 3D console, it paved the way for one of Nintendo's greatest handhelds, the 3DS. Some Virtual Boy exclusives include Mario Clash, Wario Land, and Red Alarm.

9 ꦦ PlayStation

Originally planned as an add-on for the Super Nintendo, the PlayStation was Sony's successful debut on the video game market. While Nintendo and Sega were busy fighting the 16-bit war, Sony entered the fight with its 32-bit console that boasted true 3D. Sega introduced the 32-bit Saturn, but many consumers were turned off by its price and lack of software, making the PlayStation appear in more homes.

Besides playing games, the PlayStation was able to play music CDs, and had a rumble embedded inside the dual-shock controller, and had limited internet connectivity. There were 𝕴168澳洲幸运5开奖网:many revolutionary titles on the PlayStation, such as Metal Gear 𝓀Solid, 𒀰Final Fantasy 7, Resident Evil, and Tekken 3.

8 𝓡 NEO-GEO AES

True arcade-quality games could finally be played at home since the Neo-Geo AES was arcade hardware brought to your living room. While the price was expensive, SNK's console came bundled with two high-quality arcade sticks and a game. However, other game cartridges cost $199.99 USD.

The 24-bit system had revolutionary features, such as the use of memory cards which could also be used on Neo-Geo arcade cabinets to transfer and store data, and the seamless scaling of sprites. The AES was a powerhouse of many fighting games that are still thriving to this day, such as Tꦗhe King of Fighters, Samurai Showdown, and Fatal Fury.

7 N-Gage

20 years ago, it wasn't common to play video games on our cell phones, but that didn't stop Nokia from attempting to deliver a handheld console experience to our cellular devices. The N-Gage is often mocked for looking like a taco, especially when a phone call is answered.

Many features include phone calls, text messaging, and a mp3 player. While many games were hit or miss, some notable entries included the ports of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Tomb Raider, which heavily resemble their PlayStation counterparts, making their 3D graphics comparable to the Nintendo DS two years earlier. Although a failure, the N-Gage will always be remembered in gaming history.

6 TurboGrafx 16 ✨ ꦚ

The TurboGrafx 16 was released in 1989 in America꧟, while named the PC Engine in Japan two years prio🐬r. It was the first 16-bit home console before Nintendo or Sega. Software also strayed away from cartridges, and preferred cards that held the game chip. Controllers also had the unique feature of having a turbo mode.

In 1989, the TurboGrafx included a CD add-on, making it the first console to play CD games and further expanding its library. Many of the most impressive games include Nack Set,🔴 Castlevania: Dracula X, and Splatterhouse🍃.

5 ౠ TurboExpress

Riding off from the TurboGrafx 16, the TurboExpress was a portable version of the home console. While Nintendo's Game Boy dominated the handheld market, NEC's portable console had a backlit and colored screen.

You could also buy a TV tuner, which enables the console to display TV channels, which is obsolete now but impressive at the time. Although the Express did not have original titles of its own, the over 600 entries of the TurboGrafx 16's library more than made up for that.

4 PlayStation Portable 🐟

The biggest leap for handheld consoles, the PlayStation Portable was a hit since launch as it displayed many features and graphics that were more imposing than Nintendo's offering through the Game Boy Advanced and DS and Nokia's N-Gage. The features included multimedia (movies and music), Wi-Fi access, a web browser, and more.

The PSP was an all-in-one entertainment device; it lasted a decade through its many revisions, limited editions and color ways, and endless software. The PSP also had access to download software, a common practice nowadays. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The best games we🌄re God of War,🐻 Star Wars: Battlefront 2, and Patapon.

3 Xbox 360

The s𝓡eventh generation of game consoles began with the launch of the Xbox 360. The 360 improved from the original Xbox by having better internet connectivity with its revamped live service. Games never looked better, as the new high-definition graphics made video game worlds, like those of Halo 3 or Gears of War, feel alive.

Through its lifespan, the 360 became a multimedia powerhouse. It could play games and watch and stream content, and it also had solid online play and expandable memory. It could even play games using the Kinect, a camera and senso🌜r peripheraꦡl where your body was remote.

2 PlayStation 2 💦

The PlaySt💙ation 2 is one of the best-selling video game consoles of all time, giving it one of the longest lifespans for any console. The PS2 did everything the PS1 did and did it better. The PS2 also played DVDs, making it a no-brainer for many of us to bring it into our homes at the time.

The PS2 also had great backwards compatibility, as you can literally use all the software and hardware from the original PlayStation. Some of the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:best PS2 games of all time were Def Jam: Fight for NY, Grand Theft Auto: San An꧒dreas, and Twisted Metal: Black.

1 Dreamcast

Despite being one of Nintendo's biggest competitors back in the '90s, Sega eventually made bad business decisions that caused it to almost go bankrupt. The Dreamcast was Sega's last great effort before it switched to being a software developer. Sega put all its effort into the Dreamcast's graphics, and put an end to the bit-wars as it boasted impressive video game models, textures, and effects that couldn't be found on competitor consoles.

The console also had a stable internet connection, which was one of the first major instances where players could match online, download ꦯcontent, and access the internet. Despite advancing the video game landscape for the time, it was too little too late to save Sega. Many hits included Sonic Adventure 2, Marvel Vs Capcom 2, Shenmue, and Jet Grind Radio.