Probably, no console manufacturer lost the initiative worse than Sega did after it slayed the dragon known as the Nintendo Entertainment System. In 1992, on the heels of a gambit that saw Sega bundle the Genesis system with Sonic the Hedgehog.
In the summer of 1991, at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show, video-game behemoth Nintendo revealed the follow-up to their much-adored NES console. The Super Nintendo would improve on the original in every way, featuring 16-bit system with phenomenal graphics and capacity for some 32,768 colors.
Console Wars: The Sega Saturn and the Sega Dreamcast were two machines that enjoyed as many similarities as they did stark differences. One system marked the end of the 90s gaming era, and the other ushered in the much-heralded 6th-generation of consoles that defined the new millennium. And while both were manufactured by Sega, both were also responsible for hastening that company’s demise. But despite being regarded as failures at the time, their reputations have only improved in the intervening years. A Reddit thread on the subject of the Sega Dreamcast was a veritable love-in, and some Sega Saturn games, like “Panzer Dragoon Saga,” are so in-demand that they fetch hundreds of dollars on the retro game market. This all begs the question, which is the better machine? Like anything, much of it depends on personal preference. But here’s how the two systems stack up according to certain criteria important to...
In the last 15 years, Microsoft’s Xbox has risen to become, along with Sony’s PlayStation, one of the twin pillars of home console gaming. And while stalwart companies like Nintendo have enjoyed success as well, Xbox and PlayStation are Coke and Pepsi.
With hits like Mario 64, Super Smash Bros, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the N64 was one of the most popular and successful consoles ever. But why didn’t we ever see Final Fantasy 64, Chrono Trigger 64, or even Earthbound 64? Where are all the N64 RPG games?
It’s been a couple of years since the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and the Nintendo Switch release, brought us fully into the eighth generation of console gaming. This 8th console war has settled into a battle for exclusives, price differences, and online and social gaming advantages, which is fine—anyone looking to buy a system this year will have more games and better prices (and fewer bugs) than last year’s early adopters.
In another article, I discussed the relative merits of the two main fifth-gen consoles—the Nintendo 64 and the PlayStation (One)—during their first holiday seasons after launch.