1994-2000: The Era That Changed Gaming
Sony jumped into this generation in the later part of 1994, so that is our official starting point.
This was the time of the biggest change that gaming had yet seen, or has seen since: the leap to 3D. With new breakthroughs in both storytelling, presentation, sound and design, gaming shined and moved beyond the classic (and probably the best) “golden” era of the sprite-based SNES and Sega Genesis days. For some, gaming opened up into new worlds and went beyond the boundaries that people thought the medium could go.
Also, it should be noted that I’m not counting the Sega Saturn in this discussion, for obvious reasons. And even though the Dreamcast was the beta XBox in a lot of ways, we’ll be leaving that one out, too, sticking with only the big players who are left.
Sony PlayStation (1994)
Notable titles:
- Year One (94-95): Ridge Racer, Tekken, Rayman, Wipeout, Twisted Metal, Warhawk, Suikoden
- Year Two (95-96): DarkStalkers, Resident Evil, Tekken 2, Crash Bandicoot, Tomb Raider, PaRappa the Rapper, Soul Edge
Grade:
C+
Synopsis:
Even though they were brand new to the gaming world, Sony still held its own early on. Being among the first (of the remaining contenders) to kick start the new generation, there were some who doubted what this console could do, but it quickly carved out a new, more grown up niche compared to its principle competition, Nintendo.
Still to come:
While the PlayStation’s first two years in the console market were good, its greatest games were still coming in the years to follow, including games like Final Fantasy VII, Resident Evil 2, Metal Gear Solid and Suikoden II, Legend of Dragoon, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy Tactics, Chrono Cross, Silent Hill, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Nintendo 64 (1996)
Notable titles:
- Year One (96-97): Super Mario 64, Pilotwings 64, Killiner Instinct: Gold, Mario Kart 64, Shadows of the Empire, Goldeneye 007, Doom 64, StarFox 64, WaveRace 64,
- Year Two (97-98): Duke Nukem 64, NFL Blitz, Banjo-Kazooie, Mario Party
Grade:
A
Synopsis:
In terms of classics, Nintendo’s first year was stellar, maybe the best first year for any console ever. In terms of the longevity of the console itself and what happened as it went on, not so stellar. Years three and four were horrendous for the Nintendo 64, whose cartridges were no match for the new exciting compact discs sported by its rival. Even in Year Two, you can see the drop off. However, year one is just so strong it gives Nintendo the high grade.
Still to come:
Nintendo’s humongous splash early on still keeps the Nintendo 64 ranked high in terms of all time favorite consoles, though it still had one or two treats left like Ocarina of Time, Super Smash Bros, Wrestlemania 2000, Paper Mario and Perfect Dark… sadly, not much else.
Awesome post, Eddy. I think you were very fair with all the consoles.
Haha, thanks dude. I had a really hard time with the N64, the 360 and the PS3, actually. It’s tough trying to put some of these games into perspective. And in reality, it’s all just my opinions anyway.
Really good dissection of the past few generations, Eddy. I don’t think I disagreed with you on any of the grades you assigned to each console. I was surprised with your “C” grade for the X-Box, but looking back on it, it makes a lot of sense. I think you should have taken Live into account, however.(unless I missed that)
Anyways, here’s what I think:
We’re barely three years into the current generation, and there’s already a buzz about the next wave of consoles. It’s going to get to a point where we’re going to be over-saturated with “the next big thing”. The industry really needs to break it’s dependency on the generation cycles. You don’t need to introduce a new console every five years(or six, or seven in my opinion) to generate new ad revenue.
I mean, gaming is just starting to become more “mainstream”. If parents purchase an X-Box or a PS3 or even a Wii for their kids, are they really going to want to drop another half-grand in two years? Your average consumer doesn’t care about advanced bit-mapping, or higher resolutions. Heck, your average gaming enthusiast will give up a bit of graphical polish to play something innovative.
Games this generation can hardly be described as lacking in the graphics department, anyways. Take Gears of War, for example. It introduced the cover system in a big way, but it still managed to look great. The second one looks like it’ll top the original in looks, and they’re still trying to innovate.
The problem with changing consoles so quickly is that it never allows the industry to mature. If you have to re-learn how to make a good looking game every five years, you’re never going to get down to the nitty gritty.
So no, I don’t think I’m ready for a new generation of consoles. Give me some innovation with this generation. Let me squeeze a few more years out of my $500 before you make me do it all over again.
Your grade for the Xbox is why I never got one. Fantastic job on being fair.
Epic indeed.
You pretty much nailed everything. And yes, I believe it is too early for people to discuss the next gen. We’re just starting this one!
I loved my GAMECUBE. It really made me a gamer.
Yeah, it really did have some good games. When I was making this list, I remembered the GC being crappy to me, but looking back at all the games I played, it was at least better than the 64, which afters its first 1.5 years, did nothing as a system until Perfect Dark.
No good games for the game cube,
i think someone is forgetting pokemon snap and pokemon staduim!!! jeez :).
That was one epic analytical piece about consoles. I still remember the PS2 as being loaded with games. With the talk of future consoles ALREADY, I doubt that the current consoles will manage to have such a plethora of awesome games. 🙁
The only question that should be asked is “How do Nintendo innovate more?”. Better graphics with slightly improved controls? Is that even innovation? But hey, that’s what we said BEFORE the Wii!
the only way any of this could get any better is if the graphics and gameplay get better, and better, and pretty soon games will be controllable movies!
Don’t you guys know anything. It’s a well known fact that every three to five years a new game system has to come out. I’m Not saying that it needs to come out, but it comes out none the less.
BTW KotOR is the best rpg of all time with Morrowind coming at a close second.