List of Video Game Consoles: A Comprehensive Guide to the Greatest (and not so Great) Gaming Consoles of All Time

Ah, the video game console. A device that has brought joy (and frustration) to gamers around the world for decades. From Atari to Xbox, from Sega to Sony, there have been plenty of consoles to choose from over the years. But which ones were the best? Which ones were the worst? In this article, we will take a humorous look at some of the most iconic (and not so iconic) gaming consoles of all time.

Atari 2600

Let’s start with the granddaddy of them all, the Atari 2600. This console was released way back in 1977 and was a true pioneer in the world of home gaming. It had classics like Pac-Man, Pitfall, and Space Invaders. Of course, by today’s standards, the graphics were laughable and the sound was a series of beeps and boops that sounded like your phone was on the fritz. But hey, it was the ‘70s, what more could you expect? If you were lucky enough to own an Atari 2600, you were the coolest kid on the block. Unless you also had a Pet Rock, then you were just a weirdo.

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Moving on to the ‘80s we have the NES. This console is responsible for giving us some of the most iconic video game characters of all time like Mario, Zelda, and Donkey Kong. It also gave us the worst accessory of all time: The Power Glove. Seriously, what were they thinking? It was like they took a Michael Jackson glove, added some LED lights, and decided it was the future of gaming. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

Sega Genesis

Next up is the Sega Genesis. This console was all about attitude. It had Sonic the Hedgehog, the cool, hip mascot that every kid wanted to be. It also had some incredibly questionable advertising campaigns. Does anyone remember the “Sega does what Nintendon’t” ad? Yeah, that was a real thing. It was like the console was trying to start a fight, but with video games. Also, did anyone actually use the “blast processing” feature? What even was that?

PlayStation 2

Skipping ahead to the 2000s, we have the PlayStation 2. This console was a game-changer (pun intended). It had the best graphics to date, a DVD player built-in, and some of the best games of all time like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and God of War. It also had a ridiculous number of sequels. Seriously, how many Final Fantasy games do we need? The answer is apparently 15 and counting.

Xbox 360

Lastly, we have the Xbox 360. This console was all about online gaming. It had Halo, one of the most influential first-person shooters of all time. It also had the infamous “Red Ring of Death.” If you owned an Xbox 360, you were playing Russian Roulette with your hardware. Would it last for years or would it die a sudden, painful death? Who knew? But hey, at least you could play online with other people…until your console overheated and died.