If you’re someone who isn’t quite as old and weathered as me, you may only know the console landscape to be made up of three major players.
This has naturally led to one major console from each now and then, with little competition outside the big three. We might get the occasional handheld now and then, but that’s about it.
Every PlayStation Console Design, Ranked
Sony has released 12 home consoles over the years, but which is the best-looking?
Well, back in my day, as I say holding my cane and ushering kids off my lawn, there were more companies producing consoles to become the next big thing in gaming. Which meant we had some awesome hardware and some stinkers, too.
However, today, I want to talk about the consoles that maybe didn’t get the commercial success or love they deserved but were awesome machines with a lot to offer.
10GameCube
Boxy But Brilliant
I’m kicking things off rather tentatively with the GameCube, because while the console didn’t pull up trees during its era, many have come to appreciate the brilliance of this boxy console in later years.
However, it earns the underrated status because this is just about the only Nintendo console that was completely overshadowed by the PlayStation of that era. But in fairness, nothing has matched the PS2 for popularity since.
The GameCube had a super uncomfortable controller, but if you could look past that, you’d be able toenjoy an incredible library of awesome hits,such as Billy Hatcher, Super Mario Sunshine, and so much more. Many have embraced the cube, but if you still haven’t, I suggest you try and get your hands on this relic.
9PlayStation Classic
A Collector’s Item
I just want to be clear about this one. In terms of the library pre-loaded onto the Classic and the quality of the emulation, the PlayStation Classic was a swing and a miss.
However, as a concept and in terms of aesthetics, this thing is a real collector’s item and one that could have been an absolute privilege to own if Sony handled this one a little better.
Aside from a few household names, there were a lot of games that felt like they were just making up the numbers. Plus, the price tag was pretty steep for what you got, which made it feel like a cheap holiday season cash grab.
However, if you’re willing to jailbreak one of these suckers, you can turn it into the ultimate PS1 emulator, so if you did buy one of these, all is not lost.
Nintendo would later show how to do this right with the SNES classic, proving that the idea was great, but the execution left a lot to be desired.
8Game Boy Micro
Small But Mighty
If you didn’t know that this handheld existed, don’t blame yourself, because this was part of the reason why this little machine flopped hard.
The Game Boy Micro was produced as a more portable, durable, and visually impressive versionof the Gameboy Advance SP,and despite the fact that it sold terribly, it was a pretty nifty piece of kit.
It had a superior backlit screen to all other Game Boys, which is essentially on par with the screens found in the Nintendo DS. The console was made almost entirely of a durable metal, giving the thing a real Nokia 3310 vibe, but in a good way. And best of all, the thing actually fits in your pocket.
At a glance, it looks like a gimmick handheld, and perhaps that was part of the issue. But, as a proud former Micro owner, this thing was pretty cool. The battery life could have been better, but come on, look at the size of the thing.
7Google Stadia
A Streaming Stumble From Google
The Google Stadia hasn’t been gone all that longin the grand scale of things, but its existence feels like a weird fever dream.
In terms of value for money and in terms of the quality of the tech and service on offer, Stadia was a pretty awesome concept that, on paper, felt too good to fail. But fail it did, and in a tragic, embarrassing fashion.
The problem with Stadia was not the streaming, as it was smooth as butter. The problem was that Google simply didn’t give those invested in the Stadia any sort of reward for their loyalty.
The Stadia lacked any exclusive titles, barely added to its initial library with third party releases, developers were hesitant to port to the console due to Google’s trend of dropping projects like a hot stone. And true to form, that’s what they did.
It was a great idea that gave budget gamers a way into the current Gen without needing to buy a super-expensive system, but in the end, it was doomed from the start.
An Indie Darling
I may be cheating a little here, as this is more of a PSA than anything else, as this is a rather new, niche product to say the least. But it’s a pretty incredible one created by James Moore and supported by the guys at Panic.
The Playdate is a game-boy-esque console that has its own unique library of games made specifically for the device, often making full use of the strange little crank on the side of the handheld. It seems primitive, but you’d be surprised what this plucky little console can do.
Basically, this is the handheld equivalent of Itch.Io, made by indie devs for indie devs. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if it’s yours, grab one and show support for this handheld underdog.
5Dreamcast
Dreams Became Nightmares For SEGA
A lot of people see the Dreamcast as SEGA’s last hurrah, while others see it as the company’s console manufacturing death rattle.
Honestly, both are true, but that doesn’t mean that the Dreamcast didn’t have a lot of things going on. It might have been a commercial flop that couldn’t match the PSX, but I’m glad it was a thing, even if SEGA perhaps regrets it.
10 Most Iconic Small Towns In Video Games
Despite being small and ordinary, these video game towns have had an iconic impact.
It was the home of Jet Set Radio.It was a console that had some great exclusivesthat serve as the great lost relics never ported to modern consoles. It gave us the best of Sonic arguably to this day. Plus, the thing even had online gaming before the turn of the millennium, which feels like a bold-faced lie, but I assure you, it was a thing.
It was always a console fighting an uphill battle to get the fans back onside after the Saturn had done lasting damage to the brand. But, at least in my eyes, this console did that as best as it possibly could and was a memorable curtain call for SEGA in the console wars.
4SEGA Saturn
A Fall From Grace
I mentioned it, so I might as well give the Saturn its flowers because, while a lot of people label this console as the business venture that killed SEGA as a console manufacturer. It has to be said that, even if it is deeply flawed, it was a gem that deserved a lot better.
As a console that could push 3D titles, the Saturn was on paper a more powerful system than the PSX, but due to complex development demands and stipulations, many devs couldn’t work with the Saturn, meaning the PSX got inadvertant exclusivity in a lot of these titles. Plus, the console suffered from big game cancellations.
However, as a 2D arcade system, it was unparalleled at the time, and had a stunning line-up of classics that, much like the Dreamcast, are largely games trapped in the past.
The lure of 3D games was just irresistible at the time, hence why the PSX and N64 left this one in the dust. But looking back, the Saturn was a great console, just one that was released a little too late in the rapidly evolving gaming timeline.
3Wonderswan
A Handheld Hidden Gem
You could argue that the reason why the Wonderswan never made it big was because of the lack of demand for the Neo Geo. You could also argue that it was down to the piss poor job Bandai did marketing the handheld.
But you can’t say it was due to the lack of quality of both the hardware and the library on offer. As this handheld had some super games, and really showcased what Gunpei Yokoi was all about.
It would always be a struggle to compete with Nintendo, who steamrolled anyone who dared produce a handheld with their range of Game Boys during this era. This device was a niche but is an interesting marvel that needed a much better marketing push to stand a chance against the might of Nintendo.
It received some support from Capcom and even boasted of some Final Fantasy remakes. But in the end, the lack of support on Bandai’s end would ensure that this one was little more than a flash in the pan, much to Nintendo’s delight.
The ‘U’ Stands For Underachiever
Console development hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Nintendo, and their biggest fumble, without question, was the Wii-U.
A console that was an interesting concept with some fun ideas. But critically, just didn’t have enough standout games to warrant fans to go out and grab one of these systems.
The first-party games were limited and lacking, the third-party games were pretty much non-existent, and the marketing really didn’t sell the genuinely interesting gamepad aspect of the console, which also subsequently wasn’t utilized all that much by the games developed for the system.
It was a system that felt half-baked in so many ways and always felt like a rushed placeholder until a true next-gen Nintendo console came along.
Thankfully, the success of the 3DS softened the blow, and then the Nintendo Switch picked up the pieces. But I still can’t help but feel that, with some more careful marketing, and a stronger launch line-up, the Wii-U could have been a hit.
PS. I Love You
If you thought there was anything other than the PS Vita that was going to occupy this top spot, you’re an absolute fool. The PS Vita is a console I own, and I still use it to this day, because it’s a genuinely fantastic machine.
But criminally, one that Sony was disenchanted with very soon after its release, and they soon decided to let this handheld die a slow and painful death.
This was such a shame, as the console was capable of doing a lot of the things that the Switch does, but long before its existence. It had a decent launch library, with a PS3/4 crossover library that helped to bolster that lineup.
Plus, the thing offered smooth, visually stunning performance, remote play, great battery life, and much more. The memory card situation was a bit of a pain, but that aside, the PS Vita is one of my favorite handheld consoles ever, and I will never understand why Sony couldn’t love it as much as I did.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to dig it out of a drawer and play some Persona 4 Golden.
