Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a lot of older family members who would give me and my brother their old video game consoles. Because of this, throughout my childhood, I owned an NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Gameboy, PS2, and Xbox 360 at various times.

Plus, I had siblings and cousins with other consoles that I got to play. This gives me a pretty good vantage point to rank the top ten classic video game consoles. Keep in mind, that this is subjective and based on my experience of playing.

Let’s get into it!

10. Sega Genesis

Now, I’ll admit that this is an unfairly biased ranking. I’ve only played the Genesis a few times in my life so I can’t give it an honest assessment. However, I do appreciate the legacy that this classic console holds, and it deserves to be on this list.

It was released in 1988 and was a revolutionary console that dwarfed the original Nintendo in capabilities. It was the first 16-bit console and allowed the games to have more depth. The darker feel to games like Mortal Combat was unlike anything Nintendo had ever produced. I wish I got to play this one more growing up because it’s a classic.

9. GameCube

Released in 2001, the GameCube was considered a commercial failure. It struggled to keep up with the PS2 and Xbox, which were game-changing. This had to be the apex generation of consoles because I think the GameCube was a lot of fun. It just struggled to keep up with the big two.

This was Nintendo’s first disc-based console and had far superior graphics to the N64. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t boast the legendary collection of games like others before and during its time.

8. XBOX

In 2001, Xbox was the new kid in town. Sega had been toppled by Sony during the previous generation, but Xbox made an impact out of the gate. It had some unique and revolutionary games like Halo, Forza, and Fable.

While it stood out, there was still a lot of work that needed to be done by Microsoft, and they took it to the next level a few years later.

That controller was FAT through. One of the strangest controllers ever, and it may have held the whole console back. Later controllers were better and not quite so bulky.

 

7. Gameboy

Rather than choosing one, I think the entire line of Gameboys needs to be mentioned here. They each were an important evolution into the Switch we know today.

Nintendo always had a penchant for handheld systems, dating back to before the NES. The original Donkey Kong was a handheld game. But the Gameboy, released in 1989, was the first to feature swappable cartridges, changing the handheld game forever. Now all the NES classics could be played anywhere. The Gameboy was a perfect companion for long car or bus rides.

Its successor, the Gameboy Color, was released in 1998. It had backward compatibility and you guessed it, full color. It was a positive step forward for the Gameboy.

The Gameboy Advance, released in 2001, was a significant step forward with much better graphics and processing. It used new smaller cartridges but could still play the older Gameboy games.

The Gameboy Advance SP came out two years later in 2003 with a sleek flip design and a backlight which made it a lot easier to play games in bed. The SP was a precursor to the Nintendo DS.

The Gameboy’s success over the years is tied to the incredibly successful series of Pokémon games.

6. Nintendo Entertainment System

The NES changed everything in the video game world. Probably the most influential console of all time.

Released in 1983, the NES was the first 8-bit console sold in stores and fostered generations of gamers. I was lucky enough to have one given to me and my brother when we were young. It was the first console I ever had. Countless hours were spent trying to beat my high score in Super Mario and many ducks were hunted in Duck Hunt. It even came with a gun!

Despite how much it has been passed by graphically in the 40 years since its initial release, it’s still just as fun as it was then. Its legacy lives on in successful franchises like Mario and Zelda, which are just as popular now as ever.

5. PlayStation 1

Sony’s first console: The PS1, was released in 1995. It was the first disc-based console, which allowed much better graphics which put the gamer into an immersive gaming experience.

Its most successful game, Gran Turismo was a revolutionary racing game that is still one of the standard bearers. Other classic franchises like Final Fantasy and Crash Bandicoot began on the original PlayStation.

Its dual analog controller was a game-changer at the time. Nothing anywhere close to the PS1 had ever been seen before. Its processing power blew the N64 out of the water, but I just don’t think it has quite as legendary a catalog of games.

4. Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo’s answer to the Genesis: The Super Nintendo, was released in 1990. This was their first attempt at a 16-bit console and boy did they ever knock it out of the park. I spent a lot of hours playing this one.

 

Games like Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, Chrono Trigger, and Mario Kart were a blast and had a lot of replay value. The SNES games are perfect to just pick up and play.

3. XBOX 360

The 360 was a big upgrade over the original. It was released in 2005, giving it a year up on its counterparts, the PS3 and Nintendo Wii. It took online gaming to another level and proved that Microsoft was here to stay in the console world.

Call of Duty blew up online and everybody was playing it. Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of first-person shooters and didn’t have high-speed internet anyway so online gaming wasn’t an option for me.

The 360s controller was a MASSIVE upgrade. I think the best controller on this list. It was comfortable and fit in your hands perfectly.

However, the dreaded Red Ring of Death plagued many of the earlier released consoles. The only negative to the 360. I was lucky enough to never have to deal with this issue though.

2. Nintendo 64

The N64, released in 1996, might have been the most fun console to play of all time. The first 3D Nintendo with four controller ports opened a world of possibilities. Perfect for a group of people, late-night gaming was common with the N64.

Mario Party, Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros, Donkey Kong 64, Zelda, Golden Eye, WrestleMania 2000, No Mercy, Super Mario 64, Star Fox, Diddy Kong Racing, Pokémon Stadium, and on and on and on. It still had that arcade feel to it but with 3D technology.

I still own an N64 to this day and I love it. It’s a legendary console that holds up today, despite the blocky graphics.

What holds the N64 back from the top spot, is the controller, which I’m not a big fan of.

1. PlayStation 2

The PS2 is in my opinion the quintessential video game console of all time. Released in 2000, the PS2 is the highest-selling video game console of all time with over 155 million units. It was the first console that could play DVDs, had HD graphics and was a monster at the time.

The console capabilities were never more noticeable than in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. The open world seemed endless.

There are over 4,400 PS2 games, and over 1.5 billion total game copies sold throughout its lifespan. I just don’t have a single negative thing to say about the PS2.

Straight up, the PS2 is THE greatest video game console ever made.

 

So, what do you think? Did I get it right or do you disagree? Respond in the comments and let me know what your favorite consoles are!