Runner up: Sega Saturn
I like this system a lot, but unfortunately its lack of great games keeps it from the list
10: N64
This system made the list for 5 reasons: Goldeneye, Star Fox 64, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and WWF Wrestlemania 2000. While the system had some other good games I think a lot of them are over rated, but any of these five were enough to make me get the system.
9: Nintendo DS/GBA
Game boy advance was going to go in this spot, but honestly since the DS can play GBA games (as well as GB and GBC) I opted for the system that can do it all. But make no mistake, in terms of games, I think the GBA is miles ahead of the DS
8: Dreamcast
A truly underrated system. This console was way ahead of its time, and I remember picking mine up on 9/9/99 and being completely blown away. I still play IllBleed, Carrier and Skies of Arcadia to this day
7: Playstation 2
In its heyday, this was my favorite system. but over the years I've cooled a lot and realized that while for its time it was a masterpiece, a lot of the games weren't as wonderful as they first appeared. Still, with some truly epic games, this system will go down as one of the best.
6: Gamecube
This just barely beat the PS2, but with the Resident Evil Remake, Eternal Darkness, and Twilight Princess I would gladly go back to this system any day of the week.
5: Genesis
It was hard for me to put this at number 5, but it's arch rival is just a microstep above it. That said, Genesis will always be a nostalgic getaway for me. It was my second system as a kid and I don't even remember how many days/nights were lost playing it. And I still prefer some of the Genesis versions of multiplats over the SNES counterpart.
4: SNES
Even though I didn't get this system until the end of its life, this has (arguably) the best library of games ever...IF you like RPGs and Platformers. FF2, FF3, Chrono Trigger, Link to the Past, Mario, DKC, Metroid, Mega Man X...I could go on all day. Square and Nintendo made this system one that is an absolute must have...but it owes pretty much all of its success to...
3: NES
My first system. The PERFECT game library. There was a lot of crap, but a lot of good, and a whole lot of great. How many franchises got their start here? To some of us, we peaked with 3rd generation and it's all been downhill.
2: Playstation One.
This system...changed how I look at life. Resident Evil, Final Fantasy VII and Final Doom shaped me into the gamer that I would become to this very day. The graphics have aged terribly, and a lot of the games are "you had to be there in 1997" in terms of quality, but the list of groundbreaking games on this system is legendary. This system is what turned me on to RPGs, horror games and first person shooters.
1: Xbox 360. This was a no brainer for me. I love achievements. Simple as that. And I really enjoy seeing how high I can get my gamerscore. While I understand that I may be looking at this with rose tinted glasses, being able to see a gamerscore is a nice way for me to validate what I do. Also, my favorite game series of all time, Mass Effect, got its start here. While in 10 years I may look back and decide I was nuts, right now the library of games, the graphics, and the gamerscore make this my go to pick up and play system. At least for now.
