Steamdeck because it's so versatile and powerful. I also like that all the linux gaming improvements flow through to my linux desktop pc as well.
Gameboy advanced because it was so portable.
I miss my GBA, I loved the form factor of that little guy. Fit perfectly in a pocket, super comfortable to hold for ages. I had the see through plastic version which was super cool.
There are so many portable emulators these days in that form factor. It seems like there's at least one new one each month. I've bought and used several from Anbernic personally or as gifts.
I can't recommend these devices enough.
Agreed, both are great consoles.
Is steamdeck really a console or just a Linux PC with extra controls.
I'd argue that being console also needs a proprietary OS and games that don't work anywhere else.
A defining aspect of the console experience is the "it just werks" pick up and play nature of them which I think the steamdeck fits well enough into.
Sony has officially supported Linux distros for both PS2 and 3.
However, that's not what the games ran on, so it still fits with your definition. It's just interesting to think about given the current state of things.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_for_PlayStation_2 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/OtherOS
I think it can be both a console and a pc. However you choose to use it.
All of the sixth gen ones. Dreamcast, PS2, OG Xbox, GameCube.
Also SNES and 3DS.
Dreamcast slaps. I finally have learned to solder, so I really need to get on fixing mine up since the disk drive finally died.
I never bought the DS or 3DS when they were out, I stopped at GameBoy Advance SP.
However, two years ago working a trash job I found a lost Korean-language 3DS that I was unable to trace the owner, so I wiped it, modded it to English, and made it my own.
Further, I used the 3DS hacks walkthrough to further modify the 3DS and now I've got a 128gb MicroSD card with about 100 pirated 3DS games on it.
I want a 3ds so badly but they're just so expensive these days. I'd love to have one with the IPS screens but it's nearly impossible to find them because they were so seemingly random.
Shout out to the 3DS. What an amazing portable! I have so many memories with it, and it was the only gaming device I carried with me EVERYWHERE because of street pass and spot pass. I bought all the bundle games for StreetPass because it was so much fun having iterative improvement with visitors to your 3DS. Integration into other mainline games was pretty great too.
Not everything took advantage of the 3D aspect, but the games I played creatively innovated with it and provided new perspectives to solving puzzles.
I freaking love my 3DS. Right now Steam Deck has surpassed it, but man what an era of gaming.
Note: If you’re nostalgic for StreetPass, look up “Street Pass 2”. Despite Nintendo shuttering all the services, you can still work your way around and get StreetPasses to your console, but you’ll have to homebrew it.
Other runner ups: SNES (I was a kid that wasted away on that console), Wii, Wii U. I used to throw Wii Guitar Hero parties with friends. Great times.
NES. I grew up with it. Then there's N64, because I have fond memories of playing waveracer with my friend (RIP) in the summer of '99 while The Offspring - Americana was playing in the background. Good times.
PC/ steamdeck I have every console
Linux gaming PC, steam deck, SNES, ps2
GameCube will always be my favourite. Great memories playing that growing up.
What a fantastic console. I played the hell out of GCN. My favorite games on there: Tales of Symphonia, The Wind Waker, and Smash Bros.
The first real Nintendo full-console portable! The fucking handle for easy carrying! Switch got nothing on this multicolored wonder.
This is in danger of being an unpopular opinion, but the Xbox Series X is mine. For a comparatively low hardware price (i.e. vs PC), I’ve got access to current gen games, and (often) improved versions of a huge number of games from previous generations. Then there’s Game Pass. I know there’s bound to be divided opinion on the value of that, but for me it’s incredible. It’s very easy to find discounts, and the library is decent and updated regularly. For the cost of one triple-A game per year, I’m able to play several, plus my kids can download whatever takes their fancy.
Sure there’s the ownership vs rental argument, but I’m not one to revisit games I’ve beaten. For me, the Xbox represents the best value gaming proposition available (outside of piracy).
I remember the days of my PS1, which I loved, and I think I had a grand total of about 6 games throughout my time with it. According to the “Owned Games” section of my Xbox library, I have 250 spanning 4 generations , which doesn’t even include Game Pass. It’s borderline absurd!
The quick resume feature is excellent, the controllers are great, it’s silent, unobtrusive, and the streaming to other devices works great for when I’m at my desk. Couldn’t be happier with it.
I never had an Xbox and probably am not the target audience, but I can definitely see the value proposition.
Seems great for casual gaming with a very low barrier of entry. Who knows how long game pass retains the value it currently offers, but until then there is nothing wrong with enjoying it.
Personally Xbox never was for me because PC is just very different (I e.g. wouldn't want to play strategy games on a console) and if I were to get an additional console it would likely be a PlayStation since the exclusives usually seem stronger.
Retro: SNES and GBA. I have strong 16-bit nostalgia, but I also think the pixel graphic art style of that era has aged much better than the low polygon count, early 3D art style of the N64, Saturn, and PS1. Some modern, usually indie games get pixel art on the same level, like Sea of Stars and Cobalt Core, which I have enjoyed.
Current Generation: Steam Deck. I barely play anything else anymore and I'm seriously considering only keeping a Steam Deck or similar portable for the next generation. The other consoles (Switch, Xbox, PS) are all too locked down and are clearly just trying to keep me locked in their ecosystem.
Game advance SP or the Nintendo DS lite..
I'm still salty that my SP was stolen, like 20 years ago. By far my favorite handheld, both in form and in quality of games.
SNES was my favorite growing up, but over time my nostalgia for the GameCube has really kicked in! I think it might have to be my answer now.
overall i agree. snes (and gba ports) are my favorite visually. but ive been following dolphin emu for a long time and hits the nostalgia so good
Nintendo 64.
Nintendo GameBoy Advance SP.
New Nintendo 3DS (the small, non-XL).
PSP Go.
Steam Deck.
PSP Go.
My condolences to your hand cramps.
Disclaimer, I own one.
Someone mentioned the Steam Deck, and yeah that's a no brainer. But just for nostalgia I'm gonna say the PlayStation 2! All my childhood favorites are on there like Sly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank and Jak and Daxter.
PS2 achieved a level of dominance we're unlikely to see again. An enormous leap over the previous generation, and had practically no competition for years. Seeing something like GTA3 for the first time was mind-blowing.
Favourite of all time? Between snes and dreamcast.
I stopped with consoles after the first Xbox. PC ever since.
Consoles I had.
Phillips odyssey / intellivision (don't remember too much about those)
Atari 2600. Amazing for the time, and now I know more about the architecture, I have huge respect for the developers of the time.
Sega master system / nes. I cannot remember which we had first, probably Sega. Again, good good for the time. I think we had double dragon and golden axe on sms (and it had cool built in maze game). Mario games on the nes were of course also great.
Megadrive. Mortal combat and sonic, that is all. Great system for the time.
Snes, Mario kart. Mode 7 was pretty good.
Psx, was quite good but pc gaming was starting to warm up.
Dreamcast, I mostly remember metropolis street racer. I loved that game.
Xbox. Burnout games were great. But it was around the time I was getting more into PC gaming.
Mostly retro stuff as you can see.
I like retro stuff too. The Master System and Atari 2600 would be nice, or the other Atari consoles too (5200, 7800, Lynx, Jaguar) for that matter.
But I have my own consoles too and I recently bought an Atari VCS bundle online on sale.
I think the Game Boy Color is my favourite. It just fit it's purpose so well. Simple, rugged, compact, reasonably priced and looked great. The cartridge system was perfect for kids.
The original Game Boy just missed the sweet spot and the DS is when they start getting more fragile, more expensive and the game cards were a lot less kid friendly than the cartridges were. They were all good in their own right still but didn't quite hit the mark as well. The non-SP advance was pretty close though.
Nintendo's Virtual Boy, it was the only console that came with free laser eye surgery
My PC -> Thinkpad T14 gen 3 -> Steam Deck
Sega Genesis/MegaDrive. So many fond memories playing sports games with my friends and beat-em-ups. I think the game collection is great too.
If forced to choose one favorite console, it might be the Dreamcast for me.
N64 is the correct answer buddy
Genesis and N64 were objectively the best on the basis that I grew up with them.
Of all the consoles I've played I have the most fond memories of Nintendo 64, followed by the original Playstation.
The first 3-D gaming consoles. What an era. I had the N64 in the late 90s and was lucky enough to get a used PS1 in the early 2000s.
Mario 64 was the best for me. That opening title screen where you could stretch Mario’s face was hysterical. And then the opening cinematic was so breathtaking, just having that 3-D camera navigate around, with a musical crescendo ending with Mario Yahooing out of the warp pipe. I’ve never been so blown away seeing 3-D gaming. Then came Star Fox, and Ocarina of Time - Magical experiences that I’m getting goosebumps just reminiscing about them.
And of course PS1 when I got to play FF7. Wow. While I hated the graphics (apart from cinematic) since I got this console late into the end of the N64 generation, this was a formative game.
Getting all nostalgic here for simpler times. Having the magic of extremely senior and experienced devs bumping out amazing 2D masterpiece games on SNES, only to immediately shift into 3-D was great. Great time for gaming… before the dark times.. before Horse Armor, live service, pay to play, “cut-and-paste-apology-letter-we-promise-to-do-better” broken games, and FOMO battle passes.
Same with the N64, and I remember buying my own PS1 in cash at a shopping mall at one point.
My first console was always the N64 growing up.
I even restored it and built the collection myself and fixed the reset button on my own!
Dreamcast was so cool and unique.
GameCube. Love the design, controllers were a bit eh. Gameboy SP, very cool hardware.
Intellivision, then Dreamcast, then XBone
SNES - I love 16bit pixel art.
Out of dedicated consoles (no PC or PC handhelds or anything like it), gonna go with xbox360. It's probably the console I've spent the absolute most time playing (computer/laptop not included). Otherwise, my 2nd pick is PS2 since I've probably played it the 2nd most amount timewise.
Xbox 360 still has a special place in my heart. Alongside it being my first Xbox, it was also the last Xbox that did not require an internet connection to setup, use, or play video games. It was basically a plug and play system. I wish the newer generations of Xbox were like that again, I quite miss it.
Most certainly the Sega Genesis for me too!
PlayStation 2 due to it’s game library.
RG353V.
the ones I build. I have to admit the Switch is really fun, but at the end of the day it's just another DRM machine. I'd rather have a rig sitting somewhere that I built to my exact specifications, that I can connect to from wherever, and that will run whatever I want
The Wii U, still upset that it was abandoned.
The PlayStation 3. It did everything: games, movies, music, streaming, online gaming, all in arguably the coolest looking console ever.
I'm still a little upset the whole boomerang controller idea never came back, though...
PS3 is also by far the coolest console to cfw. Being able to run and backup all my PS1/PS2 games and my Blu-Rays; FTP support so you can send and recieve files from LAN is really cool.
For me Snes, PSP and the original PlayStation.
Just a nostalgia thing really but they did all have great games. Only console I currently own is a Vita and I mostly just play my old PSP favourites on it.
PlayStation Vita. It was the fame system that could, but has no support, then was saved by indis.
Has very little use now-a-days thanks to switch and steam deck, but as a easy to mod system with PS1, and PSP support, I still love it.
Gamecube, dreamcast, ps2.
3DS.
Though I didn't have many - GBA, Wii, 3DS, and now Steam Deck. The Deck is much better in a vacuum, but the 3DS just offers an experience you couldn't get via emulation or ports. Even if it's just the dual screen, it looks better as seperate physical screens than what emulators do on single display devices.
With the Deck, I just got it as an alternative to buying a new gaming laptop. Years from now, I'll be able to replace my SD with another Steam, or even non-Steam handheld PC, but once I lose my 3DS and functioning second-hand ones run out too, that experience is gone, and even 3rd party emulation machines will probably lack features.
PS5
Understandable.
Holy crap, that’s awesome!
