The N64, IMO was a nice fresh concept with some very fresh feeling games. The PSX also felt very fresh with it being the first console to really use an optical disk medium in an effective way - the best it had been used for before were somewhat terrible interactive adventures that often used live recorded footage. As much as I liked RPGs before, there is no denying that Wild Arms, Suikoden, and Final Fantasy 7 showcases the next level; and if your tastes are like mine, Suikoden 2, FF Tactics, FF8, and Xenogears took it a two further. On the N64 side, Mario Kart 64 and Goldeneye 007 gave a nice glimpse of the future potential of multiplayer: expanded on by the really good wrestling games and more.
And now I’m ranting like an overtired madman who should have been asleep for hours...
I won’t call it the worst, but IMO the least enjoyable generation was the 128... I had a Dreamcast first, and most of the big experiences were done on that console first... and IMO best: Skies of Arcadia was the best RPG, Sonic Adventure the best platformer, Soul Caliber the best fighter, etc. Mostly everything on PS2 felt a little done by the time it came out... Gamecube was worse for me because I found Nintendo’s core franchises to all be less fun/creative than their first stab at 3D on the N64. I hate to sound negative... the PS2 generation DID offer the GTA games, which I know many here didn’t like, but I had a blast. I have to admit, I did spend most of the ten playing games on previous consoles and handheld.
Anyway, since I commented on a side part of your post for two paragraphs, it’s only fair I address the N64 controller: I liked it, BUT...
I damn near went through nine of them! I still have some extras unused because I knew if I wanted to play the thing in the future that all controllers had a lifespan. I never dreamed that they’d have something like the virtual console just one generation later... PLEASE BRING IT BACK NINTENDO! Anyway, I think the controller - while a good first attempt - should have:
A. added a second analog stick.
B. made more durable analog sticks
And the Switch doesn’t need a 3 pronged controller since even the N64 typically just used one prong or the other. They just need a classic style Joycon with that beautiful N64 style d-pad (NEVER AGAIN should they bring back that brutal, filthy, disgusting Gamecube one).
I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.
