Gen 2: Vector Display Screen.
A retrospective entry as I only experienced the Vectrex later on in life. Images simply don’t do this justice; the screen is like heroin for the eyes. You simply have to experience the crisp glowing lines for yourself.
Gen 3: Bootleg NES Multicart.
The holy grail. My tiny mind couldn’t comprehend this 999-in-1 cart with every game at my disposal.
Gen 4: Street Fighter II Arcade.
These bad boys were everywhere and everyone was either already playing or stepping up to challenge you. Gaming was cool and the arcade version crapped all over any console fighter that came before it.
Gen 5: Four-Player Pandemonium.
The N64 upped the local multiplayer game to 4 frenemies, with a plethora of quality titles. Racing, fighting, stupid mini games - it had them all.
Gen 6: The Internet Finally Works.
Battlefield 1942 was beyond epic in scale. You weren’t a superhuman commando snowflake but a basic infantry unit thrown in with 100 just like you. Everyone’s weapons sucked and everyone died easily. This was a grand war and only the internet could make it happen.
Gen 7: First Time Holding the Wiimote.
Sure it seems so basic now, but at the time that cursor following your movement, rotating as you twist your wrist and rumble feedback as the cursor passed over menu icons was incredibly immersive in its own right.
Gen 8: Asymmetrical Gameplay.
Nintendoland and some earlier WiiU titles showcased the joy of asymmetrical gameplay. Luigi’s Ghost Mansion gives one player more information and more power than the rest for a 1v4 showdown which felt nicely balanced for a tense game through to the end.
Gen 9: Reliving the Glory Days.
Snappy as all hell, the Switch turns on when you press the power button. It loads games when you select them. Fast.
This is what cartridge gaming was all about and the Switch reminds us just how far we’ve strayed.
Breath of the wild also takes the Zelda series back to its roots for the first proper modern open world experience. I felt a true adventurer with the complete freedom given.
