Here we are again, as promised, for the 16-bit generation comparison!

First of all, if you missed the other parts, you can check generation comparisons here:
- Part 1: 8-bit Generation
- Part 3: 32/64-bit Generation

Second, I had to put again the PC Engine here for comparison being graphically more similar to the 16-bit generation than the 8-bit one. However, I will add in the CD-ROM / Super CD-ROM specs to it, being an upgrade more in line with 16-bit generation consoles and it's where the PC Engine really shines. I will add the PC Engine SuperGRAFX too.

As for the first topic I tried to search for every information I could find on the web, trying to be as accurate as possible but, again, feel free to post corrections and report errors if needed.

Ok, we are ready to start!

Group-1: PC Engine (CD-ROMs) Vs Megadrive Vs SNES Vs Neo Geo

[PC ENGINE CD-ROMs]: Thanks to the CD-ROMs add-on the system was finally equipped with more RAM and that was necessary for enhanced graphic output and games complexity. However, the overall graphics capabilities were not modified and several advanced effects were not possible or delegated to software implementations, like sprites scaling and mosaic effects that were very cpu intensive thus used in limited ways.

[MEGADRIVE]: With its fast cpu and DMA access, this machine was capable of the so called "Blast Processing" being able to reproduce many advanced effects via software, such as combining sprites up to a 64x64 max size and sprite scaling, although with notable limitations. The new Sega VDP graphic processor was a beast in terms of parallax scrolling, implemented in hardware for the first time, it could combine an incomparable amount of different scrolling methods, for up to a theoretical 64 simultaneous hardware/simulated scrolling layers. Another worth mentioning hardware feature was the highlight/shadow effects the VDP was capable of (also called 2D hardware lighting), gifting backgrounds and sprites with highlights, shadows, silhouettes and semi-transparency effects. Finally, the secondary cpu was used for sound processing or for compatibility mode with Master System games.

[SUPER NES]: Like in its name, this console continued the tradition evolving from the architecture of the NES, but this time with powerful 2x new Ricoh graphic processing units. The dual PPUs were very capable in many advanced effects such as the famous mosaic effect, and was capable of freely scale and rotate a single object on screen, typically a background but also sprite-like objects (visually speaking) thanks to its Mode7. Worth noting that multiple sprites scaling and rotation were common in SNES games thanks to its expansion chips on cartridge, like the DSP* chips that included a math co-processor or the more advanced SFX* chips. Another common effect was semi-transparency of sprites (also enhanced by the CX4 chip) in which this machine was very capable, and in hardware parallax scrolling with its 4 scrolling planes, although on the last 2 planes there were severe limitations (fewer colors).

[NEO GEO]: Was designed around brute-force sprites rendering, reaching limits never seen before in colors, quantity on screen and size. Despite of this, it was lacking some hardware features its rivals had such as semi-transparency effects, that were very limited and rendered mostly with dithering or flickering, and true scaling and rotation for sprites. Specifically, it was able of scaling sprites and backgrounds but limited to a shrinking effect only. It was capable of parallax scrolling but also in this case limited to the well known line scrolling or by using up to 3 layers of brute-force simulated sprite scrolling, in which it had to sacrifice sprites count on screen. Curiously, it was marketed as a 24-bit console despite having 16-bit chips, but at least it really had a 24-bit bus for its gpu, thus I will leave a reference of this in the specs.

Some examples of graphics output comparison:

PC Engine + CD-ROMs	Megadrive	Super NES	Neo Geo

Here some Street Fighter II comparison:

PC Engine + CD-ROMs	Megadrive	Super NES

Some examples of parallax scrolling in action:

PC Engine + CD-ROMs	Megadrive	Megadrive	Super NES

.. and advanced Special Fx:

PC Engine + CD-ROMs	PC Engine + CD-ROMs	Super NES	Super NES
Scaling (software)	Scaling (software)	Mode7 (hardware)	3D Rendering (software)

As previously stated, both the Megadrive and Super NES were possibly able to render 3D graphics with their base hardware, as some tech sites report, by doing a software rendering on the cpu. Given the specs they weren't able to render a proper game at an acceptable frame rate, but they could use this feature to make some nice special effects for the time, as we can see with the Tri-Force polygons in A Link to the Past.

For true 3D hardware rendering both those consoles relied on special chips in their cartridge.

Here a comparison between Sega SVP and Nintendo SFX1 and SFX2:

* It's not a modern hardware Transform & Lighting, at the time T&L was implemented in software while running on a dedicated co-processor.

Group-2: PC Engine SuperGRAFX (Super CD-ROM) Vs Megadrive + MegaCD

[PC ENGINE SuperGRAFX]: Initially known as the PC Engine 2, was released just after 2 years since the original model. As compared to its predecessor, it had 2x the same gpu and an additional graphic co-processor that overall boosted the graphic output on screen. Unfortunately, only 5 games were released for this platform and therefore its true full potential has never been discovered.

[MEGADRIVE+MEGACD]: With an overclocked cpu and much more RAM it gave the Megadrive quite a boost in terms of performance, considering also the new VDP chip finally capable of backgrounds and sprites scaling and rotation in hardware. Thanks to CD-ROM and larger memory, it introduced FMV-based games. The Megadrive cpu could act as a co-processor or used for running original Megadrive games.

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So, in your opinion which was the best hardware of the 16-bit generation?

Which console had the most impressive graphics, visual features, special effects and/or the most advanced games for the time?

Let the 16-bit war begin (again)! 

There is only one answer in this poll (since it does not have Amiga 500 in it) and that is NeoGeo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_kGJBv6Wr4

I always thought Neo Geo dwarfed the others, but I guess it's because they only really had typical 2D sprite based games.... but that's what really mattered back then, so I'm still gonna go with that. Interesting read though.

SNES is one of my fave systems ever so on that merit I will choose SNES but that is the greatest generation in console history. You would not be unhappy with any of them. They alll offered something unique in their libraries and yes I will say it, personalities as consoles. Something that has been lost in modern gaming.

Also Super Famicom was released in 1990 not 1989.

Good thread. Neo Geo games certainly looked the best here; I remember even PS1 and Saturn having trouble faithfully replicating the Metal Slugs and some of the Neo Geo fighters. However, when you compare the price difference of a $649 console and games that were $149-$200+ each to what a Super Nintendo could do at a fraction of the cost (Yoshi's Island, DKC trilogy), the visual differences become far less substantial.

All of these systems were great though. Probably still overall my favorite generation of gaming so far.

I always thought Neo Geo games looked pretty incredible, but I've only played them a little bit in the arcades that had a Neo Geo cabinet. I really wish that Sony and Nintendo didn't push so hard for 3D in the 5th generation, because I think we would have gotten some really incredible looking 2D games as a result, much like the Neo Geo. Instead we have a small amount of 2D classics from the 5th generation which have aged extremely well like Suikoden and Symphony of the Night.  Basically, I think the Neo Geo is what 5th gen games would have looked like if they hadn't gone 3D.

Anyway, I'd really like to get a Neo Geo at some point and fully explore it's library. It probably has some good games in there that aren't either Metal Slug or a fighting game.

Going with SNES. The performance Nintendo managed to get out of that machine was impressive from start to finish, and the games were unparalleled.

The SNES also had more than just the FX/FX2 chips to enhance it's capabilities...

There was also the CX4 Co-Processor which would perform trigonometry/wireframe effects/sprite manipulation.. Which was used for some of the Megaman games.

DSP-1 through to DSP-4 chips would assist mode-7 heavy games like Mario Kart and Pilot Wings to perform vector based calculations, bitmap conversions, coordinate transformations and more.

SA1 chip which had a 3.58Mhz CPU, 2Kb of Ram, new math functions and more which was used in games like Super Mario RPG.

ST Series of chips which were basically "A.I Co-Processors".

Nintendo did a lot with the hardware of the SNES, but so did the myriad of Co-Processors.

Assorted Thoughts

• Both the Genesis and Neo Geo used different versions of the same CPU chip, and apparently had the same RAM along with Z80 secondary CPU's. I'm guessing that makes them the two most closely related consoles shown here, even if the Neo Geo is clearly more powerful. And to be fair, the Genesis did receive ports of SNK games like Art of Fighting, Fatal Fury 1 & 2, King of the Monsters, Samurai Shodown, and probably a few more games that I didn't find after 15 seconds on Google.
• That SNES CPU is SLOW, and I suppose this is what Sega meant by not having "Blast Processing." Apparently this was essentially the same CPU used by the Apple IIGS computer, but even back in the 80's, people were complaining that the Apples IIGS was a slow computer. If anyone knows why this chip was used, I'd appreciate a TLDR version.
• The Sega SVP was clearly more powerful than SFX chips for SNES, but I have to wonder how expensive it was. I know games like Virtua Racing had a MSRP of $100 in the USA, whereas even Yoshi's Island cost "only" $70 upon release ($50 was a relatively standard price). Maybe this is why the only SVP game I can find anything about was Virtua Racing, whereas a few such games were on the SNES. Of course, the 32X could also have also been a factor, since it was a more significant increase in power for the Genesis without being THAT much more expensive, especially after discounts.

Attempted backward compatibility with the NES.

The Motorola 68000 CPU family was widely used in Sega Genesis, Neo Geo, Mac, Amiga and Atari ST. It was supposed to be IBM's PC-CPU but for some reason x86 won that race.

The MOS Technology 6502 family was used in C64, NES, older Apple, Atari, Lynx, PC-Engine and as a 8/16bit hybrid version in the SNES.