Games Consoles Tier List

[Raven]

Including myself, there were 4 360's under one roof when I was sharing a house with 6 other housemates. Not one has failed, and we had been living together for 2 years, almost.

It's safe to say that newer models of 360 are reliable compared to the older versions of it, and have a much lower rate of failure.

Edited June 20, 2010 by RΛVΣП

[Life]

Just realized something. Xbox 360 to top tier.

There are a lot of games on a system that are considered great but very few that are so great that most people who play them are absolutely wowed. While game library counts for a lot on the whole, we also have to look at specific games in what they've done for the system. Final Fantasy 7 is definitely one that comes to mind but I'm thinking more of Bioshock for the Xbox 360. It's one of the highest rated games of all time (3rd highest for Xbox 360 but the Orange Box was comprised of Half Life 2 Episode 2, Team Fortress 2 and Portal which doesn't make the competition fair) but it was really the first time where it was proved that you could tell a fantastic story in first person view as part of an FPS. And the only time really, since Fallout 3 is more of a MMORPG to me.

[Raven]

Just realized something. Xbox 360 to top tier.

There are a lot of games on a system that are considered great but very few that are so great that most people who play them are absolutely wowed. While game library counts for a lot on the whole, we also have to look at specific games in what they've done for the system. Final Fantasy 7 is definitely one that comes to mind but I'm thinking more of Bioshock for the Xbox 360. It's one of the highest rated games of all time (3rd highest for Xbox 360 but the Orange Box was comprised of Half Life 2 Episode 2, Team Fortress 2 and Portal which doesn't make the competition fair) but it was really the first time where it was proved that you could tell a fantastic story in first person view as part of an FPS. And the only time really, since Fallout 3 is more of a MMORPG to me.

I presume you mean Awesome Tier. I can do this if others seem to agree. I for one do, at least.

[Fayt Zelpher]

I've been meaning to ask for some time: What exactly is the Mega Drive, and why have I never heard of it before?

EDIT:

To answer the 360 up question, no. I'd drop N64 down a tier before I'd raise the 360.

Edited June 20, 2010 by Fayt Zelpher

[Nightmare]

FPS games with fantastic stories existed before Bioshock, like Deus Ex and Breakdown, both of which are infinitely better. Breakdown actually has one of the most phenomenal ways of story telling ever in a game, Bioshock doesn't even come close. I don't agree with raising the 360 to awesome tier.

[Dr. Tarrasque]

I've been meaning to ask for some time: What exactly is the Mega Drive, and why have I never heard of it before?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Drive

[Fayt Zelpher]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Drive

Alright, thanks. That also explains why the Genesis isn't on this list...

[Narga_Rocks]

Alright, thanks. That also explains why the Genesis isn't on this list...

It also indicates that you haven't read every page of this topic. Bad. The Mega Drive/Genesis question was addressed earlier.

[Phoenix Wright]

If the 360 goes up for the reasons stated, so do the Wii, PS3, and the DS. I mean, if it took one good game to get to Awesome Tier, shouldn't all consoles be up there? I don't agree it should be moved.

Though, I'm still contemplating moving the NDS up to Awesome tier (very bottom of Awesome tier), the N64 has the top spot of Top tier, and the Xbox 360 right below it. My only problem is the DS's library (ratio of bad games to good ones is 10:1 (imo), probably worse). Anyone else agree it should be moved, or should it stay put?

[Zanarkin]

Shouldn't the nintendo DS be divided by Nintendo DS and then Nintendo DSI? After all, the Nintendo DSI has that shop.

[Phoenix Wright]

Shouldn't the nintendo DS be divided by Nintendo DS and then Nintendo DSI? After all, the Nintendo DSI has that shop.

The shop has about five download-worthy titles. The rest get boring unbelievably quickly. The Nintendo DSi is hardly a step up from what the DS Phat and DSLite handhelds already are, so I don't think they should be split.

[Anouleth]

Bioshock came out on PC anyway, and was a spiritual successor to System Shock, another PC game.

[NinjaMonkey]

Looking at the front page I am saddened by the lack of Virtual Boy on the list. I propose it should be added underneath the CD-i (The CD-i may be a total piece of crap, but at least it doesn't give the player eye strain whilst playing games, unlike the Virtual Boy).

Edited June 21, 2010 by NinjaMonkey

[Life]

Bioshock came out on PC and Xbox 360 at the same time anyway, and was a spiritual successor to System Shock 2, another PC game.

Fixed. I watched Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw's review of Bioshock (a long time ago, actually) and he actually claimed that Bioshock is a redressed version of System Shock 2. He also claimed that Bioshock is an "extremely pretty and well executed kick in the balls with the best of intentions" to anyone who loved games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R and Deus Ex.

However, that's not my point. There are some games that are just held in such high regard by pretty much everyone that came out on only one system (that's on this list). Bioshock is one of them. It came out on the PS3 a year later but it was pretty much Xbox 360 exclusive for that first year, which is important.

More importantly, I propose that we add the PC to the list even though it is technically not a "gaming console". It fulfills the role of one which is why I personally want it on.

EDIT: "High regard" =/= really good game. It means a game that pretty much changed that genre of gaming.

Edited June 22, 2010 by Life

[AceNoctali]

Looking at the front page I am saddened by the lack of Virtual Boy on the list. I propose it should be added underneath the CD-i (The CD-i may be a total piece of crap, but at least it doesn't give the player eye strain whilst playing games, unlike the Virtual Boy).

There's this, as well as the Sega 32X, the PC-Engine (also known as the Turbografx-16) and the Neo Geo. I've pointed them out earlier in the thread, but apparently nobody noticed.

[Phoenix Wright]

They have to be mainstream consoles (or at least somewhat mainstream). The 32X was just an add-on, if I recall correctly, that converted some games to 32-bit and had a mediocre library. It was also expensive.

The Virtual Boy sucked, so there you go.

The TurboGrafx-16 was barely known.

The Colecovision isn't up there either, but it doesn't matter. What's the use of adding consoles that automatically go to Bottom tier?

EDIT: Also, the Neo Geo is on there.

Edited June 22, 2010 by MGS: Metal Gear Solid

[AceNoctali]

They have to be mainstream consoles (or at least somewhat mainstream). The 32X was just an add-on, if I recall correctly, that converted some games to 32-bit and had a mediocre library. It was also expensive.

If you look around it, the Mega CD is also an add-on, yet it was included in the list.

[Marthur]

EDIT: Also, the Neo Geo is on there.

No. Only the Neo Geo Pocket and Pocket Color are on the list.

I'd put it somewhere in mid tier probably above the PSP, because it was an excellent console for its time (came out the same year as the SNES), but came for a very expensive price with even more expensive games (some rare games are sold for more than $10000 nowadays). No wonder it's called the Rolls Royce of gaming.

It has quite a lot of good games especially in the following genres:

-2D Fighting (KoF series, Last Blade series, Samurai Shodown series, Waku Waku 7, Fatal fury series including Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Matrimelee, Rage of the Dragons, Art of Fighting series)

-Sidescrolling Action & Adventure (Magician Lord, Ninja Commando, Sengoku series...)

-Run & Gun (Metal Slug series, Shock Troopers series, NAM 1975)

-Shoot 'em up (Aero Fighters/Sonic Wings series, Pulstar, Last Resort, Blazing Star, Twinkle Star Sprites)

-Puzzle (Magical Drop 3, Puzzle Bobble, Money Puzzle Exchanger, Zintrick, Pop 'n' Bounce, Neo Bomberman)

-It also has some good sports games apparently, but I can't say I'm a fan of this genre and haven't played much of these. Although I should definitely mention Super Dodgeball (This one's pretty fun).

Then, there's also the Neo Geo CD missing (And it's not easily emulated), but from what I know, it was even more expensive than the Neo Geo, suffered from obtrusive loading times and its good games were mostly Neo Geo CD remakes. I'd put it in low tier.

Edited June 22, 2010 by Marthur

[Rewjeo]

Sorry if this was asked elsewhere, but do you assume that you can play all of the GB(C/A) games on the Gamecube?

[Raven]

Sorry if this was asked elsewhere, but do you assume that you can play all of the GB(C/A) games on the Gamecube?

Interesting point to raise. The GBA Player was pretty amazing... I played hours of FE7 and Sonic Advance 3 on the big screen, I loved it. If it was up to me, I'd move the GC up a spot because of it. Anyone agree or not?

[Fayt Zelpher]

Interesting point to raise. The GBA Player was pretty amazing... I played hours of FE7 and Sonic Advance 3 on the big screen, I loved it. If it was up to me, I'd move the GC up a spot because of it. Anyone agree or not?

Based on your logic, it would have to be above the GBA because it can play all GBA games, plus its own.

I see no problem with the swap.

[Narga_Rocks]

Based on your logic, it would have to be above the GBA because it can play all GBA games, plus its own.

I see no problem with the swap.

I disagree with the notion that anything that has full backwards capability should be > the predecessors. There are more things to consider, like impact on industry, competition during its time, things like that. The snes was amazing for its time, but even if they put every single snes game that ever existed on the wii's download library, that wouldn't be enough to make Wii > snes because those games don't have the same meaning now as they did in the 90s.

Being able to play things from other systems shouldn't be ignored, but library isn't the end-all-be-all.

However, given how close those two systems in particular are on the list already, if the GBA player wasn't being considered before the Gamecube got its spot then that could push it > GBA, or at least into the same tier.

[Fayt Zelpher]

I disagree with the notion that anything that has full backwards capability should be > the predecessors. There are more things to consider, like impact on industry, competition during its time, things like that. The snes was amazing for its time, but even if they put every single snes game that ever existed on the wii's download library, that wouldn't be enough to make Wii > snes because those games don't have the same meaning now as they did in the 90s.

Being able to play things from other systems shouldn't be ignored, but library isn't the end-all-be-all.

However, given how close those two systems in particular are on the list already, if the GBA player wasn't being considered before the Gamecube got its spot then that could push it > GBA, or at least into the same tier.

Hold on just a second. I never said I agreed with that particular tiering logic either; nonetheless, that is a part of the parameters set through discussion.

In any case though, since they're right next to each other anyway, I think that this does allow for the switch to be made, or for them to be in the same tier at least.

[dondon151]

However, given how close those two systems in particular are on the list already, if the GBA player wasn't being considered before the Gamecube got its spot then that could push it > GBA, or at least into the same tier.

As far as I know, the NGC doesn't fit into one's pocket, let alone a TV to play the NGC on.

[Narga_Rocks]

As far as I know, the NGC doesn't fit into one's pocket, let alone a TV to play the NGC on.

Yep. That's one of the reasons why it isn't an automatic win. Your point? I was only saying that if they were that close without considering the GBA Player, then adding in a whole 'nother system's library has got to at least close the gap enough they are in the same tier. Possibly even give the GameCube the win.