Which console generation improved the most on the last? (Best Console Gen?)

[astralorange64]

5th generation, hands down. The leap from 2D to 3D is massive, the most revolutionary jump in hardware tech in gaming. I can't think of any game that WOWed me more than playing Super Mario 64 for the first time. I love 2D games as much as the next guy, trust me, I'm probably more of a 2D gamer at heart, but N64 and PS1 were the most impressive systems of their respective time. No other consoles pushed the boundaries of the generation it was from more than those. Sure 3D PC games may have existed at that time but for console gamers, this was huge. I will always think of N64 as the first modern system since it was the system that heralded in the analog stick and rumble pack, 2 things that are standard features nowadays, plus all consoles of that generation used 3D, and N64 especially really pushed it and focused on it. Ever since the 5th gen 3D gaming has been the standard. On top of that, 4 controller ports focused more on multiplayer, which is also huge today, even if most multiplayer is done mostly online, N64 was the first to really focus on it. If you look at today's standard features in games and consoles, a lot of the biggest ones got their start in the 5th gen, N64 being the biggest influencer, I think. I am sure many will disagree, and that's fine, but this is how I see it.

[oldgamerz]

3rd Place: You know I hate to say this but I think that the 2nd Generation was a big step. The 2nd generation of video gaming was the vary first to have digitized graphics. Before consoles like the Atari 2600/VCS and the Intellivision and the Colecovision for example. graphics on tv consoles just didn't exist at all. and most don't realize that most every basic video game AI coding, or hack was practically invented in the 2nd generation although I am not sure.

I'm not trying to take over this topic but

I just want to prove in photos of what the graphical difference between the most popular 1st and 2nd generation of game consoles. it may not be the most greatest thing in video game history but I wanted to prove my following post earlier on this thread, like I said before the 2nd generation consoles were the first television consoles to have both sound and actual graphics the Atari 2600 was a step below the NES but the NES was one whole generation newer than the Atari 2600

This is a internet photo lineup  of Comparing the 1st Generation (Magnavox Odyssey) console to the 2nd Generation tv console (Atari 2600/VCS)
(not sure if any of these images are copyrighted or if their illegal to show on here)

1ST GENERATION MAGNAVOX ODYSSEY 1 CONSOLE PHOTO


1ST GENERATION MAGNAVOX ODYSSEY 1 CONSOLE (PHOTO OF A GAME) PROOF OF NO GRAPHICS INSTEAD THERE IS A PLASTIC SHEET OVER TELEVISION (1972-1975)
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2ND GENERATION ATARI 2600 ORIGINAL CONSOLE PHOTO (BELOW THE LINE) (1977-1992)
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GENERATION 2 ATARI 2600 GAME PHOTO OF WHAT THE ATARI 2600 WAS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GRAPHIC WISE

[gusseven]

I'd say the N64/PS/SS was the one which makes the revolution, games like SM64, Zelda OoT, RE2, MGS, FFVII paved the way to the games as we know now.

In 2nd place I'll Say Xbox 360 / PS3, where online gaming became the main stream.

[azotam]

Personal bias, set aside. I do think that the late 80's to early 90-'s was the most noticeable, as multiplayer (at least for MUDs) became more accessible, in addition to games becoming more advance than they were in previous decades and the transition from 2D to 3D graphics.

The early 2010's to present should also be up there, VR become a novel, workable and less nauseous experience than it was a few generations ago (alot of imrpovements can still be made but it's becoming a more viable) as well as the increase prevelance of crowd-funding (when done right) and self publishing allowing for more unqiue concepts in games being made today.

[betelgeuse]

I think the 16 bit to 32 bit had the biggest jump.

The PlayStation took over just like the NES did here in the States.

CD audio, full screen cut scenes, memory cards to save and copy data, the jump from 2D to 3D and
analog joysticks with rumbling controllers came shortly after. The eight button control with two analog sticks has become the standard ever since.

[pacgamer89]

The NES/Mester System era

Look at how it modernized gaming and basically brought gaming back from the brink.