Teh Console Ultima

[Edymion]

System Name: Nintendo Wii
Generation: Fifth Generation NES
Media: DVD, SD Flash
Graphic Support: 256-bit, 480p

Rankings

Graphics: 8/10
Let's be honest. The capabilities are up there, but 480p just doesn't stack up against the high-end graphics of the competitors. Comparisons aren't too fair with the Wii, however, as it was it was not graphical horsepower Nintendo was aiming at. What can be said about the Wii is that the right cables (component for the win!) will make the great colors and physics stand out and be pulled in nice and tight.

Sound: 8/10
Dolby Pro Logic II is excellent, producing a rich bass and stunning left to right separation, but it falls short of today's high fidelity surround sound, 5.1 or 6.1 would have made a huge difference. As crisp and sharp as the sound quality is, you won't get to experience the best your surround sound system is capable of. Don't let this fool you! Your room will be filled with spectacular speaker sounds with the full range of audibles.

Controller: 9/10
This is the next step, but it's a little early to tell if developers are truly ready to take that next big leap. The Wii-mote, as it is lovingly dubbed, is incredibly responsive and intuitive. It does have a bit of a learning curve, but the great thing is that your gameplay will improve as you do and not as your button-mashing and memorization does. I'll even go so far as to say that the Wii-mote feels like the next, logical evolution of computer control. Nintendo has revolutionized how to play and control games. Now it's time to watch if developers can break the mold and start moving with the rhythm.

Games: N/A
It is unfair to grade a system at the beginning of its marketable lifespan. Though the Wii had a strong launch line-up, with stellar hits like Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Rayman Raving Rabids, Excite Truck, Madden '07, and others, it also had its disappointments. Call of Duty 3 felt like the whole three dimensional control aspect was just tacked on, and Red Steel turned out to be a bit of a let down to many fans. The Wii already has its share of games randing from poor to mediocre to outstanding, and the myriad in between is still slim.

I will note that there are games that seem to be favored on the Wii versus other systems, like Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 appear to be examples of this. It could also be that, though the games are ported to or from other systems, they are still unique on the Wii due to the different control scheme.

Compatibility: 10/10
Beat twenty years of backwards compatibility. I dare you. Legally. The Wii have full (and legal) support of games from the NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Sega Genesis, and TurboGfx systems, and there may be more on the way. You can get premium games for less than premium price. Though the price may not be worth it on the "lesser" games, it seems more than fair for the great ones of memory.

Extras: 9/10
The system is Bluetooth, 802.11g, USB, and SD ready out the box! The only problem is that it doesn't have DVD playback functionality as is. Let's go over each feature one at a time. The Bluetooth feature is actually how the Wii communicates with the Wii-mote, but it is reasonable to guess that there are many more features to unlock with such a "universal" technology format. When WiFi gaming opens, one might imagine using Bluetooth headsets for voice communication or even the use of a Bluetooth keyboard for typing messages. Can we say, "improving the Opera browser"? Next we have 802.11g wireless communication. This gives you instant access to a wireless for Internet and system updates. It can also be used to communicate with the NDS. Nintendo's even hinted at delivering downloads, free or charge, from the Wii to the NDS! USB and SD allow Wii owners to enhance the storage capabilities of the Wii from 512MB to nearly any size imaginable. You can use either as "external" storage or even methods of loading anything the Wii can support, either due to Nintendo's efforts or hackers.

Overall: 9/10
I am extremely excited about the Wii! The possibilities the controller presents, alone, are enough to make one drool. It's already been able to captivate surprise audiences, such as generally "non-gamer" groups like grandparents. It's a gaming system with no frills, but it has plenty of thrills. Nintendo's already started to get developer support that it didn't have or lost previously, and they are aiming at getting even more than they already have, which is saying a lot more than you'd think! I'm impressed. I'm happy. Let's just leave it at that.  

[Edymion]

System Name: Nintendo GameCube
Generation: Fourth Generation NES
Media: mini-DVD
Graphic Support: 128-bit, 4:3 digital enhanced

Rankings

Graphics: 7/10
Though employing a different polygon type that actually caused graphics to look superior than the PS2 (both count and angle crispness) and X-Box (angle crispness only), the GameCube capabilities weren't taken advantage of nearly as often as they should have been. The few produced with digital video out (component cables) really took advantage of the crisp picture the system was capable of. There were a few gorgeous games, but most seemed to be made "ready to port" to or from other systems.

Sound: 7/10
Though Pro Logic II could be used, few games actually took advantage of this capability. The sounds are clear, but the deep bass can seem lacking. It had a truly "around" feel to it when proper speaker separation was used, but that "heart pounding" thump wasn't taken advantage of in all games.

Controller: 8/10
It was easy to get used to, and it directly followed the footsteps of the N64. It has a few extra buttons, and it feels more intuitive with the "wide-range" C-stick and Z-trigger. The wireless variation, created by Nintendo and known as the Wavebird, became the inspiration for all wireless controllers to follow. The Wavebird, however, is arguably the best "standard type" yet made.

Games: 7/10
Let's face it. The fact that third-party developers didn't really support the GameCube as they should have hurt the overall production value of the system. It had its greats, of which I probably own all of them. There were many games that were so great on the GameCube developers decided to port them to other systems. Though sad, it did help display the graphical superiority of the GameCube. At the same time, it also displayed that graphical superiority wasn't everything. The GameCube was fun, but it wasn't exactly the most successful thing on the market.

Compatibility: 3/10
The GameCube simply could not play anything but the 3.5" mini-DVDs. A later add-on allowed the system to play GBA games on the TV screen, but this wasn't until later, and it was under produced.

Extras: 6/10
The production models lacked many useful features, like a built-in Internet adapter. In the end, that combined with little, real support crippled production of online games. The fact that the digital output was removed from later production runs also crippled game development as developers came to the point of not even caring that the GameCube could produce a sharper picture through the use of the high definition component cables. The digital output showed off the true power behind the system, but later models simply could not output like that to ED or HD televisions. However! There are many great peripherals not to be forgotten. The GBA Player, though produced in far more limited quantities than it should have been, was a great way to get those GBA games onto the television screen. The GBA-NGC connector cable became the segway to the latest ideas of connecting systems (DS to Wii and PSP to PS3 as examples). The Bongos were wonderful ideas that produced some very interesting, interactive games.

Overall: 7/10
The GameCube was a great system with massive disappointments. It had great games, but a large percentage of those were developed in house by Nintendo and its subsidiaries. It added some amazing peripherals that seem to just continue to be built upon. It wasn't a step in the wrong direction by any means, but it was an enlightening experience for Nintendo.  

[Edymion]

System Name: Nintendo 64
Generation: Third Generation NES
Media: cartridge
Graphic Support: 64-bit, 4:3 digital

Rankings

Graphics: 9/10
The first truly 3D system had some amazing graphics to look at. Easily superior to its 32-bit competitors, the first "true" digital cartridge base made its debut in promising style. As the system progressed, developers really learned to take advantage of what the N64 was capable of. There were some beautiful games, and many were starting to look surprisingly realistic. It wasn't too much to imagine that gaming could take off into three dimensional space, and it was first explored as extensively as it was with the graphical prowess present on this system.

Sound: 8/10
The distinct differences between right and left sound helped to push the games to where they needed to be. As long as digital outputs were in use, the sounds were clear enough to easily distinguish one from the other.

Controller: 6/10
Though easy enough to use, the pitchfork design wasn't the easiest to hold. The analog stick and d-pad couldn't be reached at the same time without some amazing dexterity. The rest of the buttons were easy to reach no matter what control configuration was used, and the Z-trigger was located in an excellent spot. It was nice to have some "real" camera control with the C-buttons, but it was actually a third-party that made a superior controller on which the controller was v-shaped and the analog stick and d-pad could be reached with ease.

Games: 6/10
With so much promise, the N64 was a major step down for Nintendo. The loss of third-party support really hurt, and it was most apparent and detrimental on this system. Though there were several great first- and second- party releases, there just wasn't enough third-party support to say the gaming selection was stellar. It was Rare and Nintendo that kept the heartbeat of the N64 alive, but fans couldn't help but feel left out with the loss of Squaresoft.

Compatibility: 1/10
Unlike systems before or after, the N64 had no support for games not created for it.

Extras: 8/10
The N64 literally paved the way for memory cards, rumble features, and many peripheral add-ons that weren't even dreamed of before. Though the N64 didn't technically have a GameBoy player, there was an attachment that allowed the Pokemon games to communicate with each other, as long as you had the proper Stadium to GameBoy combination. The N64 RumblePak was the essential add-on, and it made it impossible to create a system without one and not be booed (ala: PS3). It was truly the way that the N64 looked at peripherals that made it the revolutionary console it really was.

Overall: 6/10
I can't help but feel a little let down by the system, over all. It was great with hits like Goldeneye, Mario 64, the Banjo games, Starfox 64, Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber, Donkey Kong Country, and others that stand out. It's just that hits were kind of few and far between. It was a system worth having, and it was worth paying the release retail price for. It just didn't survive as well as one would have hoped.  

[Edymion]

System Name: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Generation: Second Generation NES
Media: cartridge
Graphic Support: 16-bit, 4:3 analog

Rankings

Graphics: 7/10
With the release of the graphically superior Sega Genesis, it looked like there was no way the SNES would survive. Nintendo proved that graphical prowess does not a good system make! Though the Genesis was excellent and proved a worthy rival, it was the graphically inferior system that won out in the end. That is not to say that the SNES was ugly. There were games that were beautiful. Towards the end of its life, games like Legend of Gaia, Final Fantasy VI, and Crono Trigger proved that the system was capable of near three dimensional power, and it could look good doing it!

Sound: 7/10
It wasn't the best the time had to offer, but it was still a near-digital signal. There was no separation of right and left audio, but the ability to make full midi scores was something worth listening to. The sound might have crackled from time to time, but it was definitely worth listening to!

Controller: 8/10
This was a vast improvement over previous controllers. It was comfortable to hold and used rounded edges. The button configuration was nice and easy, and there weren't too many to make the learning curve steep. The shoulder buttons improved control while managing not to get in the way.

Games: 9/10
It is still hard to beat the game library available on the SNES, and many will argue that it may be impossible to do short of making a fully backwards compatible system. Wii anyone? Needless to say, it was the era of the RPG, and it was great!

Compatibility: 4/10
Interestingly, this was the first time anybody thought about putting a handheld game onto the television screen. The Super GameBoy was a fun invention and an interesting way to add four "colors" to any GameBoy game. That, however, was it. It could not play NES games, and the limited colors and options available for the Super GameBoy didn't exactly last.

Extras: 3/10
What was up with the SNES?! The peripherals didn't fly that well at all! The Super Scope was a dismal failure with few games ever even utilizing it, and those games could be played easily enough with the standard controller. There just didn't seem to be the peripheral support there could have been, so it almost feels unfair to rate the system on this.

Overall: 9/10
There is nothing better than a system with full developer support and in full control of its destiny. The SNES made its debut at full throttle. Though it slowed due to the Sega Genesis release, it proved to be the stronger engine that could in the end. It had the greater support and sales, and that can attest to the fact that it had the superior games. The SNES still has the most sought after library, and that may be the biggest selling point of Nintendo's latest console...the Wii!  

[Edymion]

System Name: Nintendo Entertainment System
Generation: First Generation NES
Media: cartridge
Graphic Support: 8-bit, analog

Rankings

Graphics: 9/10
This may be unfair as the NES had no competitors, but the fact is that many stared in awe at how games could look if developers just took their time with them. The quality control was there, and the NES was the first step in delivering the promise of fun gaming.

Sound: 8/10
The quality was, at best, scratchy. It was still fun to listen to the first multi-tones come out of a video game system in, well, ever. The Zelda and Final Fantasy franchises opened Pandora's box, as the saying goes, for the sound effects business in video games.

Controller: 6/10
To be fair, this was a huge improvement over previous controllers that made it difficult to approach video game systems. It was a simple two button controller with a d-pad, and we can't forget Start and Select. It had a simple interface on a rectangular shaped controller that was, at best...difficult to hold.

Games: 7/10
The NES showed the first marked improvement over the previous generation of gaming because of a novel concept introduced by Nintendo. That concept was quality control, and it was when Nintendo's Seal of Approval, the most recognized and trusted seal in the industry to this day, was created. Even so, developers were still not quite used to how the whole quality over quantity thing worked. So confused were they that Squaresoft nearly went bankrupt trying to figure it out. We all know where they stand now, though.

Compatibility: N/A
There was nothing to be compatible with...

Extras: 6/10
The most famous and infamous peripherals belong to the NES, and that is both a good thing and bad... The Light Gun was simply amazing! Duck Hunt is still recognized as one of the most enjoyable games of all time, and it was a very simple game using some of the most minimum elements. There was also the strange, dual controller. If nobody remembers it, it was this rather clunky controller that plugged into both controller slots on the NES at the same time. Why? Well. There weren't too many games where P1 and P2 would play at the same time, rather they swapped turns. This controller allowed for one controller to be plugged in (with a joystick rather than d-pad) for quick and easy control, and big enough that little one's can sit it on the ground and play while sitting up... That, however, doesn't even attest to the utter failures of the Power Glove. That abysmal device can't be ignored enough.

Overall: 8/10
In a simply stunning move, Nintendo saves the video game industry. This single system has led them down the path of many successes and failures, and each has been an interesting learning experience for both them and the industry at large. There were great games, surprising games, and a few we'd all rather forget about. The collection simply cannot be complete without one of these.  

[Edymion]

System Name: Nintendo DeveloperSystem
Generation: First Generation DS
Media: cartridge
Graphic Support: 64-bit Dual-Screen

Rankings

Graphics: 7/10
Let's face it. The NDS was not designed to be a graphically intensive system. It was designed to play games! For what it does, it does it well. It even makes GBA games look better, and that's saying something. The dual screens are nice to look at, and it is very clear what you are looking at in game. The upper screen certainly looks crisper, but the bottom screen is no slouch.

Sound: 9/10
When you don't design a system to pump out sound and it beats a system designed to be an MP3 player, that's telling of Nintendo's Seal of Quality! The NDS has speakers that live up to the presentation of each game, and the tiny voices can be understood! You can pump up the volume and barely hear any distortion, and a good headset will always give you perfect reproduction.

Controller: 8/10
The d-pad and A, B, L, and R buttons may be a little hard to use due to spacing, it's still a whole lot more fun than on some other handelds. Done right, the touchscreen games are the best. It's easy to tell where this system is going based on how the controller is being used now and where Nintendo is going with the new Wii.

Games: 9/10
The NDS isn't the hottest selling system because it is a slouch! It defies convention by sporting novel gameplay and putting the angst to graphics. The NDS has amazing support, and things are only getting better. It's amazing how such a novel concept has outpaced expectations and critical reviews.

Compatibility: 7/10
You can play any of the hottest selling GBA games on the NDS. It's just too bad GB and GBC games aren't compatible in the least...

Extras: 9/10
The system is 802.11g, has a microphone input built in, and has a touchscreen! Need I say more? Whatever the case, Nintendo has taken advantage of the wireless. They've even stated that the WiFi makes it compatible with the Wii. The microphone is amazingly responsive. Supposedly it can receive a voice accurately enough to transmit it through another pair of speakers. Nothing spectacular, but it would certainly be fun for WiFi games.

Overall: 9/10
When developers completely work out their reservations, the NDS will really take off. Until then, we'll have to look at the huge success and know that such will factor into further future developments. The Lite is an interesting invigoration to the system which actually boasted boosting already impressive sales figures.  

[Edymion]

System Name: Nintendo GameBoy Advance, SP, and Micro
Generation: Third Generation GameBoy
Media: cartridge
Graphic Support: 32-bit

Rankings

Graphics: 8/10
Though this was Nintendo's first and only 32-bit system, it certainly can take advantage of the technology that has come since the SNES and Sega Genesis era. The sprites hearken back to a time when graphics were primarily used to distinguish objects from one another, and that is by no means a bad thing. The original Advance had a bit of a dull screen which were improved with the two SP models then the Micro.

Sound: 6/10
Though the SP and Micro had better speakers, the advance still didn't have the best sound quality it might have had. You can get superior sound through a good pair of headphones or through the NDS. Still. This represented a classic way to produce sounds.

Controller: 7/10
The SP and Micro have more comfortable button placement for most hands while the original is easier for others to use. There is no real medium between the sizes or configurations, but the end result is the same. The GBA is an easy system to play. This might be because of the SNES classic control style.

Games: 9/10
Nearly every developer wants to make handheld games for the GameBoy franchise, and nearly every one has succeeded. There are a great many games on the GBA, ranging from horrible to spectacular. You can find developers on the GameBoy that you might not find on Nintendo's consoles, but the GBA has acted as a segway to get developers on board console projects. This concept has evolved with the NDS as well.

Compatibility: 9/10
With exception of the Micros, the GBA can play any previous GameBoy game. This means ancient GB and slightly more recent GBC games can be played without any additional add-ons or superfluous peripherals.

Extras: 5/10
Peripherals for any GameBoy has always been hit-or-miss. The GBA is no exception. The best has always been the Gamelink Cables. The wireless peripheral was a foreshadowing of things to come. The eCard Reader wasn't used to potential. The whole idea of hooking the GBA directly to the GameCube was met with mixed results as many developers really didn't know how to use it, and only SquarEnix every took advantage of it beyond Nintendo. Others tried and failed so miserably that the feature was forgotten.

Overall: 9/10
Nintendo just can't seem to mess up with handheld gaming devices. This may be better said when speaking of the NDS, but it is the GBA which has seen the most "reinventions" during its lifespan. The same might be said of the NDS later in its years, but this is the here and now. The GBA saw the original release, the SP release, the SP bright release, and the Micro release. The GameCube even only saw three updates; though, those updates were to remove something and not improve upon things.  

[Edymion]

System Name: Nintendo GameBoy Color
Generation: Second Generation GameBoy
Media: cartridge
Graphic Support: 16-bit

Rankings

Graphics: 6/10
Don't let the bit rating fool anybody. The GBC, in theory, had the bit capacity to handle SNES games. This never happened because the memory available on the cartridges can barely handle NES games with slight improvements. In reality, the GBC never really went far beyond the original GameBoy's graphical power, but it did bring colors and smoother lines.

Sound: 5/10
The GBC didn't improve upon the GameBoy's sound quality at all. It barely "improved" to NES quality. The speakers were smaller, better condensed, but they didn't have any sort of output to really feel as if there were any improvement.

Controller: 8/10
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That seems to be the idea behind the GBC. It seems nearly identical to the GameBoy in every way except its slimmer and sleeker . There is no reason to get used to a new configuration as there was no change.

Games: 8/10
There were improvements due to the larger memory capacity within the cartridges, so games felt "fuller" in comparison to previous handheld games. There were even improvements to previous games, like Link's Awakening Deluxe.

Compatibility: 8/10
The GBC could play GBC and GB cartridges, but it seemed to want to add colors to GB games in much the same way as the Super GameBoy for the SNES did. At the same time, it's hard to beat a system that plays all the games from the most popular handheld.

Extras: 3/10
The Gamelink cables were the best thing to have, but there weren't any other "real" innovative peripherals.

Overall: 8/10
Though not a huge improvement due to limited cartridge advancement in the smaller medium, the GBC was a worthwhile addition to the GameBoy line. There were some fun games, and it was hard not to like playing the new and "reinvented" games that cropped up.  

[Edymion]

System Name: Nintendo GameBoy, Poket GameBoy
Generation: First Generation GameBoy
Media: cartridge
Graphic Support: 4-bit

Rankings

Graphics: 8/10
It was simple monochrome green with nothing more than simply rendered blocks and pixels. There were times when distinguishing one object from another was tough. During the very long lifetime of the GameBoy, Sega released an unsuccessful handheld that used colors, but the superior graphics lost to the longevity that is GameBoy.

Sound: 6/10
The GameBoy probably had the worst speakers in a handheld ever built, but it certainly didn't affect sales or games. It was monaural and scratchy, but it was still a blast for a kid to hold that big, gray box in their hands.

Controller: 7/10
The thickness of the system combined with the button configuration wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. You couldn't play it for too long without your hands getting terribly tired, but that was often fought to continue playing anyway.

Games: 10/10
The largest selection and library belonged to the GameBoy until the GameBoy Color was released around the time of the N64, and some GameBoy Color games were still made to play on the GameBoy but be enhanced by the GBC!

Compatibility: 0/10
Let's face it. The GameBoy could only play GameBoy games. The only exception were the few GBC games that were actually GB games with features unlocked by using the GBC hardware, like Link's Awakening.

Extras: 2/10
The only, real peripheral that mattered was the Gamelink cable. I don't even know if there were any others!

Overall: 9/10
With a few shortcomings natural to the technology, the GameBoy was the longest living gaming device until the first update was release over a decade later in the GameBoy Color. It never lost dominance, and it still has its games being played on the latest hardware that supports it, the GBA.  

[RAB1D RABB1T]

pirate

[ sorry if you don't want me posting here , but you forgot pocket gameboy ? ]

 

[Edymion]

Thread isn't locked wink

Yeah... I decided to add it in there whee I just changed Nintendo GameBoy to Nintendo GameBoy/Pocket GameBoy since they're pretty much the same system, as far as graphical specifications go.  

[THE CAKE IZ A LIE]

Ha Edymion I told you the Wii would use BlueTooth blaugh lol