16 Games that defined their consoles

The best definitive console games for the Xbox’s, Playstation’s, Dreamcast, Nintendo, Atari and Sega

Is vidya a big part of your life? Was your first console the Atari 2600? If you’re too young to remember that, here’s a quick history lesson…
Xbox - Halo 2

The original Xbox was the first challenger to the dominance of PlayStation that didn’t blink. This was mostly due to the Halo series, specifically Halo 2. With PlayStation 2’s Medal of Honour series flailing, Halo 2 consolidated the series and its console as the best first person shooter around. Better gameplay, graphics, and plot all played a part, but it was Halo 2’s multiplayer, unleashed through Xbox Live, that provided the killing blow. The Xbox wasn’t around long before the 360 upgrade, but Halo 2 made it memorable.
Xbox 360 - Red Dead Redemption

Debuting on the Xbox 360, Red Dead Redemption is about as close to perfection as a game can get. So much more than GTA in the Wild West, Red Dead Redemption and its genre loving tale of antihero John Marsden has become a legendary game for the Xbox 360. Before the console repackaged GTA games by the handful, and caught up with GTA IV, RDR was the gold standard in open world action gaming. And with a sequel announced for next Fall, there’s no better time to revisit the Xbox 360’s most important game.
Playstation 2 - Grand Theft Auto 3

An argument could be made that the most ground-breaking game for the PlayStation 2 was actually Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but that game only built on what GTA3 had already achieved. Before GTA3, the Grand Theft Auto experience was limited to birds-eye view gaming reminiscent of hand-held consoles, then Rockstar released GTA3 and blew everyone out of the water. As the first bona fide first-person sandbox game, GTA3 was an open-world experience the likes of which had never been experienced. For many fans, it’s still the most pure realisation of the brand- and without it there would be know games like Fallout 4, the Batman Arkham series, or any number of other successful imitators. GTA 3 started a renascence not just for the PlayStation 2, but for gaming in general.
PlayStation - Ape Escape

Developed by SCE Japan Studio, Ape Escape beats out classics like Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VIII, and Resident Evil 2, not because it’s a better game, but because it was pivotal in changing how the PlayStation One was played. Ape Escape was the first PlayStation One game to make the use of DualShock control mandatory. Playing as Spike, players were tasked with catching apes with assorted tools throughout different periods of history. The use of DualShock controls made gameplay a lot smoother which-along with the great story, amazing visuals, and hilarious pop culture references- made Ape Escape not only the best platform game on the console, but also the most important one.
Xbox One - Grand Theft Auto V

The Xbox One hasn’t distinguished itself the same way that the PS4 has in the years since it first came out-which might be the reason why a remastered game is seen as the consoles most important game. The update of Grand Theft Auto V is the consoles crowning achievement mainly because GTA V was always a next generation game. It’s just that in this case Rockstar got too ahead of themselves, and ended up making even more money with the remastered version. Those geniuses.
Playstation 3 - The Last of Us

While the GTA and Fallout series went from strength to strength on the next-gen consoles, The Last of Us showcases everything the PlayStation 3 had to offer. The Last of us is like a beautifully chaotic mesh of other PS3 games; it has the stealth of Metal Gear Solid, the world building of Rockstar’s best efforts, and the gunplay to match up to the best of them. Most importantly, it has a heart-wrenchingly scary and deeply emotional story. Joel and Ellie’s battle through a post zombie-filled world makes for one of the most engrossing games ever made, elevating the genre to an art form.
Playstation 4 - Until Dawn

While the Playstation 4 could boast everything that makes a console better than its predecessor (better graphics, gameplay, connectivity, and lots of add-ons), it’s at its best when it upgrades what made PS3 games so engaging. Nowhere is that more obvious than with Until Dawn. Until Dawn puts you into a scenario that every horror fan knows too well: a bunch or horny teens in a cabin in the woods. Through your own choices you decide who lives- and who dies in a variety of gratifyingly gruesome ways.
Playstation VR - Batman Arkham VR

The PlayStation VR is still in its infancy, but developers couldn’t have picked a better character to carry out the systems intent. By making one of the first VR games Batman Arkham, Sony has the boost of a popular character- and huge franchise-to show what the VR can do. In order to solve the murder of Nightwing, players embody Batman: they are the man behind the cowl. Gameplay is mostly puzzle based, using Batman’s world famous detective skills, but you can still get up-close and personal with some of his deadliest enemies as well.
Nintendo GameCube - Metroid Prime

Another console that was pulverised by the dominance of PlayStation and Xbox, the GameCube was like The Velvet Underground and Nico: next to no-one bought it but those who did say it’s the best console bar none. What the GameCube did was take some of Nintendo’s most popular franchises and make the best version of them, none more so than Metroid Prime. In terms of graphics and design, Metroid was a marvel as Samus went 3D: with spectacularly detailed locations right down to the flaws. Metroid Prime was an amazing puzzle game, and as a whole could stand up against any PlayStation or Xbox game of its time.
Nintendo 64 - Goldeneye 007

Of course it was going to be Goldeneye 007- can anyone who owned or heard of the N64 even remember any other games? Okay, Mario 64, and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but Goldeneye 007 was the best of the lot. Not only is it one of the most influential games ever, and the best game of the N64, it’s also touchstone of pop culture in a way that no other movie-based game can rival. Just think of all the terrible movie tie-in games there have been: Fight Club, Batman Begins, Catwoman-all awful. But Goldeneye 007 remains the seed from which all great first person shooters and all great movie based games grew.
Gameboy - Super Mario Land

For many of us who were born in the late eighties/early nineties, a Gameboy was our first console, and Mario was our guide into this interactive new genre of entertainment. Sure, Super Mario Land looks disturbingly retro these days, and the game can be completed in about 20 minutes by an average player, but Super Mario Land was the beginning for many of us. Remarkably simple, and freakishly addictive, Super Mario Land is Mario at his purest. So for old time sake dust off that Gameboy and save Princess Daisy all over again.
Gameboy Advance - Mario Kart: Super Circuit

Perhaps the pinnacle of Mario Kart games, Super Circuit was intensely addictive. The game, which recreated many of the tracks from previous games, as well as 20 new courses, was the same combative racing madness, but with tighter controls and all of the series most iconic characters. There are definitely better games for the Gameboy Advance, but Mario Kart: Super Circuit proved that the games could thrive on a different format. The series would find new life on better consoles, but it was never quite as good when you couldn’t carry it around in your pocket.
Nintendo DS - Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Nintendo was the undisputed home of hand-held Pokémon games, and after nearly two decades the brand has never suited another console more than the Nintendo DS. This was epitomised by Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. The sheer number of Pokémon you could catch, totalling 500, was insane at the time, giving players a sense of accomplishment that far outstretches Pokémon Go. Even though the gameplay hadn’t advanced much from the previous games, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver retained, and updated many of the features of the previous game breaking much needed new ground. Never has the motto, “Gotta catch ‘em all” been more appropriate.
Credit: Nintendo

Nintendo Wii - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Remember how much you wanted a Nintendo Wii? All the ads for Wii Sports, and Wii Fit, introduced a much more physical gaming experience for players, and a lot of injuries to go with it. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword took the console to the next level. For the first time you could properly inhabit the world of Zelda, from the complex puzzles to the state-of-the-art swordplay, and the beautiful graphics that gave players the most immersive Zelda game to date. No other game utilised the gimmicks of the Wii, and turned them into strokes of genius. It’s no surprise, since the Zelda series has been breaking the rules from day one.
Atari 2600 - Pacman

It might look lame to kids these days, but we used to have to go to arcades to play the most basic video games. These included the likes of Space Invaders, Defender and Pac Man. Then suddenly Atari made this box that meant you could play those same games – which looked the same as they did in the arcades – in your own home on your own TV. It’s hard to pick a definitive game here – Space Invaders definitely has a shout. But it’s Pacman that had the personality and that’s our choice.
Dreamcast - Crazy Taxi

The Dreamcast was a great console and Sega’s most advanced gaming machine; too bad that the PlayStation 2 killed it. The Dreamcast had a lot to offer- great graphics, more advanced Sonic games (Sonic Adventure is still the best game in the series)- but its greatest strength came from a game with the most mundane idea. Crazy Taxi was so simple-basically the GTA taxi missions, but on acid. With a great soundtrack, all the shortcuts, and passengers you can terrify, it’s no wonder that the game came out on the PS2 after Dreamcast’s demise.