By Paul Robert Scott
People have very different views on the 1990’s. Some remember it with the kind of fondness that you can only get from growing up in a more optimistic age, while others cringe at the very thought of Brit-pop and curtained hair. Personally I prefer to think of the nineties as a ten-year, acid-fuelled rave; where everyone got so drunk they were no longer responsible for their own actions. However for all of the things we’d rather forget or chalk up to the intemperance of a ten-year millennium party, you have to admit that it was a fantastic age for gaming.
People have very different views on the 1990’s. Some remember it with the kind of fondness that you can only get from growing up in a more optimistic age, while others cringe at the very thought of Brit-pop and curtained hair. Personally I prefer to think of the nineties as a ten-year, acid-fuelled rave; where everyone got so drunk they were no longer responsible for their own actions. However for all of the things we’d rather forget or chalk up to the intemperance of a ten-year millennium party, you have to admit that it was a fantastic age for gaming.
Not much has really changed for the video game industry in the last fifteen years. We’ve seen improvements in graphics and the rise of online gaming, but that is nothing compared to the changes seen between 1990 and 2000. This decade saw the birth of the gaming world as we see it today. At the end of the eighties games were mainly confined to platform adventures and puzzlers, with merely the smallest forays into creating 3D environments. In contrast, by the start of the 21st Century we were gifted with whole new genres in game design, and 2D graphics had largely gone the way of the Dodo.
In the midst of all this, the consoles of the day made full use of the latest technologies offered. Some were more successful than others. Some were simply luckier than others. However no matter the generation or who their main competitors were, the nineties gave us some timeless examples of what makes this decade so great for gamers. The following are just a few of our favourite gaming machines of the day.
In the midst of all this, the consoles of the day made full use of the latest technologies offered. Some were more successful than others. Some were simply luckier than others. However no matter the generation or who their main competitors were, the nineties gave us some timeless examples of what makes this decade so great for gamers. The following are just a few of our favourite gaming machines of the day.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The SNES arrived at a time when there were only two real contenders in the console war. With Sega having released the Mega Drive a full two years before it, Nintendo joined the party fashionably late; however that did not stop it from dominating the gaming community in short order. The SNES quickly became the best-selling console of the 16-bit age and sported some of the best loved games Nintendo has ever released. Even today, to mention the SNES in the presence of a gamer will cause their eyes to glaze over and be lost in memories of their youth; when having friends home after school usually entailed countless hours of Super Mario Kart, followed by cheese toasties. Indeed, this console was so successful that Nintendo themselves had to partially sabotage it.
During a time when Nintendo were in the midst of developing the N64, the good fellows at Rare were working on one final Mario game for the SNES. When this was demonstrated to Nintendo they were simultaneously awestruck and horrified to find just how good the game looked. Due to the fear that releasing a game that seemed so advanced but still ran smoothly on the aging system might convince gamers that there was no point in buying an N64, Nintendo insisted that Rare go back to the drawing board and come up with an original game, and not a Mario title. Because of this there was not another Mario console release until Super Mario 64; but on the other hand, the move resulted in Rare coming back with Donkey Kong Country... So it all worked out rather well in the end apparently.
During a time when Nintendo were in the midst of developing the N64, the good fellows at Rare were working on one final Mario game for the SNES. When this was demonstrated to Nintendo they were simultaneously awestruck and horrified to find just how good the game looked. Due to the fear that releasing a game that seemed so advanced but still ran smoothly on the aging system might convince gamers that there was no point in buying an N64, Nintendo insisted that Rare go back to the drawing board and come up with an original game, and not a Mario title. Because of this there was not another Mario console release until Super Mario 64; but on the other hand, the move resulted in Rare coming back with Donkey Kong Country... So it all worked out rather well in the end apparently.
Neo Geo - Advanced Entertainment System
A long time ago, before everyone had a home console to enjoy from the comfort of their own sofa, there was the gaming arcade. For those of a certain age, these arcades were mystical places, full of wonder, and with a masterful ability to empty our pockets of any and all change we may have accumulated. Even when Sega and Nintendo were breaking into the home market, arcade machines still proved popular, and not only because of the more social nature of the experience (try to imagine a time when you actually had to leave the house to go gaming). The fact of the matter was that arcade cabinets were more powerful than their home counterparts. The hardware could generate superior imagery and smoother gameplay. This led one arcade company, SNK, to make the decision that they should try to bring the same experience to the home. In 1991 this was made a reality, and the result was the Neo Geo AES. This was a console that fully replicated the feeling of an arcade cabinet at home. The graphics were beautifully created on a home television set, and the controls were a chunky replication of the buttons and joystick you found in the arcade. The only true downside was the price which is the equivalent of over a thousand dollars in today’s money and thus out of reach of most consumers. In fact, if you’ve never heard of Neo Geo then it’s probably because that it was never deemed a reasonable price in Europe for this reason, thus only garnered a Japanese and US release.
I was fortunate, not too long ago to experience a Neo Geo firsthand and I must say it is some of the best fun I have ever had while gaming. It is a console that is best for events. Times when you can have a pack of friends round and indulge in tournaments of arcade classics. You will easily find yourself in beat’em ups frantically button bashing your way to victory, but the game will always make it look like every move is intentionally smooth and flawless. The one recommendation I will make is to try not to have too many fights over who gets to play the winner…
I was fortunate, not too long ago to experience a Neo Geo firsthand and I must say it is some of the best fun I have ever had while gaming. It is a console that is best for events. Times when you can have a pack of friends round and indulge in tournaments of arcade classics. You will easily find yourself in beat’em ups frantically button bashing your way to victory, but the game will always make it look like every move is intentionally smooth and flawless. The one recommendation I will make is to try not to have too many fights over who gets to play the winner…
Nintendo 64
Even at the time of release I despised the original PlayStation for its lengthy loading times and stiff control pad. I actually found it painful to use in the early days before it was seen fit to give the PS controller analogue sticks. On top of all this, it is frankly pretty ugly to look at as well. Quite happily however, it was my brother that had Sony’s monstrosity, while I sought solace in the N64.
In many ways the N64 can be considered the end of an era in its own right. It was after all the final console to use ROM cartridges. Simultaneously however it was the first ever console to include an analogue stick on its joypad, and also the first to include a rumble feature. Its controls even included an index finger trigger, a feature which was clearly designed to give first person shooters an additional sense of realism; and which became of particular use with exclusive titles such as GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark. In fact the platform itself was awash with classic titles, from the previously mentioned Mario 64, to Ocarina of Time, and even the adult themes of Conker's Bad Fur Day. There were of course plenty of mediocre titles and even the odd bad one; (we still speak of Superman 64 with hushed tones) but nevertheless at a time when gaming was beginning to take itself so seriously it was a pleasant experience to play on a console which had a more balanced approach. Nintendo designed the 64 with their usual childlike innocence at its core but for the first time they also ensured that there would be an assortment of more mature possibilities for their older fans. Today the N64 continues to stand as a curtain call for the Cartridge Era, but if it was up to me I would still ask for one last encore.
In many ways the N64 can be considered the end of an era in its own right. It was after all the final console to use ROM cartridges. Simultaneously however it was the first ever console to include an analogue stick on its joypad, and also the first to include a rumble feature. Its controls even included an index finger trigger, a feature which was clearly designed to give first person shooters an additional sense of realism; and which became of particular use with exclusive titles such as GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark. In fact the platform itself was awash with classic titles, from the previously mentioned Mario 64, to Ocarina of Time, and even the adult themes of Conker's Bad Fur Day. There were of course plenty of mediocre titles and even the odd bad one; (we still speak of Superman 64 with hushed tones) but nevertheless at a time when gaming was beginning to take itself so seriously it was a pleasant experience to play on a console which had a more balanced approach. Nintendo designed the 64 with their usual childlike innocence at its core but for the first time they also ensured that there would be an assortment of more mature possibilities for their older fans. Today the N64 continues to stand as a curtain call for the Cartridge Era, but if it was up to me I would still ask for one last encore.
Sony PlayStation
OK, so I said some harsh words about the PlayStation, but despite my personal dislike for the machine it is still important that it gets a mention. In fact it is no exaggeration to say that it is the most important console in this list in regards to its impact on modern gaming. Towards the end of the eighties, Nintendo approached Sony to assist them in creating a peripheral for the new SNES. With Sega releasing their own CD add-on for the Mega Drive, Nintendo wished a similar capability for their machine to compete. Sadly for Nintendo this deal never materialised and the two companies went their separate ways. Ironically however, this was perhaps the worst thing that could have ever happened for SEGA. With a certain amount of indignation Sony went ahead and created their own console; opting right from the start to create a machine that would be marketed to older consumers who had moved on from the likes of Mario and Sonic. What resulted was a pop culture icon. Gaming was suddenly made cool for a whole other generation.
Sony saw its fair share of controversy with the PlayStation, with games like Grand Theft Auto and Duke Nukem 3D bringing fears of rampaging psychopathic teenagers coming to the minds of many conservative onlookers. If anything though, this only fuelled the punk-esque nature of the system. PlayStation did for the nineties what Rock ‘n’ Roll did for the fifties and brought about a new teen revolution that persisted to the modern day. As I mentioned at the start, the nineties saw new and different genres which we now take for granted, and it was largely the PlayStation that saw their arrival. Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid, Command & Conquer and Grand Theft Auto are but a few of the classic titles that have since become massive modern day franchises. At this stage, is it even possible to imagine the games industry without these common staples?
Sony saw its fair share of controversy with the PlayStation, with games like Grand Theft Auto and Duke Nukem 3D bringing fears of rampaging psychopathic teenagers coming to the minds of many conservative onlookers. If anything though, this only fuelled the punk-esque nature of the system. PlayStation did for the nineties what Rock ‘n’ Roll did for the fifties and brought about a new teen revolution that persisted to the modern day. As I mentioned at the start, the nineties saw new and different genres which we now take for granted, and it was largely the PlayStation that saw their arrival. Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid, Command & Conquer and Grand Theft Auto are but a few of the classic titles that have since become massive modern day franchises. At this stage, is it even possible to imagine the games industry without these common staples?
Sega Dreamcast
Over the course of this article I have mentioned Sega number of times. In the early days of console gaming it was practically a two horse race between Sega and Nintendo and it is fair to say that many arguments began in playgrounds over which was best. With Sony’s arrival this all changed however. During the fifth generation wars the PlayStation easily decimated the Sega Saturn and it was at this point that Sega seriously considered backing out of all further console development. However it was with some trepidation that they instead decided to have one last hurrah at the end of the decade.
1999 saw the release of the Dreamcast to a somewhat lukewarm response. Its first day sales were fairly impressive but it was clear that consumers were awaiting the PS2 that would come a year later. Despite some hopes that Sony’s early production problems might improve Sega’s failing sales, it did not take long before the decision was made to discontinue the console after only a couple of years. Despite this however, there is no doubt in my mind that the Dreamcast is one of the best consoles ever conceived. It was the first console to introduce an inbuilt modem, with Sega clearly thinking ahead to the future; while its controller features a much more comfortable design to most of its competitors. In terms of its library of games there is nothing quite as edgy as what you would find on a Sony console, but nevertheless it features an assortment of fun titles that offer an arcade level of gameplay such as Crazy Taxi, or even others such as Shenmue which can be characterised as an experience in of itself.
While most people look at the Dreamcast as a low point for Sega, I believe it is better to look on it as their final great high. If Sony gave us the tone of gaming for the new millennium then Sega gave us the first example of the tools with which we would be playing on. It is only a shame that we could not have lived with it a little longer.
1999 saw the release of the Dreamcast to a somewhat lukewarm response. Its first day sales were fairly impressive but it was clear that consumers were awaiting the PS2 that would come a year later. Despite some hopes that Sony’s early production problems might improve Sega’s failing sales, it did not take long before the decision was made to discontinue the console after only a couple of years. Despite this however, there is no doubt in my mind that the Dreamcast is one of the best consoles ever conceived. It was the first console to introduce an inbuilt modem, with Sega clearly thinking ahead to the future; while its controller features a much more comfortable design to most of its competitors. In terms of its library of games there is nothing quite as edgy as what you would find on a Sony console, but nevertheless it features an assortment of fun titles that offer an arcade level of gameplay such as Crazy Taxi, or even others such as Shenmue which can be characterised as an experience in of itself.
While most people look at the Dreamcast as a low point for Sega, I believe it is better to look on it as their final great high. If Sony gave us the tone of gaming for the new millennium then Sega gave us the first example of the tools with which we would be playing on. It is only a shame that we could not have lived with it a little longer.
Old rivalries come and go, but the console war continues...
It has been long and arduous, and continues on with the recent additions of Nintendo's Wii U, Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One. But did any of the above get you driving down memory lane? Here at IWG we can't stay away from long retired consoles. Was there any particular console which you look back to with equal affection?
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