Watch this timeline on video games spanning 35 years, from Pong all the way to our current generation of titles - it’s quite apparent that we’ve come a long way. How many of the games featured have you had the opportunity to play?

What 15 games couldn’t you live without? James Mielke shares which 15 titles he would never 1) sell, 2) give away, 3) lend, or 4) or otherwise part with on a meaningfully permanent basis.

1) Panzer Dragoon Saga (SAT):
An original RPG from Sega that fleshed out the universe sketched out in the previous two on-rails shooters, the Panzer world exploded in this amazing RPG, whose main characters Edge and Azel felt like old friends the moment you saw them together on screen. At first adversaries, and later inseparable, this is RPG-dom’s unsung couple. The tragic fact is that to port this to any other system now is pretty much an impossibility, making those few rare copies of Saga on eBay truly the only way you’ll play it, just short of Sega recreating the entire thing from the ground up. Don’t count on that happening. Despite a limited number of characters (a design choice by Team Andromeda), Saga’s world still felt huge, thanks to the high-flying aerial battles, and your transforming dragon. In one of Sega’s most criminal moves (in a history of eye-rolling blunders), they printed fewer than 15,000 copies of this game, making it impossibly difficult to find on store shelves. Hey, gang. The solution to avoid paying high prices on classic games and the best way to get sequels to games like this is to buy them the first time around. Just sayin’.

2) Ico (PS2):
The U.S. cover art sucks so bad that whoever was responsible for it deserved to be fired for it. But, while the game is relatively short, it is 100% enjoyable, with some of the most unique, innovative game design (as well as graphic design) of the PS2 era. Shadow of The Colossus was slightly more hardcore, and perhaps slightly less accessible for it (despite selling ten times what Ico did), as Ico’s boy-meets-girl near-silent storytelling still brings a tear to the eye by the time Yorda pushes the unconscious Ico out to sea alone in a boat. This is the sensation of solitude on a disc.

3) Radiant Silvergun (SAT):
The cutscenes were terrific, the ship designs are super sweet, and the action is hectic. Featuring a multitude of set weapons, each distinct armament made playing through this game (a shooter with RPG elements) a unique challenge each time, until you leveled your weapons up to the max, of course. Then it became easy. But not so easy that it didn’t make every inventive boss, like The Origin, a sight to behold. Since it’s the only other Saturn title that commands (and deserves to command) Panzer Dragoon Saga-level prices, that’s just another reason not to let go of one of the most evocative shooters of all time.

4) Guardian Heroes (SAT):
Super controls, great soundtrack, cool little voice samples and the most insane side-scrolling 2D butt-kicking action ever, and that’s not counting the multiplayer arena mode in which something like 4 million 2D sprites battle it out at once. Each character has their own move list, and I can remember the days when I played that game over and over and over again, so enchanted I was about it. Plus, the Undead Warrior, an ass-kicking A.I. skeleton who seriously bruised asses on your behalf was just unbelievable. That the GBA sequel sucked so bad was heartbreaking for me.

5) Final Fantasy XII (PS2):
My favorite FF ever, because I am tired of random battles, I’m tired of the ATB system. So flexible, so customizable, this game not only has the amazing character designs of Akihiko Yoshida, but it boasts a level of playability in an offline RPG that only Oblivion can rival, and I think Oblivion is ugly as fuck. FFXII is like FFXI minus the insane customizability (visually). If only Square would bring out the International Zodiac System edition here as the Greatest Hits version, they’d sell a million copies all over again. The amount of side-quests, contextually activated super-side quests, hunts, and collection quests give this so much more depth than the previous ‘main game and a shit mini-game’ formula of like the last 5 Final Fantasy games. Shane Bettenhausen is retarded for giving this game an 8.5. This FF, more than any other since the 32-bit era, deserves a 10.

6) Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox):
It’s hard not to love this game if you want some serious combat in a fully 3D environment. Featuring all of the original NG plus the Hurricane Packs all in one package, this is Ryu Hayabusa’s shining moment, and the game that turned the tide for Tecmo, giving them a bona fide, triple-A title to put them in the big leagues for real. Ninja Gaiden 2 should be nothing short of spectacular.

7) Starcraft: Brood Wars (PC, Mac):
I can’t really say any more about this game than I already have, but it’s endlessly replayable, even today. The best strategy game I’ve ever played. The map editor alone supplied me with months and months of activity, and the playtesting that followed even more. Starcraft II better be the tits. The TITS I say.

NiGHTS Into Dreams (SAT):
The music, the time-attack style speed runs through each level, the A.I. nightopians, the numerous secrets hidden in the game (and by osmosis, the limited-release Christmas Nights, itself practically a standalone game), all make NiGHTS one of the biggest impact games in my 90s gaming life. I have a lot of great memories about this game that are irreplaceable. I could go on and on about this, but it gets better with time, unlike most games. I seriously hope they don’t fuck the sequel up.

9) Sub-Rebellion (PS2):
A lot of people will probably look at this game and say “You’re kidding, right?” But it’s the 3D spiritual successor (called Underwater Unit in Japan) to the classic Irem 2D shooter In The Hunt. It controls so well and the underwater ‘feeling’ is so spot-on, from the sense of speed (or lack thereof) to the sound effects, to the surface battles (which makes the underwater parts seem even more underwatery), to the sense of scale when you fight enormous bosses and submarines in the game, just makes it one of my favorite, most unconventional shooters of all time. If you didn’t play this game, you really, truly missed out. You should be able to find it in bargain bins for under $5.

10) Rez (PS2):
This game is as good today as it was when it first came out back in 2001. The music still kicks ass (especially Joujouka and Fear (The Mind Killer)), the action is still Panzer Dragoon-tastic

11) R-Type Final (PS2):
‘Hardcore’ types will undoubtedly point to the older 2D sprite-based games as the ones they’d put on their lists, but I loved Final’s homage to all of the original games, as this was a labor of love for the producer and the development team. With all of the unlockable ships, this is like a greatest hits of R-Type games. This narrowly edged out R-Type Delta, which is equally fantastic, and even tougher.

12) Wave Race 64 (N64):
So glad the original F-Zero prototypes for N64 turned into this game, which kicks the ass off its GameCube sequel and DOAX2’s jetski action for sheer playability and fun. I just downloaded the shit out of this game on Virtual Console on my Wii. One less reason to plug in my N64, but there’s still…

13) Sin & Punishment (N64, Japan only):
So what if it’s kids with guns. They’re guns with fucking lasers in a futuristic society. The voice-acting is all in English and there’s like virtually no text to localize. Can anyone in Christendom explain to me why this never came to the States? Best 3rd-person shooter you’ve never played.

14) Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction(PC):
Responsible for destroying lives, relationships and years of one’s life, and not necessarily in that order. How the same four fucking levels can be so insanely replayable is beyond me. But I could play this one to death for the next 10 years as well. Just wish they’d toss in a higher rez patch for kicks.

15) Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3):
The best of the VF games, although VF4 Evolution comes really close to this one. Still, more characters, unbelievably flexible and improv-friendly controls make this the most extravagant next-gen fighter around. The features list pales in comparison to DOA4, though, and will hopefully improve with the upcoming Xbox 360 release.

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Okay so he started as “the angry nintendo nerd” and without informing me, he graduated to become “the video game nerd”… the dude still likes feces in his ear. He also states the obvious, and rants the 32x to near death (c’mon the 32x was rushed to market, plus we all know it was Sega Japan vs. America communication that killed this ill fated add-on…?) what am I doing? Fuck it, be a angry videogame nerd with a the $2.50 32x which is pennies on the dollar (I’m jealous of that too) - fellow reader Ksee was a proud owner of this… I remember having a hard time really getting impressed by the games I played on it, but I remember wishing I had one. I know Ksee paid a bit more than $2.50 price, and maybe… I want to play Halo 3. I’m so jealous of my friends right now. Watch out you don’t want to see a REAL angry gamer - plus I know I’d so kick his ass… I shouldn’t post after drinking, but do we need to be reminded the dudes a nerd… watch the video and see for yourself… oh yeah, TGif.

How many of these did you own? I’ll share my total at the end of this entry…

Be it a lack of games, poor strategy, or inadequate marketing, a majority of video game consoles are commercial failures. Here are the 10 worst selling consoles of all time in terms of high-profile systems that stood a viable chance. Other lesser-known consoles are sure to have sold worse, but the below represent the notable platforms that never met expectations.

10. Dreamcast

Released in the fall of 1998 in Japan and a year later in the US, the Dreamcast was Sega’s fifth and final video game system. The much beloved console launched years ahead of the competition but ultimately struggled to shed the negative reputation it had gained during the Saturn, Sega 32X, and Sega CD days. As a result, casual gamers and jaded third-party developers doubted Sega’s ability to deliver. Despite a much celebrated game library, the Dreamcast only sold 10.6 million units during its short, three-year lifespan.

Key games: Soul Calibur, Seaman, Crazy Taxi

9. TurboGrafx-16

The TurboGrafx-16 was released in 1989 in North America and was largely considered a success in Japan. But the console never caught on in the US for two reasons: 1) Nintendo’s anti-competitive (now illegal) practices prevented Japanese developers from making games for both the TG16 and NES; and 2) poor localization. NEC successfully promoted the system in Japan using advertising in big cities only. When a similar strategy was implemented in the much larger and more diverse North America, a lack of public awareness resulted in smaller communities leaving NEC unable to compete. By 1991, the TurboGrafx-16 was all but dead and would go on to sell a total of 10 million units worldwide with only 2.5 million sold in the States.

Key games: Bonk’s Adventure, Splatterhouse

8. Saturn

The Sega Saturn was released in the US several months before the PlayStation in 1995, but like the Dreamcast that would later follow, it failed to last more than 3 years on the market. The console’s high $399 price put the sting on gamer wallets, and a complex multi-processor hardware architecture hindered game development leaving Saturn with relatively few good games. As a result, the more technogically forgiving PlayStation enjoyed a high influx of games to become the clear best-selling system of that generation. The “stillborn” Saturn would sell only 9.5 million units worldwide.

Key games: NIGHTS, Virtua Fighter, Daytona USA

7. Sega CD

Compact Disc was all the rage in the early 90s when Sega released their first Genesis add-on that played 16-bit full-motion video games. The problem was threefold: the device was expensive at $299, it arrived late in the 16-bit life cycle, and it didn’t do much (if anything) to enhance the gameplay experience. Granted, the attachment delivered the greatest Sonic game of all time (Sonic CD), but everything else under whelmed and the system sold only 6 million units in its short-lived life. Worse still, Sega CD marked the first of several Sega systems that saw very poor support; something that devalued the once-popular Sega brand in the eyes of consumers, and something that would ultimately lead to the company’s demise as a hardware maker.

Key games: Sonic CD, Night Trap, Earthworm Jim

6. 3DO

The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer was the first legitimate 32-bit console to hit retail. Engineered by EA founder Trip Hawkins, the system was released in September 1993 by Panasonic. Despite its highly promoted launch, unprecedented power, and attractive development terms, the machine flopped because 3DO was unable to convince consumers to pay an exorbitant $700 price tag (and you thought the PS3 was expensive!). Interestingly enough, the 3DO was one of the first machines to be marketed as a “high-end audio-visual system” in addition to being a game console. Add that to the over-saturated console market of the mid-90s, and the EA-backed system would sell little more than 2 million units (note: the Wikipedia entry claims 6 million, a figure we couldn’t verify).

Key games: Road Rash, The Horde

5. Virtual Boy

Not quite a portable, definitely not a handheld, Nintendo released the Virtual Boy a few months after Sega’s Saturn in the summer of 1995 (a bad time for hardware launches). Priced at a pricey $180 dollars, the red monochrome system was met with a lukewarm reception despite its pseudo-3D graphics and continued price drops. Nintendo rushed the Virtual Boy to market in light of longer-than-expected N64 delays resulting in a poor selection of games and third-party support. Hence, only 770,000 units were ever sold, and the Virtual Boy was discontinued after just one year. It would be Nintendo’s only commercial hardware flop but at the additional expense of losing the creator of the venerable Game Boy line and Metroid franchise. That man Gunpei Yokoi who also designed the Virtual Boy, was kindly asked to leave after the debacle.

Key games: None, really

4. CD-i

If there was one machine that didn’t know what it was, it was Philip’s CD-i. Released in 1991 and heavily promoted via infomercials, the system was similar to the Sega CD in that it played 16-bit video CDs but was marketed as an all encompassing “interactive” player that included educational software, music, and self-improvement titles in addition to a limited number of video games. The arrival of cheaper, more powerful consoles in the mid 90s effectively sealed its fate, but miraculously, Philips life-supported the system until 1998 when it was finally discontinued. The CD-i would only sell a paltry 570,000 units.

Key games: Zelda: The Wand of Gannon, Dragon’s Lair, Myst

3. Atari Jaguar

The Jaguar was Atari’s last-ditch effort to deliver a financially successful video game console. The system was released in November 1993 as a 64-bit machine when in reality it was a 32-bit system (only the graphics card had 64-bit capabilities). Launching at a $250 price point, Jaguar was marketed under the slogan “Do the Math.” Let’s take Atari up on that mathematical challenge: Atari’s final console sold a measly 250,000 units in just over a year on the market. Sure the system had the ultra-cool Tempest 2000, but just about every other game was garbage. Is it a coincidence that the number three console on our list had the worst game controller ever invented by man? We think not.

Key games: Aliens vs. Predator, Tempest 2000, Iron Soldier

2. Sega 32X

The 32X was the epitome of Sega’s hardware failure. Launched in November 1994, this second Genesis add-on left gamers even more confused in light of the previously released Sega CD. Just how many 16-bit attachments did one need? All in all, if you were one of the unlucky souls who completely bought into Sega’s add-on frenzy, you would have spent a whopping $650 dollars for something that weighed about us much as a small dog. The real problem, however, was that Sega of America (which developed the 32X) had no idea the Saturn was being developed in Japan until it was too late. As a result, the 32X was half-heartily supported for only a few months selling an unthinkably low 200,000 units.

Key games: Virtua Racing Deluxe, Knuckles Chaotix, Doom

1. Apple Pippin

Apple and successful Japanese toy maker Bandai teamed up in 1995 to delivery a next-gen video game console and their lack of experience showed. The system launched at a pricey $599, making it more expensive albeit less powerful than the competition (kinda hard to sell something on that value proposition). The platform failed to gain any traction, had an appallingly limited roster of games, and only sold 42,000 units before being discontinued in 1997. Combine its ridiculously low sales in addition to making PC World’s “Worst Tech Products of All-time,” and the Pippin easily tops our list of the most under-performing, high-profile consoles ever.

Key games: none

I can’t believe I only owned 2 out of the 10 listed - the Dreamcast & SegaCD, and I still have my NEC TurboExpress which didn’t exactly set the world on fire, on second thought it did burn through 6AA batteries pretty fast. How many did you have? You can leave a comment or discuss this further in our forum.

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Joystiq posted this recently:

Nintendo recently announced support for Neo-Geo and MSX games on the Japanese Virtual Console. Will the Sega Saturn be next? The gossip comes via Rumor Reporter reader Fei34 who claims to have heard it from a fellow DigiPen employee. The DigiPen and Nintendo of America buildings are connect by a single hallway, so it seems someone has been doing reconnaissance work in-between classes.

Since the VC launched, Sega has been one of its strongest supporters. Bringing on the Saturn is a likely next-step. Now if only the Dreamcast were next on the list.

We take a look into the past of Sega and where they went wrong in the console wars.

Tecmo Bowl sucks, I got Joe Montana. You’re still playing Mario, Dude! Ask your Mom if you can come over. I’ll let you play on a real video game system. My Genesis has 16-bit graphics, what’s yours again? 8-bit, that’s funny. Oh the good old days of harassing Nintendo players. Being the first kid to own a Sega Genesis on my block was the biggest thrill of my adolescent life. Until Mark “My Parents are so Rich” Bradley brought in his Neo Geo instruction manual, everyone was my friend. But that’s another story for another time. It was a time when wearing British Knights and Air Jordans was as important as having a Triple Fat Goose and a Starter hat to be in the upper echelon of public middle school society. It was the pinnacle of Sega’s Pax Romana. Sadly, like a VH1 “Behind the Music” episode, the downward spiral soon began.

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