Top 10 System Dealers

As I look back at each video game console I own, I often think about the memories associated with that particular piece of hardware. Whether it’s a handheld or a home console, every console I’ve ever owned has some kind of attachment to it that’s usually associated with some piece of software.

I remember looking for a console because a certain game was confirmed, or rumored to be coming soon. I’m certainly not the only one, as there are many people who have their own stories of wanting a console because they knew it had a game that would make every dollar spent.

These days, system vendors are in a state of flux, as deals with startups and third parties seem to be constantly changing due to the whims of hardware developers. Some consoles are lucky enough to have multiple system vendors, which proves how far software can push hardware in everyone’s eyes.

10

Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast)

Selling Consoles at the Speed ​​of Sound

On Christmas morning in 1999, I watched my brother unwrap the Dreamcast and Sonic Adventure. I was doing fine myself, firing up the PlayStation 1 with Metal Gear Solid. That day, the only thing we did was to play both comforting with burning love.

In the decades that followed, I was always impressed by what Sonic Adventure did on the Dreamcast. I never owned one, but a lot of people bought that console for Sonic Adventure. I always wanted one for Code Veronica, but Sonic Adventure was an important part of the Dreamcast library.

I think the best Sonic games, and the best 3D games, have come since then, but the Dreamcast was heavily supported by it. Everyone who had a Dreamcast probably had Sonic Adventure. It was probably necessary.

9

Final Fantasy 10 (PlayStation 2)

A Legendary Adventure

I don’t think it’s possible to explain exactly how crazy the lead up to Final Fantasy 10 was back in the day. I remember hearing about the first trailer that was shown at the Square Millennium Event in 2000, then the impressive showing it had as an extra on the Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within DVD.

Next to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Final Fantasy 10 was the game that convinced me to get a PlayStation 2. Everyone and their grandmother wanted to get into FF10.

The console already sold well in its first year, but Final Fantasy 10 managed to push it over the edge. It wouldn’t have been a superpower without it, eventually selling over 150 million units.

8

Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)

One of the Greatest Games of the Decade

My first Nintendo 64 memory goes to my aunt’s house, where I was obsessed with watching my uncle play Super Mario 64. I was never good at Super Mario 64, and since then I’ve come to the conclusion that I enjoy watching people play it more than actually participating.

It’s hard to overstate how important Super Mario 64 was to the launch of the Nintendo 64. It was one of the first games to really solve the problem of 3D camera movement in a testable environment, which developers had been struggling with for years at the time.

Every 90s kid who had a Nintendo 64 also had Super Mario 64. They just went hand in hand, and while it’s almost certain that the Mario franchise has made better 3D platformers in the decades since, Super Mario 64 was essential for the N64 to compete in the console space.

7

Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox)

Microsoft Enters the Conversation

The battle for the sixth generation console was truly exciting, as it saw Microsoft entering a competitive battle with Nintendo and Sony. There was definitely a lot of skepticism, but I remember being so excited that there was a new console. Watching Xbox TV broadcasts back then was a lot of fun.

All these years later, the game most directly associated with the original Xbox is definitely Halo: Combat Evolved. If you were buying an Xbox back then, it was probably because of Halo.

Its success was steady, with more units sold each year after release. It was hugely influential, inspiring many Xboxes and spawning a whole generation of copycats that we affectionately called Halo Killers.

6

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch)

The Mountaineer

While I’ve always thought the Nintendo Switch launch schedule was more interesting than most people give it credit for, there’s no denying that one game stands out above the others. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the most important game in the console’s library, and remained so for several years.

There were many rumors, and fears, that Zelda would not make the launch date for the Switch. After all, it was delayed twice for the Wii U, and now it’s confirmed as a cross-gen title.

Breath of the Wild was an important piece of the puzzle that allowed the Switch to sell over 155 million units. The game itself is the best-selling game in the franchise, with over 35 million copies sold.

5

Final Fantasy 7 (PlayStation)

The Hottest Game of the 1990s

There is a certain feeling in Final Fantasy 7 that no other game in the franchise has been able to replicate. It generated more hype and enthusiasm for Final Fantasy than any other game has come close to, and helped make the franchise a household name.

The numbers don’t lie either. The original PlayStation was already on its way to becoming a formidable force in the home console space, but Final Fantasy 7 created an incredibly noticeable spike. PS1 hardware sales doubled with the launch of Final Fantasy 7.

Final Fantasy 7, along with Gran Turismo, moved a large number of consoles. People would buy a PS1 just to play this iconic adventure, and the game would go on to become one of the most influential JRPGs of all time.

4

Pokémon Red and Blue (Game Boy)

Confirming Hand Play

Handheld games were doing well in the early 1990s. It was almost impossible to compete with home consoles, but the Game Boy was an outlier. It completely blew away the competition, thanks in large part to the introduction of Pokémon Red and Blue.

I’m not sure what it was about the magic of Pokémon back in the day, but it always caught the kids of the day, myself included. Every kid bought a Game Boy, and it was for Pokémon. Game Boy hardware sales felt like they were on the rise, but Pokémon Red pushed the console past 100 million units.

The Game Boy’s success can be largely linked to Pokémon, as it moved more units off the shelves than any other game in the library. It also helped that the Game Boy was much cheaper than the home console, coming in at less than a hundred bucks. It was the best deal in sports.

PS3 Day Has Finally Been Worth It

Following an insane price tag of 600 bucks and a lack of genuinely compelling games, the PlayStation 3 was one of the most disappointing hardware launches of its generation. There were games on the PS2, including God of War II, that made getting a PS3 feel completely unnecessary.

At the 2005 Tokyo Game Show, however, everything changed. There was finally a game that made buying a PS3 worth the effort, as Hideo Kojima finally unveiled Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. It’s confirmed as a PS3 exclusive, and the lead up to its release has been truly amazing.

By the time MGS4 was ready for release in 2008, the console had dropped in price by over a hundred dollars. Those two factors combined helped the PS3 increase its hardware sales, nearly tripling the number of consoles sold. MGS4 would also ship over four million copies in its first year, proving that the two are compatible.

2

Bloodborne (PlayStation 4)

Old Blood Sells New Consoles

PlayStation 4 was first launched in 2013, alongside Xbox 360 and Wii U. In the first two years, it accumulated a decent library of games, but making the jump from PS3 to PS4 didn’t feel like it was right yet.

That is, until FromSoftware entered the picture. I know quite a few people, myself included, who didn’t have a strong interest in games like Souls until Bloodborne. Even today, my love of the genre is limited to a few core titles, but Bloodborne was something special.

It built the lore we know today, so much so that Bloodborne feels like it wasn’t even made by the same people who made Dark Souls. PS4 hardware sales saw a significant increase thanks to Bloodborne, and it was the key title that convinced people to finally jump on the next-gen train.

1

Grand Theft Auto 3 (PlayStation 2)

Moving 150 Million Systems

2001 was something really special in the world of video games, but it was also the year that the PlayStation 2 became the console to beat. It was the year that saw the launch of Metal Gear Solid 2, Final Fantasy 10, Silent Hill 2, and perhaps most important of all, Grand Theft Auto 3.

There are PS2 games that I really like, but I don’t think any game defines that system more than GTA3. It was the game that everyone bought a PS2 to play, and it helped make the console what it did. There is absolutely no way the PS2 has a lifetime sales number of 155 million units without it.

The PS2 was already selling well, but GTA3 was a big push for the console. The install base almost doubled, and GTA3 was responsible for a large part of that. It’s hard to think of a console with a game that’s this attached to the waist, and while it didn’t eventually make its way to other consoles, it was one of the most successful exclusives in a long time.