Nintendo Game Boy / Game Boy Color

The Nintendo Game Boy (GB) was Nintendo's first proper handheld system, directly inspired by the company's earlier Game & Watch series of standalone handhelds. It was released in 1989 in Japan and the United States and in 1990 in Europe. It was the first major handheld platform. The Game Boy was re-released in 1998 as the Game Boy Color (GBC), which kept the system's appearance but added a color display and increased performance. The Game Boy platforms were huge successes for Nintendo, selling nearly 120 million units combined, and single-handedly created the portable gaming market. Their most notable releases were Tetris, which was bundled with the original Game Boy, and the debut entries in the Pokemon series. The original Game Boy was discontinued in 1999, rendered redundant by the Game Boy Color, while the Game Boy Color was in turn discontinued in 2002 after the release of the Game Boy Advance.

The Greatest Game Boy / Game Boy Color Games of All-time:

1. [2] Tetris (1989)
2. [84] Pokemon Red & Blue (1998) / Yellow (1999)
3. [125] The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX (1998)

Sega Genesis / Mega Drive

The Sega Genesis, known as the Mega Drive outside of North America, was Sega's second console, following the unsuccessful Master System. It was released in 1988 in Japan, 1989 in North America and 1990 in PAL regions. Although it was soundly defeated by Nintendo's SNES in Japan, the Genesis / Mega Drive managed to be competitive with Nintendo in most every other global market, managing to claim a higher market share in several key regions. The Genesis was known for its add-ons, such as the Mega CD and Sega 32X, which allowed it to have the best technical performance of any console up to that point. Although the Genesis library is not considered to be as deep in terms of quality as the SNES, it can claim several innovative titles across the genre spectrum, including Herzog Zwei, one of the first RTS games. The Genesis was discontinued in 1995.

The Greatest Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Games of All-time:

1. [73] Gunstar Heroes (1993)
2. [74] Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
3. [101] Mega Bomberman (1994)
4. [107] Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)
5. [155] Phantasy Star II (1989)
6. [160] Streets of Rage (series) (1992)
7. [196] Herzog Zwei (1990)

Super Nintendo

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (also known as the Super Nintendo and abbreviated as the 'SNES') was Nintendo's second home console and was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in North America and 1992 in Europe and Australia. It edged out the Sega Genesis in the 16-bit console wars, largely due to Sega's inability to enthrall the Japanese market. However, due to the increased competition from the Genesis and, to a lesser extent, the TurboGrafx-16, the SNES sold over ten million fewer copies than Nintendo's earlier NES console. Nevertheless, it is still held in very high esteem by gaming critics and aficionados and is best known for its platformers, adventure titles and RPGs. It was discontinued in 1999.

The Greatest Super Nintendo Games of All-time:

1. [6] Street Fighter II (1991)
2. [9] The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1992)
3. [15] Super Metroid (1994)
4. [18] Super Mario World (1992)
5. [21] Super Mario Kart (1992)
6. [48] Chrono Trigger (1995)
7. [52] Final Fantasy VI (1994)
8. [90] Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995)
9. [101] Super Bomberman (1993)
10. [126] F-Zero (1990)
11. [153] Super Castlevania IV (1992)
12. [168] Donkey Kong Country (1994)
13. [178] Gradius III (1991)
14. [191] Star Fox (1993)
15. [194] Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996)
16. [200] Final Fantasy IV (1991)