Pick a system

Every console and handheld in the Matrix, from the Atari 2600 and Commodore 64 to the Dreamcast and Nintendo DS. Each system page has a short history, its most celebrated games, hidden gems and genre-by-genre rankings.

Atari, C64 & the pioneers

1977–1986 · joysticks, paddles and pure arcade instinct

Atari 2600 console Atari 2600 Atari · 1977 · 487 games Atari 5200 console Atari 5200 Atari · 1982 · 70 games Atari 7800 console Atari 7800 Atari · 1986 · 59 games ColecoVision console ColecoVision Coleco · 1982 · 130 games Intellivision console Intellivision Mattel · 1979 · 124 games Commodore 64 console Commodore 64 Commodore · 1982 · 1,508 games

8-bit classics

NES & Master System · the era that rebooted gaming

Nintendo Entertainment System console Nintendo Entertainment System Nintendo · 1985 · 984 games Sega Master System console Sega Master System Sega · 1986 · 301 games

16-bit golden age

SNES, Genesis, Neo Geo · sprites at their peak

Super Nintendo console Super Nintendo Nintendo · 1991 · 1,046 games Sega Genesis / Mega Drive console Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Sega · 1989 · 872 games Sega CD console Sega CD Sega · 1992 · 112 games TurboGrafx-16 / PC Engine console TurboGrafx-16 / PC Engine NEC · 1989 · 158 games Neo Geo console Neo Geo SNK · 1990 · 121 games

The 3D revolution

PlayStation, N64, Saturn, Dreamcast · polygons and CDs

Atari Jaguar console Atari Jaguar Atari · 1993 · 64 games Nintendo 64 console Nintendo 64 Nintendo · 1996 · 345 games Sega 32X console Sega 32X Sega · 1994 · 33 games Sega Saturn console Sega Saturn Sega · 1995 · 341 games PlayStation console PlayStation Sony · 1995 · 1,444 games 3DO Interactive Multiplayer console 3DO Interactive Multiplayer The 3DO Company · 1993 · 141 games Sega Dreamcast console Sega Dreamcast Sega · 1999 · 407 games

Handhelds

Game Boy, GBA, DS, Game Gear and friends

Game Boy console Game Boy Nintendo · 1989 · 641 games Game Boy Color console Game Boy Color Nintendo · 1998 · 580 games Game Boy Advance console Game Boy Advance Nintendo · 2001 · 1,195 games Nintendo DS console Nintendo DS Nintendo · 2004 · 1,215 games Virtual Boy console Virtual Boy Nintendo · 1995 · 21 games Sega Game Gear console Sega Game Gear Sega · 1991 · 294 games Atari Lynx console Atari Lynx Atari · 1989 · 77 games Neo Geo Pocket Color console Neo Geo Pocket Color SNK · 1999 · 33 games WonderSwan console WonderSwan Bandai · 1999 · 11 games WonderSwan Color console WonderSwan Color Bandai · 2000 · 3 games