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Magnavox Odyssey
This was the world's first game console and it even predates the Atari pong home game consoles. 340,000 units sold -
Pong
A coin-op arcade game by Atari Inc
Based on table tennis, it was also the first game to gain widespread popularity -
Maze Wars
This was one of the first FPS games
Players wander around in a maze with tile-based movement
Players gain points from shooting other players; that appear as eyeballs -
Gran Track 10
This game was a single-player racing arcade game by Atari.
The player races against the clock which earns them points
This game also included controls that were new to video games -
Coleco Telstar
This is a battery powered gaming system that had pong and was compatible with many different tv manufacturers
This made it easy to use which sold more units -
Atari 2000
Popularized game cartridges and was very popular in the 80s
The console had two hoysticks and two paddle controlllers -
Space Invaders
Originally created in Japan, and later licensed in the U.S.
This game was so successful that it caused a temporary shortage of coins in Japan -
Pac Man
This was considered one of the most famous arcade games of all time
Became a social phenomenon that sold merchandise and inspired an animated series -
Mario Brothers
A platform arcade game with full color
Mario, a Italian-American
plumber, and his brother
Luigi must defeat
creatures from the
sewers below New York -
Video Game Crash
The delay of Atari's 7800 console left
consumers hungry for the next big thing
A flood of consoles on the US market
gave consumers too many choices
Millions of consumers shifted their
intention to buy choices from game
consoles to low-end computers that
retailed for similar prices -
Tetris
Tile matching game from the Soviet Union
Tetris was even said to be the best game of all time -
NES
8-bit console by Nintendo
Most successful of its time;
sold over 60 million worldwide
First console to play and openly court
third-party developers
Slogan "Now You're Playing With Power!" -
Sega Genesis
Supported over 900
games
First 16-bit console to
achieve notable market
share - sold 40 million
units worldwide
Direct competitor of the
Super (SNES), although
released two years earlier -
Sonic the Hedgehog
Platform by Sega
Successful; increased the
popularity of Sega's console
and established Sonic the
Hedgehog as the company's
mascot
Led to subsequent games in
Sega's flagship Sonic the
Hedgehog series -
Super Nintendo
Advanced graphics and
sound capabilities
• Ran 3D graphics better,
helping usher in 3D in
the fifth generation
• Best-selling of the 16-bit
era
• Remains popular well
into the 32-bit era -
Sony PlayStation
• 32-bit by Sony
• First of a series of PS
consoles
• First to ship 100 million
units
• PS2 released in 2000 is
best-selling home console
to date
• Has a PlayStation network -
Nintendo 64
• Nintendo's third home
console $199
• 64-bit processor sold
32.93 million units
worldwide
• Released Super Mario 64
and Pilotwings 64
• Slogan: "Get N, or get
Out!" -
Game Boy
8-bit for $89.95
First successful handheld -
predecessor of all other
Game Boys
Originally bundled with
Tetris
Sold 118.69 million
worldwide -
Sega Dreamcast
• First sixth-generation console
• Successor to the Sega
Saturn as a comeback
effort
• Was hailed as ahead of its
time but failed to gather
momentum when PS2 was
released
• Discontinued in 2001 -
Sony PlayStation 2
• Best-selling console
in history, selling
over 150 million
• Over 3870 game title
are available
• Produced for 12 years