One of the best and most exciting eras for Generation X was the Home Video Game Era, or, the Home Video Console Era. In the early 80s, we were treated to several home video game systems that equally vied for our attention. Some of them succeeded wildly and became generational staples. Others started strong and sputtered, and a few outright flopped. Below are the early game systems that made lasting impressions.
There were several systems that preceded the Atari 2600, but none broke out the way the Atari machine did. The 2600 was the first console to explode in sales and popularity on a mass scale. By 1983, the 2600 was as much a household must have as an actual television. It's arguably most popular and the most important console of all time.
The Intellivision console was the (more advanced) post-Atari system that never really took off. It’s a shame, because anyone who ever played one would tell you it was an awesome machine.
For a fleeting moment, the ColecoVision system was the most popular one around. There was no mystery why, its graphics were miles ahead of any other console, and its game library consisted of some of the best titles around (Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Spy Hunter, etc.). There are YouTube videos that detail the downfall of this console, but it still boggles the mind how something so dope crashed so quickly.
The Nintendo Entertainment System hit the scene well after the Atari Regime and the Console Collapse of the early 80s (Again, there are YouTube vids about the console crash). But, it not only took off sales-wise, it established its dominance in a way that not even the Atari 2600 did. From 1985 to ‘89, if you didn’t have an NES in your house, people might not come to your house. That’s not an exaggeration.
What video game console did you have when you were younger? Tell me via my email addy: grgsmmsjr@gmail.com.
