Best console This Gen.

[ShenmueAddict]

Well nearly 4 years on and my opinion still stands and the Xbox 360 has been the best this gen, though i do have a wii now and it has some good games just nowhere near as many as the xbox

The 3DS looks cool, much better than the DS, i would get one but dont have the spare cash to buy one. played on one, its a neat gadget

[Chris]

I haven't really been impressed by any of them.

Sony was in desperation mode after the PS3 initially flopped, and they were churning out a load of new IPs. Some stuck, some didn't. Now they've got a foot in the door they've closed off making new games and have stuck mainly to sequels sadly. They're overconfident even when failing horribly, and totally mismanaged that massive data leak.

I sold my Xbox a few years ago. I wasn't impressed by the online model or the desperate attempts at getting you to buy pointless digital shit for your avatar. Microsoft initially bought up exclusives, but that began to fade away into DLC exclusives, then timed DLC exclusives. Their first party stuff is piss poor and them trying to buy limited exclusivity to appeal to gamers is unsustainable.

Nintendo went down the plughole in terms of first party content early on. They're not known for churning things out quickly, and their only real attempts at creating new stuff on the Wii was casual shovelware like Wii Fit. They had a few really good third party exclusives and a load of great lightgun games, but it's really just lost in an avalanche of casual game shit. The size limit on content in the Wiiware store is stupid, as are friend codes. Nintendo have no real idea how to do online connectivity right.

PC has overall been the best for me this gen. It has mostly the same games as consoles but will perform far better if you've got the hardware right. There are plenty of indie games to choose from, and you can experiment with mods easily. Steam is also a great distribution service and isn't a slow anti-consumer piece of shit like online stores on consoles.

[mue26]

I would agree to an extent with Chris, as there really was now "PS2" for this generation, and so it has been a bit disappointing in that respect. However, personally I thought Nintendo's first party core game support for the Wii has been stellar this gen. Yes Nintendo have unleashed the demon spawn that is the "casual gamer"and put out more cheap shovelware this gen, than probably all the others combined. But the core games they have brought out this gen, have been nothing short of consistently remarkable (well maybe aside from new super mario bros, but that's basically a casual game). No they haven't really brought out much new IP, but who honestly cares when the games they are bringing are out are brilliant and still wildly creative in their own rights.Its had shit third party support and shit loads of shovelware, but if you ignore that a focus on core first party games, it's pretty great.

[Chris]

It's six years this year since the Wii came out. If you're okay with the Mario/Zelda/Metroid rotation, I'm sure you'll still agree it was less than stellar.

Mario Galaxy 1 & 2
Metroid Prime 3 and Other M
Skyward Sword (because Twilight Princess was a Gamecube game and nowt more shall be said about it)

If Nintendo really want to stick to that pattern for big mainline first party titles, at least release more than 5 in the entire lifespan of the console.

And they really shouldn't have tried to shrug gamers off by positioning Animal Crossing as their 'hardcore' title that one time at E3.

Thinking about it, it suffered from the exact same problems as the Gamecube and surely would have flopped as hard if the Wiimote didn't take off.

[mue26]

Kirby unravelled, or whatever it was called was also ace.

Yes, I am more than happy with these five or 6 games alone. Mario galaxy 1 and 2 are the pinnacle of platform gaming, and to get not just one game of this quality within a consoles lifetime but two is a considerable achievement. SS for me, is no less great either having refined and improved (in my opinion) the Zelda formula. I struggle to think of any other games (maybe aside from Bayonetta) that have impressed me so, this gen. So I'm happy to forgive the Wii.

[Chris]

I just don't feel like giving Nintendo an easy ride because they boot out another Mario/Zelda/Metroid every couple of years.

Galaxy 1 and 2 are great though, even if a lack of camera control is a pain in the fucking arse sometimes.

Skyward Sword though... it like halfway mixes things up and halfway falls into the same familiar trench 3D Zelda has been in since Ocarina.

Calling Nintendo innovative is sort of an empty compliment because they're so hesitant to step out of their comfort zone.

[baby beedle hitler]

they should just let retro do all their games