9. Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) $190
The Sega Genesis can be lauded as part of the hardware team that really set gaming on the path to the current global domination it sees itself sitting in today. Launched in 1988 in Japan before arriving on US soil for a price of $190, it brought with it more expansive adventures for Sega's bipedal blue hedgehog, Sonic, along with countless other gaming delights available on cartridges. Not only a nice little price tag by today's standards (if you don't adjust for inflation) the Mega Drive with the output of Mortal Kombat, Night Trap and Lethal Enforcers was responsible for Sega creating the Videogame Rating Council in 1993, to attach age ratings to all titles. This was subsequently pushed aside for the all gaming incorporated Entertainment Software Rating Board (E.S.R.B) that you see on titles today. The Genesis proved so popular in its decade run before being discontinued that Sega built additional add-ons in the wake of the 32bit era to try and keep the console afloat before their Sega Saturn arrived on the scene. The Sega CD and Sega 32X were the hardware additions that were released and demand proved too much for Sega to handle. Developers didn't think running two consoles side by side would be feasible which caused support for the add-ons to dramatically dwindle, rendering them as pointless as fingerless oven gloves. The Mega Drive also attempted online gaming through Sega Meganet in 1990 before a new system launched in 1994, Sega Channel that ran until July 31st 1998. Pretty advanced, daring and surprisingly popular for the time.
Inflation: $357