2. PS2
Yes, the original Playstation was ground-breaking, and yes, it definitely is still on the receiving end of oodles of love from the gaming world, both casual and hardcore fans alike. That in mind, the PS2 came along and did everything ten times better - not only was it a superb gaming machine, but the fact the system could play DVD discs was a huge selling point, and it was a smart move on the part of Sony to include such a feature. There are no end to the hours we could spend waxing lyrical about the strengths of the Playstation's sequel, which stands proud as one of the best-value consoles to ever be released. Bursting into view as the new millennium did the same, the PS2 is one of the biggest selling pieces of hardware in gaming history, shifting well in excess of 150 million units in total. Even more impressively, not a lot of that was down to hype, but instead due to the sheer satisfaction to be gained in owning one. Even now, second hand PS2 consoles are worth picking up - the games are cheap as chips, and they come in plentiful supply.
Best games: GTA - San Andreas/Vice City, MGS - Sons Of Liberty, Resident Evil 4, PES 6, Ratchet & Clank, Gran Turismo 3.