11 Major Rivalries That Changed Video Game History

7. Sony Vs. Nintendo

The face-off: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or Final Fantasy VII? We've covered Sega's prodding of the Nintendo nest that helped contribute to their downfall, and so with only one contender left standing in the ring as 3D graphics and home console-wars kicked into overdrive, it was Sony who would rise up and take on The House of N - battling them on every front from loveable mascots to childhood-defining experiences. Where one generation was defined by the Sega/Nintendo wars, chances are if you're around the 20 year-old mark it was debating why your new shiny Playstation was better than the N64 that you'll remember more fondly. Fie on your 'Mario 64', we've got Crash Bandicoot and Spyro over here, and oh what's that? You've made a 3D Mario Kart? Well we've got Crash Team Racing, which even to this day is - whisper it - a far better racing experience. Then there were the really big hitters, clashes for the ages that we welcome you to debate out in the comments: Ocarina of Time or Final Fantasy VII? WWF No Mercy or Smackdown? Goldeneye or.... well okay Nintendo had that one sewn up, but we had lightgun games like Time Crisis and Point Blank which were absolutely mind-blowing at the time. "How does it know where I'm aiming the gun?!" we collectively pondered, "Pure childhood magic" was still the only answer you'll ever need.