Developer: Nintendo Release: 1985 Notable Games: Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid It couldn't have been anything else. Just look at the 'notable games' of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), representing the origins of some of Nintendo's biggest ever franchises. Much of the brilliance of the NES' library comes from Nintendo's ridiculously strict licensing system, which would only allow games to be released for the console after lengthy scrutiny from the Japanese developers. Nintendo's first-party games for the NES among gaming's best, with Super Mario Bros. setting the template for every platformer to come, and Metroid inventing a genre in its own right. The strict licensing meant that even third-party titles were ridiculously consistent, such as Konami's Castlevania 3 and Mega Man 2. Ultimately, Nintendo were able to succeed because they knew that quality would prevail over quantity, something that Atari didn't learn until it was far too late. The NES has been called everything from the saviour of video games to the most perfectly elegant device ever to come out of Nintendo. All we know is that it's by far and away our top pick for the greatest video game console of all time. What's your favourite game console? Disagree with anything on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
