Classic Gaming Consoles
Magnavox Odyssey
Magnavox's Odyssey was the very first home videogame system, the machine that paved the way for Pong and pioneered a brand new industry.
Pong
The first mainstream videogame, Pong was the first step in Atari's rise to power and almost single-handedly created both the home and the arcade markets.
Channel F
The first home videogame console to use cartridges, the Fairchild Video Entertainment System (later renamed Channel F) was a pioneer, but was soon overshadowed by more powerful consoles and all but forgotten.
Atari 2600
The system that launched the videogame boom of the 80's. It pioneered many of the concepts used in today's consoles, and produced a myriad of... unusual... games and accessories.
Odyssey²
The successor of the original Odyssey, the first home videogame system, the Odyssey² competed against the Atari 2600. Due to limited marketing and distribution by its parent company, it had modest success in the U.S. (but was more popular elsewhere).
Intellivision
An early 80's system with better graphics and more power than the 2600, but subordinate to the ColecoVision. The Intellivision had a very long lifespan and was sold through retail or mail order for over ten years. Poor marketing and failure to deliver on the promise to turn the system into a home computer limited its success.
Atari 8 Bit Computers
The Atari 8 bit line of computers, beginning with the Atari 400 and 800, were Atari's attempt at getting in to homes with a "computer as home appliance" marketing strategy. Thought of chiefly as gaming computers yet adopted by hardcore computing hobbyists, it maintains a loyal following to this day.
VIC-20
The VIC-20 was the predecessor to the Commodore 64, really a full-fledged home computer but usually remembered today for its games.
Vectrex
The Vectrex was the first (and turned out to be the only) vector graphics based home videogame system. Although not very popular when it was new, it enjoys a loyal following today.
Arcadia 2001
An obscure system, Emerson's attempt at a game console was never even a minor contender in the marketplace, but its brief history is interesting nonetheless.
ColecoVision
The ColecoVision was a fairly popular system which competed directly against the Atari 2600. Released in 1982, the ColecoVision had better graphics and sound than any other home system at the time, and came bundled with the mega-popular Donkey Kong.
Nintendo Entertainment System
The system that brought videogames back to life after the catastrophic videogame crash of 1984, the NES introduced a new generation to videogames and went on to become the most popular videogame system in history.
Sega Master System
Released shortly after the NES, the Sega Master System was crushed both by Nintendo's popularity and its third party licensing system. While technically superior to the NES, the SMS never had much of a chance.
TurboGrafx-16
One of the first 16-bit systems, the TG16 didn't get enough exposure or third party support to become much of a contender.
Sega Genesis
The leader of the 16-bit revolution, arguably the best 16-bit system of all, and the console that made Sega a real contender in the marketplace for the first time.
3DO
The 3DO was a mid-90's CD-based multimedia entertainment device/game player system. Despite considerable backing by multiple companies, the system failed miserably.
Magnavox's Odyssey was the very first home videogame system, the machine that paved the way for Pong and pioneered a brand new industry.
Pong
The first mainstream videogame, Pong was the first step in Atari's rise to power and almost single-handedly created both the home and the arcade markets.
Channel F
The first home videogame console to use cartridges, the Fairchild Video Entertainment System (later renamed Channel F) was a pioneer, but was soon overshadowed by more powerful consoles and all but forgotten.
Atari 2600
The system that launched the videogame boom of the 80's. It pioneered many of the concepts used in today's consoles, and produced a myriad of... unusual... games and accessories.
Odyssey²
The successor of the original Odyssey, the first home videogame system, the Odyssey² competed against the Atari 2600. Due to limited marketing and distribution by its parent company, it had modest success in the U.S. (but was more popular elsewhere).
Intellivision
An early 80's system with better graphics and more power than the 2600, but subordinate to the ColecoVision. The Intellivision had a very long lifespan and was sold through retail or mail order for over ten years. Poor marketing and failure to deliver on the promise to turn the system into a home computer limited its success.
Atari 8 Bit Computers
The Atari 8 bit line of computers, beginning with the Atari 400 and 800, were Atari's attempt at getting in to homes with a "computer as home appliance" marketing strategy. Thought of chiefly as gaming computers yet adopted by hardcore computing hobbyists, it maintains a loyal following to this day.
VIC-20
The VIC-20 was the predecessor to the Commodore 64, really a full-fledged home computer but usually remembered today for its games.
Vectrex
The Vectrex was the first (and turned out to be the only) vector graphics based home videogame system. Although not very popular when it was new, it enjoys a loyal following today.
Arcadia 2001
An obscure system, Emerson's attempt at a game console was never even a minor contender in the marketplace, but its brief history is interesting nonetheless.
ColecoVision
The ColecoVision was a fairly popular system which competed directly against the Atari 2600. Released in 1982, the ColecoVision had better graphics and sound than any other home system at the time, and came bundled with the mega-popular Donkey Kong.
Nintendo Entertainment System
The system that brought videogames back to life after the catastrophic videogame crash of 1984, the NES introduced a new generation to videogames and went on to become the most popular videogame system in history.
Sega Master System
Released shortly after the NES, the Sega Master System was crushed both by Nintendo's popularity and its third party licensing system. While technically superior to the NES, the SMS never had much of a chance.
TurboGrafx-16
One of the first 16-bit systems, the TG16 didn't get enough exposure or third party support to become much of a contender.
Sega Genesis
The leader of the 16-bit revolution, arguably the best 16-bit system of all, and the console that made Sega a real contender in the marketplace for the first time.
3DO
The 3DO was a mid-90's CD-based multimedia entertainment device/game player system. Despite considerable backing by multiple companies, the system failed miserably.