as unbiased as possible (if that is possible) Snes v MD v PC Engine

[muse hunter]

I need to bring this to an conclusion, which is seen as the best 16 bit console? This era in gaming is seen by many as the high point new genre's were being discovered, new fresh ideas, and gaming has never been more purer, although many titles from this era has aged the best one have surived untouched by time. So which is your favourite?

The pc engine is included as i always believed it is a true 16 bit console and could easily equal anything that that the MD can do graphically. Although the neogeo could be included it is basically an arcade machine in a box and thus could easily out perform the humble 16 bit home console, because of this it is disqualified.

Nintendo during this time were on the top of their game yoshi's island, mario world, mario kart, super metroid, zelda link to the past, and mario allstars tore apart anything their competitors could achieve, so the snes gets my vote. However i know there are many here who will disagree, so who wins the title of best 16 bit console?

[Kubrick]

SNES. A lot of the top games are still the best in their respective genres today. How many MD or PCE games could you say that about?

[buster_broon]

weird thing is - when i was younger my mega drive got alot more play than my sisters snes and i would have said without hesitation that it was definately the megadrive

but now that i'm older so many more snes games are better

so i would say Snes

i didnt and have never owned a pc engine

[Kubrick]

Never owned an Engine either, and only had a MD briefly, so I'm biased. But I reckon my answer would still be the same if I had them all back in the day.

[venom743]

Depends on the games that you're into. The SNES has a varied amount of quality titles from all genres whereas the MD is better for shooters IMO.

[Hysteria]

IMHO SNES (although I havent owned a PC Engine and havent seen a reason to yet)

Secret of Mana, Secret of Illusion, Mario World, Yoshis Island, Pilotwings, Mario Kart, Zelda LTTP

The list goes on and on, I just wanted to give a couple of reasons why

[buster_broon]

you could also bring the neo geo into this equation as well

its a 16bit console with a separate 8 bit sound processor

so 16bit i guess

[gamerade]

As with religion, politics and football this one could run and run......
All 3 have their fare share of exclusive games that attract certain gamers. RPGs/shmups/platformers/arcade conversions etc.
Looking at it from a hardware and games quality then in my opinion the PCEngine was far ahead of the other 16bit (?) consoles, remember only the video chip was 16bit, the processor was 8bit. Thats like saying the NeoGeo was 8bit 'cos it had a 8bit sound chip in there. Both the MD and Snes hit their limits early on and required extra chips, DSP and SFX respectively, to enhance their capabilities. Engine games that pushed the hardware were technically far superior to either of the other machines. Taking into account the CDrom2 system, which again lacked any chip enhancements, the games were superior to any megaCD titles.
As for best in their respective genres, the engine was THE machine for hardcore shmup fans, (unmatched even on Saturn or DC) with virtually arcade perfect conversions of fighters and platformers along with it's own unique style of gaming originality and exclusives, for those that experienced it 1st hand was the console of choice.
It may not have the largest software catalogue, but on a quantity to quality basis is far, far ahead of the other 2.

[gIzzE]

I think the fact that the snes had to add FX and DSP chips is irellevant, actually the fact they bothered was what made the system so great.
The PC engine was a great system and as you say if you were into shooters it was awesome. What year did it come out though? I remeber seeing a screen shot for out run when I had my Coleco Vision, which was pre 8 bit era.
I still think that the snes is the best console ever made, as there are still loads of games I could play and enjoy on it today.

[Hysteria]

Out of interest does the PC Engine have many/any rpgs? I wouldnt mind branching out onto a new format ( as if I didnt have enough rpgs to buy for other consoles :rollseyes: )

Im talking Pal (if there was such a thing?) / NTSC-US only, my Jap isnt too hot ^_^

[gamerade]

Never really bothered with US Turbo Graphics card games, the only 2 CDs that spring to mind are Dungeon Master:Therons Quest and Ys I+II (Dungeon Explorer 2, but thats more action), hardly worth buying a system for. You're really on a loser with the Japanese ones, although there are translation patches out there, if you google.

[Slip]

it's hard to say, they're all excellent machines. like other people have said, it depends what kind of games you're into and stuff like that. they all excel in their own area, imo.

...

i'd probably go with the mega drive though, just because it's been my favorite out of the three for as long as i can remember, and only because of that ^__^;

[strawdonkey]

I'd say... the SNES, by a whisker... I pick up all sorts on my travels, and I consistently find myself enjoying SNES stuff more than Megadrive stuff. I was a Megadrive kid when I was but an urchin, but SNESage just feels a lot more refined in many cases.

Of course, it's got it's fair share of codswallop too, but every system has that. I guess it's just that if you pick ten random Megadrive games and ten random SNES games, the SNES ones are likely to be better in more ways than one.

IMHO.

[muse hunter]

Yeah the snes is deservingly in the lead. Mariokart has to be one of the best multi player games of all time, still is a blast, the battle mode was the most popular, unfortunatly nintendo didn't share this view with mariokart dd. I remember when i was a kid and seeing mariokart in action, it totally blew me away, before this i was more of a MD/sonic fan seeing as i was brought up on a master system. I finally got a snes in 1995, (late i know) and said goodbye to my master system and i didn't regret it at all. Christmas day playing on mario allstars and mariowold with my bros was unforgetable, and it wasn't too long until i managed to get mariokart, mortal kombat 2, and street fighter 2 and i was in gaming heaven. The snes is up there with the neogeo for me and after recently seeing how the once fondly remembered MD has aged badly i have decided to go where the true 16 bit titles lay and invest in a super famicom (hopefully the jr version because that looks soooo cool)

[Tychom]

I think graphically the SNES edges out the other two, the likes of Yoshi's Island and Donkey Kong, Seiken Densetsu 3 have no competition on the other platforms. In fact the use of colour on the whole seems totally unmatched, especially in the SNES' later years. Whilst the PCE really got a lease of life with the CD systems - producing some astounding cutscene graphics, in game graphics remained fairly simple and low colour (though games like Nexzr IMO are artistically stunning).
Sonically I guess things are pretty close but at the end of the day you certainly can't argue with CD sound. Some of what Nintendo, Konami & some of the RPG makers brought to the SNES though was and still is astounding, producing so many superb instrumental sounds.
Gamewise, I think a lot of games evolved much more on the SNES and MD than with the PCE - platformers always spring to mind, the PCE never really seeming to come up with something to break out of the wonderboy mould where as the SNES was lucky to get Umihara Kawase, Yoshi's Island and some others. I'm sure there's lots of stuff I've never come across though that would smash that feeling.

Looking back at least, many of the SNES games seem to be riding out time the best, coming off the least dated even without CD sound.