3rd Generation Game Consoles 1983-1987
The third generation of video games started with the release of the Famicom in Japan. It was a huge hit in Japan, so Nintendo wanted to release it in North America too. They managed to do so by calling it an entertainment system instead of a video game system. Ever since, the video game market has been stable. Other companies including Atari and Sega followed in Nintendo's footsteps. This generation is also nown as the 8-bit era because of many consoles released having such level of graphics. Some important titles released during this time are Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Megaman 2, Metal Gear, Metroid, and Ninja Gaiden.
Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is actually not a game console, but an 8-bit computer released in 1982 by Commodore International. However, by most gamers, it is considered one because it has a catridge slot on it for playing games. Not only that, it could also play games from floppy disks or even cassette tapes. The 64 in its name does not mean the graphics, but the RAM. It has 64 KB of RAM. The code used to start a game, Load"*",8,1 has become a memorable icon of gaming. Many games released for other consoles were also released for the Commodore 64. Nothing has really changed.
Sega SG-1000
Sega SG-1000
This console was released only in Japan in 1983 by Sega. It was Sega's first home console. The console was later released in Asia and some regions of Europe. It was very popular in Taiwan but not so much anywhere else. In 1984, Sega released an update called the Sega
SG-1000 II. It is essentially the same as the regular one, but has a different shell and had some plugs moved around. There was also a version of the console for computers called the Sega SG-3000, which actually outsold the regular one because it could play the same games as it..
SG-1000 II. It is essentially the same as the regular one, but has a different shell and had some plugs moved around. There was also a version of the console for computers called the Sega SG-3000, which actually outsold the regular one because it could play the same games as it..
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
NES
The NES came out in 1985, ending the 1983 game crash. It was released by Nintendo. In Japan, there was no NES. Instead, they got the Famicom (Family Computer). The Famicom and NES acted similarly and had the same games. The Famicom came out in Japan in 1983. The Famicom also had an add on called the Famicom Disk System which would play games on floppy disks. The NES/Famicom was one of the best game consoles ever, and is still the Nintendo console with the most units sold today. Many popular game series like Super Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Megaman, and Dragon Quest started on the NES/Famicom. The NES had 8-bit graphics.
Sega Master System (SMS)
Sega Master System
This system came out in 1986 by Sega. It had 8-bit graphics. The SMS could play game cartridges and special "Sega Cards". Sega Cards were cheaper than the SMS cartridges but had less memory. It had two button controllers with a directional pad for control. Some accessories for this console are a Light Gun and 3D Glasses for certain compatible games.
Atari 7800
Atari 7800
The Atari 7800 was released in 1986 by Atari Inc. It was going to be released in 1984 to replace the Atari 5200, but didn't because of the Video Game Crash of 1983. It had digital joystick controllers with two buttons. This console competed with the NES and SMS. One of the coolest features of this console is it's backward compatibility with Atari 2600 games, meaning you could play 2600 games on a 7800. However, by 1991, Atari ceased productions of both The Atari 2600 and 7800 because of the NES domination of the game market. This console had strong 8-bit graphics.