The best video game systems of the 80's

A prodigious decade in every way, in all artistic and technological facets.

Video game consoles such as the original NES launched in Japan in 1983, only to land in the United States in 1985, when its rival, the Sega Master System, was released in Japan.

Microcomputers like the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and the Commodore 64, two of the most commercially successful computers were released in '82, Windows, the original operating system, saw the light of day in '85, just a year after Apple released the Macintosh, the first personal computer to use a mouse and a graphical interface.

Outside the home, in arcades, the arcade machines reached their peak, only to begin their decline in the following decade, just the opposite of the personal computers where it all began in the 80s.

Game Boy

Nintendo's first handheld gaming console was immensely popular among gamers, selling millions. Despite its grayscale color scheme, it still got support from developers and publishers.

Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 personal computer dominated the market from 1983-1985, and stands as one of the best-selling personal computers of all time.

Nintendo Entertainment System

The NES, also known as Famicom, launched in 1983 in Japan and 1985 in North America, where the video game industry was headed downhill due to a deluge of poor games and over-saturation. Nintendo's second home console became an enormous success, establishing consoles as a mainstream market in Japan and pulling the North American industry back to its feet.

MSX

MSX is a standardized home computer architecture. It was popular in Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Netherlands, France, Spain, Finland, Arabian Gulf countries and former Soviet Union during the 1980s. Like the PC of today, the MSX computers were manufactured by many different companies.

ZX Spectrum

The ZX Spectrum is one of the most popular European computers of all time. Its software library is enormous and its fame in Europe rivals the Commodore 64 in the US.

Amiga

The Amiga was a personal computer from Commodore that was released in a variety of different configurations.

Amstrad CPC

The Amstrad CPC (Colour Personal Computer) was a series of 8-bit personal computers developed by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. During its lifetime, approximately 3 million CPCs were sold.

Atari ST

Atari's 16-bit computer line was one of the most popular computers in the mid-1980s to early 1990s.

Genesis

After the cult success of their 8-bit Master System, Sega decided to give gamers a taste of their arcade capabilities with a 16-bit console. Known worldwide as the Mega Drive but called Genesis in the US, it provided graphics and sound a couple of steps below their popular System 16 arcade cabinets. The Mega Drive/Genesis turned out to be Sega's most successful console.

Atari Lynx

Atari's 1989 color, backlit handheld console