Nintendo

I think the Switch is a wonderful culmination of everything Nintendo had been working on since the Gameboy.

It's mobile, it has motion controls, a large screen, it can be hooked up to your TV in such a simple way.

All they need to do is update it with better hardware, because game performance has been suffering the last two years due to its mediocre specs.

I had played a ton of arcade games, atari 2600, atari 800, intellivision, og nintendo games but it was San Francisco Rush on the N64 where I had to stop playing because my eyes hurt. I realized I hadn't blinked in an hour or so, I was that immersed in the experience. It was absolutely mind boggling to me at the time.

+1 for the N64. My first Nintendo console (my first overall game console was a Genesis) and the first console to show me how games could really tell a story in an interactive way. So many great experiences with Mario, Starfox, Zelda, I'll even give a shout-out to DK 64 beyond the DK rap. And of course, the 4-player multiplayer just doesn't get any better, with the introduction of Smash Bros and Mario Party and some of the best racing games Nintendo's ever made in Mario Kart 64, Wave Race and Diddy Kong Racing. Didn't play too much GoldenEye but I'll mention it anyway for mastering FPS fun with a single stick.

Multiplayer GoldenEye, Conker's, and Turok Rage Wars. Hours and hours of good memories associated with that, for me.

Yeah, I wish I had an NES myself.

Oh well, that depends on my mood.

I switch between different consoles.

Sega is my usual brand to go for.

Same here. Had an Atari 2600 then the NES entered my life and everything changed. Remarkable to have experienced in real time.

Agreed. I’m happy to have one with me.

I’ve owned every machine so each one means a little something to me.

Same.

The N64 was the first I bought with my own money and that had some amazing games. I still own my whole collection.

Same.

However I think I’m going with the Switch. So many great games, many more ported from the WiiU

Almost same. I realize that it's also on WiiU, but BotW re-ignited something in me that I thought had been lost. And the Switch form factor, while it has obvious tradeoffs, basically made it into gaming option #1 since launch day. I've barely touched my XB1 outside of Rock Band since 2017.

However, I will always have a soft spot for the SNES. Again, so many great games. And the controller was brilliant for the time. Sony added handles, two more triggers, and sticks (to one-up the N64 after the fact), and that format is still the default blueprint to this day (copy-my-homework-but-change-it-up-a-bit notwithstanding). So much gaming DNA came from the SNES.

the 2DS was the best 3DS version, but lacking folding hurt how portable it was

They made the 2DS XL which folded.

I disagree completely about the 3D. I love it! It enhanced so many games, and many games included the 3D effect in the puzzles themselves, like in Mario 3D Land. And it was so much fun in A Link Between Worlds to make scary jumps down dozens of feet to land on a small platform. Especially the tower of Hera and the path to the ore mine.

However, the 3D effect added to games like Shovel Knight were not impressive, and I would turn it way down or off altogether.

I mostly agree with you. But really, the Wii U wasn't that bad. It's slow af, yes, but it's still fun to use. More than the switch for sure. I've been revisiting the console a bit lately due to the Nintendo Network shutdown, and the funky menu with the music and the Miis still puts a smile on my face.

The Wii U! I, too, love those rainy nights playing Zelda in bed.

Train wreck or not, I will forever kick myself for not buying one from KayBee back when they had dozens on clearance, stored on like half of the top shelves in the store.