The Games That Made Us Buy Consoles

Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES):

1. Super Mario World
 The apex of 16-bit platforming, Super Mario World features a colourful world of intricately sequenced, unique obstacles which provide a sense of challenge and diversity to the player. This iconic game set the foundation for all future Mario games and stands as a crown gem of Nintendo. 

2.  Super Metroid
 The third game in the Metroid series, set in a thriving world which beckons you to explore every nook and cranny. The combat felt distinctively fresh due to the new 8-direction aiming system; coupled with the well-designed, hulking, terrifying bosses, it made for one hell of an adrenaline rush. 

3. Chrono Trigger
An RPG well ahead of its time. A marvellous, extremely lengthy story, wrought with complicated choices which culminates with the game's 13 endings. Alongside this, the combat is fantastic and set a new standard for future JRPGs. It even holds up well today and the music has to be one of the best scores in gaming.

Nintendo 64 (N64):
1. Super Smash Bros: 
Take the fighting game genre, add Nintendo's fun quirks to it, and use a diversified roster of famous Nintendo characters and you have Super Smash Bros. It has the potential to be both chaotic and deep depending on what your playstyle is, be it button mashing or strategic planning. 

2. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: 
This game, in my opinion, is the best on Nintendo 64. A true masterpiece. One of the best examples of how magnificent storytelling can bolster an already excellent game to great heights. The gameplay, the environments, and soundtrack all pull you in for the journey of a lifetime. 

PlayStation 2: 
1. God of War 1 & 2: 
The brutal action-adventure game revamped the formula like no other. Filled with amazing set pieces which get your blood pumping, God of War upped the ante with its satisfying and fun combat system. Alongside this, the story of Kratos instils a true sense of badassery in the player.

2. Devil May Cry 1-3: 
Let's face it, after we played a Devil May Cry game, we all wanted to be as cool as Dante: the white haired demon who stylishly waltzes his way through hordes of demons while leaving a swath of destruction in his wake courtesy of his demonic sword and dual pistols. Devil May Cry has one of the most diverse combat systems I have ever seen, there are different upgrade paths and the combinations are nearly endless. 

Now, the rival of the PS2, the original
Xbox: 

1. Halo 1 and 2: 
One of the best first person shooters ever to grace consoles. Halo 1 and 2 had amazing gunplay which was augmented by the incorporation of smart enemies who prove to be worthy opponents. No one can forget the first time they landed on the ring world of "Halo", the landscape arching upwards and continuing on in to where you stood. The competitive multiplayer was the best around for that time and it spawned a very dedicated community. 

2. Ninja Gaiden: 
The game which marks the transition from 2D to 3D for the series.  Ninja Gaiden is a game with a combat system so deceptively simple that literally anyone can spend 30 minutes with the game and pull off stylized ninja combos like running along walls, dashing to and fro between nearby enemies while dispatching the further ones with shurikens. It was a joy to play. 
And thus we have arrived at the generation gone past. The 7th generation of gaming. 

PlayStation 3: 
1.     The Uncharted Trilogy: 
Few studios can craft such exceptional adventures as Naughty Dog. The Uncharted series gives players a memorable adventure with diverse levels and set-pieces which feel like taken directly out of high budget action movies.

2.     The Last of Us: 
Also from Naughty Dog, The Last of Us tells a heart-wrenching story of survival, sacrifice and tragedy, deeply grounded in reality. The game depicts the struggle of the human race against a zombie virus in a very uninhibited way. The gameplay forces players to be smart with their resources and composed with their movements lest they be killed by bandits or hunted down mercilessly by the undead. 

3. Demon's Souls: 
The game which started it all. From Software's RPG which is regarded as one of gaming's toughest, set the stage for the future Souls games and the PS4 masterpiece, Bloodborne. The punishing difficulty was offset by the extremely rewarding feeling the player gets after besting a tenacious foe. 

Xbox 360: 
1. Gears of War series: 
The game which set a new standard for third person shooters, Gears of War was revolutionary for its time. The dazzling graphics, the immensely fun cover-based shooting gameplay and clichéd, yet enjoyable story all combined to form one of the generation's best games. 

2. Halo 3 and 4: 
The series continued on the Xbox 360 while retaining all the elements which made its predecessors so successful. Usually, more of the same tends to make games stale however, the developers added a lot of new features which made the games feel fresh such as unique multiplayer maps, more vehicles, better level design and larger set pieces.

Bonus: Red Dead Redemption: 
The game which warranted the purchase of either of the two 7th generation consoles. Red Dead Redemption, a Wild-West open world game turned out to be one of Rockstar's finest. The story follows former outlaw, John Marston, who is set on a quest to track down his ex-partners in crime by the FBI. The memorable characters, breath-taking environments, solid gunplay and interesting side activities ensured that gamers were hooked for hours on end. 

Shahrukh Ikhtear is a gamer who doesn't rage. A writer who doesn't read. A musician without a teacher. Full time procrastinator. You can reach him on Twitter @sr_ikhtear and email: shahrukh.Ikhtear@yahoo.com