Press Start: The Best Generation of Video Games?

We're less than a month away from the next generation kicking off, and I have to say, this generation has easily been my favorite generation of all time.

On the Nintendo side, if we count both the Wii U and the Switch, the output has been incredibly strong. I had so much fun with games like Super Mario 3D World and Odyssey, Smash Ultimate, Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8, and Splatoon 1+2, and that's just a sample of the great games Nintendo put out this gen. Smaller experiences like Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and Mario Maker were fantastic as well.

I also think indie games hit a new peak in this generation. To me, it seems like since Shovel Knight's launch, indie games have been propelled more into the mainstream this gen. Games like Celeste, Golf Story, Stardew Valley, and even recent releases like Hades have gotten people talking. A large part of that is definitely thanks to the Switch, as it is the perfect machine to play indie games on.

And, of course, this generation was absolutely killer for PlayStation owners. Uncharted 4, The Last of Us Part II, God of War, Horizon, Spider-Man, and so many more genre-defining games came out on PS4. Even Ghost of Tsushima, which just came out recently, is turning into one of my favorites.

That's not to say Xbox players were left behind. Aside from a couple great exclusives like Forza Horizon 3, there were strong third-party offerings this gen that played best on Xbox One X. Games like Red Dead 2, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and more helped fill out the generation that I consider to be gaming's best.

Hopefully the next generation can live up to the hype set by this gen. I'm definitely looking forward to the start of the next generation, but the glory days of this generation won't be forgotten anytime soon.