The Best Video Game Consoles (of 1990)

So it's 1990 and you want to play video games -- but what console do you choose? Or do you stick with a PC or Mac for gaming? In this classic episode of Computer Chronicles, the team explores the latest industry trends -- including the Nintendo World Championships and the NES, the promise of CD-ROM gaming on desktop PCs, the Sega Genesis (including Michael Jackson's Moonwalker which "you can't do on an 8-bit system"), the NEC TurboGrafx-16, plus a visit to video arcade Aladdin's Castle to ask kids why they like playing video games. (The manager of the arcade says, "The child needs a place to vent frustration." He says this as a kid slams buttons on The Main Event.)

Note the demo of Defender of the Crown on CD-ROM (about ten minutes in), and how the commentators mention that the quality of the video is the best available on a PC. That's true for the day -- but, boy, that's rough.

Aside from the gaming content of this episode, there's an awesome news-and-review section at the end. The review of "Banner Mania" is 1990riffic.

You may have noticed by now that I'm doing a week of Computer Chronicles classics -- and stay tuned, because I've got more good ones coming up. If you want more of this excellent show, the series is available for free on Archive.org. Many episodes are on YouTube, and there's a YouTube channel dedicated to the show.