10 Best 16-Bit Video Game Consoles

Video games hit a golden age in the 1990s thanks to enhancements in technology. In particular, 16-bit processing flourished during this period, not only making computers run faster but also allowing for new ideas to come alive in related technologies. This was especially evident in the evolution of video game consoles.

The number of 16-bit gaming consoles is surprisingly small, but they still made a strong impact on the video game industry. Whether it be the fierce battle between Nintendo’s SNES and Sega’s Genesis, along with other systems that tried to earn their piece of the pie, consoles had their day in the 16-bit era.

10 Super A’Can Is a Console Deserving of an Honorable Mention

David Failed to Take On Goliath

The Super A’Can was Funtech’s attempt at competing with the big 16-bit consoles of the day, like the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. Outwardly, the Super A’Can does resemble an SNES, but it was closer to the Genesis internally, as it used the same 16-bit Motorola 68000 processor found in that console.

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Unfortunately for the Super A’Can, it came out just as the Sega Saturn and especially Sony’s PlayStation hit the scene. The Super A’Can was effectively obsolete the minute it was released, with only twelve games published before it was discontinued months later. The most notable game on the console is Sango Fighter, which was already on other platforms anyway.

9 The Intellivision Really Is 16-Bit

It Just Doesn’t Look Like It

The Intellivision was just one of the many competitors to the Atari 2600 in its day. It was created by Mattel, who were determined to make a video game system more powerful than the Atari 2600. While it may not look like it at first glance, the Intellivision really was impressively advanced, utilizing a 16-bit processor years before systems like the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo.

With all of that in mind, Intellivision had a nice library of video games. The Intellivision’s library is surprisingly varied, with games ranging from sports titles like Major League Baseball to licensed properties like Advanced Dungeons & Dragons all available on this 16-bit video game system. None of the games may seem flashy compared to later 16-bit consoles, but they likely didn’t need to be.

8 The CD-i Was Ill-Equipped for Gaming

It Should’ve Stuck With Being a Multimedia Platform

The CD-i is both an optical disc format and a multimedia platform developed by Philips. Philips’ official CD-i models were powered by a custom 16-bit Motorola 68000 processor and were primarily designed to play multimedia discs. However, the CD-i also gained a secondary role as a video game console, which led to one of the most notorious video game libraries of any system.

Prior to the CD-i, Philips collaborated with Nintendo to create a CD-ROM add-on for the SNES. The add-on never came to fruition, but Nintendo did allow Philips to develop video games based on their properties. The results included The Legend of Zelda games that modern-day players scorn, as well as a mediocre Mario spin-off in Hotel Mario.

7 The Commodore CDTV Had an Identity Crisis

It Couldn’t Tell if It Wanted to Be a Multimedia Platform or Video Game Console

The Commodore CDTV is essentially a gaming console adaptation of Commodore’s Amiga series of 16-bit home computers. However, the CDTV was primarily advertised as a multimedia platform capable of playing CDs over the Amiga’s then-standard floppy disks. The identity crisis does not end there, as it was also advertised as an Amiga computer in and of itself, with the inclusion of a keyboard and mouse.

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Ultimately, it wasn’t the most successful game console. The Commodore CDTV had only 63 games released for it, many of which were already available on other platforms. That said, the CDTV’s library included quality titles, with Amiga classics like Defender of the Crown and staples like SimCity. It’s a limited selection, but it’s more than other multimedia platforms like the CD-I have.

6 The Atari Jaguar Is Not 64-Bit

A 16-Bit Console That Tried to Flex Its Power

The Atari Jaguar saw the venerable video game company not go out with a bang but with a whimper. The Jaguar was extensively advertised as being 64-bit, combining a 32-bit graphics chip with a 16-bit sound chip. Completing this bizarre configuration is a 16-bit Motorola 68000 processor found on many game consoles and home computers of the day. This was all meant to add up to 64 bits of power.

In actuality, many video game developers opted to focus on developing games with the Motorola processor in mind, leading to many Atari Jaguar games not looking much better than their 16-bit contemporaries. Nonetheless, the Atari Jaguar has plenty of good games under its belt. Among said games is Rayman, which later flourished on more capable consoles that didn’t have to flex its processing power.

5 The Neo Geo CD Has Neo Games on CD

Just Another Way to Play Neo Geo Games

The Neo Geo CD is quite literally a CD-ROM version of the original Neo Geo console. It shares the same 16-bit Motorola 68000 processor as the main Neo Geo system but omits the 8-bit Zilog coprocessor, which was unnecessary for a CD-ROM-based console. SNK developed the Neo Geo CD to make Neo Geo games more affordable.​​​​​​​

The Neo Geo CD has a library of fewer than 100 games, many of which were previously released for the original Neo Geo consoles. As a budget alternative, the Neo Geo CD’s games are nearly identical to their counterparts on the main Neo Geo systems. To boot, the Neo Geo CD is notorious for its significantly longer loading times compared to the cartridge-based Neo Geo.

4 The Neo Geo Pocket Color Wasn’t Much of a Neo Geo

It Had Both SNK Titles and Licensed Games

The Neo Geo Pocket Color is one of the few 16-bit handheld consoles ever to make it to market. SNK developed the Neo Geo Pocket Color to better compete with Nintendo in the handheld console market, specifically with the Game Boy Color. SNK’s previous handheld, the Neo Geo Pocket, made it to market just as the Game Boy Color made waves.​​​​​​​

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Unlike the main Neo Geo console, the Neo Geo Pocket Color’s library isn’t entirely made up of SNK game ports. Instead, it was open to non-SNK properties. One example is Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, which is just as fast as any Sonic the Hedgehog game game on home consoles. With only 73 titles, the Neo Geo Pocket Color’s library was small, but it represented the best in handheld gaming.

3 The Neo Geo Is Not 24-Bit

It Might as Well Be Though

The Neo Geo is a cult classic console that, technically, is actually an arcade machine. SNK wanted ways to deliver a non-compromised arcade gaming experience for the home, leading to the release of this powerful device. The Neo Geo is so powerful that SNK falsely advertised the console as being 24-bit despite it having a standard 16-bit Motorola 68000 processor.

In any case, the Neo Geo has an astoundingly great game library. All of its games are effectively one-for-one ports of SNK’s best arcade titles. These include run-and-gun games like Metal Slug 3 and sports titles like Neo Turf Masters. Of note, Metal Slug 3 was released for the Neo Geo long after the console was discontinued. Indeed, the Neo Geo was so strong that games kept coming out for it until 2004.

2 The Super Nintendo Entertainment System Is Just That

Super Is One Way to Put It

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is Nintendo’s powerful successor to the Nintendo Entertainment System. Unlike some of its competitors, the SNES was so super that it didn’t require add-ons to expand its capabilities. Nintendo focused instead on delivering some of the most revolutionary experiences in video gaming, and the SNES is celebrated for its amazing games to this day.

The SNES boasts a vast library of games that take full advantage of its 16-bit processor and advanced graphics and sound hardware. The crown jewel is Donkey Kong Country, a fun platforming game that didn’t even need enhanced cartridge chips to display its graphics. Great games that utilize enhancement chips include Star Fox, which was revolutionary for its rendered polygons.

1 The Sega Genesis Is a Video Game Console for the ‘90s

Genesis Did What Nintendo Couldn’t

The Sega Genesis is the first console people think of when they imagine 16-bit video gaming. For many, it marked the true beginning of the 16-bit era, going neck-and-neck with the Super Nintendo. Sega proudly promoted Genesis’s blast processing and vast video game library, all of which is aided by its speedy 16-bit Motorola 68000 processor.

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Playing any Sega Genesis game quickly reveals why the system was marketed as faster than the SNES. This is especially evident in the iconic Sonic the Hedgehog titles, where the titular blue hedgehog was just as fast as Genesis claimed to be. Add-ons like the Sega CD and 32X expanded the Genesis’s capabilities, making its powers almost unlimited.