Please note that the games discussed here and elsewhere in this article may not always be found on GameTap. Because of the licensing process, titles come and go from the service on a regular basis. If you ever find yourself unsure what to play next, click on “Search” and choose “Gotta Getta Game” for a random selection.

Arcade: It’s not a platform per se, but in 1971, the arcade scene launched the videogame business when Nutting Associates released Computer Space. The game was co-designed by Nolan Bushnell, who the following year founded Atari and introduced Pong, a game that took the country by storm. While the arcade game industry began to fade in the 1990s as home consoles offered comparable experiences, it survives today as a niche business. You’ll typically find a few arcade games in pizza parlors, amusement parks, and similar places. Arcades themselves are nearly extinct.

Be sure to check out: The 194x series (1941, 1942, etc.), Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins, Defender, Dig Dug, Galaga, Joust, Pac-Man, Robotron: 2084, the Street Fighter series, Time Pilot

Atari 2600: It wasn’t the first videogame console, but it’s still remembered, long after the Fairchild Channel F and other predecessors faded into remote corners of history. Developed under the codename “Stella,” the 2600 experienced tepid sales from its 1977 release until 1980, when Atari licensed the rights to Space Invaders. Millions of gamers eager to play that popular arcade game at home quickly snapped up the console, which ruled the industry until 1983, when a glut of games and systems resulted in many companies going out of business. Atari didn’t officially retire the system until 1992, however, giving the 2600 the longest life cycle of any videogame console in history.

Be sure to check out: Adventure, Combat, Ice Hockey, Megamania, H.E.R.O., Super Football, RealSports Volleyball, Pitfall!, River Raid, Warlords, Yars’ Revenge

Intellivision: The Atari 2600’s strongest rival entered the industry in 1979, sporting more powerful hardware than the competition. An advertising campaign starring George Plimpton ridiculed the 2600 with side-by-side comparisons. Unfortunately, developer Mattel Electronics overreached when it tried to extend the console’s use with an accessory that would turn it into a reasonably-priced home computer. That effort failed, and the 1983 crash hastened Mattel Electronics’ demise. A former executive bought all rights to the Intellivision and continued creating new games and manufacturing new consoles until the system’s retirement in 1991.

Be sure to check out: Shark! Shark!, Chip Shot: Super Pro Golf, Pinball, Astrosmash, Sub Hunt

Commodore 64: Yes, it was a computer, but it offered a better videogame experience than consoles when it debuted in 1982. The Commodore 64’s reasonable price point made it attractive to consumers who wanted to do word processing, make art, compose music, and balance their checkbooks, and its top-of-the-line graphics and sound allowed it to outshine competing PCs when playing videogames. The computer was discontinued in 1994, the same year Commodore filed bankruptcy.

Be sure to check out: Advanced Pinball Simulator, Grand Prix Simulator, Mean Machine

SG-1000: In 1983, Sega entered the home videogame console market with this offering, which was never available in the United States. Stiff competition from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), known as Famicom in Japan, never allowed the SG-1000 to gain a foothold in the industry. More powerful successors named SG-1000 Mark II and Mark III fared better, although neither reached the U.S. either; the Mark III was the basis for the Sega Master System.

Be sure to check out: Super Tank, Star Jacker

Sega Master System: The videogame industry’s recovery from the 1983 crash gained momentum with the release of this console in 1986. It competed in the United States against the NES, which had started to revitalize gaming the previous year. The NES was a formidable system, however, and the Sega Master System struggled to gain substantial market share in the new landscape, partly because it lacked a wildly popular game like Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros.

Be sure to check out: Enduro Racer, Phantasy Star, Fantasy Zone II

Sega Game Gear: The Master System found new life as a handheld, albeit with lower-resolution output. Game Gear was released in 1991, two years after Nintendo’s incredibly successful Game Boy. While it found a niche among gamers who preferred Sega’s offerings, the competition outsold it by a 10:1 margin. Titles starring Sonic were the most popular.

Be sure to check out: The Sonic series

Sega Genesis: Sega’s follow-up to the Master System arrived in 1989, challenging the NES with more powerful hardware and the 1991 release of Sonic the Hedgehog, who gave the company its answer to Mario. However, Super Nintendo, the successor to the NES, also hit stores in 1991, eventually outselling the Genesis and preserving Nintendo’s standing as the top seller of videogame consoles in the industry.

Be sure to check out: Altered Beast, Castlevania Bloodlines, Columns, Ecco the Dolphin, the Golden Axe series, Phantasy Star II, III, and IV, the Sonic series

Sega 32X: Designed as an add-on for the Sega Genesis, the 32X was the company’s way of fending off Nintendo’s new Super NES while developing the more powerful Saturn console. It plugged into the Genesis’ cartridge port, allowing gamers to play old titles as well as new ones with better graphics. Most consumers weren’t impressed, however, and they chose to hold off and wait for the release of the Saturn. The 32X came out in 1994 and lasted just one year.

Be sure to check out: Knuckles Chaotix, Virtua Fighter

Sega Saturn: By the time this console was released in 1995, Sega had to contend not only with Nintendo but also with Sony, whose PlayStation reached store shelves four months after the Saturn and quickly outsold its rival. The following year, the Nintendo 64’s arrival made it tougher for Sega to compete in the marketplace, and news that the company was working on a successor to the Saturn effectively killed sales in 1997. By 1998, the Saturn was discontinued and the industry wondered if Sega’s next effort would be the breakthrough the company badly needed.

Be sure to check out: Golden Axe: The Duel, Panzer Dragoon II Zwei

Sega Dreamcast: The company’s final console sported technical specs that leapfrogged the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation, but a dearth of must-have titles resulted in a mere two-year lifespan after its 1999 release. The Sony PlayStation 2 (2000) and Nintendo GameCube (2001) hammered the final nails in its coffin. Dreamcast pioneered online console gaming, however, with its built-in modem and support for playing against opponents over the Internet. For example, gamers were going head-to-head in NFL 2K1 two years before that was possible in the Madden NFL series.

Be sure to check out: Crazy Taxi, ChuChu Rocket, Hydro Thunder, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

Neo-Geo: SNK released this system to arcades in 1989, with a home edition following two years later. Known as the Multi-Video System (MVS), the arcade version featured multiple games in the same cabinet; operators could change the lineup by adding and removing cartridges. The home version offered an identical gameplay experience, putting it well ahead of competing consoles. Those capabilities came with a steep price, however: the Neo-Geo console debuted at $599, with games selling for $200 and up. While sales weren’t substantial and SNK suffered financial problems in 2000, the system lasted until 2004.

Be sure to check out: Super Sidekicks, Super Baseball 2020, the Metal Slug series, the King of Fighters series, Bust-A-Move

DOS: This command line-based operating system hosted many great games on PCs until players began spending increasing amounts of time using Microsoft Windows in the late 1990s.

Be sure to check out: Planetfall, the Zork series, the Might and Magic Series, the King’s Quest Series, Betrayal at Krondor, the Space Quest series, Prince of Persia

Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen. This classic series’ grand finale reveals the fate of two worlds.

Zaxxon. This arcade game’s isometric graphics gave the illusion of 3D action years before that was fully possible.

Adventure. After you recover the chalice, make sure you find the Easter egg, one of the first in videogame history.

Space Quest V: The Next Mutation. Roger Wilco’s duplicitous past comes back to haunt him in this funny science-fiction adventure.

Columns. This addictive puzzle game was a big hit on the popular Sega Genesis.