Each console's most significant game

[Asura]

It's curious to see you've picked games for each system that were out either at launch or very early on in the console's timespan. I think Sonic is about the latest release post console launch there.

I suppose, for early-adopters, it's reasonable to expect that their memories of a machine might be dominated by those early titles. I mean in the early N64 days, for quite a while, there were barely enough titles to count on two hands.

[wakka]

There's also the 'wow' factor. Ridge Racers is definitely the defining PSP game for me that reason. It blew my little mind.

I wouldn't personally say HotD 2 for Dreamcast though. If it's an arcade port that defined it, I'd say Crazy Taxi personally. If it's an original game made for Dreamcast, I'd say Shenmue followed by JSR.

[kryss]

3DS - nothing really stands out, possibly due to adopting early and there being very few games to start with. Animal Crossing perhaps?

WiiU - Mario Kart 8 or Smash Bros. SB4 sold us out to DLCdom and was the most talked about game in Nintendo Directs.

[Asura]

3DS - nothing really stands out, possibly due to adopting early and there being very few games to start with. Animal Crossing perhaps

I think it's because nothing started on the 3DS. It's a machine of follow-ups, spinoffs and sequels.

[acidbearboy]

Nice to see Phantasy Star Online name checked for the Dreamcast. Whilst I agree that Shenmue is probably the highest profile title on the DC, and Soul Calibur was the earliest 'wow' moment, it was definitely PSO that sold me the console (and it remains my favourite game of all time). As Yuji Naka once said in an interview with EDGE "PSO is what the Dreamcast is meant to be". Just a shame it came too late to have a bigger impact.

[kryss]

Still mulling over the WiiU entry. Splatoon has just come to mind, but I'm starting to think that Super Mario Maker will be the one we remember the most.

[Sam The Man]

As far as pick a console with a picture of a game on that machine to represent it goes but it not necessarily being the best game or your fave:

NES - Mario Bros
SNES - Donkey Kong Country
N64 - Mario 64
GC - Resident Evil 4
Wii - Wii Sports
Wii U - Mario Kart 8
Neo Geo - Metal Slug
Atari Jaguar - Tempest 2000/Alien VS Predator
Master System - Alex Kidd In Miracle World/Phantasy Star
Megadrive - Sonic The Hedgehog
Mega CD - Sonic CD
Saturn - Sega Rally/VF2
Dreamcast - Sonic Adventure/Soul Calibur
PS - Wipeout/FFVII/Gran Turismo/Tomb Raider II
PS2 - Grand Theft Auto 3
PS3 - Uncharted
PSP - Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
X-box - Halo
X-box 360 - C.O.D 4 Modern Warfare
Game Boy - Tetris/Pokemon
DS - Nintendogs
3DS - Mario Kart 7
PC - Civilization 3

Nearly half the games mentioned above im not a fan of but when i think of one of the mentioned systems, an image of that particular game pops in my head. Below is my choices based on what i bought the machine for or what i think is the best game or games for the machine:

NES - Mario Bros 3. I preferred the level design and general structure of SMB3 over 1,2 and 4

SNES - Zelda A.L.T.T.P. Hasn't aged a bit in my eyes, the general design/layout is great with so much variation. Honourable metions to Yoshi's Island which i loved along with FFVI & Donkey Kong Country

N64 - Ocarina Of Time. An amazing game world with great dungeon design, music & memorable characters.

GC - Super Monkey Ball. I bought a Gamecube for this game purely based on the fact that when i first played it on a pod in Game i very quickly became addicted and didnt want to put the pad down despite dying alot. I eventually got really good at it and when i finally got to the 10 Master stages i had been playing for over 12 hours straight and didn't yet have a memory card. I ended up leaving it on overnight and then going into town the following day to buy a mem card so i could save it. The levels are freakin amazing and the controls/gameplay i.m.o is perfection.
I also must mention Viewtiful Joe which is the best scrolling fighter iv ever played and i include Streets Of Rage 2 & Guardian Heroes in that. The boses, levels & set pieces made me literally laugh, smile or just stand up in awe. And REmake which i loved and got totally immersed in.
And finally F-Zero GX which i feel is the best racer of the 00's with the best track design ever.

Wii - Donkey Kong Country Returns/Mario Galaxy 2. Both great platformers with DKCR being a real challenge especially getting all the letters and doing all the bonus levels and Mario Galaxy 2 which i preferred over the first mainly due to the levels.

Wii U - Mario Kart 8. Blue shell aside this is i.m.o the best MK ever. The tracks are all great and the graphics are drop dead gorgeous. Honourable mention to Mario 3D World which is even better than its 3DS predecessor i.m.o

Neo Geo - The Last Blade 2. Achingly beautiful and with more depth than Samurai Showdown.

Atari Jaguar - Tempest 2000/Alien VS Predator.

Master System - Alex Kidd In Miracle World/Phantasy Star.

Megadrive - Sonic 3 + Knuckles. Combined it is my fave 2d platformer. Shining Force II comes a close 2nd as it has an enjoyable story and some memorable battles/moments throughout. I liked Ecco The Dolphin and really wanted to love it but i just found it take the piss rock hard and so never got far into it. Honourable mentions to Ristar, Dynamite Headdy, Robocop VS Terminator, Sonic 2, Streets Of Rage 2 and 2 games few seem to have heard of, Alisia Dragoon and Psycho Pinball.

Mega CD - Sonic CD. It's good but i think a tad overrated tbh. I never spent much time with the machine otherwise i might have chosen another game.

Saturn - Nights Into Dreams. One of the most playable, imaginitive games ever. Love everything about it except i felt it could of had a few more levels. Exhumed which is my all time favourite FPS and has i.m.o the 2nd best level design ever behind only Tomb Raider. Honourable Mentions to Saturn Bomberman with it's lovelly whimsical music and amazing high 10 player mode. Panzer Dragoon Zwei, Shining Force 3 & Guardian Heroes and Street Fighter Zero 3 which is i.m.o the best 2d fighter ever.

Dreamcast - Skies Of Arcadia. Incredible gameworld/characters/bosses/music/set pieces/story make it one of my top 5 games ever. Ecco The Dolphin Defender Of The Future. If there was one game that amazed me the most with it's graphics it was this. I thought at the time they couldnt possibly get better and the levels were brilliant too. It was very hard like the MD/Genesis Ecco but not quite as hard as i was eventually able to finish it. Phantasy Star Online & Soul Calibur must be mentioned as P.S.O was my first online experience which was amazing playing through it with friends until the early hours of the morning going bananas when finding a rare item/weapon and Soul Calibur being the best 3d fighter i ever played with it's silky smoothness and lovely graphics. And of course Shenmue which i played on Japanese import and although i didnt have a clue what was being said i was mesmerised by it's graphics/atmosphere/music and collecting all the toys.

PS - There is so many on this machine so il just be brief. FFVII my best game ever. FFVII/IX. Tomb Raider 1,2 & 3 with the 1st having i.m.o the single best level design of any game ever made and the sequel which when i heard it was PS exclusive i bought the machine for and the 3rd which had some wonderful levels and locations. Gran Turismo which i played for 24 hours straight and Gran Turismo 2 which i played even longer. Wipeout series, Ridge Series, Abe's Odysee, Breath Of Fire 3, Star Ocean 2. Chrono Cross which is i.m.o one of the best games ever with mabee the best game soundtrack ever. Soul Blade & Destruction Derby 2. For me the best machine ever in terms of the amount of great games.

PS2 - SSX Tricky. Amazing courses with so many shortcuts, great gameplay and larger than life characters. Disgaea 2 which is prob the most in depth RPG ever. GTA Vice City mainly due to the whole 80's style/vibe and soundtrack coupled with how much there is to do. Rogue Galaxy & FFXII are also worth a mention.

PSP - Dissidia Final Fantasy/012. As weird as they both were, once you learned how to play them they were utterly brilliant. Honourable mention to Jeanne d' Arc which had good characters/graphics and a good soundtrack albiet with not much variety.

PS3 - The Last Of Us.

X-box - Panzer Dragood Orta. Loved this as much as Panzer Dragoon Zwei. Outrun 2006 Coast To Coast. Super playable arcade racer with lovely graphics and great courses/locations. Definitely one of the coolest games ever.Honourable mentions to Jet Set Radio Future and Star Wars K.O.T.O.R.

X-box 360 - Bioshock/Dead Rising/Mass Effect.

Game Boy - Pokemon Blue/Zelda Links Awakening/Mario Land 2.

Game Boy Advance - Advance Wars 2/Golden Sun/Mario Kart Advance.

DS - Advance Wars Dual Strike/Dragon Quest V. I spent ages on the Game Boy Advance version of Advance Wrs but the DS version i spent even more time on. Over 500 hours in fact. Finished the campaign mode on both difficulties and did every map in multiplayer mode many times. Overall it's definitely one of the most addictive games ever.

3DS - I think the best 3DS game of mine is yet to come but so far mabee Zelda A Link Between Worlds or Mario 3D Land

PC- Civilization IV + Expansions. This is almost the perfect turn based strategy game i.m.o. Football Manager series. If people knew how many hours i have spent on them as a whole they would be worried! Supreme Commander Forged Alliance. The perfect real time strategy with hundreds of different units and the ability to have upto a thousand on the map at once with huge 81x81km maps. Grim Fandango. A brilliant and original story filled with memorable characters and good music. One thing that stands out though is how good the voice acting is especially for a game of 1998. Honourable mentions to Divinity Original Sin and an old 1994 FPS called Rise Of The Triad.

So thats it. Any of the other machines i didnt spend enough time on to pick a game.

Another great thread would be best overall game soundtrack for each system and top 3 overall on any system!!!