History of video game consoles (fourth generation) Facts for Kids

This map shows the different TV systems used around the world when these consoles were popular. Green is NTSC, blue is PAL, and orange is SECAM.

The fourth generation of video game consoles was a really exciting time for gaming! It started on October 30, 1987. This era is also known as the 16-bit generation because the consoles used powerful 16-bit processors.

The first console of this generation was the PC Engine from Nippon Electric Company (NEC). But even though NEC started it, two other companies, Nintendo and Sega, became the biggest players. Nintendo had the most sales worldwide. Sega also did very well. They even launched a brand new game series called Sonic the Hedgehog. This was Sega's way to compete with Nintendo's super popular Mario games.

Many other companies tried to release consoles during this time. However, most of them were not very successful. The only other company that did well was SNK with its Neo Geo console.

The first handheld game console of this generation was the Game Boy. It came out on April 21, 1989. The Game Boy quickly became the most popular handheld console ever. Its screen didn't have color, but many of its rivals did. Still, the Game Boy introduced three huge game series: Tetris, Pokemon, and Kirby.

Many popular games from this generation actually started in the earlier 8-bit era. Some of these famous titles include Mario, Metroid, Zelda, Star Fox, Kirby, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Seiken Densetsu (which is Secret of Mana), Sonic the Hedgehog, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Mega Man X.

The next generation of consoles would bring even bigger changes to the world of video games!

Home Video Game Consoles
List of Handheld Consoles
- Other Handheld Consoles
Popular Games
Images for kids
See also

Home Video Game Consoles

Comparing the Main Consoles

Here's a look at the most popular home consoles from this generation:

Name	PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16	Mega Drive/Genesis	Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System	Neo Geo AES
Made by	NEC/Hudson Soft	Sega	Nintendo	SNK
Console
Price at Launch (USD)	US$199.99	US$189.99	US$199.99	US$649.99 (Gold version) US$399.99 (Silver version)
Release Date	^JP October 30, 1987 ^NA September 1, 1989 ^EU 1990	^JP October 29, 1988 ^NA September 15, 1989 ^EU November 30, 1990	^JP November 21, 1990 ^NA August 23, 1991 ^EU April 11, 1992	^JP July 1, 1991 ^NA 1991
Game Format	HuCard (card-shaped cartridge) CD-ROM (Turbo CD add-on)	Cartridge CD-ROM (Mega-CD add-on) Data card (Power Base Converter add-on)	Cartridge Magnetic disc (Japan only)	Cartridge Data card (Europe/Japan)
Best-Selling Games	Bonk's Adventure	Sonic the Hedgehog (15 million copies)	Super Mario World (20 million copies)	Samurai Shodown
Can Play Older Games?	No	Yes, Sega Master System games (with Power Base Converter)	Yes, Game Boy games (with Super Game Boy)	No

Other Home Consoles

Many other companies tried to release consoles during this time. Here are a few:

Commodore CDTV
Released in 1991
Philips CD-i
1991-1998
Super A'Can
Released in 1995

Worldwide Sales

Here's how many units of the main consoles were sold around the world:

Console	Units Sold
Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System	49.10 million
Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis	40 million
PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16	10 million
CD-i	570,000

List of Handheld Consoles

This generation also saw the rise of handheld gaming!

Console	Game Boy	Atari Lynx	Sega Game Gear	TurboExpress
Made by	Nintendo	Atari	Sega	NEC
Image
Launch Price	¥12,500 US$89.95	US$189.99	¥14,500 US$149.99 A$155	US$299.99
Release Date	April 21, 1989 August 1989 1990	September 1989 1990	October 6, 1990 April 26, 1991 April 26, 1991 1992	November 16, 1990 1991
Units Sold	118.69 million (including Game Boy Color units)	5 million	15 million	1.5 million
Game Format	Cartridge	Cartridge	Cartridge	Datacard
Best-Selling Games	Tetris, 35 million Pokémon Red, Blue, and Green, about 20.08 million combined	Unknown	Sonic the Hedgehog 2	Bonk's Adventure
Can Play Older Games?	No (Original Cartridges compatible with later models)	No	Yes, Sega Master System games (with Cartridge Adapter)	No