While 2024 provided plenty of great gameplay (and a few disappointments), 2025 has a rather full slate. Expected releases this year include long-awaited and long-promised sequels, new entries in major franchises and even a new Nintendo console.

There was a time when a great video game just needed to be fun. In the days before 4K screens and season passes, it was all that mattered. It didn’t matter if the design was janky, if you could finish the whole thing in one sitting, and frankly, if it was way too hard.

Some of the best video game consoles, from the Nintendo Advanced Video System to the Sega Neptune, were never actually released.