Nintendo Entertainment System

The NES remains the most vitally important console ever made, single-handedly reviving the video game industry after the 1983 crash with 62 million units sold worldwide. Its iconic launch lineup featured Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid, franchises that endure four decades later and have collectively sold over 1 billion copies. This library outperforms #6 Sega Genesis in lasting cultural impact, as nearly every modern platformer still borrows from its design DNA.