The first console you 'experienced' during the 16-bit era

[Xak]

First to own was Genesis in 93. First to play was SNES in 1991 and it blew my mind. Then I saw Altered Beast on Genesis and a big screen and it was AWESOME. I remember that like it was yesterday, more so than watching Mario World. WISE FWUM YA GWAVE

I had to hold down a NES till christmas 93

[Psycho Punch]

Super Mario World was my first contact. Best mario game ever, period. (Mario 3 comes in a close 2nd.)

[wildfruit]

I answered mega drive in haste but now i think it might have actually been amiga 500 round a friend's house

Ah ok, if we talking home compis too, then for me it was the amiga as well.
Must have been around 1987  then.

i think it was probably around 1990 to be fair. we were a bit late to the gaming world. i think i didnt get my nes til 1990 and my mega drive 2 in about 1992/1993

[Nec.Game.head]

The first 16bit console i witnessed and got to play was the Sega Genesis In 1989. I played Space Harrier on it at this older girl Hiedie's house that my older brother was dating at the time. Then in 1991 when I was 11 years old I got my very own 16bit console it was the Sega Genesis from Kay B Toys. My cousin Frank that was 18 at the time had came from Mexico and he went in halves on it with me. He lived with us and worked for my dads construction business. I would also get to work for my dad on saturdays and that's how I ernened my half of the money for the Genesis. It came with Sonic The Hedgehog and I was blown away with the all the bright on screen colors great music and how fast Sonic could run. Then in 1993 after the LA riots I remember I convincing my cousin Frank to take me over to a Japanese gaming import shop in Montery Park CA called Game Stuff to check out the Snes. I wanted one so badly in order to play Street Fighter 2. He went for it and we went in halves on it. We got home played Super Mario World and he hated it. We actually returned it got our money back and bought Mystical Fighter for the Sega Genesis. Towards the end of the year we took a bus ride over to the Toys R Us in Bell Gardens CA and he purchased the TG16 because of the $99.99 price drop. I once again convinced him that was the way to go. We both love it greatly far more then the Genesis and Snes. We played a whole lot of Kieth Courage, China Warrior, Bloody Wolf and Ninja Spirit. He a few months later went back home to Mexico and took his TG16 with him and left me with the great memories we shared together playing all those great games. The TG16 by far was definitely my favorite console during those 16bit console wars. Playing it now 20 years later takes me back to some of the funnest times I spent gaming it up with my best friend/cousin Frank.

[Tatsujin]

Great story bro

[esteban]

...
Towards the end of the year we took a bus ride over to the Toys R Us in Bell Gardens CA and he purchased the TG16 because of the $99.99 price drop. I once again convinced him that was the way to go. We both love it greatly far more then the Genesis and Snes. We played a whole lot of Kieth Courage, China Warrior, Bloody Wolf and Ninja Spirit. He a few months later went back home to Mexico and took his TG16 with him and left me with the great memories we shared together playing all those great games. The TG16 by far was definitely my favorite console during those 16bit console wars. Playing it now 20 years later takes me back to some of the funnest times I spent gaming it up with my best friend/cousin Frank.

I used to life in Lakewood, CA, just south of a Bell Gardens. I remember a bunch of stores in the area.

Of course, I never found any TG-16 stuff (since it was late 90's). 

[o.pwuaioc]

One of my older sisters bought me a Sega Genesis in 1991, presumably the Sonic bundle, since I had Sonic 1 with it. That was my first 16 bit experience. Before then, I had played on the NES and 2600 a little bit, but Sonic blew both away.

[GohanX]

My first experience was also the Genesis. My bud got a Genesis with Sonic 1, and shortly after he also picked up Streets of Rage and Revenge of Shinobi. Those were good times, especially SoR since we loved playing 2 player beat em ups.

My memory is fuzzy, but that had to be in 1991 sometime since that's when both Sonic and Streets were released and they were pretty new. My next experience was that Christmas when I got a SNES with Super Mario World.