Now, I was born right at the close of the eighties. This means two important things: firstly, I am lucky enough not to remember anything much from that less-than-stylish decade. Secondly, I’m a nineties child through and through. That era, I have very vivid memories of.

Pokémania, enforced cool and attitude (or, rather, ‘tude, as we had to call it), the Fresh Prince’s luminous outfits, MC Hammer’s parachute pants… I saw all of these and many more. For a lot of us fledgling gamers of the time, though, the most vivid nineties memories would probably revolve around the whole Sega vs Nintendo debate.

This was the biggest of big deals at the time. Friendships were won and lost. Woe betide you if you picked the wrong side in the great question of Mario or Sonic.

You might think that this is the sort of schoolyard stuff we should probably be done with now, but… well, we’re clearly not. Console wars are an irrevocable part of gaming. It’s a proud tradition to mock, deride and talk smack about those consoles that you’re not currently playing, and the games thereon. Just look at PC gamers, who have an unfortunate reputation for being snide about Xbox, PlayStation and Switch players all at once.

Speaking of the console triumvirate, let’s just be impartial and celebrate the fact that they’ve all got something unique to offer. Here are ten of the greatest exclusives for each system.

30 PS4: Bloodborne — Eldritch Horrors At Every Turn

Early in this generation of consoles, it’s fair to say that nobody exactly had an embarrassment of exclusive riches to offer. When it comes to true, exclusive system-sellers, I’d probably plump for Bloodborne as the first.

I’ve never been any great shakes at the Souls games, but this was the title that convinced me to buy a PS4. A deep, challenging, gothic masterpiece, Bloodborne arrived in March 2015. It’s still got players hooked in its web of spooky intrigue. The ghastly sound of the Whirligig Saw is going to be ringing in my ears for the rest of my life.

29 Switch: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Wacky Races

Gran Turismo is quite a serious, po-faced racing sim, if you put the occasional horsedrawn carriage and lunar rover to one side. On the other side of the coin, we have Mario Kart, which is… well, it’s not a serious, po-faced racing sim, that’s for dang certain.

The most recent installment, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, is an enhanced port of the Wii U title. There may be no truly new Mario Kart release heading to the Switch just at the moment, but until one does, this is the most complete series experience out there.

28 Xbox One: Halo 5: Guardians — Say Halo To My Friend

Well, naturally. When it comes to Xbox exclusives, our old buddy Master Chief is never going to be far away. Xbox One, like PS4, took its sweet time with delivering the key exclusives, the big IPs. Halo 5: Guardians launched in October of 2015, building on everything that it’s predecessor achieved.

Of course, there are always those fans who will feel a certain way about a Halo title without Bungie at the helm, but Guardians was a great success for its gameplay, modes (campaign aside) and gorgeous visuals.

27 PS4: Horizon Zero Dawn — Dawn Of The Very Much Alive

In recent years, trends in video games have very much turned towards the whole free-roaming thing. We want to see the potential of our consoles, of these new technological advancements, and how do we do that? With vast, expansive worlds and sidequests out the wazzoo, that’s how.

It’s a difficult arena for an all-new IP to step into, but Horizon Zero Dawn did so with aplomb. It’s a bold and captivating action RPG from Guerrilla Games, casting players as the hunter Aloy. Her adventures across a post-apocalyptic world where robotic creatures hold dominion make for one heckola of an experience.

26 Switch: Splatoon 2 — Inklings, Start Your Splatting

As even ardent fans of the Switch will have to admit, the system didn’t arrive with the most inspiring crop of launch titles. The jewel in the crown, as we’ll see later, was already available on Wii U.

It was in the following months that some of the system’s biggest titles started to arrive.

One of these was Splatoon 2. It released in July 2017, some four months after the system itself, and soon made its mark. Building on the original’s foundations, this is a quirky and utterly Nintendo take on the shooter genre.

25 Xbox One: Gears Of War 4 — Completing The Dynamic Duo

Yep, I know. You just can’t have an Xbox exclusives party without Gears of War being invited. Along with Halo, it’s the one-two punch of Xbox IPs, and you just don’t argue with it.

In a similar situation to Guardians, Gears of War 4 was another successful expansion of a much-beloved franchise. The presentation and trademark brutal gunplay was a bold step forward, and the multiplayer is the crux of the experience (though, again, the campaign perhaps wasn’t all it could’ve been).

24 PS4: Gravity Rush 2 — Don’t Dang Well Look Down

You’ve got to feel sorry for the PS Vita. This intrepid handheld packs a real punch (I’m not ready to speak about the Vita in the past tense; I refuse and YOU CAN’T MAKE ME) but just doesn’t have the library or player base it deserves. It has only a handful of notable exclusives to its name, one of which… isn’t exclusive anymore.

Gravity Rush is an intriguing action title that sees its heroine, Kat, able to manipulate gravity, to fight and traverse puzzling stages. A sequel arrived on PS4 in January of last year, expanding on this intriguing notion.

23 Switch: Super Mario Odyssey — Guess Who’s Back?

Yep. That’s right, friends. Why both even trying to fight it? Just show the mustachioed maestro in.

The much-ballyhooed Super Mario Odyssey arrived on the Switch in October last year, and (unsurprisingly) lit the blue touch paper for the system. It wasn’t universally beloved, as no game can be, and there are those who question its creativity, but Odyssey is what a Mario title will be: bold, colorful, joyful, and gloriously silly. Cappy and the capture mechanics lend a new feel to proceedings; this is one that’ll always be a highlight of the lineup.

22 Xbox One: Cuphead — Cruel Old School Cool

Exclusives don’t have to be all about the big AAA releases. At a time when mobile gaming is becoming a bigger and bigger deal, we need smaller, more bite-size experiences as well. There’s always a place for the Super Mario Odysseys, Halo 4s, and God of Wars of the world, but equally, indie experiences become phenomena in their own right too.

The Xbox (console) exclusive Cuphead is one of these. It’s a brutally challenging retro action title, much like Mega Man, boasting a glorious 1930s Disney animation style.

21 PS4: Spider-Man — A Super Coup For Sony

There was a time when superhero video games were just jokes. When the craptacular Superman 64 had us flying the all-powerful son of Krypton through glowing hoops, like it was Baby’s First Flight Sim. The profile of these licensed titles has risen somewhat in recent years, thanks to Rocksteady’s stellar work on the Arkham games.

Never mind that, though. The important thing is that Spider-Man certainly is, and his upcoming PS4 exclusive adventure is looking fantastic. There are no ties to a specific comic book or movie plot here.

20 Switch: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — Aptly Named

Oh, yes indeed. Here it is. The game that hyped a generation of Nintendo fans to the max, with nothing more than a gleam of a logo in an Inkling’s eye.

The importance of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate cannot be understated. This is the game that Nintendo dedicated almost an entire E3 conference to this year. It’s going to be monumental, it’s going to include every character that’s ever been playable in the franchise (because three different versions of Link are totally necessary) and it’s coming this year, December 7.

19 Xbox One: Sea Of Thieves — Be Captain Jack Sparrow

Since it was first announced, it was clear that Sea of Thieves was going to be a super interesting one. Gathering a pirate crew, working together and engaging in PvP with other crews? That’s the sort of prospect that garners gamers’ attention immediately.

A toontastic affair in a world with ridiculous physics, which lets you perform all sorts of Jack Sparrow-esque stunts? Sold. The game may have had a bit of a false start, being very sparse on the content at launch, but with all the updates Rare have implemented and promised, maybe it’s time to hop back on board.

18 PS4: God Of War — Kratos Strikes Back

Of course, if we’re talking about more recent PS4 exclusives, our old buddy Kratos is going to have a little something to say.

The God of War franchise has been a staple of Sony’s repertoire since the original game in 2005. When the Tomb Raider-style reboot was announced, it was clear that this was going to be one heckola of a big deal. And so it was.

2018’s God of War is a sequel to God of War III, and shifts focus over to Norse mythology. Needless to say, it’s the most technically impressive and involving entry yet.

17 Switch: ARMS — The Fighter With A Twist

Now, I’m certainly no hardcore fighting game enthusiast. I’m a great fan of the genre, but I’ve never really advanced to the sort of technical level required to compete. I’d rather watch others fight in tournaments and admire their command of the mechanics than compete myself.

ARMS is a title that looked like a real novelty when it was first announced. A silly party game. There’s a surprising amount of depth here, though, and a great deal of customization available for players. Mizing and matching characters and Arms loadouts means everyone can find their own unique style.

16 Xbox One: Ryse: Son Of Rome —Don’t Try To Rise Too High, Now

Now, I’m all for super deep and engrossing gaming experiences. I totally am. I’ve lost myself in RPGs for hundreds of hours, making some of my most treasured gaming memories in the process. It’s just… that’s not the only way.

Sometimes, you want something a little flashier and simpler.

Ryse: Son Of Rome was a launch title for the Xbox One, an Ancient Roman hack and slash that still looks fantastic today. If you’re looking for the gaming equivalent of an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie (with less guns and more togas and fancy helmets), Ryse is console exclusive to Xbox One.

15 PS4: Gran Turismo Sport — In Pole Position

As we’ve seen so far, then, Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony each have their own flagship franchise. We knew that much already, of course, and we also knew that it was quite a struggle to get some of these IPs onto the new consoles.

It was some time before Mario, Master Chief and pals hit their respective systems. Another big name for Sony is racing sim Gran Turismo, which took until October 2017 to arrive on PS4. Gran Turismo Sport is an excellent entry, though, and one of the system’s very top picks for racing fans.

14 Switch: Octopath Traveler — Eight Times The Adventure

Granted, there are bigger and more notable names on Nintendo Switch, but here’s something truly unique that’s in the pipeline. Octopath Traveler isn’t quite done cooking yet (it’s set for a July 13 release), but it’s looking like something truly special.

It’s a Ye Olde style RPG from Square Enix, centering around (surprisingly enough) eight different adventurers. The player can opt for a starting character, explore and recruit the others in any order they wish. The way that the different narratives intertwine is going to be key to this one.

13 Xbox One: Forza Horizon 3 — On The Road Again

Heck, why not? If PlayStation and Nintendo are going to throw their vehicular hats into the ring, let’s see the best of the racers that Xbox One has to offer: Forza Horizon 3.

The Forza franchise is another of Microsoft’s exclusive IPs. As such, it is also available on PC and Mac (just kidding with that ‘mac’ thing). The Xbox One version is where it’s at in this case, though, being the most acclaimed entry in the series to date. A top class open world racer.

12 PS4: Nioh — When You Out Dark Souls Dark Souls

Whoa. Whoa whoa whoa. Let’s just back up a moment here. That was a super controversial statement to make, I’m sure. I didn’t mean it literally (again, don’t @ me).

The fact is, though, Nioh is a fantastic title. It’s based on the story of Western samurai William Adams, with an array of kooky and spooky elements thrown in for effect. It’s very Souls-esque, there’s no denying, but with a lot of unique elements and mechanics in play. This is no mere clone, but a quality action RPG effort in its own right.

11 Switch: Bayonetta 3 — Umbra-lievable

Ah, yes. Now, this is a coup for Nintendo, and no mistake. As everyone familiar with the gaming industry knows, the Japanese giant is often criticised for its attitude towards third-party developers. The strength of a Nintendo system lies in first-party games.

In this instance, though, they did the legwork and it paid off.

Nintendo have a special relationship with the Bayonetta franchise (which has previously appeared on other systems).

The recent Switch collection of the first two games was a start, but the upcoming third game in the stylish beat ‘em up franchise will be exclusive to the system.