DALLAS, TX.- Gamer forums and message boards are awash in debates about the best game consoles of all time. Is it the PS2 (released in 2000), or the Super NES (released in 1991)? Is it the Nintendo Switch (2017, and the best-selling console ever), or Sony's original PlayStation (1994)? All of them were, so to speak, total game-changers. All of them, along with their competitors, evolved alongside gamers' and game creators' increasing sophistication — great games demand extraordinary performance and playability — and consoles rise to the demand of the inventiveness and ingenuity of games themselves.

From the get-go, the console maker's goal has been to meet this challenge, and every mega-popular console has its defenders. But each one is merely a marker in a long history that begins with the arcade and home console inventors of the early 1970s — the ones who were charged with starting this story from scratch.

While most casual game fans would likely name Pong as the first arcade and home console game, or perhaps Magnavox's arcade-opener Odyssey, an entire history precedes them, including a cast of characters and companies connected to both; the first genuine arcade video game, housed in a stunning futuristic custom fiberglass cabinet, was released in 1971, months prior to Pong and Odyssey, and was called Computer Space.

This trailblazing creation emerged from the brilliant minds of Syzygy Engineering/Atari co-founders Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. Inspired by Steve Russell's 1962 Spacewar! computer game, Bushnell and Dabney worked tirelessly to bring this game to life. The result? A fun shooter, and given its appearance, an iconic sight in itself; the game makes appearances in the classic movies Soylent Green (1973) and Jaws (1975).




An excellent and fully functioning example of Computer Space, in an ultra-rare green cabinet, is just one of many historically significant game consoles that shape Heritage's November 3 - 4 Video Games Signature® Auction.

"This event includes the first dedicated video game console session we've ever had," says Valarie Spiegel, Heritage's Managing Director of Video Games. "The rare Computer Space model we proudly offer is none other than the exquisite green two-player version released in 1973, a testament to the game's enduring legacy. We also offer iconic consoles by Nintendo, Sega, Halcyon and more. This is a walk through video game history. And as usual we'll present favorite games in very high grades, in an auction category lately dominated by Heritage."

Another console charmer in this event is a Nintendo Entertainment System Deluxe Set Console from 1986. This is the console that revived the entire home console market in North America following a 1983 industry crash, making it one of the most important gaming systems in the history of the industry. While the console was an incredible success culturally and financially, unopened examples are ultra-rare, and this is especially true for this amazing Deluxe Set which includes the NES console, two controllers, a Zapper light gun, the R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy) and two boxed games: Gyromite and Duck Hunt. Joining it on the significant console front is this Sega Master System Console from 1987. This is Heritage's first time to offer Sega's iconic 8-bit system, and unopened examples are painfully rare. Classic greats in its library include R-Type, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Phantasy Star and Sonic the Hedgehog.

Halcyon's Interactive Laser Disc System Prototype Game Console is here, too: Developed by Rob Dyer of the landmark-making RDI Video Systems, creators of Dragon's Lair, this rare console is more than just a game system — it's a monument to the early stages of interactive entertainment. The Halcyon prototype represents a pivotal break in traditional gaming through a laser-disc technology that delivered a quality of graphics and gameplay well ahead of its time. Heritage believes this example is the only one in existence that's in excellent working condition. Another highlight among the consoles is a Super Nintendo Value Pak Bundle, complete with a Super Scope, from 1993. This lot includes an unopened Super NES Super Scope 6 with six additional games, an unopened Super NES Control Set with one controller, and three extra games: Battle Clash, Yoshi's Safari and Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge. Also on console tap in this event: high-grade Game Boys; Nintendo Wii, 64 and 3DS consoles; historic Xbox consoles; Sega consoles and more.

A Heritage Video Game event wouldn't be complete with an array of high-grade classic games. Among the highlights is the only sealed first production copy of NES' 1985 Baseball graded by Wata. As diehard collectors know, sealed first production copies of NES launch games — as evidenced by a matte sticker seal — are scarce, and several of the 18 titles have yet to surface in such a sealed, first-production state. Heritage also has a 1985 copy of NES' Duck Hunt from the original New York test market; it's the best-selling NES game of all time. This one is graded 9.0 A+ by Wata.

Heritage hails the king of survivor horror with this copy of PlayStation's 1996 Resident Evil; this sealed ridged longbox first production is graded 9.6 A+ by Wata. PlayStation collectors have often described Resident Evil for the PS1 in sealed condition as "elusive," "impossible," or simply "the one that got away." Yet here it is in impeccable condition. Joining it is a CGC-graded 9.8 A++ of Nintendo's 1997 Mario Kart 64 (collectors sometimes refer to this as the "red label" version, which indicates an earlier production run of the game, and the grade speaks for itself) and this copy of another N64 favorite, Bomberman, from 1997. Bomberman 64 was the first 3D game in one of the most enjoyable multiplayer series ever created, and the single-player mode is unique in that it features action/adventure and platforming stages instead of arenas. Heritage and collectors love a Wata 10 A++ game, and it's especially exciting when it's a vintage game with an iconic IP.