Looking at the evolution of video game consoles is fascinating. While conventional PCs tend to evolve 'incrementally', new generations of consoles introduce completely new ways of working. The writings you see here are part of a series aimed at uncovering the rationale behind the latest trends in technology. They will also demonstrate why each system can't be summarised by its 'bits', megahertz, amount of RAM and whatnot. This volume includes the hardware and software analysis of the NES / Famicom (1983), Master System (1985), PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 (1987), Mega Drive / Genesis (1988), SNES (1990), and Neo Geo (1990)—an iconic collection I have dubbed 'The Sprite Decade'. About this edition This edition originates from the articles initially published on my personal website, it's been re-styled to take advantage of the capabilities of the book format. While similar in content, interactive widgets have been simplified to work with a static environment - in other words, anything that physical paper allow us.