How do you feel about today's consoles compared to the Genesis?

I don't really know why but quite a few modern games really aren't that fun for me anymore. :( I mean, I can't argue the technical merits of these games on platforms like PS3 and XBox 360. They're graphically beautiful with great soundtracks. However, it's often more work for me to finish them if I can stomach finishing them at all.
On the other hand, there are literally dozens and dozens of Genesis titles that are really a blast to play. Each week, I play the Genesis more than all three next-gen systems combined. You'd think a system far less powerful would be eclipsed by today's consoles in fun factor but, more often than not, I find the opposite to be true. I still like the next-gen systems but the Genesis is king for me right now.

I like today's consoles for the most part, but I prefer the Genesis because there were more types of good games. Nowadays every game must be "epic" and have story-based gameplay that results in one long playthrough and then the game is shelved.

Has to do with age. We grew up playing genny titles so those will always be special. When you get older, videogames start to lose their appeal. I don't really care much for any of the next-gen consoles.

I barely play modern consoles & when I do the software is usually a throwback or a recycled experience from previous generations.

The culture behind it is different these days as well. Arcade culture is completely dead & console gaming has become shallow.

I want Sega or SNK to jump back in. I don't care how stupid it would be for them.

Genesis games are mostly arcade-like so they are focused on gameplay which means they can be beaten more than once making them more interesting than, say, 40 hours of cut scenes.

Also echoing what Joe Redifer said.

I like the new releases on 360 and PS3 although I do agree with Joe that there is hardly any replay value anymore. I love the epic stories and cinematic's but, it's hard paying full price for a game only to complete it within 8 hours and then shelf it. A lot of the story based games have absolutely zero replay value and multiplayer seems like an afterthought. I've gotten 20 years of gaming with my Genesis collection by pretty much playing to beat my high scores.

I own 50 Genesis games and 13 PS3 games- two of which are compilations of older games. I'm picky about which current gen games I like- replay value is important, which is why I favor fighting games. Too many games this gen focus on complicated controls and being repetitive, while older games focus on simple controls with lots of variety between levels- they also seem more fast paced, which is also why I favor fighting games for this gen.

Modern consoles are junk for countless reasons, and the main one will be reliablility. It just seems they are made cheaper than they were. Look at the 360. It uses an IBM PowerPC G5 CPU, which Apple had no problem cooling in the macintosh (although the cooling was very complex) yet Microsoft puts the CPU away from any direct fan and uses lousy ducting. Boom goes the CPU and GPU then. The PS3 suffered from BD ROM failures in its early life, and still has OS problems to this date. The Wii had DVD drive problems, and GPU overheating problems early on as well.
Software is now nothing special. Console games are designed more to appeal to the FPS generation than anything else today. The PC is still a holdout of some good games, but that's declining also.
Older consoles tended to be scaled down Arcade designs, and would be very reliable as a result. Of course low heat and static media will not wear out as fast as spinning media and high performance heat producing semiconductors. (Excluding the NES cartslot problem and Game Gear capacitor problems)

Honestly, I find the PS2 the most comparable platform industrywise. There are just so many factors that make the PS2 appeal to me in a similar way as the Genny used to back in the day (at least now I'm begginning to see it). Right now it feels just like it did 10 years ago, being able to find great PS2 titles (Genny then) at your average store for ridiculously cheap prices, knowing now that it will soon end. Both had respectively impressive libaries (and though roughly 1000 for the Genny, it still was a sizeable amount back in the day, proportionally comparable to today's near 2000 for the PS2).

Does anyone else feel the same way about the PS2? Although I had my ups and downs with the system (especially back when it killed my beloved dreamcast) industrywise, I find the PS2 to have become the true spiritual successor of the Sega Genesis (although the PS1 would've ranked in just as likely; but being able to play PS1 titles makes the PS2 all worth the while). Sure, it was the Xbox that was the spiritual successor of the DC, but we're talking Sega Genesis here. ;)

well, nearly 21 years later my genesis still works like a charm. I wonder if we'll be able to say the same about the 360 and ps3 several years from now?

RELIABILITY.

That's the main issue for me, and I agree that the PS2 is a great platform, the PS1 as well as the XBox, also, but imho the Genesis will be around long after the disk-based systems give up the ghost.

Other reasons, the controllers are tougher than both PS and PS2, power supplies are external and easily obtainable with no rebuilding (internal to the console) necessary, and the Genesis uses standard electronic parts mostly.

You can almost build a Genesis from scratch (based on just getting parts together) compared to any new platform, they are so proprietary. Not to say the Gen doesn't have proprietary parts, just not that many.

The Mega Drive is superior to today's consoles on all accounts except for maybe graphics technology. Xbox 360 must be the worst console ever, its non existent reliability considered. How many stories haven't I heard about people being forced to buy additional fans because its production is so poor, or even being forced to buy an entirely new console because the older one broke just right after the way too low warranty went out? Completely unacceptable. The Wii is better, but that gimmicky controller didn't work very well and I got tired of it rather quickly. It doesn't have stereo sound either, so it's a step backwards compared to the Mega Drive. I haven't played the PS3, but it seems to be a dust-collecting overpriced POS that for some reason has worse hardware in PAL regions compared to other regions. I do not approve such semi-racist discrimination.

I re-gained my love for consoles with the current generation after getting out of touch with them during the PSX/Saturn/N64-era. Technologically and gameplay-wise I'm now more comfortable with them again.

It may have something to do with my personal feelings towards PC-gaming... In the Genesis/SNes-era I've felt the two of them to be completely different; in the beginnings of 3d-gaming, I could never quite warm up to the likes of Banjo Kazooie, Golden Eye or Super Mario 64, so I've largely ignored them. But nowadays, games like GTA IV, Uncharted 2 and the likes somehow reignited my console interest.

Genesis will always have a special place in my heart, though, but this is mostly for nostalgic reasons. It has special ties to my childhood, something that modern consoles, logically, will never be able to achieve.

Many xbox titles are taken too seriously and rely heavily on the achievement system and straight up competition to belittle any casual gamer who is unlucky to enter the fray known as xbox live.

The genesis however has something for everybody, competition, casual play,and party games. It was never about being hardcore, it was about playing games, on the next level.

One of the best games I have ever played lives on the 360... Castle Crashers !!!!!!!!
If I were to get a current gen game console it will be 360... I don't care about the unreliability, the controller is awesome and it has some very fun games. PS3 is nice too, but I really dislike the controller, its the only thing that prevents me from liking Sony stuff, and I've not seen any 3rd party controller to make up for that part...
Wii is something I got fed up with fast, so its unlikely if I get one, unless someone gives me one...