With the 9th generation of consoles fast approaching, many gamers are excited to see what the new machines are capable of. One of the biggest selling points is 4K gaming – and while this might be seen as old hat by some PC gamers – the increased resolution is one of the many things that console gamers are looking forward to experiencing.
The capabilities of the new systems seem fairly similar, so it’s likely that the next battle in the console war will be decided by the games they offer rather than the machines themselves. Both companies have taken measures to ensure some big exclusive titles arrive in the future, with Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax perhaps being most notable. In the short term though, it will be up to the launch titles to get the ball rolling.
Historically, early console sales have provided a fairly clear indication of how a console is going to perform during its lifecycle. Perhaps then, historic launch titles might be able to provide some insight into the type of launch titles that help shift-systems.
10 Dead or Alive 3 (Xbox) – 87
With many of the established systems already having a host of recognizable franchises attached to them, Microsoft had a huge task on their hands when launching the Xbox. While they set about creating some of their own IPs, one of their early strategies saw them pursuing exclusivity deals for a number of already established series.
Dead or Alive 3 is one of the many titles which was exclusive to the Xbox. It’s one of the best entries in the series and was the best selling fighting game on the system. Estimates suggest that over 5% of Xbox owners purchased the game, which represents a pretty decent return all things considered.
9 Super Monkey Ball (GameCube) – 87
Following the death of the Dreamcast, Sega made the decision to focus solely on software development. One of their first big titles to make its way to a former rival’s system was Super Monkey Ball. It’s a game that just about anybody can pick up and play and provides an enjoyable challenge regardless of age.
The game proved to be a real hit with players and a string of sequels were released across various systems. There are 19 Monkey Ball titles in total, but none of them have been able to outscore the original.
8 Project Gotham Racing 3 (Xbox 360) – 88
Although it began life on the Dreamcast in the form of Metropolis Street Racer, Project Gotham Racing would go on to become an Xbox exclusive series. There were four titles in total, the third of which featured as part of the Xbox 360‘s strong launch line-up and was considered both a critical and commercial success.
Unfortunately for fans, Activision discontinued the Project Gotham series after acquiring Bizarre Creations in 2007. Blur did serve as something as a spiritual successor. Despite its best efforts though, it just wasn’t quite able to recapture the brilliance of the Project Gotham series.
7 DOA2: Hardcore (PS2) – 91
Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore serves as the game’s definitive edition and helped to liven up the PS2‘s somewhat lackluster list of launch titles. With additional characters, costumes, and stages, it’s better than the base version of the game in almost every aspect. This was reflected when critics got their hand on it back in March, 2000.
The game would go on to be inducted into Sony’s Greatest Hits collection and helped to greatly expand the series’ North American and European fanbases. Two decades later and the series is still going strong, with Dead or Alive 6 having released the last of its DLC earlier this year.
6 SSX (PS2) – 93
With the runaway success of the Tony Hawk’s titles, it was only a matter of time before other extreme sports games began to flood the market. Although the majority of these titles could be described as mediocre at best, there was one title that stood out.
SSX is a snowboarding game developed by EA Sports and featured some truly exhilarating gameplay moments. It was arguably the best of the PS2’s launch titles and went on to spawn 3 console sequels. while they weren’t all up to the high standards of the original, many gamers still hold the series in high regard – even if it has been dormant for quite some time now.
5 Super Mario 64 (N64) – 94
The Nintendo 64 had one of the most underwhelming console launches of all time in terms of the number of titles available at launch. Although a steady string of high quality games would follow, when the console first went on sale in North America, there were only two games available. One of those was Super Mario 64. As they say; quality is sometimes better than quantity.
The title served as Mario’s first true 3D outing and featured some of the best gameplay of the console generation. With tight platforming, a manageable camera and 120 Power Stars for players to hunt down, the game was a hit. It sold just shy of 12 million copies and helped to cement Nintendo‘s position as the Kings of platformers. That Nintendo chose to rerelease the title almost 25 years later with no major changes really is a testament to how great the game is.
4 The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii) – 95
With no less than 26 games available at launch, the Nintendo Wii featured one of the largest selections of launch titles in home console launch history. Although many of these were third-party titles, there were a handful of first-party games available to help show off exactly what the Wii was capable of.
Twilight Princess was the perfect example of how motion controls could not only be successfully integrated into traditional titles, but also enhance them. Thankfully the team behind the game didn’t go over the top. The Wiimote controls aiming and swordplay, allowing players to feel as though they are part of Link’s journey more than ever before.
3 Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox) – 97
Microsoft needed something big if the Xbox was to successfully break into the hugely competitive console market. In that respect, their controller definitely fit the bill (even if it didn’t fit into most gamers’ hands). It was Halo that was almost single-handedly responsible for the system’s success.
Master Chief’s debut outing wowed critics and gamers alike and helped the Xbox to outsell both the GameCube and the Sega Dreamcast. Considering these systems were developed by two of the industry’s most well established console manufacturers, that’s one hell of an achievement.
2 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (Switch) – 97
As with Twilight Princess before it, Breath of the Wild launched across two different generations of Nintendo hardware. Unlike Twilight Princess, however, there’s no question as to which version of Breath of the Wild is the best. The Switch version of the game is not just one of the best ever console launch titles, it is one of the best games ever.
With a sprawling open world, delightful graphics and hours upon hours of engaging content, it’s not the least bit surprising that Nintendo announced a sequel so quickly following its release. Whether or not it is the best ever Zelda game is up for debate.
1 SoulCalibur (Dreamcast) – 98
When people think of the Sega Dreamcast, it’s usually titles like Shenmue and Skies of Arcadia that spring to mind. It’s Bandai Namco’s 3D fighter SoulCalibur, though, that holds the title of the highest rated Dreamcast game on Metacritic – and for good reason.
With an engine that allowed the game to run at a silky-smooth 60fps, some wonderful character models, and an incredibly intuitive combat system, SoulCalibur is one of the best looking and most enjoyable fighting games of the era. It’s also the highest rated home console launch title ever, which considering the competition, is some feat.
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