The Best Console Launch Games Ever

A look at some of the best games that launched beside a new console.

[shadowT]

Missing Spider-Man: Miles Morales for PS5 in this list. Love this game!

[Orchard]

They probably didn't include it (and a bunch of others) because of their criteria for "lasting influence on the industry".

SMMM is a good game, but it doesn't stand out enough to have THAT huge of an impact on the industry as a whole - especially when compared to games like Mario, Halo & Tetris.

[Sonic-and-Crash]

i would also add Sonic and Crash (pun intended lol) ...Sonic 1 on MD is a all time classic game that helped MegaDrive to separate itself and explode in sales... also Crash Bandicoot ...while not exactly a launch game..it was pretty close to launch for PS1 (in Europe was almost a launch game as PS1 released later here) and trademarked the start of PS era

[Orchard]

Totally agree - those two games were huge for the industry & direction of platformers.

p.s. love the irony of your name for this post :P

[jaymacx]

Sonic was not a launch game. I keep seeing people say it was, but maybe they were so young it’s when they got the console. Crash bandicoot definitely wasn’t even close to being a launch game . These games are system sellers though.

[septemberindecember]

@Sonic-and-Crash

Neither Sonic nor Crash released anywhere close to the launch of their respective consoles. Crash released a full year after the western launch of the PS1 (and two full years after Japan's launch), and Sonic released two years after Genesis in US, and a year after Mega Drive in PAL regions.

[CorndogBurglar]

I knoe it wasn't a massive influence on the industry, but Condemned: Criminal Origins on Xbox 360 is one of my all time favorite launch games.

[Fluttershy77]

Ok you love it, and that's great but I think you are missing the point of the article... In any case to judge something like this I think you need time, currently we can see the tree but not the forest

[darthv72]

Soul Calibur... that game still holds up to this day. Such an excellent game.

[jgilbert11]

That game has aged like a fine wine. Still go back to it all the time on my Dreamcast.

[Minute Man 721]

I should have never sold my Dreamcast

[The Wood]

Good shout

[ZeekQuattro]

Mitsurugi was seriously wounded but the soul still burns.

[Orchard]

Super Mario 64 + Halo were my favorite launch games - outstanding games.

[Terry_B]

Ridge Racer.

[ManMarmalade]

Yes

[Shuckylad]

Super Mario World SNES
Mario 64 N64
Halo Xbox
Motorstorm Ps3
Zelda BOTW switch

[The Wood]

Motor storm. . . Yeah. . Underrated

[Jericho1337]

Not a launch title though.

[Omegasyde]

In USA not a launch title but yes in EU etc.

[frostypants]

Super Mario World is still my my favorite of all Mario games and in the discussion for best side scroller ever.

[Father__Merrin]

Sonic adventure for dreamcast was simply amazing for me wish those early 2000's were back 😔

[NotanotherReboot]

Knack was revolutionary

[Puty]

Knack 2, baby!

[BenRC01]

Doa and halo on og xbox. Halo is my face launch game by some way, shame bungie left, never been the same since

[HankHill]

I agree with the list, but I think SSX, Tekken Tag Tournament, TimeSplitters, and Resistance were awesome launch titles too.

[sagapo]

Totally loved Timesplitters!! Building your own levels and play them with friends, had so much fun with that game!

[Imalwaysright]

Resistance was by far the game I played the most in the 7th generation. I wish that Sony/Insomniac remastered or remade it without making any change to the gameplay/controls.

[COS]

I remember I bought the original Xbox because I figured I would probably just sell it. For some reason I bought Halo for it, had no idea what the game was. I decided I would try it out and just sell open box. 7 hours later I was still playing Halo. Needless to say, I kept the Xbox. For me that was the best launch day game. Second place is surprising, Wii Sports. That was my first Nintendo system, and for multiplayer that was the most fun that could be had at any age.

[septemberindecember]

My list would be:
Super Mario Bros-NES US launch
Super Mario World - SNES
Tetris - Gameboy
Panzer Dragoon - Saturn
Super Mario 64 - N64
Soul Calibur - Dreamcast
Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2 - Gamecube
Halo - Xbox
Call of Duty 2 - Xbox 360
Wii Sports - Nintendo Wii
BotW - Switch

[Profchaos]

Alex the kid on master system still a classic to this day.

[anubusgold]

Dream cast was the greatest console launch period .

[Sophisticated_Chap]

Resistance: Fall of Man and Motorstorm are probably my favorite launch titles. They were both mind-blowing at that time.

[SenorJepeto]

I may be crazy, but I would not include Zelda BOTW on this list. For a game to be in this category it must define a system in my opinion. Like Mario 64 and Halo. Want to play these games? Yeah buy the new console.
I waited for a year to buy a Switch because I could play BOTW on my WiiU