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WHAT WAS THE BEST CONSOLE LAUNCH LINE-UP OF ALL TIME? - Part One

20/4/2016

19 Comments

 
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It's important to get the launch of your console right from day one.

Just ask Microsoft: it has taken them forever to turn around perceptions of the Xbox One, following a series of early PR missteps. Even now, the system trails behind the confident stride of the PlayStation 4.

Obviously, it's not all about games - not bundling your console with an expensive dodgy spy camera that nobody wanted is also important - but obviously it is all about the games. We don't buy consoles for decoration. Not unless we're, y'know, a madman.

To this end, Digitiser2000 has decided to solve the riddle once and for all over which console had the best day one selection of games. You might think you know the answer... but you'd be wrong as usual.

And before you complain... we know there's no NES and Master System in here. Why? Special reasons.

MEGA DRIVE vs SUPER NES
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MEGA DRIVE: Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, Super Thunder Blade, Altered Beast, Space Harrier II, Columns, Thunder Force II, Golden Axe.

SUPER NES: F-Zero, Super Tennis, Super Mario World.
This might be the easiest category we'll ever assess in this vital and ground-breaking series. Golden Axe was the only real gem in the Mega Drive's European launch line-up - a faithful recreation of the arcade classic. Just like the arcade version, it even gave the player septicaemia. 

​Next to it, Super Thunder Blade and Altered Beast strained against the limitations of the hardware, like a ponce in a net, while Space Harrier II failed to be the sequel that its predecessor deserved. Thunder Force II was a flaccid R-Type clone, and while Columns wasn't all bad - and arguably casts a long shadow - it was exposed as the Tetris tribute band that it was. 

The Super NES might've been late to the party, and arrived with only three guests - but you'd have been trapped happily in a corner with any of them, talking about similes until late in the night.

Let's face it, Super Mario World alone - one of the greatest video games ever made - would win it for the Super NES. And then you have F-Zero. And Super Tennis. It's akin to baking a really amazing cake with a secret roast chicken and a bag of crisps inside it.

WINNER: Super NES.
SEGA SATURN vs PLAYSTATION vs NINTENDO 64 vs ATARI JAGUAR
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SATURN: Clockwork Knight, Virtua Fighter, Daytona USA.

PLAYSTATION: 3D Lemmings, Ridge Racer, Wipeout, Rapid Reload, Novastorm, Kileak: The Blood, Battle Arena Toshinden, Jumping Flash!.

NINTENDO 64: FIFA 64, Pilotwings 64, Star Wars: Shadow of the Empire, Super Mario 64, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey. 

JAGUAR: Blue Lightning, Vid Grid, Myst, Highlander, Battlemorph, Hoverstrike: Unconquered Lands, Baldies.
Well, we might as well just forget even debating the Jaguar from the off. Atari's 64-bit disaster started as it continued: by soiling its trousers at almost every opportunity, and shuffling around telling everyone "Me done boom-boom".

You can also scratch the PlayStation out of the running too.

​Oh, sure, Ridge Racer was close to arcade perfect, but at the time Digitiser argued that it offered terrible value for money, and that has only become more apparent as the years have gone on. Wipeout was stylish, but in all honesty it was all flash over substance. The remainder of the PlayStation launch line-up was so tepid that it made everything else seem worse. Like being forced to go to a theme park with Idi Amin.

It might seem to you that the Nintendo 64 would be the outright winner here - Shadows of the Empire, Turok and Pilotwings 64 were all well received at the time, but none of them have aged well. Only Super Mario 64 really stands up today. Surprisingly, we actually considered giving this one to the Saturn - we liked all three of its launch titles. Yes: even Clockwork Knight.

As hard as it has been to choose though... Mario wins it again for Nintendo. What a predictable waste of time this is proving to be.

​WINNER: Nintendo 64.
DREAMCAST vs PLAYSTATION 2 vs  GAMECUBE
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DREAMCAST: Dynamite Cop, Blue Stinger, Expendable, Pen Pen Triathlon, Incoming, Sega Rally Championship 2, Sega Bass Fishing, Sonic Adventure, Virtua Fighter 3tb, Toy Commander.

​PLAYSTATION 2: Aqua Aqua, Tekken Tag Tournament, Dynasty Warriors 2, Fantavision, FIFA 2001, Gradius 3 & 4, FIFA 2001, International Superstar Soccer, NHL 2001, Orphan: Scion of Socery, Ready 2 Rumble: Round 2, Ridge Racer V, Silent Scope, Smuggler's Run, SSX, Timesplitters, Wild Wild Racing.

GAMECUBE: FIFA World Cup 2002, Batman: Vengeance, Bloody Roar: Primal Fury, Burnout, Cel Damage, Crazy Taxi, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2, Tarzan Freeride, Donald Duck: Quack Attack, Driven, ESPN Winter Sports 2002, International Superstar Soccer 2, Luigi's Mansion, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader, Super Monkey Ball, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, Universal Studios Theme Park Adventure, Wave Race: Blue Storm, XG3: Extreme G Racing.
Ugh. This is a horrible generation in many ways. Following criticism of previous scant launch line-ups, Sega, Nintendo and Sony ensured that there were literally too many games released alongside their next generation of systems. Consequently, there's more filler than killer for all three machines here.

And when we say "filler" - we mean like dermal fillers: all three machines were so puffy in the face as to be barely recognisable from their generational predecessors.

​The best of the Dreamcast's line-up were sequels... while Sonic Adventure compels us to discount the Dreamcast altogether, just because it was so damn weird, and not what any of us wanted. 

Once again, we found ourselves out of step with the rest of the world, struggling to love the PlayStation brand. Even the well-regarded Timesplitters was a game we had little time for, with its annoyingly stylised visuals, while Ready 2 Rumble 2 was about the only title on launch day that we really enjoyed.

​That just leaves, once again, Nintendo's Gamecube. Thank Bronk for Luigi's Mansion and Rogue Leader - there was so much landfill surrounding the Gamecube launch that we almost choked on the gaming equivalent of asbestos.

The awfulness of Universal Studios Theme Park Adventure and Bloody Roar: Primal Fury alone would've disqualified the Gamecube, were it not for the limp efforts from Sony and Sega - lest we forget, the company's final prance at the hardware disco.

So, once again, Nintendo takes the prize - making it a clean sweep for them in the first three generations. But only just.

WINNER: Gamecube.
WHAT WAS THE BEST CONSOLE LAUNCH LINE-UP OF ALL TIME? - PART TWO​
FROM THE ARCHIVE:
10 OF THE BEST CANCELLED VIDEO GAMES
10 TERRIBLE RETRO "SEX" GAMES
FIND YOUR METAL GEAR SOLID CODENAME
19 Comments
Merriweather link
20/4/2016 10:54:34 am

I have to step in here and stand up for Bloody Roar: Primal Fury. You can transform into a mole and punch an elephant - what's not to like about that?

I've laid out my argument in more detail here, I think you'll find it convincing: https://101videogames.wordpress.com/2010/08/17/77-bloody-roar-primal-fury/

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radian
20/4/2016 12:41:07 pm

Those Jaguar games are for the CD add on though, should be Raiden, Cybermorph and ... er ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Carl
20/4/2016 12:45:32 pm

Why didn't you include the Xbox with PS2 and GameCube?

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Mr Biffo
20/4/2016 12:56:59 pm

I made a terrible mistake.

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Alastair
20/4/2016 12:53:23 pm

Never understood the love for SM64. Then and now, not great, ditto DK64.

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Dagenham Swish
20/4/2016 01:15:35 pm

DK64 was doing ass creed trawling and mopping before creed was even a sparkle in Ubi's broken, blood shot eyes.

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Col. Asdasd
20/4/2016 01:54:27 pm

DK64 was the tipping point* of Rare's greatness. What a boring pile of nothing that game was.

At least it gave us the Monkey Rap.

*Well - the actual tipping point was that moment in Jet Force Gemini where you suddenly go 'wait, I have to save ALL these fucking ewoks to complete the game?' But DK64 was the grim affirmation that they'd well and truly lost their way.

Damien link
20/4/2016 01:05:52 pm

I like how the decision is more difficult/less clear generation after generation. I was actually going to disagree about Dramcast Vs Gamecube, but then I took another look at the launch titles and realised I genuinely don't like any of the Dreamcast line-up.

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Pierre Pressure
20/4/2016 03:02:34 pm

I loved SSX on the PS2 but yeah, a snowboarding game.

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Nick the Gent link
20/4/2016 03:45:15 pm

Luigi's Mansion on the GameCube felt more like a tech demo than anything - the music especially was ear-piercingly crisp.

But Super Monkey Ball made the launch line-up for me. SMB was a game anyone could play, and one of the all-time great multiplayer games. The Monkey Target mode was genius.

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Kelvin Green link
20/4/2016 05:46:12 pm

I know we're supposed to worship at the altar of Mario 64 and I'll get thrown out of the club for this, but I don't think it's much good.

It's important, yes, because it showed the way to do proper 3d platforming, but as a game it's a bit of a janky mess and doesn't stand up today.

(I'd argue it didn't stand up then, but I'm already in enough trouble.)

Its much-derided sequel Sunshine is much better, and Galaxy is a masterpiece, but the first one is a bit naff.

Sorry.

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Penyrolewen
20/4/2016 09:40:33 pm

I'm not having that! I was a massive sceptic, I thought 2D Mario was perfect (it was and still is) in that when you died, you KNEW it was your fault. Perfect controls, perfect collision detection, perfect difficulty curve. "It just can't work in 3D" I said. And then I played Mario 64. The awe! The wonder! The sense of adventure and discovery! I'd say it does still stand up. It looks old, of course, and the 'elastic band' nature of the controls takes getting used to, but it still works. Still (to dismantle my own argument), if you didn't like it, that's your perogative. I liked the much-maligned Sunshine too. Now, for an over rated game, how about Zoids on the Spectrum? 98% in Crash - normally so reliable- and I just never, never got it. Any input? It's bothered me for years (does it show?)

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FEoD link
21/4/2016 08:14:05 am

Hmm... Loved SM64 and Sunshine and the 3D platforming bits were the greatest draw but bounced right off Galaxy and didn't even buy the sequel. Aren't tastes funny?

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AcidBeard
20/4/2016 06:18:40 pm

I thought the N64 only launched with Mario64 and Pilotwings, shortly followed by the most expensive game I ever made my mum buy in Turok (£65 quid she paid for it the nutter)?

Still best line up ever.

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LeighDappa
21/4/2016 02:20:40 am

Reading the comments on this article has put me at ease; I never liked 'Super Mario 64'.

I tried it again when it was re-released on the DS just to make sure buy I was right.

There's something about that Game I just can't stand yet I LOVED 'Super Mario: Sunshine'...

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FancyPants
21/4/2016 10:40:06 am

Eh? I bought a DC on launch day, or a few days after (can't recall, was drunk), with Sega Rally, Sonic Adventure, Trickstyle and the brilliant Powerstone. What is going on with them games up there?

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Merriweather link
21/4/2016 01:13:37 pm

Damn, I think you're right. This release list is taken from Wikipedia, but I think it's wrong: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_game_console_launch_games#Sega_Dreamcast

I remember TrickStyle being one of the launch titles, and I'm pretty sure Power Stone was as well - although I can't find any evidence to back this up.

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Nick
21/4/2016 09:34:08 pm

The Dreamcast's Euopean launch was originally announced for 23rd September 1999, with TrickStyle and Power Stone set for release a few weeks later. But the console's launch was delayed until 14th October, shortening the gap between the console launch and those games' release. (Possibly even making them exactly the same date?) Maybe that meant you were able to get the console and games at the same time?

I'm not sure what those two games' exact release dates were without digging out my old DC magazines - Wikipedia and MobyGames aren't much help.

Those belligerent Sega fanboy types you don't see any more
21/4/2016 01:00:36 pm

OK, we have a problem here.

You're using Japanese launch lineups. BECAUSE ANTI-DREAMCAST CONSPIRACY. "Oh, let's just pretend Soul Calibur never happened". IT WON'T WORK, WE HAVE SEEN THROUGH YOUR OBVIOUS PLOY

rgrds

Us

Reply



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