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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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