Best/Worst Console Launches in History

I remember getting my GBA with F-Zero on the Friday, then returning the game the next day as I didn't like it. I bought Super Mario Bros 2...and decided I didn't like that either, so swapped it for Tony Hawk's 2. Third time's a charm? Well, no; I took that back too. Three games in the space of a week. Can't remember what I wound up with. GT Advance, or something.

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I'll have to think harder about the best launch line-up, but I'd have to say that the worst was the original DS's back in 2005. A great but tamer WarioWare, a borked version of Super Mario 64, a Metroid demo that lasted ten minutes and the overhyped, overrated Project Rub were among the highlights. Still, Zoo Keeper was brilliant though, and the price (under £100) wasn't too shabby at all.

US launch had fire pro wrestling therefor it was THE BEST LAUNCH EVER!

I had plenty of fun with SM64DS and WWT. I'd say that the DS is one of my better launches.

The GBA wasn't too bad for me either: maybe not so great for people who had already played SMB2 (Doki Doki Panic version). And the F-Zero on offer was subpar, but still fun. What I wouldn't give for even a subpar F-Zero these days...

With the two big boxes of power coming in mere weeks. There's been talk about launch line ups in the PS4 and 6th gen retro thread. Let's try to keep it hear.

This seems to be the final launch line up for the Xbox One in North America, but reckon be the same for us Europeans:

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Battlefield 4
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Crimson Dragon (XBLA)
Dead Rising 3
FIFA 14
Fighter Within
Forza Motorsport 5
Just Dance 2014
Killer Instinct (XBLA)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
LocoCycle
Madden NFL 25
NBA 2K14
NBA Live 14
Need for Speed: Rivals
Powerstar Golf (XBLA)
Ryse: Son of Rome
Skylanders: Swap Force
Zoo Tycoon
Zumba Fitness: World Party

With these in the launch window:

Kinect Sports: Rivals
Minecraft: Xbox One Edition
Peggle 2
Project Spark
Thief
Titanfall
Wolfenstein: The New Order


The PS4's also North America but can see it being the same for Europe:

Angry Birds Star Wars
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Battlefield 4
Blacklight: Retribution
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Contrast
DC Universe Online
DiveKick
Escape Plan
FIFA 14
flOw
Flower
Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition
Just Dance 2014
Killzone Shadow Fall
Knack
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
Madden NFL 25
Minecraft
NBA 2K14
NBA Live 14
Need for Speed: Rivals
Pinball Arcade
PlayRoom
Putty Squad
Resogun
Skylanders Swap Force
Sound Shapes
Super Motherload
Tiny Brains
Warframe
War Thunder

And this in the launch window games:

1001 Spikes
Awesomenauts: Assemble
Basement Crawl
CounterSpy
Daylight
Deep Down
Doki-Doki Universe
DriveClub
Hohokum
inFamous Second Son
Mercenary Kings
N++
Octodad: Dadliest Catch
Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty
PlanetSide 2
Pool Nation Extreme
Primal Carnage: Genesis
Ray's the Dead
The Witness
Thief
Transistor
Wolfenstein: The New Order

That's just a really lame line up tbh (worse than wii U's in fact) as there isn't a lot that's new (only 12 by my count) or that you couldn't simply pick up on current gen systems.

I'm still going Wii U's is one of the worst ever unless the window is up in till pikmin 3, okay it's pretty much same as these as you could say I could of bought call of duty black ops 2 on PS 3or 360. So saying that you could pick up these games on current gen is kinda silly especially likes of battlefield 4, 24 players on current gen, 64 players on next gen.

I would actually say the xbox one's is the best out of the three.

The_Jaster wrote:

That's just a really lame line up tbh (worse than wii U's in fact) as there isn't a lot that's new (only 12 by my count) or that you couldn't simply pick up on current gen systems.

Agreed. I just don't see the point in adopting the Xbox One or PS4 early - there's going to be console issues, and a lot of the games will still be released for the previous iterations of the consoles. At least with Wii U there were loads of games only available for that system.

Sony seem to have been eager to sign up indie developers to plug in the holes in their launch lineup, but like the rest of the lineup I can play the vast majority of those indie games on every other platform under the sun (even PS4's highest profile game, The Witness, is coming to the iPad, where it'll probably play better on a large 10" touchscreen).

Xbox One has a slightly more compelling launch lineup, with a lot of high profile exclusives (Titanfall and Peggle 2 probably the 'biggest'), but again I'm not buying either until I see some commitment from developers.

PS4's support from Japan isn't encouraging going by the launch lineup, and Microsoft appear to be waiting for compelling content to arrive (I'll believe it when I see it) before they launch in Japan next year.

Given I like my console to have a great balance between western and Japanese games, I'll be holding off on either until I see some support from the region...

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

I remember getting my GBA with F-Zero on the Friday, then returning the game the next day as I didn't like it. I bought Super Mario Bros 2...and decided I didn't like that either, so swapped it for Tony Hawk's 2. Third time's a charm? Well, no; I took that back too. Three games in the space of a week. Can't remember what I wound up with. GT Advance, or something.

~

I'll have to think harder about the best launch line-up, but I'd have to say that the worst was the original DS's back in 2005. A great but tamer WarioWare, a borked version of Super Mario 64, a Metroid demo that lasted ten minutes and the overhyped, overrated Project Rub were among the highlights. Still, Zoo Keeper was brilliant though, and the price (under £100) wasn't too shabby at all.

A better DS launch lineup than what I witnessed with my US model, where the lineup was dire, missing gems like Zoo Keeper and WarioWare. That's objectively speaking though, and I must admit DS's launch was really exciting, mostly thanks to that touchscreen and those improved graphics. And the affordable price tag.

I wish I picked up Castlevania at GBA's launch, I seem to remember that being a launch title but I just wasn't interested back in 2001.

I think it was a good move from sony fronk, to get all those indies as like you said it feels the void, and there's some big indie titles on it like Transistor which should be console exclusive.

also here's the jap launch line up for you

Assassin's Creed 4
Battlefield 4
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Doki-Doki Universe
Dream Club: Host Girls on Stage
Driveclub
Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends
FIFA 14
Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn beta
Hohokum
Killzone: Shadow Fall
Knack
Natural Doctrine
Puzzle 4 Sudoku
Tottemo E Mahjong Plus
Resogun
Strider
Yakuza: Restoration

So not the best by any means, fronk.

Agree the XBone's is the most compelling it's launching with what will be the bench mark for 8th gen racers, but price being a issue and that I really want to play killzone & infamous on PS4.

Jay what were these loads of game on Wii U you couldn't play any where else at launch, was Tank! Tank! Tank! and Funky Barn really that good. Sorry if I seem to be bashing the Wii U it's a great console but just annoyed that after the 3DS launch you think Nintendo would of learned to have games coming out but people like myself who bought it day one had to wait 4 month's for something really worth playing on it. At least the other two have thing's to play on day one eg killzone, forza and stuff to play over the next 3 month's eg infamous, titanfall.

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So saying that you could pick up these games on current gen is kinda silly especially likes of battlefield 4, 24 players on current gen, 64 players on next gen.

Having played the beta of BF4 on ps3 I'd say 24 players is more than enough, why would I plonk down £330+ for a console when I can could just get the game & have just as much fun?

Also you do realise that some of those "launch window" games are bound to get delayed etc.

Sorry for the double post (mobile site lacks an edit button)

@Masofdas I Just remembered something, didn't you like get 8 games for wii U at launch?

Are you saying you didn't have any fun with those games?

masofdas wrote:

Jay what were these loads of game on Wii U you couldn't play any where else at launch, was Tank! Tank! Tank! and Funky Barn really that good. Sorry if I seem to be bashing the Wii U it's a great console but just annoyed that after the 3DS launch you think Nintendo would of learned to have games coming out but people like myself who bought it day one had to wait 4 month's for something really worth playing on it. At least the other two have thing's to play on day one eg killzone, forza and stuff to play over the next 3 month's eg infamous, titanfall

You're missing my point - it's not whether or not the games are good or not (to counter your point, I think Forza is a load of wank, but as I said, that's not my point) but it's the fact they're not available on the Wii. It was a step forward. I don't see that with the new Sony and Microsoft efforts. A worryingly large part of their launch line-up is available on the previous iteration of the console.

For the record, I wouldn't have bought a Wii U at launch either, my view on early adoption of a console isn't just exclusive to the PS4 or the Xbox One.

Yes i bought 8 (i think) games on the Wii U at launch and a few were fun, but could of got 6 of them on current gen systems and had the same fun. I waited to get on next gen and use the new features the Wii U brings. Doing the same with PS4, buying the games I would of bought on PS3 on the new system which has differences to current gen such the 64 player, 5 capture points on battlefield or better AI in FIFA 14. It's also new and shiny, I should really wait for infamous like I'm doing with xbox one with titanfall.

Jay you do bring up a good point, if you only had a Wii then yes Wii U had a great line up due to what wasn't available on the Wii. Also don't you like racing games then as Forza is the best racing series there is.

Yeah a few could be delayed even if half of the ps4 window get's delayed there's still lot's to play.

None of that really counteracts the fact its a poor line up, pull away all those game that are available on current gen & your not left with much that's very interesting.

Killzone is enough for me to buy a PS4 at launch.

I personally wouldn't put my faith in a series that had a very wobbly start not to mention the concept/story has been done to death.

I'd question if the concept has been done to death. I don't know anything else like it. As for the rocky start I've heard decent things about 1, 2 is fantastic and 3 is an average FPS. Not that bad really, plus the online has always been good.

Agree 100% with Andy, I must be ill.

I just don't hold a lot of faith in the next-gen console launches. There's no Super Mario 64 or Halo there - no clear cut system sellers.

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The game is set in an era of space colonization. Earth, after a serious nuclear war between its nations, formed a major government of the richest surviving governments and industries to explore space colonization, eventually settling a solar system outside of Sol. Alpha Centauri is a system with two planets, the lush and blossoming Vekta, the other rich in energy supply but inhospitable; Helghan. These two planets were purchased by the Helghan Corporation after the UCN (United Colonial Nations) decided to auction them. However, after Helghast's economic policies threatened to undermine the UCN's financial system the UCN invaded Vekta and removed the Helghast after failing to impose financial sanctions. This forced the Helghast to colonize Helghan, a harsh and brutal planet, and deeply resenting the loss of Vekta. The planet's harsh environment forced the Helghast to adapt and mutate so much that they can no longer be considered human.

That summary of the killzone story right there is nothing new to the sci fi genre in all kinds of media & that's what I meant by being done to death, it's something I just couldn't get behind and for whatever reason I seem to remember the first reviewed pretty badly on ps2 as well....so if I can't get behind a games concept then I won't be interested in it.

I thought we were talking about Shadow Falls story not Killzone 1.

Yeah that's killzone 1, Shadow Fall is basically the Berlin Wall in space  and seems to be focusing way more on the story from said trailer

Forza 5 is a system seller for racing fans, but the last few console launchs there's been no system seller none on Wii U, 3DS, PS3, 360, PSP.

I was talking about killzone as a series & explaining why I'm not interested in it especially as a launch title.

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Shadow Fall is basically the Berlin Wall in space

Yeah that doesn't sound any better.

masofdas wrote:

Yeah that's killzone 1, Shadow Fall is basically the Berlin Wall in space  and seems to be focusing way more on the story from said trailer

Forza 5 is a system seller for racing fans, but the last few console launchs there's been no system seller none on Wii U, 3DS, PS3, 360, PSP.

Nintendo Land is a system seller for multiplayer fans and there's 5 of them to every console.
Project Gotham Racing 3 was a system seller for racing fans (again).

Okay you can have Nintendo Land but not sure about PGR 3 (I did buy on launch) as system seller it's good but not Forza good. Forza is the Bayern of Racing games, PGR is more of Wolfsburg, so not sure if racing fans would race out to get a 360 for PGR 3 like some people I know are doing with the xbox one (like 2become on here).