The Best Console Launch Games Ever

With the latest console launches now behind us and the memories fading fast, it’s time to turn our minds to the games that launched alongside them.  These launch games – the games that release alongside any given console – are, for many people, the first taste of a new generation and they set the stage for the years ahead.  While most launch games are nothing to write home about – ports from the previous generation and titles rushed to meet the inflexible launch deadline – there are others whose quality and influence extend far beyond launch day and become the platform’s defining titles.  Some are not just great launch games; they’re some of the best games ever made.

We’ve compiled a list of launch games that are the best of the best.  We’ve scored them based on both quality – obviously – and their lasting influence on the industry.  Here we go.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, 2017)

We’re starting with a strong one here. What’s to be said about Breath of the Wild that hasn’t already been reiterated time and time again? Nintendo’s open-world masterpiece, the game that simultaneously reinvented the Zelda franchise while still feeling so similar to the series we love. Breath of the Wild featured a a dizzying array of interlocking systems overlaid on a world that was truly “go anywhere” and is so deep that people are still discovering new secrets to this very day.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild single-handedly proved the worth of the Nintendo Switch and is considered by many people to be the single greatest videogame ever made.

Soul Calibur (Dreamcast, 1999)

For years, consoles struggled to keep up with the arcade. The real games were played on an arcade cabinet – better sounds, better graphics, better action. Console ports of the latest arcade hits, try as they might, just couldn’t compare. Our poor consoles would get a version of an arcade game that was simply “good enough”.

Then we got Soul Calibur.

Soul Calibur gave us a glimpse into the future. Console ports didn’t have to just be a watered down version of the original. They could be just as good. They could be better. Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast not only had more content than the original release, it looked and played way better. Going from the awkward 3D graphics of the Sega Saturn and Playstation to something that looked and played like Soul Calibur was such a gigantic leap we’ll probably never see something like it ever again.

Super Mario World (SNES, 1991)

What better way is there to introduce a successor to the NES than with a new Mario game?  Take the biggest franchise in gaming and bring it into a new generation.  It was everything we loved about Mario but now bigger, brighter, and better.  While Super Mario Bros. 3 was an incredible game in its own right, Super Mario World gave us the biggest Mario adventure yet and introduced Mario’s dinosaur sidekick, Yoshi.

Super Mario World gave us our first taste of what the 16-bit era had in store and pushed the Mario formula so high that it, arguably, has still not been topped.

Tetris (Game Boy, 1989)

The original “blue ocean” game, Tetris is the first game that really appealed to everyone.  There was no violence and no antagonist, just the devilishly addictive premise of stacking blocks to clear lines.  It was a game that proved that you didn’t need complexity to be great.

Tetris is on this list not just for being the greatest puzzle game ever made but for being the one that established the Game Boy and turned handheld gaming into a very real thing.  Nobody dislikes Tetris.  Nobody.

Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox, 2001)

Sure, first-person shooters had been on consoles before but none of them were as great as Halo.  Today, the FPS is one of the biggest genres in the world, and the genesis of this success comes from Halo.  Why do most shooters limit you to two weapons at a time?  Because Halo did it.  Why do they have regenerating health?  Because Halo did it.  Why are there squads of AI companions that follow you and vehicles to drive?  Because… you get the idea.

With its large scale combat, engrossing story, buttery smooth gameplay, and brilliant multiplayer, Halo pushed forward an entire genre and singlehandedly gave the Xbox its place in the industry, making Microsoft a major player in the console market.  Halo: Combat Evolved could not have had a more fitting subtitle.

The Legend of Zelda (Famicom Disk System, 1986)

Wait, since when is Zelda a launch game? Well, since 1986, with the release of the Japanese-only Famicom Disk System. The system was an add-on for the Famicom (the original Japanese version of the NES) that featured disks as a storage medium, and it’s launch games included The Legend of Zelda. The disks had increased storage space and had the ability to save progress, both features that Zelda made use of. On a console that featured mostly single-screen and arcade-style games, The Legend of Zelda was a revelation with it’s size, openness, and sense of adventure all joining together in what has become one of the most influential games of all time.

Wii Sports (Wii, 2006)

The game that sold 100 million systems.  If you’ve ever seen a Wii in your grandma’s living room, Wii Sports is the reason why.  Nintendo reached beyond the traditional gaming demographics and crafted an experience that resonated with everyone.  The concept was as simple as it was brilliant: use the Wii’s new motion sensitive controller to recreate sports.  Tennis, bowling, baseball, boxing, golf – sports we’re all familiar with, and all instantly engaging.  Love the Wii or hate it, you can’t deny the effect Wii Sports had on the industry.

Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64, 1996)

If you were alive and playing games at the time, we don’t even need to explain why Mario 64 is on the list; you already know.

For those of you who weren’t, let me explain. Seeing Super Mario 64 for the first time was like when cavemen first discovered fire.  It completely changed the way games were played and showed that 3D really was the future.  The world, the graphics, the characters, and, most importantly, the controls were all fine tuned to perfection, making Mario 64 simple to get into while hiding incredible depth.  Super Mario 64 is so brilliant that – I would argue – it hasn’t even aged a day.  Nintendo re-released the game as part of the Super Mario 3D Allstars package on Switch, so go ahead and try it out – it’s still as playable and fun today as it was in 1996.

Many titles are game changers but only one can still be called the best of its genre nearly two decades after its original release.  Here’s to you, Mario.