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What were the strongest and weakest console launch lineups ?
- Thread starter FarSight XR-20
- Start date
PS2 as well in my eyes. But then again, I was playing some amazing games on Dreamcast at the time, so the PS2 launch was always going to look bad.
All 3 obviously ended up as amazing systems.
I love how Wii sports isn't in the picture for Wii despite being a phenomenon and one of the best selling games of all time.
A gaming system should sell for its gaming capabilities, if it can't do that, there is a problem.
DS/Wii/Switch aren't exactly great in this regard (multimedia).
I'm struggling to find a good launch lineup.
N64 and Switch were pretty bad though.
Edit: The poll is hot garbage, it doesn't include a single Playstation console. Why even make a poll then?
N64 and Switch were pretty bad though.
Edit: The poll is hot garbage, it doesn't include a single Playstation console. Why even make a poll then?
This, but add Switch to weakest.
Dreamcast and WiiU had wonderful launchtitles. Especially Dreamcast
Surprised in the lack of Wii pollers. The impact of Wii Sports was incredible, and you still had a pretty good Zelda as a core gamer. Beyond that it was a lot of raw experiments, and Red Steel was disappointing, however a lot of consoles have this problem with growing pains in the beginning. But from the perspective of a lineup to show what the console can do and is about, Wii Sports is near perfection for that purpose.
Dreamcast still takes the cake years later though. The machine was instantly shown off in games like Soul Calibur or the 2K Sports series; a brand new 3D Sonic finally; tons of gems to dig into beyond those. Quantity and quality.
Dreamcast still takes the cake years later though. The machine was instantly shown off in games like Soul Calibur or the 2K Sports series; a brand new 3D Sonic finally; tons of gems to dig into beyond those. Quantity and quality.
The secret best Wii launch game was Trauma Center. Yeah, it was just an enhanced/expanded port of a DS game, but it was a good DS game and the new controls really helped to elevate it into something special.
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Polls options are limited to seven. I had the choice between the Wii or the PS2 (as it was the strongest/less weak launch lineup for a Playstation in my eyes) as the 7th option, I went for the Wii because of games like Zelda: TP or Wii Sports.
It still makes the poll absolutely useless as other people have different tastes than you. You could have left the poll out entirely.
I just realized how different some launch lineups could have been between USA And Europe (France here)
The strongest were N64, Xbox, and Switch for obvious reasons.
I don't know what you guys are smoking, that one game is what it's all about. Not two, not ten, one. Until that game exists I don't feel much of an urge to purchase a console, certainly not at launch.
I don't know what you guys are smoking, that one game is what it's all about. Not two, not ten, one. Until that game exists I don't feel much of an urge to purchase a console, certainly not at launch.
PS3 and PS4 both had really weak launches. Doesn't distill confidence on me on PS5 launch, but I hope I'm proven wrong.
Wii U launch was pretty bad too.
Strongest would go for Switch, Gamecube, Wii and 64, but 64 and Switch had pretty meh quantity.
Wii U launch was pretty bad too.
Strongest would go for Switch, Gamecube, Wii and 64, but 64 and Switch had pretty meh quantity.
It wasn't just Super Mario 64, both Wave Race 64 and Pilotwings 64 were also era defining games back when they were released in 1996.
Wave Race 64 was one of the earliest attempt at a physic simulation driven game applied to 3D (the water/wave simulation is a core feature of the game)
Pilotwings 64 sense of scale in 3D and how you could seamlessly travel from one point of the map to an opposite distant point was unmatched at the time, the best example of which is Little States (a condensed reproduction of the USA):
Many forget what was the situation in term of 3D concepts at the time on consoles.
Super Mario 64, Wave Race 64 and Pilotwings 64 were all doing concepts in full 3D that were very forward thinking.
PS2 was just too big by that point. Plus GameCube used smaller discs which held less data and third party multiplats usually sold less than their Xbox and ps2 versions, which resulted in support being pulled.
But regardless its still one of my favorite consoles ever.
It wasn't just Super Mario 64, both Wave Race 64 and Pilotwings 64 were also era defining games back when they were released in 1996.
Wave Race 64 was one of the earliest attempt at a physic simulation driven game applied to 3D (the water/wave simulation is a core feature of the game)
Pilotwings 64 sense of scale in 3D and how you could seamlessly travel from one point of the map to an opposite distant point was unmatched at the time, the best example of which is Little States (a condensed reproduction of the USA):
Many forget what was the situation in term of 3D concepts at the time on consoles.
Super Mario 64, Wave Race 64 and Pilotwings 64 were all doing concepts in full 3D that were very forward thinking.
Those are good points you've made. I was a young kid back when N64 came out, so the technology leap to 3D was never that mind blowing to me. I just remember there not being that many games to pick from on the N64 for a long time.
From reflecting on it though, I'd rather be limited to only a few incredible games, than having a huge quantity of games to choose from and not enjoying any of them.
I've never compared the launch lineups like this before. This is honestly fascinating to look at. I'll have to look back on this thread when we learn about the series x and ps5 launch lineups.
I've bought very few systems at launch and I'm not sure about the quality of all the launch games so I think I'm going to not vote.
It would be interesting to see how well the launch games were received too.
I've bought very few systems at launch and I'm not sure about the quality of all the launch games so I think I'm going to not vote.
It would be interesting to see how well the launch games were received too.
Weird that Switch is getting a lot of votes in the poll. There's BotW of course, but that's about it as heavy hitters go. I picked GameCube and Dreamcast. Never owned a DC but that lineup excels at quality and quantity. GC is crazy too. Franchise starters (LM and Pikmin), return of Smash Brothers and Wave Race and what's stil my favorite Star Wars game.
Quality > Quantity
No launch title will ever blow me away, and keep me occupied for not only launch, not only months, NOT ONLY THE ENTIRE GENERATION, BUT 24+ YEARS, like Mario 64 did.
So it's N64 with ease
Xbox and Switch runner ups (not counting Pikmin and Melee for GC or else it obviously wins)
No launch title will ever blow me away, and keep me occupied for not only launch, not only months, NOT ONLY THE ENTIRE GENERATION, BUT 24+ YEARS, like Mario 64 did.
So it's N64 with ease
Xbox and Switch runner ups (not counting Pikmin and Melee for GC or else it obviously wins)
I think this is when the market started getting into realistic shooter games.
It's too bad because I'd take the Gamecube games or PS2 platformers over any of those games.
Everyone is dumb.
Halo and GTA ruled the world when the GC launched. GC didn't have Halo or GTA. It was purple with fisher price colored buttons and had a lunchbox handle. Therefore, it was deemed "kiddy bullshit" and never recovered, even with M-rated bangers like REmake.
It's objectively the Dreamcast, but Halo/Dead or Alive 3/PGR were a triple threat the convinced me to buy a console I almost wasn't even considering. It later became one of my alltime favorite systems after the PS1.
Xbox: Halo, PGR
Gamecube: Rogue Squadron, Luigi, Smash, Pikmin
There was a time where I had Xbox, GameCube, Dreamcast, and PS2 all hooked up to the TV in my room and I consider it my personal golden age of gaming. Great consoles and games while young enough to have very few responsibilities and enough spare time for them all.
Gamecube: Rogue Squadron, Luigi, Smash, Pikmin
There was a time where I had Xbox, GameCube, Dreamcast, and PS2 all hooked up to the TV in my room and I consider it my personal golden age of gaming. Great consoles and games while young enough to have very few responsibilities and enough spare time for them all.
Strong: Xbox
A lot of questionable stuff on there, but Halo, PGR, DOA3 is a pretty strong trio.
Weak: PS3
Some might say Resistance was good. I might say that launch lineup is a gray, dull and forgettable mass of mediocrity that is grim to look at.
Made me wonder why I got a PS3 at launch, and it's partly because the European launch lineup was less dour, mostly thanks to Motorstorm.
A lot of questionable stuff on there, but Halo, PGR, DOA3 is a pretty strong trio.
Weak: PS3
Some might say Resistance was good. I might say that launch lineup is a gray, dull and forgettable mass of mediocrity that is grim to look at.
Made me wonder why I got a PS3 at launch, and it's partly because the European launch lineup was less dour, mostly thanks to Motorstorm.
Xbox 360's launch was fantastic. So many great games i enjoyed playing (COD 2, PD, Condemned,Quake 4 Kameo exc.)
I'm not sure which one I think had the strongest launch line-up, maybe the GameCube? Certainly out of the 4 console launches that gen.
Some of these launches didn't need lots of games, because they had that one massive game that made «everyone» want that system.
The Nintendo 64 had Mario 64, probably the most hyped game of all time when it released. The Xbox had Halo and the Switch had Breath of the Wild. The other console launches listed lacks that one game.
Some of these launches didn't need lots of games, because they had that one massive game that made «everyone» want that system.
The Nintendo 64 had Mario 64, probably the most hyped game of all time when it released. The Xbox had Halo and the Switch had Breath of the Wild. The other console launches listed lacks that one game.
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I've added the NES, SNES, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Gameboy, GBA, NDS, PSP, 3DS and PS Vita to the OP.
The Genesis/Mega Drive and 3DS ones were really bad.
The Genesis/Mega Drive and 3DS ones were really bad.