What are your three favourite console launch titles?

[nakamura]

Inspired by a throwaway comment from Team Andromeda regarding the quality of early SNES titles it got me thinking about launch games. There have been some good launches and some bad ones of course but which three do you like best?

Mine are as follows.

SUPER MARIO WORLD
Classic platformer. My fav Mario game overall because it mixes simplicity with complexity perfectly. So many routes through the game, a superb use of sound and Yoshi is my fav Nintendo Character.

F-ZERO
While a little rough around its mode 7 edges. This game remains a frantic and exciting racer, certainly if you ramp the difficult level up to master. The tracks have not ages at all and the sound is booming. Like SMW, I still play it today.

RIDGE RACER V
The most underrated game of the Ridge series for me. Lovely visuals, ok a little jaggy but the lighting more than makes up for that. Lovely little effects such as the sparks from the cars and the brake discs. Superb music as expected and a lot more depth then first appears.


Ok those are my three. It was a tough choice to leave out Halo, Wipeout, Super Tennis and a few others. Be interested to see other posters favs.

[Neon Ignition]

Super Mario 64
Super Mario World
Jet Set Radio Future

There's been other titles I've enjoyed like PGR, Halo, Sonic Adventure etc at the time they came out with the system but over time and without the new console buzz backing them up they've slipped in estimation whereas I still really like those three and the quality of the first two is no world secret. Overall though, launch titles and launch years are typically always incredibly poor.

[Neil]

1. Combat - Atari 2600
2. Tetris - Gameboy
3. Ridge Racer - PS1

[teddymeow]

Super Mario World
Super Mario 64
Ridge Racer 7

[Guts]

Mine are easy:

Super Mario World (SNES)

I originally got my SNES a few years after the launch in a bundle with Super Mario All Stars and for some unknown reason* I didn't get SMW with it. I was too busy playing All Stars, Zelda, Mario Kart, DKC etc. plus as a kid I probably got two or three games a year as christmas/birthday presents and by saving my meager allowance, so at the time I didn't really miss it.

A couple of years later my kid brother bought the game and I fell in love with it. It now remains my favourite 2D platformer, superb control, challenging levels, tons of secrets and alternative goals, SPECIAL world, Yoshi, Flying cape etc. I love it and still play it from time to time with a friend of mine.

*Actually, the reason might have been that my parents had rented me a SNES with Mario World before I got my own, and for this reason I wanted to get games that I hadn't yet played.

Super Mario 64 (N64)

When I first saw this game running in a game store I couldn't believe my eyes, it was the greatest game I had ever seen and I knew I just had to get Nintendo 64 and Mario 64 with it. Nintendo didn't fail me, outstanding game, one of the all time greats.

Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox)

I first saw Halo at a friend of mine and at the time I had been out of the loop with console gaming for a little while (N64 was my last console at the time). Seeing the game caused almost Mario 64-like amazement in me, running over enemies in a warthog in lush jungles, co-op play, amazing graphics. I was sold immediately and some time later I bought an Xbox with Halo. I still consider the original to be my favourite game in the series and it was the game that pulled me back into gaming after a few dry years.

[kernow]

Super Mario World - probably my favourite game ever.
Mario 64
Ridge Racer PS1

[J0e Musashi]

1. Ridge Racer
2. Ridge Racers
3. Ridge Racer 7

[Super Monkey Balls]

I'll never forget turning the TV on one seemingly normal September afternoon in 2001 and witnessing history unfold. The world would never be the same again. Yes, Super Monkey Ball had arrived with my Japanese Gamecube

[Skull Commander]

Super Mario World: Like others it's one of my favorite games ever, so it's a no brainer.

Pilotwings: I'm maybe cheating a bit, but it was a US launch title and to this day it's a class game. Never gets boring, and one of the most relaxing games ever.

Super Monkey Ball: Perfect Gamecube title and one of the greatest multiplayer games ever.

[Kubrick]

Super Mario World (SNES)
Lumines (PSP)
Ridge Racer 6 (360)

[TheForce]

RidgeRacer PS1
Mario 64 N64
Halo xbox

[Team Andromeda]

Mario IV - Snes

F-Zero - Snes

Halo - X-Box

[Colin]

Super mario world - SFC
Halo - Xbox
RIdge Racer - Playstation

Those are the three that probably stick in my head as blowing me away as 'first day' purchases. Ridge racer on PSP would be close too though.

[eastyy]

panzer dragoon saturn
super mario 64 n64
halo xbox

was turok a launch title ?

[ShadowDancer]

SMB Nes
Tetris GB
SMW Snes.