ColecoVision excited gamers because its versions of Donkey Kong and Zaxxon offered comparable home experiences of their arcade counterparts. Intellivision's graphics were great for the time, and the console tried to take advantage of them with a sports-heavy lineup – a game genre that Mattel bragged the competition was incapable of rendering.ĪBPA Backgammon, Armor Battle, Basketball, Electric Company: Math Fun, Golf, Hockey, Las Vegas Poker and Blackjack (pack-in game), Las Vegas Roulette, Major League Baseball, NFL Football, Sea Battle, Skiing, Soccer, Space Battle, TennisĪt this point consumers were excited by the prospect of playing games in their homes, but everyone knew the experience wasn't the same as in the arcades. It and Indy 500 were strong titles that helped the console become legendary.Īir-Sea Battle, Basic Math, Blackjack, Combat (pack-in game), Indy 500, Star Ship, Street Racer, Surround, Video Olympics Thanks.Ītari's history-making console (which was known as the VCS before switching to the 2600 moniker) came with Combat – a title that offered 27 different variations of warfare, from tanks to planes. * Which games were actually available on day one was often unclear, and this article would not be possible without consulting Leonard Herman's Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Videogames, Wikipedia, Midwest Gaming Classic co-founder Martin Goldberg, and various Internet sources.
It's been amended to include the Wii U and Vita, but does not cover recent microconsoles like Ouya. Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2012 issue of Game Informer (#226). Which outcome you experience is largely due to the games available for that system that first day you rushed to the store and put down your hard-earned money.* Not all console launch lineups are created equal, so we took a look at past console launches to analyze their performance. Other times we suffer disappointment and buyer's remorse.
Sometimes the optimism is rewarded with wonderful new game experiences.
The launch of a new video game console is a moment of hope and excitement.