Mr Viral
Can you believe it’s been 23 years since we first met Master Chief? The original Halo became the reason to buy an Xbox, as Microsoft’s surprising foray into gaming began with its monolithic box and huge controller.
In the years since, Halo has seen sequels, spin-offs, and even a Paramount TV show, while the Xbox has seen three more console generations, but the two have remained linked together.
While not all consoles are lucky enough to launch with an instant reason for buying them, some are – and the following games were so good we bought entire consoles to play them at launch.
Best launch games that made us buy a console To clarify, we’re just focused on launch titles here. While there are no doubt millions of us that picked up a Game Boy Color for Pokemon or a PS2 for GTA 3, those weren’t launch titles.
Without further ado, lets get into it:
Halo – Xbox (2001)
Halo offered countless hours of multiplayer fun
(Image: Bungie Inc)
Starting with the game and console that turn 23 today, Halo was, in many ways, the first true first-person shooter to feel suited to a console.
While the game famously came together late in development, it kickstarted the genre for a whole new audience. Its mix of guns, melee and grenades are still core to the franchise now, as is the use of vehicles in both single and multiplayer modes.
Speaking of multiplayer, I’ve got fond memories of sniper battles on Blood Gulch, chasing enemies in a Scorpion tank, and much more. Halo 2 took the series online, but it was Halo that helped the Xbox find its feet.
Super Mario 64 – Nintendo 64 (1996)
Super Mario 64 was a revolutionary game
(Image: Nintendo)
It may not have aged all that well in terms of visuals, but Super Mario 64’s influence on modern gaming really can’t be overstated.
The title took the titular plumber into 3D, opening up a whole new axis of movement and a new analog stick on the controller helped players acclimatise to its camera controls.
With levels that live long in the memory and Mario’s new animations, it became the first in a long line of killer launch titles Nintendo had.
Luigi’s Mansion – Nintendo GameCube (2002)
Luigi’s Mansion was a great graphical showcase for Nintendo’s Gamecube
(Image: Nintendo)
Nintendo’s tiny console had a big launch lineup, and while some will say Super Monkey Ball was the cream of the crop, I can’t look past Luigi’s Mansion.
Taking the mushroom kingdom’s second-favourite mustachioed brother and putting him into the creepy mansion was a great way to show off the new console’s lighting effects and shadow tech, with four distinct areas.
The game has spawned sequels, but this was the only one I’d have considered buying a little purple cube to be able to play.
Call of Duty 2 – Xbox 360 (2005)
Call of Duty 2 took the series to consoles, and the rest is history
(Image: Infinity Ward)
Breaking up the Nintendo launch winners here with the Xbox 360’s best offering (sorry Project Gotham Racing 3, it was close), Call of Duty 2 brought the full-fat WW2 shooter to console in style after ports of the original game.
Its cinematic campaigns (three of them) and suite of multiplayer modes made it an early favourite for anyone picking up Microsoft’s second console, paving the way for the console to become ‘the shooter box’ long before Halo 3’s 2007 arrival.
It looks a little quaint nowadays, but at the time it was a stunning experience that set the bar for Xbox 360 games.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch (2017)
Breath of the Wild was one of the best games of all time – and it launched alongside the Switch
(Image: Nintendo)
Breath of the Wild still feels like a game that shouldn’t exist for so many reasons. It came off the back of the troubled Wii U generation where Nintendo struggled, and it reinvented a franchise that was critically-lauded but growing stale.
It also kickstarted what might well be Nintendo’s most successful system when all is said and done (despite launching on Wii U as well), offering a huge open world game that players could literally take with them wherever they go.
A joy to explore, packed with challenging combat and an impressive degree of flexibility, some will say it’s been eclipsed by Tears of the Kingdom, its 2023 sequel, but for many Breath of the Wild is one of the best games of all time.
Wii Sports – Nintendo Wii (2006)
Wii Sports took over living rooms across the globe
(Image: Nintendo)
Breath of the Wild might be the best launch title of all time, but it’d be fair to say that nothing has taken over living rooms and family game nights like Wii Sports.
Smartly packed in with every Nintendo Switch console, Wii Sports included Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing modes that made great use of the Wii’s then-novel motion gameplay.
Whether you were serving in tennis, throwing the ball the wrong way in bowling, or knocking out your opponent in boxing, families the world over were able to play together. While Wii Sports Resort, Wii Sports Club and Nintendo Switch Sports are all fun, nothing will match the original.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
