How appropriate after the release of Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis/Mega Drive Collection that a list appears on the “Best Launch Titles Of All Time.” The original Sonic the Hedgehog appeared at #3 in a countdown by Blend Games’ Rich Knight.
After pretty much losing the console wars in their first battle with Nintendo with the Sega Master System against the NES, Sega knew it needed a mascot to combat the mushroom munching, Italian plumber from Brooklyn. Enter Sonic the Hedgehog, a less family friendly, more speed addicted hero than Nintendo was offering with their kid tested, mother approved system. Whereas Nintendo made it cool to hang out with the folks and play games together, Sega went in the opposite direction, creating a mascot that would appeal to young teenage boys instead. Sega’s whole ATTITUDE was in fact different than Nintendo’s, right down to the sleek design of their all black console. Like its name would imply, the Sega Genesis WAS a brand new beginning for Sega, and Sonic the Hedgehog was their trendsetting hero. No doubt about it, Sonic the Hedgehog is quite possibly the only reason why Sega is still around in business today.
Sonic the Hedgehog finished behind Super Mario Bros. for the NES and Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64, which are damn good comes to be behind. What are your top 5? Should Sonic Adventure, a game that clearly helped the Dreamcast gain mainstream popularity, be on it? Speak.
Of course Super Mario Bros would rank higher considering it came bundled with the NES..
Daytona and Virtua Fighter on Saturn, due to the popularity of their arcade counterparts, Sonic Adventure for sure, Tekken Tag for PS2 and Tetris on GameBoy.. again, bundled .. those would be my top 5
Others might be the original Halo and Luigi’s Mansion
My top 5 :
5. Super Mario Galaxy
4. Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
3. Pac-Man World Rally ( Gamecube)
2. Super Smash Bros Brawl
1. Sonic Riders Zero Gravity (Wii)
those are my top 5
@ Edwin shy, sorry dude, super mario galaxy was not a launch title, it came out several month after the wii was released
i’ve never been a launch title player, i usually buy the console like 2 year after release, but for me the best launch titles i’ve played are super mario 64, sonic adventure, and crash bandicoot wrath of cortex
Actually, suddes, I’m going to correct you and say that NONE of those games that Edwin listed are launch titles.
@Jix: Man, Tetris practically made the original Game Boy, so I agree that it should’ve made Knight’s list.
Meh, Super Mario Bros is and was a pice of crap. I don’t like Mario as character and you play the same game over and over again. Nintendo never give us something new and intresting. That’s why I like Sonic, always something new and the old elements is still there.
But some Mario games are good. Super Mario 64 is good though. And it’s one of the few good Mario games.
They should move STH up to at least 2# and let that Super Mario Bros burn in H**L!
My list for launch titles:
1.Sonic Adventure
2.Sonic the Hedgehog
3.Super Mario 64.
Eeerrr, SA is a launch title. Or am I wrong?
@Brad, fair point, i don’t know much bout those other titles tbh, apart from smash bros 3, but thanx for the info 😀
my top five is
5 sonic adventure
4 resistance fall of man
3 super mario 64
2 tony hawks downhill jam
1 sonic the hedgehog HANDS DOWN
@Osnic: Funny that you put down two games that defined platform gaming for their respective generations. Also, consider that without a Mario, there does not necessitate a Sonic.
And yes, Sonic Adventure was released with the launch of the Dreamcast, so it is a launch title.
Edwin Shy, Sonic Riders ZG wasn’t a launch title and it was pretty damn bad. I mean you put it ahead of Super Mario Galaxy for beats sake!! Anyway I agree with Sonic 1 being one of the best launch titles of all time; indeed without Sonic it would of been the end of Sega. Other launch titles for me would be Mario 64, Halo and Super Mario Bros
Hate to burst your bubble everyone, but Sonic wasn’t a launch title either. Sonic was released in 1991. The Genesis was released in 1988 in Japan, 1989 in North America, and 1990 in Europe. Excellent game though.
Perhaps they meant bundled games?
And Edwin, this isn’t your Top 5 games of all time, this is top 5 launch titles (or bundled titles)
Sonic 1 wasn’t a launch title for the Mega Drive/Genesis though. Sorry Rich Knight.
Although I guess you could argue the Mega Drive had a new lease of life/really mattered when Sonic hit, so… but it still doesn’t make it technically true. It sounds good though. Sonic 1, despite its countless remakes, is still a totally replayable game to this day.
My top 5 are:
1) Sonic Adventure
2) Sonic Adventure 2
3) Sonic Unleashed
4) Spyro the Dragon
5) Okami
should have been 2
@ SuperSonic7 – The first 2 on your list are the only launch titles (SA2 -SA2:B)
@ Dreadknux – Nice one, didn’t know it wasn’t a launch title o_o
Let’s not forget Twilight Princess
well i am not so a launch fan. most games i like are coming later but here we go:
5.Sonic CD (if the Mega cd counts as a console)
4. Twilight princess
3. super mario 64
2 sonic adventure
1. sonic adventure 2 battle
Mine would have to be-
5. Luigi’s Mansion
4. Twilight Princess
3. Tekken 2(I think that was a launch game)
2. Super Mario 64
1. Sonic Adventure
Oh, and Edwin Shy, Pac-Man World Rally and Zero Gravity? Seriously? Those were meh games.
Oops, I meant Tekken Tag Tournament.
Most of you aren’t listing “Launch Titles” but here are my tops:
1. Sonic Adventure (DC)
2. Super Mario Bros. (NES)
3. Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)
4. Tetris (GB)
5. Luigi’s Mansion (GC)
Hey we make mistakes … we are only human… 7 DOES Launch Titles mean Classic games ?
A launch game is a game made available immediately upon the launch of a console.
Oh …
Okay thanks for for info my favorite launch games are :
Sonic Adventure (DC)
Super Mario 64
Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)
I don’t believe Sonic Adventure should be on there, not because I think it was a bad game (I loved it), but I didn’t even know what a Dreamcast was until about 4 years ago.
Nor do I know many people who are aware of what it is.
Seriously.
Although my old babysitter had one, I think.
Scott how old are you, 8? When the Dreamcast came out it was HUGE. It was Sonic’s big come back since he didn’t really have a successful game for about 3 years. Everyone was raving about the Dreamcast, best graphics we had ever seen before. First Console to go online. Like Genesis back in the day, Dreamcast gave N64 a run for it’s money.
It sparked the first real Sonic action figures. And introduced the new designs for all the characters. Rosey O’Donnell had a guy in a Sonic Costume run up on stage in her show and start giving Dreamcasts to everyone. It was pretty cool.
Sonic Adventure to this day is arguably Sonic’s best 3D platformer (don’t get me wrong, I love SA2, Heroes, Secret Rings, Unleashed Etc.) but none of them have quite that charm and amazing break through performance that Sonic Adventure had back in 1999.
@sonictoast: And odd as it was Nintendo still beat SEGA in the Console Sales….
But let us still remember that maybe things could’ve been better/the same had they released Sonic X-treme for the Sega Saturn.
My top five launch titles? Heh…. Not really sure. Mario, Sonic, and Rayman dominate that list though. Screw realistic gaming. The ‘hog and those two great rivals are where the TRUE heart of gaming’s at.
Amen Greg the cat, Amen to that.