Consoles With the Best Launch Line-Ups

Video game console launches are often rife with all sorts of drama. The threats of competitors in both the console market and PC gaming are often right on the heels of every major system launch, but one aspect of that exciting day that will always be intriguing is the launch line-up.

A bad launch line-up has the potential to severely derail a system's fate, as we saw with the disastrous run of the Sega Saturn and the 3DO. Although a few consoles have managed to rise above weak launch line-ups to become mega successful, it's worth noting that a strong debut catalog of games is supremely important to the lifeblood of any system moving forward.

Over multiple console generations, each era has produced some truly magnificent systems with a bevy of incredible software. Conjuring up a good launch line-up is a tricky bit of business, but with the right moves, you can end up with some outstanding ways for new players to experience your console.

7 Nintendo 64

Playing with Power

N64 Launch Titles:

• Pilotwings 64
• Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
• Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
• Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey
• Fifa Soccer 64

The Nintendo 64 felt like the most important, consequential moment in my gaming life when it was coming out. No other console or hardware I had played to that point felt like it would ever compete. It was a special console, made even more special by its impeccable launch line-up.

To begin with, as a massive Star Wars fan, having a shooter set within this universe on this new hardware was a dream come true. Shadows of the Empire isn't a perfect game, but I still have so much fondness for it. Meanwhile, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter is a magnificent shooter, and Pilotwings 64 is just pure charm.

The sports offerings, a staple of any console launch, are also fabulous. Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey remains one of the most thrilling games based on the sport, and though I'm an extremely casual soccer fan, Fifa 64 is one that you can't miss.

6 Nintendo Switch

A Return to Form

Nintendo Switch Launch Titles:

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• 1-2-Switch
• Just Dance 2017
• Skylanders: Imaginators
• Super Bomberman R
• I Am Setsuna
• Snipperclips
• Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
• Shovel Knight: Spectre of Torment
• Fast RMX

In hindsight, I believe the launch line-up for the Nintendo Switch was better than people realize. It's true that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was doing a lot of heavy lifting, as it was a generational experience that just doesn't come around too often.

If you look a bit deeper, however, you'll find a bevy of unique, fascinating little gems that made the console more than just a Zelda machine. 1-2-Switch and Snipperclips were great hardware showcases, and you couldn't find a much better racer than Fast RMX at the time.

One of the most impressive coups for Nintendo came in the form of Shovel Knight: Spectre of Torment, the latest DLC for Yacht Club's retro platformer that was exclusive to the Switch for a month. This was a strong launch line-up, with plenty of exclusives and some nifty third-party support.

5 Microsoft Xbox 360

Jump In

Xbox 360 Launch Titles:

• Amped 3
• Call of Duty 2
• Condemned: Criminal Origins
• Gun
• Kameo: Elements of Power
• Madden NFL 06
• NBA 2K6
• NBA Live 06
• NHL 2K6
• Need For Speed: Most Wanted
• Perfect Dark Zero
• Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie
• Project Gotham Racing 3
• Quake 4
• Ridge Racer 6
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06
• Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

If you're a member of a certain older generation like I am, the launch of the Xbox 360 was a defining moment of your adolescence. It certainly was for me, as Microsoft's second home video game console came with a lot of promise.

Launch day felt like the future of video games. The debut line-up was also incredible to look at back in the day, but even more enticing today. It had something for everyone. It didn't matter whether you liked shooters, sports games, horror games, or racing games, it had something you were probably going to enjoy.

These days, Condemned: Criminal Origins is one of the most incredible horror games ever made. It perhaps holds up the best among these games, but you could boot up any of these games today and probably at least have a decent time. Even Perfect Dark Zero has a bit of goofy charm to it.

4 Sega Dreamcast

We Have an Arcade at Home

Sega Dreamcast Launch Titles:

• Soulcalibur
• Power Stone
• Sonic Adventure
• Mortal Kombat Gold
• Blue Stinger
• Expendable
• Tokyo Extreme Racer
• Trickstyle
• Hydro Thunder
• Flag to Flag
• Monaco Grand Prix
• PenPen Trilcelon
• TNN Motorsports Hardcore Heat
• The House of the Dead 2
• AirForce Delta
• AeroWings
• NFL 2K
• NFL Blitz 2001
• Ready 2 Rumble Boxing

The launch line-up of the Sega Dreamcast was honestly crazy if you sit and really break it down. It certainly followed the old console launch mantra of having something for everyone, covering multiple genres and audiences, but when you examine the number of games that would define that console for years, you can really see how spectacular it really was.

NFL Blitz was one of the most popular arcade games of the 1990s, so having a faithful home console version was a dream come true. Meanwhile, games that are still talked about today would launch with Sega's new hardware, including Sonic Adventure, Soulcalibur and even the oft-maligned Blue Stinger.

It also had a few quiet gems in the form of Ready 2 Rumble Boxing, Hydro Thunder, and Power Stone. If you loved arcade games, you were in for a treat with the Dreamcast back in the day.

3 Microsoft Xbox

A New Challenger has Appeared

Xbox Launch Titles:

• 4x4 EVO 2
• Air Force Delta Storm
• Arctic Thunder
• Cel Damage
• Dark Summit
• Dead or Alive 3
• Fuzion Frenzy
• Halo: Combat Evolved
• Mad Dash Racing
• Madden NFL 2002
• NASCAR Heat 2002
• NASCAR Thunder 2002
• NHL Hitz 20-02
• Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
• Project Gotham Racing
• Shrek
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X
• TransWorld Surf

I have always had a deep, fond admiration for the sixth-generation of video game consoles. It is by far my favorite era of video games, and as we watch Microsoft slowly transition from producing hardware to becoming more focused on software, I find myself remembering just how excellent the launch library was for the original Xbox.

Microsoft's opening salvo of the great console war of the 2000s was as good as you could have hoped for. They honestly crushed it in every single aspect, focused on strong first-party outings like Halo: Combat Evolved and Project Gotham Racing. These were backed up by some outstanding third-party exclusives in the form of Dead or Alive 3 and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee.

Dead or Alive 3 was insanely impressive back in the day, and is even more wonderful to play today. So much of Xbox's hardware and software seemed like some futuristic, far-flung vision of the future.

2 Sony PlayStation 2

Live in Your World

PlayStation 2 Launch Titles:

• Armored Core 2
• DOA2: Hardcore
• Dynasty Warriors 2
• ESPN International Track and Field
• ESPN X-Games Snowboarding
• Eternal Ring
• Evergrace
• FantaVision
• Gun Griffon Blaze
• Kessen
• Madden NFL 2001
• Midnight Club
• Moto GP
• NHL 2001
• Orphen
• Q-Ball Billiards Master
• Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2
• Ridge Racer V
• Silent Scope
• Smuggler's Run
• SSX
• Street Fighter EX3
• Summoner
• Swing Away
• Tekken Tag Tournament
• Wild Wild Racing
• X-Squad

They often say less is more, but Sony did not listen to that bit of advice when they launched the PlayStation 2. Launch day for the PS2 was a huge, full-featured blowout. It was a bit light on first-party support, featuring only one, but its third-party support was absolutely incredible.

While FantaVision was the only Sony-produced first-party game, the console was loaded with one of the most impressive collections of third-party games a system launch has ever seen. Tekken Tag Tournament, Smuggler's Run, SSX, Ridge Racer V, and Armored Core 2 were just a few of the third-party exclusives on offer.

Launching with almost thirty games, many of which would go on to become surefire instant classics, the PS2 had one of the strongest console debuts in the history of gaming. If you were lucky enough to get a PS2 on launch day, you were in for a pretty amazing evening.

1 Nintendo GameCube

A Star-Studded Affair

GameCube Launch Titles:

• All-Star Baseball 2002
• Batman: Vengeance
• Crazy Taxi
• Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2
• Disney's Tarzan: Untamed
• Luigi's Mansion
• Madden NFL 2002
• NHL Hitz 20-02
• Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
• Super Monkey Ball
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
• Wave Race: Blue Storm

In comparison to most of the games on this list, the GameCube's launch library is fairly small. While Nintendo's entry into the sixth-generation of consoles only launched with 12 total games, every single one ranges from decent to an absolute banger.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 was masterful, Batman: Vengeance brought the iconic DC Comics character to life, and Wave Race: Blue Storm helped the console feel like a natural extension of the N64. Meanwhile, sports of all types were brilliantly represented with Madden, NHL and BMX.

The star of the show, however, was truly Luigi's Mansion. This game is so hard coded into this era of Nintendo, and all these years later, this timeless masterpiece is still just as good today as it was back then. This era of gaming was so unique, and no console launch has ever come close to the level of polish and diverse experiences as the GameCube.