Well, we're three months into the year now and there's been a fairly steady flow of interesting new titles to play, in addition to a few re-released and/or reimagined classics. This past week saw the release of another Marvel collection, this one featuring an assortment of legendary beat 'em ups, including Konami's 1992 X-Men arcade smash hit; as well as multiple versions of Data East's 1991 arcade title, Captain America and the Avengers; and Acclaim's 1994 Spider-Man and Venom 16-bit console release, Maximum Carnage. For those not in the know, these were not only the greatest Marvel titles to come out of the first half of the '90s, but some of the greatest games of that era, period.

Also out in the past two months, a pretty epic-looking high fantasy action-adventure title from South Korean studio, Pearl Abyss; a Tribute-developed follow-up to the(ir) incredible 2010 beat 'em up, Scott Pilgrim vs the World (the game); and a scary-good new entry to the monster Resident Evil franchise. EXperience the definitive retro archive, then jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 8 weeks.

[Image: Limited Run]

As per usual, the "Big 3" didn't wait long to get into 2026 before each hosting their own presentation featuring some of the biggest titles to look forward this year (and/or perhaps beyond). Also, as per usual, we are doing are due diligence and rounding up the highlights for ease of consumption. So please continue on below and take a gander at some of the most exciting, soon to be arriving titles that Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony would like for you to start getting pumped about.

So that will wrap up our roundup of the first big presentations of 2026. As always, follow the article links to check out each game and/or presentation for yourselves. Also, don't forget to let us know which ones you're looking forward to most.

[Images: Xbox, Ember Labs, Konami]

Happy 2026! Well, its the end of January and the new releases are starting up again, now that the holidays are well behind us. Additionally, we have a few to add in that we never got to in December.

The big new release from this past week, however, would probably have to be the indie title, Cairn. A cel-shaded climbing sim/adventure game, Cairn looks to be one of the first great indie games of the year. And since we got it in January, 2026 looks to be shaping up pretty nicely so far.

Also out in the last 8 weeks: the latest installment to Falcom's long-running Legend of Heroes series; a PS5 (and 4) playable version of Namco's incredible PlayStation 2 classic, SoulCalibur III; and a small bundle of Final Fantasy GOG ports. Embark on the ascent of a lifetime, then jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 56 days.

[Image: The Game Bakers]

Well, we vowed to get this year's Games of the Year article out much earlier than last year and we're actually delivering it even later, incredibly. Let's just say it's been a tough year and leave it at that. At least we've got a pretty decent article for you with some incredibly fantastic picks from 2024. And even though we know you can't really trust us at this point, we do solemnly swear that we will endeavor to have 2025's best-of list out in a much timelier fashion. In the meantime, please enjoy our picks for the 12 best titles that 2024 had to offer:

Japanese developer, Seibu Kaihatsu's, Raiden series is one of the longest-running and most-beloved of all the vertical shoot 'em up franchises in the entire history of the genre. However, of this (now) 10+ strong series of titles, the only entry to have never received a console release, was the lesser-known, yet arguably best entry of all - - the 1995 arcade hit, Viper Phase-1. That is to say, it never received a console release until 2024; as that was the year it finally would receive one - - on the Nintendo Switch (in addition to the PlayStation 4, in early 2025), via Hamster's fantastic "Arcade Archives" collection.

As it is technically a spin-off of the series, Viper Phase-1 holds the distinctions of being the only entry (thus far) not to carry the "Raiden" name, as well as being one of the only entries to be primarily set in space. The soundtrack to the title also featured a Slightly different, more synth-heavy sound, but was still fairly popular, particularly in Japan. The arcade original was actually released in two distinct versions with slightly differing mechanics - - the first featured fully-powered secondary weapon pick-ups with limited ammunition, while the later, updated version instead featured the more traditional (Raiden-style) upgradeable primary weapon power-up pick-ups with unlimited ammo.

The Arcade Archives port smartly features both arcade versions, offering the complete Viper Phase-1 experience, thoughtfully catering to the tastes of all of the title's numerous fans. As the arguable pinnacle of the equally arguable greatest "vert shmup" franchise in gaming history, Viper Phase-1 offers up some of the finest, most satisfying, and technically-impressive vertically-scrolling shoot 'em up action to ever grace an arcade machine. Why the game didn't end up on the Saturn or PlayStation, as one of the greatest arcade ports of the mid-'90s, is anyone's guess; however, we'll happily take Viper Phase-1, all these year later, instead, as one of the greatest arcade ports of 2024.

Though The Plucky Squire is the debut title from indie developer All Possible Futures, the previous experience gained by its co-founders, while they were helping to create various Pokemon titles, as well as the 2018 indie game, The Swords Of Ditto, definitely shines through. The Plucky Squire has to be one of the most incredibly polished indie titles - - debut or otherwise - - that we've ever seen. The titular character, Jot's, storybook adventure - - that takes him and his friends literally off (and back on again) the pages - - is also one of the most delightfully charming in recent memory. In a year that was absolutely stacked with fantastic indie fare, that All Possible Futures still managed to release one of the titles most worthy of jumping into is a pretty impressive feat for a brand new studio - - irrespective of any prior history.

Balatro is a bit of a wild card. Don't get me wrong - - the mechanics of this joker-centric, modifier-enhanced, roguelike deck-building poker variant are ingenious, to be sure. In addition to which, the games various elements, from the wealth of compelling unlockables, to the somehow simultaneously simple, yet slick presentation, are all polished to a mirror-like shine.

After dozens of hours of play, however, with a multitude of different bonus-granting joker combinations, the fact that I still haven't been able to finish a single run, leaves me wondering if this game is intentionally malicious or just ridiculously challenging. Either way, this is one title you'll almost certainly still want to check out. Just consider yourself warned - - Balatro is harder to put down than a hot pair of dice at a Vegas craps table.

Neva is the sophomore effort from Spanish indie developer, Nomada Studio, following their 2018 hit, Gris. Like Gris, Neva is a platform adventure title featuring a female protagonist, a strong emphasis on puzzles, and a fairly minimalist design philosophy - - as well as a rather ingenious use of colors! Unlike Gris, however, Neva is a much richer, more consistent and satisfying experience - - in terms of its gameplay, story, and most especially, its visuals.

Arguably the main attraction here, the games environments are a constantly changing sight to behold - - a finely-crafted feast of visual splendor. Though the sweet bond between the main character. Alba, and her titular wolf companion, Neva, will certainly tug at your heartstrings, as well. While Gris was certainly worth checking out for fans of that particular genre, Neva is an experience that absolutely shouldn't be missed by anyone.

Unlike it's Lucasfilm sibling, Star Wars, the Indiana Jones franchise seldom gets the video game treatment, and the ones it does get are not even always that great. The last decent one that even comes to mind is "The Emperor's Tomb", from way back in 2003! So, it's a relief, then, that not only did we finally get a new Indiana Jones title, in 2024, but that that title also actually managed to rank among the best in the woefully sparse series, so far.

Created by acclaimed Swedish studio - - and recent Wolfenstein developer - MachineGames, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle features cutting edge visuals, incredible audio, movie-caliber action, and one of the best Indy adventures in decades. The game also boasts one of the greatest intros in the entirety of gaming history, and if you're a Raiders of the Lost Ark fan, you are definitely in for a treat. While the game was an Xbox (console) exclusive in 2024, it has since been ported to the PlayStation 5, as well, which is absolutely fantastic, as this game should ideally be made available for as many fans as can get their hands on it.

While most entries in BioWare's now 15-year-old Dragon Age series have been pretty well-received critically, they have all been subject to at least some criticisms amongst gamers and fans - - and Dragon Age: The Veilguard is no exception. The game included some fairly dramatic changes from previous installments, most notably regarding the combat system and the reduced focus on the choices, events, and characters from those earlier titles. The game also suffered some fairly widespread criticism and review bombing for "being woke", which, while a bit silly, was not entirely unfounded - - particularly in light of the occasional eye-rollingly cringey and glaringly out of place dialogue that was shoehorned in in a pretty clumsy and futile (not to mention patronizingly corporate) attempt to be all things to all people.

But for better and/or worse as far as the changes are concerned, beyond them lies one of BioWare's most incredibly polished, visually-impressive, epic adventures yet. Not to mention one of the greatest fantasy action titles in recent memory. Though bits and pieces almost certainly won't be to everyone's taste, the game as a whole can't honestly be regarded as anything other than an absolute triumph - - one that shouldn't be missed under any circumstances.

Another outstanding entry from acclaimed Japanese developer, Vanillaware, Unicorn Overlord is their modern take on the tactical RPG genre - - or more specifically, their version of a Fire Emblem game. As usual, for a Vanillaware title, the art design of the game is the main attraction, and truly a sight to behold. But in Unicorn Overlord's case, those top-notch visuals are also paired to some pretty satisfying and surprisingly deep tactical RPG gameplay - - with a few unique twists to the typical formula thrown in for good measure. As such, Unicorn Overlord isn't just one of Vanillaware's best titles, to date - - out of an already impressive list - - but also effectively gives one of Nintendo's strongest franchises a serious run for its money.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is simultaneously Nintendo's 20th and 1st (official) Zelda game. That's because, despite their incredibly famous - - tens of titles strong - - Legend of Zelda series having been around for nearly 40 years now, Echoes of Wisdom represents the first ever adventure to actually star the titular character, herself. But while the gameplay and protagonist are somewhat new and different from the typical Zelda title, the world and its inhabitants will still make players feel right at home.

That being said, even Echoes gameplay isn't really all that far removed from a lot of what Link can do in 2023's Tears of the Kingdom. Though, in addition to being able to copy certain items, Echoes newly-introduced Tri Rod lets your protagonist duplicate enemies as well - -allowing them to literally fight your battles for you. Overall, Echoes of Wisdom is an, at once, comfortably familiar, yet surprisingly fresh take on the Legend of Zelda formula that adds up to another great can't miss entry in Nintendo's incredibly indefatigable series.

In the early '90s, legendary video game company, Sega, was blowing up the arcades with incredible hits like Virtua Racing and Virtua Fighter which featured never before seen cutting edge three-dimensional polygonal graphics. While graphics engines have certainly come a long way in the last 30+ years, the style of that primitive, yet polished aesthetic still has a certain undeniably appealing charm, which British indie developer, New Star Games, has most definitely succeeded in
tapping into, with their 2024 racing hit, New Star GP. That being said, New Star GP is actually far more sophisticated than Virtua Racing ever was.

Whereas Virtua Racing was more generic and limited, in terms of its handful of fictional courses (and three different vehicle types, on the 32X home version), New Star GP is much more focused - - on the world of Formula 1 - - and with more courses on offer. Though the game is not officially licensed, everything is still (incredibly) detailed enough just to avoid a lawsuit. The in-game tracks may not be called "Monaco", or "Spa" , or "Gilles Villeneuve" , but they are all rendered
closely enough to be pretty unmistakable - - the same also goes for your on-track rivals, whose names and appearances should largely be similarly obvious nods for anyone who has any familiarity with the past and present stars of the sport.

In addition to the welcome features that Virtua Racing also offered, such as split-screen multiplayer, and the ability to "pit", New Star also offers plenty of additional features that VR didn't, including changing weather patterns, the ability to manage fuel load and tire types, the ability to manage your team, as well as all manner of perks, upgrades, and customization options to play with. The game's sole (nearly) unforgivable omission - - that even Virtua Racing managed to offer, all the way back in 1992 - - is the ability to race with a manual transmission. But in the end, New Star GP offers up so much despite this single glaring oversight that its still an easy game to recommend, as well as the clear winner for greatest racing title of 2024.

The original Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, was a fairly decent 2011 Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 title from former American video game company, THQ. Though it took 13 years to materialize and was released by American developer, Saber Interactive, and French publisher, Focus Entertainment, instead, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X second installment does continue the story of UItramarine Demetrian Titus, while featuring the same type of brutal hack and slash and third-person shooter gameplay. In addition to boasting much better graphics (compliments of the double generational jump in console power) Space Marine II also traded the somewhat sillier "Ork" enemies of the original title for the creepier insect-like Tyranids - - giving a slightly more serious, almost Starship Troopers vibe to the proceedings. Though it may not be the best or most polished title of 2024, Space Marine II easily offers up the most compelling single and multiplayer shooter options - - and gameplay - - of the year and, as such, is a more than worthy follow-up that easily manages to outshine the original.

One of the most welcome surprises from 2020, was the PlayStation 5 title, Astro's Playroom. An incredibly polished and entertaining platformer, the game also served as both an introductory demonstration to - - and technical showcase of - - the capabilities of the console and it's (then) all-new "DualSense" controller. The best part of all, however, was the fact that the title came pre-installed, as a completely free extra - - unlike Nintendo's similar, yet incredibly inferior, sold separately, Switch 2 Welcome Tour title - - on every single PlayStation 5 console sold. Astro's Playroom was such a big hit, in fact, that Sony and the game's developer, Team Asobi - - formerly (Sony) Japan Studio - would follow it up with the 2024 standard retail, full-length sequel, Astro Bot.

While still showcasing the abilities of the DualSense controller, Astro Bot also serves as a celebration of the 30-year history of Sony's PlayStation brand - - with nods, stages, and a multitude of discoverable themed "Bot" characters, peppered throughout the game, referencing the various popular titles that have graced its consoles over the years. Like Astro's Playroom, Astro Bot is an incredibly polished joy to play that more than makes up for the full retail price with a lengthy adventure so compellingly whimsical that it even manages to stand up alongside some of Nintendo's best work. Not only is Astro bot easily one of the best games of 2024, but it might just also be one of Sony's best games ever. Not a bad way to celebrate a 30-year anniversary.

(Bandai) Namco's Tekken series has been a mainstay of the fighting genre since the mid '90s. As such, the franchise has certainly seen it's fair share of ups and downs, with the last entry, 2015's Tekken 7, arguably being a bit more down than up. Thankfully though, 2024's Tekken 8 constituted a much-needed - - and most welcome - - return to (fighting) form.

Featuring a more cinematic style, and graphics to match - - compliments of the Unreal Engine 5 - - Tekken 8 is easily the best looking Tekken title ever made. Furthermore, the much-needed all-new character models and voice acting, also made it one of the freshest entries in decades. Add in the interesting new modes, thoughtful technical improvements, and fantastic new characters, and its little wonder why Tekken 8 isn't just one of the best Tekken games in decades, but one of the best 3D fighters, as well.

The Rocksteady Arkham titles - - not counting the forgettable 2016 PS4 VR minigame/tech demo - - are three of the greatest video game experiences ever created by any developer, ever. They were so good, in fact, that Rocksteady probably could have just closed up shop and opened a successful technical school training other developers the proper way to make great single-player adventures. If their parent company, Warner Bros, had just let Rocksteady continue to stick to doing what they were good at, the aforementioned VR title would likely have been the only notable spot on their otherwise impeccable resume.

Unfortunately, Warner Bros apparently wanted to cash in on the "games as a service" model, and directed Rocksteady to go well outside of their comfort zone by taking over the development of an online-only multiplayer Suicide Squad title from WB's decidedly less talented Montreal studio. After a lengthy and turbulent seven-year development period, during which time the project would see multiple delays, the departure of the studio's two co-founders, and, sadly, even the death of Kevin Conroy - - the legendary long-time voice actor of the Dark Knight, himself - - it would finally limp across the finish line in February of 2024. In a pretty telling move, however, no gaming publications would be sent early review codes; and to make matters worse, the early release period for Deluxe Edition pre-order purchasers would be hampered by both bugs, and a self-inflicted hours-long server takedown.

Following wide release, the game was almost universally panned by gamers and reviewers, alike, in large part for its required online connection, and live service model, which only seemed to serve to bring down what otherwise might have been another decent, if not spectacular, single-player Rocksteady title. The game would also ultimately prove to be an unmitigated disaster for Warner Bros and Rocksteady, resulting in a $200 million financial loss for the former, massive layoffs for the latter, and a discontinuation of support for the title less than a year after its release. While we can only hope that Warner Bros has learned a valuable lesson, here, and will strive to make less terrible business decisions going forward, it is still regrettable that Rocksteady even had to be involved in this absolute flustercluck of a title, or that this, of all titles, had to be Kevin Conroy's final video game performance. Rocksteady deserves better, and Mr Conroy definitely deserved better.

So that concludes our 11th hour best of 2024 list. Please accept our sincerest apologies, once again. Here's hoping that next year will go a little smoother. As always, please feel free to share your own picks and/or opinions about ours. Till the next time!

So, no Retrospectives this month  - - though we certainly provided plenty of them for you over the last several months. We do, however, have some Notable New Gaming Releases for you! Just in time to wrap up 2025, too.

This week saw the release of two titles that were surely on a number of gamers radars (they were certainly on ours) - - (Marvel) Cosmic Invasion and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. As you may know, Cosmic Invasion is a Marvel-themed beat 'em up from the incredibly talented crew over at Tribute (Games), the same studio that gave us the 2022 Game of the Year, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. We don't know about you but Marvel x Tribute sounds like one heck of a combination! As for Metroid Prime 4, the game's been in development so long now that it would be pretty insane if it wasn't good - - but we're definitely looking forward to finding out, either way.

Also out in the last two months - - the equally highly-anticipated follow-up to Obsidian's fantastic 2019 hit, The Outer Worlds; and the first Pokemon title to appear on the Switch 2. A cosmic battle awaits! Jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 63 days.

[Image: Tribute]

Although the system boasted some truly fantastic titles, the Nintendo 64 was practically a master class in poor design and bad decision-making. For starters, it's system-standard three-handled controller was hands down the most ridiculously-designed piece of gaming hardware ever conceived by man. In addition to which, their decision to stick with the tried-and-true cartridge format, would single-handedly cause Nintendo to give up the majority share of the home console market to newcomer, Sony, with their vastly superior disc-based PlayStation console. Thus, Nintendo would be forced to make some pretty significant changes for their next console.

That next console, the GameCube, by contrast, would feature one of the more uniquely brilliant controller designs in gaming history. It boasted a unique button layout, arranged by priority, with the A button featured more prominently, and the other face buttons being sized and placed in accordance with their typical use and necessity. The controller also featured a comfortable shape and bright color scheme that would appeal to players of nearly any age.

Additionally, the GameCube was Nintendo's first ever console to feature a disc-reader. However, as opposed to the standard-size DVDs used in Microsoft's and Sony's rival Xbox  and PlayStation 2 consoles (respectively), Nintendo elected to use a proprietary "miniDVD" format instead. While this choice of disc size, and corresponding disc drive, would help to protect them somewhat against unauthorized game duplication and piracy, it would also, unfortunately, mean that none of their customers could ever use the system for playing any other forms of media, like CDs or DVDs.

The upside, though, was that for the first time in a generation, Nintendo's games could offer the same amount of content, and look and sound just as good as the competition's titles - - and did they ever! Though the GameCube may not have been the greatest or most popular console Nintendo's ever released, it did boast some of the greatest games they've ever released; and it's not really worth looking back on a console without looking at the games as well. So please read on, for a selection of 12 of what we feel were the greatest games to ever grace the Nintendo GameCube.

Following Sega's cancellation of the Dreamcast and exit from the console business, in early 2001, they quickly set to work shifting gears - - from first-party game development, to the suddenly brand-new focus on third-party titles. One of their first releases in this new role would be the GameCube-exclusive launch title, Super Monkey Ball. The game was actually a port of an arcade title, Monkey Ball, that had been released earlier that same year by their internal development studio, Amusement Vision.

A skill-based game, strongly reminiscent of the wooden box marble game, Labyrinth, Monkey Ball saw the player guiding their monkey character of choice - - inside of a hamster ball-esque transparent sphere - - across various challenging tiltable platform stages, while striving to avoid falling off, or running out of time, before reaching each stage's goal. The stages also held varying quantities of Dole-branded bananas that could be picked up along the way for point bonuses. The GameCube port featured all the great gameplay of the arcade version plus the undeniably "Super" additions of a new monkey character, improved graphical effects, and an assortment of unlockable party games to enjoy - - for up to four players!

The game would be well-received by critics and fans alike and was widely-regarded as the surprise hit of the GameCube's launch lineup. The series would continue with the near-equally good 2002 GameCube-exclusive sequel, Super Monkey Ball 2, before finally going multi-platform, shortly thereafter. While there have been a number of installments to the Monkey Ball series released in the decades since it's console debut, the GameCube original is still the highest-rated - - and arguably, the best.

One of the surprisingly better titles released during the Nintendo 64's run was the 1999, HAL Laboratory-developed, four-player platform/party brawler, Super Smash Bros. The inspired game concept consisted of HAL's own super star, Kirby, facing off in a party-style 2.5D fighting game against a variety of Nintendo's other biggest characters, including Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, Samus Aran, Pikachu, and Fox McCloud (among others). Unsurprisingly, the game was a hit with critics and fans, alike, so work on a sequel for Nintendo's upcoming GameCube was immediately begun.

Super Smash Bros: Melee would be released in 2001, two and a half years following the release of the original and just weeks after the launch of the GameCube. Featuring over twice as many characters, more modes, tons of extras, and more-polished mechanics, Melee represented a significant step up from the N64 installment. The game was lauded by critics and would go on to become the GameCube's number one best-selling title. It also developed an incredibly dedicated fan base, has been featured in a variety of gaming tournaments around the world, and is still regarded to this day as one of the best entries in the entire series - - even when compared to the number of fantastic series entries that have followed it.

​In 1996, Capcom released famed original PlayStation survivor horror title, Resident Evil. The game was originally intended to be a remake of their 1989 Famicom game, Sweet Home, that was itself, an adaptation of the Japanese horror movie of the same name (and year). At some point during development of the new title, however, Capcom's rights to the film expired and so the ideas were modified into what would then become Resident Evil ("Biohazard", in Japan). Despite being well-received by gamers and critics, in addition to spawning one of Capcom's most profitable franchises to date - - as well as the survival horror genre, in general - - that first Resident Evil title was also criticized, and even ridiculed, for being just a bit too campy and rough around the edges.

It was for all of these reasons, as well as an agreement Capcom had made to bring some of their titles to Nintendo's new GameCube console, that a remake was greenlighted in 2001. Like the original Resident Evil, the remake would also incorporate the use of 3D models over pre-rendered backgrounds, although, owing to the much greater power of the GameCube, everything in the remake would look practically photo-realistic. Additionally. the backgrounds would periodically incorporate full-motion video and particle effects, so that they weren't always entirely static! The title would also include new weapons and enemy types, new story elements and areas to explore, new gameplay mechanics and puzzle designs, and perhaps most importantly, a newly-polished script, brought to life by far less cringey voice acting.

Upon its 2002 release, the Resident Evil remake - - or REmake, as some have taken to calling it - - was a critical hit,
with multiple reviewers referring to it as both one of the scariest, and best-looking titles ever made. Sadly, the game was criminally overlooked by the public, at the time of its release, and as a result, did not quite live up to Capcom's pretty reasonable sales expectations. Capcom would also use the same game engine to create the similarly-praised yet largely disregarded 2002 direct prequel, Resident Evil Zeno. Subsequently, both the REmake and RE Zero would be ported to nearly every major platform to come along since the GameCube - - including the Nintendo Switch.

Though Nintendo decided to shake things up a bit by launching the GameCube alongside a Luigi title for once, instead of the traditional Mario one, they still made sure to eventually get around to releasing one of those as well; actually two, if you count Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. As the follow-up to their highly-acclaimed, 2002 entry, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine simultaneously had a lot to live up to, as well as a relatively easy job of living up to it. This was because as groundbreakingly great as 1996's Super Mario 64 had been, it was also pretty severely limited by the constraints of the console and cartridge format it had appeared on.

All Nintendo really had to do was release something similar to Super Mario 64, but bigger, shinier, and maybe with some sort of an interesting twist thrown in, for good measure. Not only did Nintendo completely deliver this with Super Mario Sunshine, but in typical classic Nintendo fashion, they actually kind of crushed the assignment. All of the game's various elements, from the unique "Isle Delfino" tropical vacation setting, to the ingenious "FLUDD" water/jet pack/robotic assistant mechanic, to the interesting new characters, superb graphics, incredible music, and fantastic Super Mario style gameplay - - they all came together to create one of the most memorable entries in franchise history.

Nintendo also managed to do a brilliant job of tying the game into their other major releases, across the GameCube's history - - from the FLUDD having been one of Luigi's Mansion character, Professor E. Gadd's inventions; to much of Mario Kart: Double Dash being set on, or around, Isle Delfino; to the Piantas, and other newly introduced characters, like Bowser Jr and Shadow Mario, in addition to other elements, all appearing in games like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, and Mario Power Tennis (some of these titles you will find below, by the way) - - which really went a long way towards giving the console itself, its own uniquely cohesive identity. But Super Mario Sunshine has continued to have a strong influence on the Nintendo universe far beyond the the GameCube console, with many of those same characters and elements appearing in a variety of titles and a number of platforms, in the years since. The award-winning game would also go on to become one of the most critically-lauded and highest-selling releases on the GameCube, and would eventually receive a 2020 Switch port (alongside Super Mario 64 and the Wii title, Super Mario Galaxy), as well.

In 2001, Nintendo released a brand new Nintendo 64 title, in Japan, called "Animal Forest". A fantastical life simulation featuring a town full of (mostly) friendly anthropomorphic animal characters, the game would be ported to North American GameCubes, the following year, as "Animal Crossing". From there, it would go on to become an award-winning worldwide phenomenon, as well as a new key pillar franchise for Nintendo - - and all in fairly short order.

The reasons for Animal Crossing's overwhelming popularity and success were rather simple - - the game offered a chill, relaxing environment in which one could enjoy any number of activities, at any time of the real-world clock-synced day, from shopping, to home decor, to shooting the breeze with (mostly) delightful neighbors, to fishing, catching bugs, gardening, dump(ster) diving, visiting a museum, taking a train ride over to a friend or family member's village, gift giving, participating in real-world calendar-synced holidays, or even playing actual Nintendo Entertainment System games! The game was so jam-packed full of charmingly fun activities that one could play it for practically forever (or until their GameCube laser shorted out). While none of the numerous sequels that have followed over the years have again included the fantastic playable NES games of the outstanding GameCube original (or any other Nintendo games, for that matter), they have pretty much all, nonetheless, managed to expand on its concepts in pretty thoughtful and welcome ways. But anyone who has a chance to experience the very first Animal Crossing (who hasn't before), should definitely be sure to do so, as the game still holds up amazingly well all of these many years later.

​One of the greatest games to ever grace the Nintendo 64 - - alongside GoldenEye 007 and Mario Kart 64 - - was 1998's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It successfully managed to expand on the lore and gameplay of the Legend of Zelda franchise on the Nintendo 64, in a way that was quite similar to what 1992's Link to the Past had done on the Super Nintendo. Yet it also succeeded at expanding the franchise into the third dimension, as well; making Link's already epic adventures feel all the more real and engaging.

The only flaws to be found in Link's adventures on the Nintendo 64, were the visual ones related to the Nintendo 64's graphical limitations. In 2003, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the GameCube. The game featured the same fantastic 3D gameplay as Ocarina of Time but with more varied mechanics; larger, deeper environments; and, most importantly, vastly improved visuals.

The Wind Waker was notable for its unique cel-shaded aesthetic - - one of the few Nintendo titles to employ such a look. Though not entirely accepted by everyone in the Zelda enthusiast community - - some of whom would take to derisively referring to the title as "Celda" - - the whimsical design style actually arguably elevated the game to art status, bestowing the already perfect gameplay with perfect-looking graphics, to match. Not only was The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker easily one of the best games to ever grace the GameCube, it was also one of the best Zelda games ever made - arguably the best, from a purely visual standpoint. The only way the game could have possibly been improved upon was with an HD remaster - - which Nintendo would just so happen to release for their Wii U console, in 2013.

In 1998 and 2001, acclaimed developer Treasure would release their first (and, to date, only) arcade releases - - Radiant Silvergun, and its spiritual sequel, Ikaruga. Both shoot 'em up titles would receive home console ports within a year of their respective arcade debuts - - though, only in Japan. While they would also both eventually be ported to North American consoles as well, it would be the second of these, Ikaruga, that would end up reaching Western shores first.

Making it's North American debut in 2008, Ikaruga would initially arrive as a GameCube exclusive (although it would eventually find its way to a variety of other platforms, several year later). Though slow to gain a following in Japan, Ikaruga was well-received by Western critics, particularly for its innovative game design. Featuring a unique bullet-absorbing black-and-white polarity-switching mechanic and named for the Ikaru - - a Japanese finch with a similar coloration - - Ikaruga boasted five incredibly-challenging stages, multiple difficulty levels, and both single and two-player cooperative modes of play. In the years following its release, Ikaruga has since become regarded as something of a masterpiece and, along with Radiant Silvergun, is now widely considered to be one of the best shoot 'em ups ever made.

Like the Nintendo 64, before it, the GameCube also boasted several fantastic Nintendo-published sports titles. Of these, 2003's Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour was hands down the best. Following 1998's Hot Shots Golf, for the PlayStation, and 1999's Mario Golf, for the N64, Toadstool Tour was the third title (not counting portable releases), from the accomplished experts at Camelot Software Planning, to offer up a feature-rich and incredibly satisfying round of golf.

Featuring the return of many of the great options, characters, and game types found in the N64 version of Manio Golf - -
including connectivity features with its corresponding Game Boy counterpart - - Toadstool Tour also offered new characters and new modes, such as coin attack and team play, in addition to a number of various stroke challenges. All of this was rendered with vastly improved graphics, courtesy of the much more powerful GameCube hardware. Unsurprisingly, Toadstool Tour was quite well received by critics and fans, with particular praise given to its fantastic gameplay, superb visuals, and excellent variety of well-designed courses. The game would also go on to become a "Player's Choice" title, in 2004, after selling over a million copies, worldwide.​

F-Zero: GX (Nintendo, 2003)​

Following the relatively easy development of Super Monkey Ball, Sega saw the potential of creating an arcade system board based upon the GameCube's internal architecture. After approaching Nintendo, and Namco, with the idea, the three companies would decide to join forces and the "Triforce" arcade board would be born. Following its completion, Nintendo offered to let Sega create two new installments to their popular F-Zero franchise - - one for the Triforce system, and one for the GameCube.

Like Super Monkey Ball, the development duties for the two F-Zero titles would once again fall to Sega's extremely talented internal studio, Amusement Vision - - this time under the supervision of Nintendo. In 2003, the resulting titles would be released, nearly simultaneously, as F-Zero: AX, for the arcades; and F-Zero: GX, for the GameCube. Both games would feature cross-compatibility via a standard GameCube memory card, by which custom racing machines created in X could be used in AX, and exclusive content from AX could be unlocked and saved for use in GX.

Both games would also be extremely well-received, with GX, in particular, being lauded for it's tight controls, challenging gameplay, and insanely good graphics. Even Nintendo game designer, Takaya Imamura - - who had worked on the first two F-Zero titles - - admitted his uncertainty that AX and GX could ever be surpassed. Maybe that's the reason why Nintendo hasn't bothered to release a brand new entry in the last 20 years!

As mentioned above, Mario Kart 64 was easily one of the greatest games - - alongside GoldenEye 007 and Ocarina of Time - - to ever grace the Nintendo 64. While the original Super Mario Kart's pseudo-3D racing had been entertaining enough, Mario Kart 64 elevated the whole concept to a completely new level. The racing was bigger, bolder, more challenging, more rewarding - - and actually 3D!

Like MK 64 on the Nintendo 64, Mario Kart: Double Dash was also unquestionably one of the greatest games ever released for the GameCube. It took the same great 4-player racing from 64 and polished it up to a near-perfect shine. Everything in Double Dash looked positively gorgeous, and the gameplay was also thoughtfully-enhanced, thanks to the brilliant introduction of team racing.

Whereas Mario Kart 64, with its standard one-to-a-kart racing could get pretty frustrating for kids and new players, Double Dash's more inclusive two-to-a-kart team-play options made the game all kinds of fun for the whole family. Not to mention the added bonus of being able to carry twice as many items (even in single player)! Though Nintendo would smartly retain the ability to carry double items in subsequent Mario Kart titles, the absolutely inspired two-to-a-kart mechanic has (so far) been sadly left in the dust. Maybe that's why no Mario Kart title since has yet come close to topping the absolute brilliance that was Double Dash.

As one of the best, most highly-rated games to ever grace the Nintendo 64, it was only natural that the GameCube would receive a follow-up to the 2001 RPG, Paper Mario. Said sequel would indeed arrive, in 2004, as "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door", and the incredibly talented personnel at second-party Nintendo studio, Intelligent Systems, would once again bring back the same charming papercraft aesthetic and fantastic turn-based gameplay mechanics of the first title, but with a few smart added touches, and noticeably-improved graphics - - once again, courtesy of the (by this point) aging, yet still impressively powerful GameCube hardware. Upon release, the game would enjoy an almost overwhelmingly positive reception, with particular praise given to the game's enjoyably whimsical story, and thoughtful new additions, and would even go on to pick up a best-of-2004 award or two! Though Nintendo has since released multiple fairly respectable series sequels, for a variety of consoles, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is still, to this day, widely regarded as, not only the best Mario RPG, but one of the greatest RPGs of any franchise - - ever.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance was the third title in the now extremely popular tactical RPG series ever to be released outside of Japan; and the first to appear on a non-portable console, in the West. Following the success of the two Game Boy Advance titles, particularly 2003's simply-titled Fire Emblem (as well as the popularity of the characters appearance in Super Smash Bros: Melee), series developer, Intelligent Systems set about creating a brand new entry for the GameCube. Titled, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, the entry would be the first in the series to feature 3D graphics, full-motion cutscenes, and spoken dialogue, and would also introduce the base of operations as well as the ability to engage in optional conversations with allies and non-playable characters. Unsurprisingly, the game was well-received by critics and fans alike, being nominated for several awards, and was also among the GameCube's most successful later-life titles.

The GameCube would launch on November 18th, 2001, only three days after newcomer, Microsoft's Xbox; but over a year after the release of Sony's PlayStation 2. Though Nintendo had corrected many of the mistakes they had made with the N64 - - for instance, by making a vastly superior controller that has continued to be somewhat supported, right up to the present day - - letting Sony get a head start was not one of them. Sony had made Nintendo pay for the year's lead they were given with the first PlayStation, and they would do it to them all over again with the PS2.

Additionally, while Nintendo's switch to a disc format and incredible selection of impressive-looking first-party fare would certainly help the GameCube's cause, their decision to not use a standard-size DVD drive basically amounted to shooting themselves in the foot, yet again. Not only were DVD players extremely popular at the time (as they were still quite new), but both the PlayStation 2, and the Xbox had one. As a result, the GameCube began to lag behind the other two consoles in sales, which in turn, caused third-party developers to start abandoning the system, only making matters worse for Nintendo. They would ultimately end up in last place, in terms of units sold, by the end of the console's life - - a rather embarrassing first for the company.

Nintendo would continue to make highly questionable, seemingly uncompetitive decisions with both of their next two home consoles, the Wii and the Wii U. Though they would accidentally wind up starting a cultural fad and doing fairly well with the Wii, the Wii U would end up faring even worse than the GameCube and N64 had. Finally, Nintendo would make the brilliant decision to go all in on the portable market - - the one area where Microsoft and Sony have never been able, or willing to compete - - with their near-record-breaking Switch console. How the recently-released Switch 2 will do is anybody's guess, at this point, but at least Nintendo, at long last, seems to be back on track.

[Images: Nintendo, Amusement Vision, HAL Laboratory, Capcom, Treasure]

In the mid-1980's, Japanese computer company, NEC, was riding high on the success of their PC-88 and 98 series, which had been more or less dominating the PC market in their home country, during the first half of the decade. Around this same time, Japanese game company, Hudson Soft, would pioneer a super thin cartridge technology, they dubbed the "Bee Card" (like their company's bee mascot, Hachisuke). After first offering to license the technology to Nintendo, and being turned down, Hudson Soft would then approach NEC. That meeting would end up going so well that the two would decide to partner up and enter the home video game console market together, with their own brand new device, which they would ultimately call, the "PC Engine".

While the PC Engine would be largely created with internal components manufactured by NEC, the game cartridges utilized by the system would be upgraded versions of Hudson's Bee Card that they would dub, the "HuCard" - - or "TurboChip", in North America. The console would feature an 8-bit central processing unit, paired with two 16-bit graphics processors, and was capable of displaying 482 colors at a time - - a notable step up from Nintendo's NES-standard 8-bit graphics processor, and 25 simultaneous-displayed-colors maximum. The Nintendo Entertainment System had also only officially been available for a year in the US before the PC Engine would launch in Japan, in the fall of 1987.

Following its release, the PC Engine would prove to be a pretty massive success in Japan, at one point becoming the top-selling console there. In addition to its better-looking games, the system was especially popular due to its appealing design profile, easily manageable size - - as it was actually one of the smallest home consoles ever released - - and strong third-party support. Once again riding high on success, NEC would soon decided to launch the console in North America as well.

Rebranded as the "TurboGrafx-16" (technically, the "TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem", as if "TurboGrafx-16" wasn't long enough already), the North American launch would end up not going at all according to plan, eventually leading to a premature departure from the market by NEC - - though the console would still manage to hang on for a few years. Plenty long enough to grow a fairly respectable library of incredible games, despite the fact that they constituted barely a fraction of the PC Engine's entire list of Japanese titles. Regardless, those that were fortunate enough to have owned a TurboGrafx knew that a number of the games released during its brief North American run were just as good, if not better than many of those of its rival consoles. So, to pay tribute to the anniversary of NEC and Hudson Soft's failed foray into the North American console market, for your reading pleasure, we have rounded up a list of 12 of the greatest titles ever to grace the TurboGrafx-16 (Entertainment SuperSystem).

In addition to its many unique exclusive (and often Hudson-developed) titles, the TurboGrafx-16 was actually home to a surprising number of multi-platform ports as well - - including several that also appeared on Sega's 8-bit Master System console. Two of these titles, Fantasy Zone and R-Type, had received only minor, barely noticeable upgrades as a result of their jumping from Sega's system to NEC's. Two other titles, however - - Vigilante and Space Harrier (which we will get to, shortly) - - were a slightly different story.

Vigilante was a 1988 arcade beat 'em up title from the incredibly talented Japanese developer, Irem (the same company that made R-Type, as a matter of fact). Though they would both come to consoles the very next year, the earlier, Master System, port would be a pretty disappointing downgrade from the arcade version. The gameplay was stiff, the sprites were shrunken, and some of the content was altered, if not missing altogether.

Released only a few months later, the TurboGrafx port would play much closer to the arcade version. It retained the same large sprites and fluid gameplay, in addition to nearly every single other detail found in the original. Additionally, the fact that it was one out of only a few of Irem's fantastic arcade ports, as well as one of the only beat 'em ups to grace the console, made Vigilante one of the most important of all the TurboGrafx-16 releases. The TurboGrafx was also the only home console to receive a near-arcade perfect version of the title - - for nearly two decades.

In 1988, acclaimed Japanese game company, Namco, released Pro Tennis: World Court to the arcade and PC Engine. While the arcade version would remain exclusive to Japan, the following year, NEC would port the PC Engine version over to the North American TurboGrafx as World Court Tennis. The console version featured all the same well-crafted challenging tennis action of the arcade and even included doubles options for up to 4 players (one of the first home console tennis titles to offer such a feature!

In another first, World Count Tennis also featured the addition of an RPG-like "Quest" mode, in which you can venture out into the world, leveling up your character by accepting tennis challenges from the people you encounter along the way. The game was very well-received by critics, and was among the highest rated sports titles of the entire 16-bit generation. While the TurboGrafx-16 did actually boast a pretty decent lineup of fantastic sports titles, like Power Golf, World Class Baseball, and both TV Sports Football, and Hockey, it is fair to say that World Court Tennis, with it's compelling arcade action and incredible wealth of options, managed to stand just a little bit higher up on the podium than all of the rest.

​Final Lap Twin was a Namco-published console-exclusive spin-off of their 1988 Formula 1 arcade racer, Final Lap, which was, itself, a follow-up to their earlier and incredibly popular Pole Position series. Final Lap Twin did an outstanding job of bringing that same top-notch F1 style arcade racing home to the TurboGrafx. What was more, the game was just jam-packed full of fantastic content, including everything from the genre-standard exhibition races, to an excellent two-player mode, to a surprisingly lengthy RPG-style story mode (just like World Court Tennis)! Unsurprisingly, Final Lap Twin was pretty highly praised by the gaming press, and was not only the greatest racing title available for the TurboGrafx, but quite possibly the entire 16-bit generation.

As somewhat indicated above, a few multi-platform TurboGrafx ports were indistinguishable enough from other console versions, to be almost entirely unnecessary. In a few cases, however, such as Space Harrier (and Vigilante), the TG-16 version actually represented a pretty significant upgrade. While Sega's Master System did an incredibly impressive job of reproducing their colorful 3D rail shooter arcade hit, compromises that were made in order to get it to run properly on that vastly inferior home hardware were pretty glaringly apparent.

The TurboGrafx version, on the other hand, represented near-uncompromising arcade perfection; to the point that the Master System version almost felt like a completely different game, by comparison. Oddly enough for Sega, for a number of years, this made the TurboGrafx version the only console version to own for true Space Harrier fans - - until Sega's equally good Genesis 32X port came along, in 1995. Perhaps even crazier, though, was the fact that Sega had released the direct sequel, Space Harrier II, as a 1989 launch title for their own 16-bit Genesis console; and even that game couldn't hold a candle to the rival TG-16 port - - of the previous entry, which was also their own arcade game!

In April of 1988, Japanese video game developer, Kemco, would release a World War II themed turn-based strategy title for the Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System, called Desert Fox: Tank Strategy - - Desert Commanders, in the US. While the game was fairly-well received by critics, it wasn't a very big hit with console owners. Regardless, the game was a very strong influence on Intelligent Systems/Nintendo's own August 1988 turn-based strategy title, Famicom Wars.

Unlike, Kemco's title, Famicom Wars would prove to be a fairly big success, eventually spawning a popular, long-running series for Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. In February of 1990, Hudson Soft would decide to get in on the action, by releasing their own TurboGrafx-16 turn-based strategy title, Military Madness (Nectaris, in Japan). Though Hudson Soft's game would feature a very similar style to both Kemco's and Nintendo's titles, they would opt to swap out their more contemporary, terrestrial battlefields for a futuristic lunar setting.

Military Madness would end up selling fairly well in Japan, but not North America, sadly, due to the poor reception of the TurboGrafx. Despite this, the game would be very well received by the gaming press, earning both heaps of praise, and even an award or two. Military Madness would eventually receive multiple ports as well; first, to the original PlayStation, in 1999, and then later, to the digital platforms of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, in 2010. Both the original Japanese and North American versions of the game would also be included as playable titles on the TurboGrafx-16 Mini console that would be released in 2020.

Shortly after the release of the PC Engine, a caveman character named PC Genjin began appearing in Japanese comics, in order to promote the new console. Not long afterward, a PC Genjin game would be published and then ported to American consoles under the new title, Bonk's Adventure. As in Japan, the Character "Bonk" would quickly become the official mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.

Although the game didn't do much to popularize the system in North America, Bonk was a fitting mascot for the TurboGrafx. His game, a platformer with a prehistoric setting, was also quite good. Gameplay consisted of Bonk using his enormous head to headbutt, or "bonk" his enemies away and also to glide through the air via gravity-defying super-fast repeating somersault flips.

Bonk's Adventure also featured an outstanding soundtrack and a pretty incredible variety of bosses and enemies. The game would be very well-received and has since been named by many critics as not only one of the greatest games for the TurboGrafx, but of all time. While the game would receive two sequels on the TurboGrafx, only one of these, Bonk's Revenge would maintain a similar level of quality to the original. The 1992 shoot 'em up spin-off, Air Zonk, however (see below), was arguably every bit as good as, if not maybe even a little bit better than, Bonk's Adventure.

Chew-Man-Fu was a 1990 action puzzle title from Japanese developer, Now Production (creators of the original Famicom game that Capcom would later repurpose into the Domino's Pizza-themed Nintendo Entertainment System title, Yo! Noid). Apart from the somewhat questionable choice of North American title (the original Japanese title was the much simpler "Bee Ball"), Chew-Man-Fu was actually a charming, well-designed, and surprisingly deep and entertaining TurboGrafx exclusive. The game featured a campaign, multiple multiplayer modes, and even an edit mode, in which you could design, and even save (assuming you had the TurboBooster-Plus memory back-up accessory), your very own levels. Chew-Man-Fu was well received by the vast majority of critics, with particular praise given to the game's excellent amount of content, delightfully colorful graphics; large, detailed sprites; and challenging and unique gameplay.

Despite the genre being pretty woefully underrepresented on the TurboGrafx, there was one horror release that did it better than probably any other game of the entire 16-bit generation - - the 1990 port of the controversial, yet excellent, Namco title, Splatterhouse. Heavily inspired by popular '80s horror films, like Poltergeist and the Friday the 13th series, Splatterhouse starred the hockey-style-mask-wearing, supernaturally strong, silent protagonist Rick, as he brutally tore his way through a horrific house of horrors, in search of his missing girlfriend, Jennifer.

Though Rick's mask and a few other details had to be edited for the North American release, in order to avoid any undesired legal repercussions, the game was still an impressively faithful port of the late '80s arcade hit. Those few exceptions aside, nearly every other aspect of the gloriously disturbing arcade version were included in the TurboGrafx release - - and in shockingly accurate detail - - from the the meat cleaver weapon, to the maniacal chainsaw-wielding stage boss with a burlap sack over his head, to the realistic-looking human hearts used in place of the traditional cartoonish health hearts. Though it's difficult to consider any TurboGrafx title a "hit" per se, Splattechouse was definitely one of the more popular, sought after titles to grace the console; and while no sequels would ever follow on that system, Namco would release two additional, fairly highly-regarded series installments on Sega's Genesis console, just a few short years later. As with most horror franchises, however, the original is still the best.

​As mentioned above, two of Irem's incredible arcade ports, R-Type and Vigilante, both came to the TurboGrafx as multi-platform releases. Yet, there was also a third fantastic Irem arcade port that was also a TurboGrafx console exclusive - - the expertly-crafted action-platformer, Ninja Spirit.

Something like a cross between Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden and Sega's Shinobi, Ninja Spirit featured a nice assortment of Feudal Japan-era enemies, and several different unique selectable weapons with which to dispatch those enemies. The game was well-received and would end up being one of the first titles ever to receive a perfect score from the (then) popular gaming magazine, EGM. Sadly, and unlike Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi, Ninja Spirit would never receive any sequels, but the title has still gone down in gaming history, right alongside those other two fantastic series, as one of the finest ninja platformers ever made.

Neutopia II (Hudson Soft, 1992)​

In April of 1990, Hudson Soft released an action-adventure title called Neutopia. Though widely-regarded as a shameless clone of the incredibly popular 1987 Nintendo Entertainment System smash hit, The Legend of Zelda, Neutopia was still praised for its superior graphics - - thanks to the pseudo-16-bit power of the TurboGrafx - - as well as for various gameplay enhancements it contributed to the formula. Owing to the overall positive reception of the title, Hudson Soft would follow it up with a sequel in August of 1992.

Though largely similar to the first title, Neutopia II would feature a number of improvements to everything from sound, to graphics, to the story length, and most especially, to the gameplay. The game even looked nearly as good as the incredible 1992 Super Nintendo Legend of Zelda installment, A Link to the Past; and Neutopia II actually came out first (in Japan, anyway). Though the title was also criticized for bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Zelda series, it's reception by the gaming press was even more positive than the original Neutopia, and it was - - and still is - - considered to be one of the best games to ever grace the TurboGrafx-16.

A 1992 action title, Air Zonk was primarily developed by Red Company - - the same studio that created Bonk's Adventure, as well as the fantastic TurboGrafx Super CD-ROM shoot 'em up, Gate of Thunder (which also came out in '92). Like a so-crazy-it-just-might-work mash-up of both of those titles, Air Zonk was a futuristic horizontally-scrolling shooter, starring the titular character, Zonk, a stylish, weaponized flying robotic clone of Bonk. Air Zonk featured additional references to the Bonk franchise as well, such as the smiley face bonuses, and slightly modified versions of several Bonk characters, including the main antagonist, King Drool, himself.

Air Zonk was well-received by critics and TurboGrafx owners, alike, with praise and appreciation for everything from its colorful graphics, to its unique style, memorable soundtrack, enjoyable gameplay, and great variety of assist and offensive options. The game would even manage to bring home a game-of-the-year award from one notable publication. The character of Air Zonk would also go on to become a frequent, slightly edgier stand-in for Bonk as the Turbo hardware mascot, during the final years of the console's run.

One of the better launch titles, and shooters, period, ever released for the TurboGrafx, was Blazing Lazers - - a joint effort from Hudson Soft, and talented Japanese developer, Compile. Following this highly-acclaimed title, Hudson would release two more, stylistically similar, vertical-scrolling shooters for the TurboGrafx. The first was Super Star Soldier, a pretty fantastic-looking Kaneko-developed sequel to their earlier NES shoot 'em up, Star Soldier. The second, was Soldier Blade, another entry to the Star Soldier series that Hudson, themselves, would develop.

As arguably the most refined, and enjoyable of the three, Soldier Blade represented the pinnacle of vertically-scrolling shooter quality on the TurboGrafx. The game has been particularly praised for its blazing speed, fantastic soundtrack and graphics, and for its superior accessibility. At the time of its release, reviewers were a bit more critical and divided on the game, owing to its somewhat rushed development, and similar style to Hudson's previous TG-16 vertical shmups. In the years since, however, Soldier Blade has become much more respected and appreciated as the nearly-perfect masterpiece of the 16-bit shoot 'em up era that it is.

​Though NEC initially targeted an earlier 1989 US launch - - when no other "16-bit" consoles yet existed in the market - - their US team recommended changes to the look and branding of the console, to ensure better conformity to Western tastes. This would include more than doubling its size, changing the color scheme from white and red to black and orange, and renaming it the "TurboGrafx-16", to make it seem edgier and more powerful than it technically was. The console would also launch with a matching, turbo-switchable version of the otherwise standard, NES-style "two button" control pad that came standard with the PC Engine.

Sadly for NEC, these changes would delay the console's launch long enough to let Sega get the jump on the 16-bit US market with the debut of their own "Genesis" console. Both consoles would be released to US test markets in the month of August, with an official TurboGrafx launch initially planned for the following month. Though Sega would only beat NEC to market by a couple of weeks, their much smarter choice of included launch title - - their incredibly popular arcade hit, Altered Beast, as opposed to NEC's extremely mediocre, and completely unknown, Keith Courage in Alpha Zones - - in addition to their brilliantly relentless and adversarial marketing campaign, allowed them to very quickly leave NEC in the dust.

In 1988, in order to continue to capitalize on their success in the Japanese market, as well as to take advantage of the growing popularity of the format, NEC had released a CD-ROM add-on for the PC Engine - - the first of its kind, for the home console market - - called the PC Engine CD-ROM² System. The peripheral would actually become a fairly big hit for NEC, and a number of CD titles would be produced, in addition to HuCards, for the remainder of the console's very respectable Japanese run. The add-on was so successful, in fact, that in 1991, NEC would also introduce an enhanced version of the CD format, known as the "Super CD-ROM²".

In anticipation of success in North America, NEC had already begun production of TurboGrafx-branded models of their CD peripheral, leading up to the console's failed test launch. Following the console's lackluster reception, the official launch for the TurboGrafx never seems to have actually occured; however, the date that would most closely correspond to such an event, would have to have been November 15th, 1989, as that apparently was the date that NEC would, not only decide to begin releasing titles for the console in earnest, but also debut their "TurboGrafx-CD" peripheral. As in Japan, NEC would eventually release North American Super CD titles as well. So to acknowledge the complete history of the TurboGrafx, as well as the unofficial anniversary of the release of both systems, here is a supplemental 6 of the best TurboGrafx-CD/Super CD titles, to round things out.

When the TurboGrafx-CD launched in North America, it did so with no games included, and only one launch game to choose from - - Fighting Street. A retitled port of Capcom's first - - and arguably most disappointing - - Street Fighter game, Fighting Street didn't represent a very compelling reason for potential customers to drop the $400 required to take a TurboGrafx-CD unit home with them. Monster Lair, however, was an arguably much better reason.

Releasing about a month after the TurboGrafx-CD's launch, Monster Lair was the only other title to be made available for the TG-16 add-on, in 1989. A port of the 1988 Westone/Sega arcade title, Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (not to be confused with the related, yet separate, 1989 Master System title, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap), the game was a combination scrolling platformer and horizontal shoot 'em up, as well as the third and final arcade release in the popular Wonder Boy Franchise. In addition to dropping the Wonder Boy III portion of the title, the Turbo-CD port also featured all the same great two-player co-op optional gameplay of the arcade version; plus a richer, slightly edgier soundtrack remix of the original tunes, courtesy of talented Japanese composer, Jun Chikuma (who also did the music for Military Madness); as well as the ability to listen to said soundtrack via any standard CD player! As only the second console CD game to ever be released in the West, Monster Lair represented a pretty decent argument for - - and showcase of - - the brand new gaming format.

Though both of Japanese developer Falcom's first two Ys titles were originally released individually in Japan, only the first game - - first appearing on the Sega Master System as 1989's Ys: The Vanished Omens - - would make it to the West that way. The second would arrive in North America as a TurboGrafx-CD exclusive bundle, titled Ys (Book) I & II - - which combined both the first and second games together. The Turbo release was actually an enhanced remake of both titles, which utilized the CD medium to feature better graphics, voice acting, and an animated intro and cutscenes - - one of the first titles ever to do so. Like Monster Lair, Ys I & Il also featured music from the now-legendary video game composer, Yuzo Koshiro, as well as a Red Book audio CD soundtrack, which again, meant that it could be played in any standard CD player.

Ys I & II garnered heaps of critical praise, both at the time of its release, and in the years since. The game has even won several awards - - including for its outstanding soundtrack - - and has earned spots on multiple publications lists of the greatest RPGs of all time. Following this release, the Ys series has continued on, right up to the present day, with numerous installments appearing on a multitude of consoles, including the near-equally excellent Ys III: Wanderers From Ys, which was also ported to the TurboGrafx-CD system (among others).

​Although it was the second entry in the excellent JRPG series, Cosmic Fantasy 2 was the first installment - - of the eventual four chapters released - - to be made available in the West; and the only one for 30 years. This didn't much matter, however, as Cosmic Fantasy 2 actually had little to do with the original. Though the plot did seem to borrow a bit from the 1989 Dragon Quest/Warrior anime series, which, itself, was loosely based on the third Dragon Quest/Warrior game, Cosmic Fantasy 2 still managed to stand apart as one of the first titles to feature fully-voiced, anime-style cutscenes.

Cosmic Fantasy 2 was highly praised, upon release, particularly for its multitude of high-quality cinematic sequences, and would even go on to win an award or two. The game was also extremely popular among Turbo-CD owners, ultimately boasting one of the highest console attach rates (copies sold, per console or device) of any game, for any system, ever. The game would also remain exclusive to the TurboGrafx for an extraordinarily long time, as the Nintendo Switch ports of all four Cosmic Fantasy titles wouldn't first start appearing until 2024, and to date, have been the only other releases of any of the games to ever reach North American shores.

Along with the illustrious Ys games, famed developer Falcom's other decades-long-running RPG series has been the one and only Legend of Heroes franchise. Though, before it was (mostly) spun off as such, it first started out, several years earlier, under the moniker of "Dragon Slayer". The 1992 TurboGrafx Super CD title, Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes, was the installment that actually marked that transition.

The game played like something of a cross between Ys I & II and Cosmic Fantasy 2, featuring a satisfyingly epic and lengthy quest, mixed together with some pretty incredible-looking anime-style cutscenes - - all set to an enjoyable, finely-crafted Red Book audio soundtrack. The only real mistake that the developer/publisher made with the game was not keeping the original Japanese audio dialogue (or not hiring more talented English-speaking actors), as the spoken lines in the TurboGrafx  release are almost hilariously poorly-delivered. As a Super CD title, The Legend of Heroes did boast a greater amount of detail than standard Turbo-CD titles could typically handle - - which made it a fantastic early example of the capabilities of the format. Though the beloved Legend of Heroes series has seen a multitude of excellent installments grace a variety of North American platforms in recent years, for over a decade following its release on the TurboGrafx (Super) CD, Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes was the only option available in the Western hemisphere to enjoy this fantastic franchise.

Although a number of fantastic shooters would grace the Japanese PC-Engine CD-ROM system over its lengthier (by comparison) lifespan, only a handful of these would end up making it to the North American TurboGrafx-CD and TurboDuo. Of the ones that did though, easily two of the best were the 1992 horizontal-scroller, Gate of Thunder, and especially, it's 1993 Super CD spiritual sequel, Lords of Thunder. Both games were developed by a group of former Technosoft employees who had been responsible for the outstanding 1990 Sega Genesis hit, Thunder Force III.

Whereas Gate of Thunder was your typical (though outstanding) space shooter, the developers decided to shake things up with Lords of Thunder, instead making it a fantasy-themed shooter in which you played as a flying knight, collecting crystals and taking down all manner of wizards, magical creatures, dark generals, and ultimately, an evil emperor in the service of a resurrected ancient god. Though the gameplay was nothing short of typical Technosoft brilliance, the unbelievably incredible Red Book audio heavy metal soundtrack, courtesy of T's Music member Satoshi Miyashita, was every bit as much of a highlight - - if not moreso. Lords of Thunder was highly praised, upon release, and has only seemed to become more popular in the years since. While a port would be released for the Genesis Sega CD add-on, in 1995, this version would receive a bit of criticism for its minor graphical downgrades, less challenging gameplay, and slightly too commercial-esque soundtrack arrangement.

In 1991, Japanese developer, Success, released an arcade title called Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams. The game was a challenging Halloween-themed horizontal shoot 'em up starring a comical candy (or "willow", as they refer to it in the game) obsessed, red-haired broomstick-riding witch - - the titular character, Cotton. It would quickly prove to be a fairly popular title, and a Hudson Soft-published Super CD port of the game would be released in 1993.

While Hudson's version was a fairly faithful port of the arcade original, the real highlight of the Super CD release was its incredible Red Book audio remixed soundtrack, once again courtesy of the downright legendary T's Music. Since its debut in the arcade, and on the TurboGrafx (Super) CD, Cotton has both gained a dedicated following, and become regarded as one of the defining examples of the so-called "cute 'em up" genre, alongside similarly "cutesy" shoot 'em up titles, like TwinBee, Fantasy Zone, and the PC Engine Super CD exclusive, Star Parodier. In addition to spawning a long-running franchise of titles that are still going strong today, Cotton would also inspire the creation of several similarly-fantastic future witch-themed shoot/cute 'em up titles, like Gunbird, Twinkle Star Sprites, and the incredibly rare final TurboGrafx-16 release, Magical Chase.

The opportunity for success with the TurboGrafx  was more or less squandered by NEC, at every turn. First, they wasted too much time with the redesign and, in doing so, gave up their "first strike" advantage. Then they cheaped out with the pack-in title and failed to give the public any real reason to care about the system. Then, they cheaped out again, rolled over, and let Sega have control over the marketing message and public perception.

Then, to top it all off, they made the desperate and nonsensical decision to release the $400 TurboGrafx-CD system without a pack-in title, and without first ensuring that the TurboGrafx had a proper foothold in the market - - which would only end up serving to further confuse and alienate most potential customers. Worse yet, as a result of never establishing that foothold, most third-party developers avoided the system like the plague. Ultimately, few people would end up buying a TurboGrafx, and even fewer would buy the Turbo-CD add-on. In 1990, NEC did release a cool full-color, backlit, LCD-screen-equipped, TurboChip compatible handheld TurboGrafx device, called the TurboExpress, but again, without proper marketing, or a decent pack-in title (it actually didn't come with any games at all), few people bought that as well.

Finally in 1992, as a last-ditch effort, NEC and Hudson Soft would release the TurboDuo console to coincide with the North American debut of their Super CD titles. This new console would consist of a redesigned TurboGrafx system that incorporated a TurboChip slot and a Super-CD player into one single unit. Though they were smart enough, this time, to include, not one, but several incredible pack-in titles with the console (like Ys I & II, Bonk's Adventure, Bonk's Revenge, and Gate of Thunder), by this point, Nintendo had entered the fray with their hotly-anticipated 16-bit Super NES; and retailers were already beginning to pull TurboGrafx products from their store shelves. As a result, anyone who was still interested in obtaining either the TurboDuo, or any future games or Turbo accessories, were largely forced to resort to ordering them, by mail, from a catalog.

Though NEC's TurboGrafx would prove to be a spectacular failure for the company, in North America, they would still come to command a very strong influence over the Japanese home console market with their PC Engine. Not only would their overwhelming success in that country convince Sega to launch a rival CD-ROM attachment for their North American Genesis and Japanese Mega Drive consoles, but it would also be sufficient to inspire NEC, in 1994, to release a 32-bit Japan-exclusive follow-up to their PC Engine, called the PC-FX. Unfortunately for NEC, however, the PC-FX would end up selling even worse than the TurboGrafx, and they would subsequently opt to bow out of the home console market, altogether. Despite the brevity of their success, however, and incredible number of missteps they made during their relatively short time in the American market, both the cutting-edge technology that they pioneered, as well as the uniquely fantastic games they produced (or provided a platform for), even on the ill-fated TurboGrafx, still managed to have a profound, unforgettable impact on those who were lucky enough to experience them, and on the course of gaming history.

[Images: NEC, Namco, Irem, Hudson Soft, Working Designs]

In the late '90s, Microsoft CEO, Bill Gates, saw the increasing power and popularity of video game consoles as a potential threat to the PC industry, so the company began looking for ways to expand into the market. These would initially include partnering with Sega to create a custom version of Windows CE for their Dreamcast console, and then approaching Sony to offer to do the same for their PlayStation 2. Sony, however, declined their offer. They would even go so far as to approach Nintendo to see if they would be receptive to being acquired by Microsoft, but Nintendo would also reject Microsoft's offer.

So, Microsoft decided to set about making their own gaming console. After some internal debate concerning two rival design strategies, a decision was made to use PC parts, including a built in hand drive - - the first console to ever sport one - - as well as a custom version of Windows, featuring DirectX support. It was also decided that the system should be equipped with an Ethernet port in order to enable the future implementation of fast, reliable online play.

The DirectX support, in particular, would play a key role in setting the Xbox apart from other consoles. Not only because it's where the "X" in "Xbox" comes from, but also because the support of DirectX would allow game developers to both create new games, and port existing PC games to the console, with relative ease, while also giving the console comparatively larger processing power, at the same time. Like the PlayStation 2, the Xbox would also utilize a standard DVD drive for gameplay - - with an optional remote and controller port IR sensor later being made available to enable movie playback functionality as well. Unlike the PlayStation 2, however, the Xbox would be the first home console to incorporate real-time Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound during actual gameplay, instead of just in cutscenes.

Leading up to the launch of the Xbox, Microsoft would go to great lengths to line up a number of high-profile titles for their upcoming console. This would include successfully wooing both Tecmo, and future Microsoft subsidiary, Bethesda; acquiring Mac developer, Bungie, along with the rights to their upcoming title, Halo: Combat Evovled; as well as striking a crucial 11-game exclusivity deal with (then) newly-turned third-party developer/publisher, Sega. Throughout the console's life, Microsoft would continue to get more fantastic games onto the Xbox through other, similar means; and their smart implementation of DirectX in the console certainly wouldn't hurt them in this matter, either. It was these games, more than anything, that really helped the Xbox to stand apart from the competition, and as usual, we have assembled a list of 12 of the greatest titles to ever grace the console, just for your reading enjoyment.

Halo is a series that needs no introduction, anywhere in the gaming world. Prior to the launch of Microsoft's Xbox, the undisputed console first-person shooter king was Rare's incredible 1997 Nintendo 64 title, GoldenEye 007. But Bungie's epic Xbox launch title dethroned the N64 smash hit so completely that it became the new de facto standard by which all other first person shooters would be compared. Indeed, for many years following Halo's debut, anything that even remotely approached the same level of greatness that Bungie had set, would always be spoken of as a potential "Halo-killer". Although it is highly debatable whether or not any competitor's FPS title was even able to successfully earn that moniker during Bungie's reign with the franchise.

A large part of what made Halo so uniquely phenomenal were its near-perfect controls that Bungie had expertly mapped to the Xbox's smartly-designed dual-stick controller. Never before had playing a first-person shooter felt so incredibly natural on a home console. Of course, the game's fantastically-compelling "Aliens"-inspired campaign and insanely deep and varied multiplayer components certainly helped it stand apart as well. Bungie would eventually follow up Halo (Combat Evolved) with the equally fantastic 2004 Xbox title, Halo 2, which just so happens to appear further on down this list.

One of the better fighting games to grace Sega's final console was 2000's Dead or Alive 2. The game was a fairly marked - - and very well-received - - improvement over the 1996 arcade (and PlayStation 1) original. As would seem to be a recurring theme for Dreamcast sequels, the next installment to the Dead or Alive series would go straight to the Xbox; and as a launch exclusive, no less!

While not quite as dramatic an upgrade as DoA 2 had been, Dead or Alive 3 still utilized the increased power of the Xbox to offer bigger and more complex battle arenas, and some pretty jaw-dropping visuals, to boot. The title also featured a number of gameplay tweaks and three unique new characters to play as (in addition to an alternate version of a returning character, as well as an all-new boss to face off against). Like its predecessor, Dead or Alive 3 would receive critical acclaim, in addition to multiple gaming awards. It would also go on to become, not only a best-selling title for the Xbox, but the best-selling title in the franchise - - a record it still retains to this day.

The first Shenmue game was considered, by and large, to be a must-play masterpiece For Sega's Dreamcast console. The title's immersive world and incredible production values were a revelation at the time of its release. Sadly though, the game was also something of a financial disaster for an already struggling Sega. As such, the second Shenmue game would likely have never seen the light of day had much of the work on the title not already been completed alongside that of the first game.

Though originally released on the Dreamcast in Japan and Europe, the North American rights to Shenmue II were acquired by Microsoft after Sega's untimely discontinuation of the console. As a result, North America would receive the game as a 2002 Xbox exclusive (and Europeans would also get the Xbox version, the following year). Some of the additions the Xbox version boasted were improved lighting and frame rate, a DVD recap of the first game, and an English language voice track.

Like the first game, Shenmue II was well-received, but also didn't sell particularly well. As a result, the planned third and final chapter in the series would only end up materializing after a nearly two decade wait and a record-setting Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. But Shenmue II is still, to this day, regarded as an even grander continuation of the epic first chapter, which, together, occupy spots on numerous best games lists, not only for the Dreamcast or Xbox, but of all time.

In order to promote Xbox Live, a few Xbox titles were developed specifically to coincide with the November 2002 launch of the service. Arguably, the most high profile of these titles was a console port of the highly-anticipated first-person arena shooter PC game, Unreal Tournament 2003. Retitled Unreal Championship, and released barely a month after UT 2K3, the Xbox-exclusive console version would be designed by the very same two developers, Digital Extremes and Epic Games, who had spent months working tirelessly to ensure the most flawless experience possible. Though not all of the game's content would end up making the jump from PC to console, the Xbox version did boast several fantastic brand new console-exclusive maps that Unreal Fans would never able to experience anywhere else.

Unreal Championship was a veritable triumph - - for the incredible Unreal franchise, for Microsoft's Xbox console, and for their new Xbox Live service. The game was received every bit as well as its PC twin, was considered by many publications to be one of the best Xbox games of 2002, and would even go on to become an Xbox Platinum Hits title. Unreal Championship would also eventually be followed up by the almost equally-good Mortal Kombat-inspired Xbox-exclusive 2005 sequel, Unreal Championship 2: The Liandci Conflict.

In September of 2000, Microsoft and Zipper Interactive released a dieselpunk-themed PC-exclusive arcade-style flight sim called Crimson Skies. It had been based on an earlier tabletop game of the same name. Although it was a fairly big hit with the critics, the game would be largely overlooked by the general public, only managing to achieve a small cult following.

Despite this, Microsoft would greenlight a sequel for the Xbox, this time to be created by Chicago-based developer, Fasa Studio. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge featured a well-crafted single-player campaign, inspired, in no small part, by the Indiana Jones franchise - - the game's cover art would even be created by Drew Struzan, the famed (and sadly, recently passed) illustrator responsible for the majority of those movies promotional posters. Additionally, the game would boast a number of engaging multiplayer options, including, of course, online play, via Microsoft's fantastic new Xbox Live service.

Upon release, High Road to Revenge would become something of a critical darling, with heaps of praise piled high upon it. The game's beautiful graphics, large, detailed environments, and unique plane designs were particularly lauded by reviewers, as were its Xbox Live features. Despite all the glowing reviews, however - - and much like the PC original - - High Road to Revenge would also never manage to gain much more than a cult following, and sadly, no additional sequels would ever be made.

​Although they had been publishing sports titles for the Xbox since the console's 2001 debut, in 2003, Microsoft began branding their sports titles under their newly-created XSN Sports, or Xbox Sports Network - - Sports label. Top Spin, their first and only tennis game created for the XSN Sports line, would also be released that very same year. Co-developed by Utah-based developer, Salt Lake Games Studio, and French studio, PAM Development, Top Spin was a superbly-crafted, surprisingly detailed tennis sim that was largely inspired by Sega's critically-acclaimed Virtua Tennis series on the Dreamcast (and in the arcades).

The developers did such an amazing job in fact, that Top Spin actually felt just like an Xbox-exclusive Virtua Tennis sequel, with all of the associated upgrades you would hope for and/or expect from such a title, such as better graphics, and Xbox Live online multiplayer for up to 4 players. The game was very well received, with many critics comparing the game favorably to Sega's beloved series; and some even declaring Top Spin to be the greatest tennis title ever made. Though Top Spin would eventually be ported to other platforms, and followed by a multitude of sequels, sadly, none of these would ever even come close to the same phenomenally high level of quality set by the incredible 2003 original.

​As the birthplace of Halo, and the home of it's incredible sequel, Halo 2 - - not to mention Unreal Championship (and a few notable others) - - the original Xbox was primarily known as a (first-person) shooter console; the shooter console, in point of fact. While this was in no way unwarranted or untrue, what often gets overshadowed is the fact that the Xbox was every bit as much the premier console for racing titles as it was for first-person shooters; perhaps even moreso. On this list alone you will find no less than four of the greatest racing titles of a generation - - and we didn't even cover all of them!

At the beginning of 2001, British developer, Bizarre Creations, released Metropolis Street Racer for the Dreamcast. While the game was well-received, it didn't sell particularly well, owing largely to Sega's cancellation of the console, not long after the title's release. Unfazed, Bizarre Creations would set to work perfecting and improving upon the underlying concepts of Metropolis Street Racer, and, in the process, create a brand new spiritual successor, and launch title, for Microsoft's Xbox console. Re-branded as Project Gotham Racing, Bizarre's new creation would prove to be a commercial success as well as a critical one; so much so that they would release an even more perfect direct sequel in 2003 - - Project Gotham Racing 2.

With PGR 2, Bizarre refined the arcade-style racing of their previous two titles until they finally managed to achieve the perfect mix of challenge and fun. In addition to which, they added more cars, incredible all new real-world locations to race through, and of course, online multiplayer, via Xbox Live. It also included the first entry in what would become their incredibly popular Geometry Wars shoot 'em up series, as a playable easter egg, in the player's in-game garage. While Project Gotham Racing 2 would be followed up by two equally-fantastic sequels on the Xbox's successor console, the Xbox 360, PGR 2 would actually end up being the highest-rated and most-acclaimed (and some might argue, most-beloved) of the entire series - - including Metropolis Street Racer.

In 2002, Swedish game developer, Digital Illusions CE, released a rally racing title for Xbox and PC, called RalliSport Challenge. The game was easily the best racing title to appear on the Xbox up to that point, and arguably one of the greatest rally titles ever made. Apparently not content to simply rest on their laurels, DICE would release en even better Xbox-exclusive follow up in 2004, with RalliSport Challenge 2.

By taking the same incredible gameplay from the first title and enhancing it with stunning new graphics, more cars, additional racing disciplines, more varied environments, improved damage modelling, and all new modes - including Xbox Live play - - DICE was able to craft, not only one of the greatest racing titles ever made, but arguably the greatest rally title of all time, and yes, that statement absolutely still holds true in 2025. RalliSport Challenge 2 was a veritable gaming masterpiece with which DICE proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were the undisputed masters of the craft. Sadly, despite being one of the greatest racing games released on any platform, ever, and receiving heaps of praise from the gaming press, Rallisport Challenge 2 would somehow end up as a criminally overlooked commercial disappointment for the company.

Two year later, DICE would be scooped up by controversial publishing behemoth, Electronic Arts, and the studio's immeasurable talents would subsequently be put to waste on decades worth of Battlefield sequels of varying quality. With the sole exception of assisting with 2010's excellent - - though largely Criterion-developed - - Need For Speed title, Hot Pursuit, DICE hasn't had a single racing title credited to their name since RalliSport Challenge 2. As one of the greatest developers of all time, that managed to create one the greatest racing titles of all time, it's hard to argue that another studio or franchise has ever been more deserving of another shot at greatness than DICE and RalliSport Challenge.

There were many in the gaming industry who considered the Xbox to be something of a spiritual successor to Sega's Dreamcast console, or an unofficial "Dreamcast 2" , if you will. There were several reasons for this - - for starters, there was that aforementioned Microsoft/Sega partnership resulting in the custom Windows CE Dreamcast OS. Also, the fact that Sega ended up cancelling their Dreamcast and leaving the hardware market the very same year that Microsoft happened to jump into it, with their own (Xbox) console. Furthermore, following their multiple variations of NAOMI arcade system boards - - which were all based on the Dreamcast's architecture - - Sega's next arcade board, the Chihiro, would actually be based around the architecture of the Xbox; and finally, Sega's transition to third-party developer/publisher would result in them bringing a number of high-profile exclusives to the Xbox, including a few titles - - like the above-mentioned Shenmue II - - that would either first appear, or were originally meant to appear, on the Dreamcast, itself.

Of the many top-notch titles they released for the Xbox, however, arguably none were more outstanding than OutRun 2. The first numeric sequel to their legendary 1986 arcade original, OutRun 2 was also the first follow-up to the fantastic franchise since the (also) excellent arcade/Sega Genesis title, OutRunners, was released - - a decade earlier. Debuting exclusively on the Xbox, in 2004, the console version of the game was an arcade-perfect port of the 2003 Chihiro-based original!

In addition to all the dreamy Ferrari-fanatical drift racing action of the arcade, the console version featured competitive play over Xbox Live; unlockable bonus tracks from the popular Sega arcade titles, Daytona USA 2 and SEGA Super GT; and a brand new "Challenge" mode, in which drivers could test their skills through a series of over 100 unique missions. Unsurprisingly, the Xbox version was quite well-received by critics and fans, alike. Although a follow-up based on the 2004 OutRun 2 "SP" arcade update would eventually be developed for multiple platforms (including the Xbox), this title, OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, would not be released until the middle of 2006 - - a year and a half after the Xbox-exclusive OutRun 2; and several months following the launch of the next-generation Xbox 360 console.

You'd think that for a game as incredibly successful and groundbreaking as Halo, no sequel could ever even remotely hope to come close to replicating that same level of impact. Lightning, as they say, never strikes twice. Yet, somehow, against all odds, with Bungie's 2004 follow-up, Halo 2, it did exactly that.

Following the runaway success of the first game, a sequel became an absolute imperative for both Bungie and Microsoft, and work was immediately begun. With a generous budget and ample time to work with, Bungie set about revamping everything - - from the game engine, to the physics, to the weapons, the game mechanics, and even the in-game HUD. The game would also boast a more fleshed-out universe, with a fantastic new campaign, featuring two alternating - - and intertwining - - storylines, as well as a brand new, additional protagonist to play as; a killer soundtrack, featuring an even grander, more phenomenal score, by returning composers, Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori, in addition to outstanding contributions from multiple popular rock bands, like Incubus and Breaking Benjamin; a plethora of new characters, voiced by acclaimed Hollywood actors, such as Keith David, Ron Perlman, Miguel Ferrer, and Robert Davi; and of course, a whole host of fantastic new local and online multiplayer options.

Leading up to Halo 2's eventual November 2004 release, Microsoft invested heavily in promoting the title, which would include a viral marketing campaign - - via the bogus website/alternate reality game, "I Love Bees" - - as well as the first ever theatrical trailer for a video game. In addition to setting a pre-order record, at the time, of 1.5 million copies, Halo 2 would also become, with it's single day earnings of $125 million, the first video game to ever surpass a film - - that same year's Spider-Man 2 - - with the (then) highest-grossing release day performance in entertainment history. In addition to eventually becoming the single best-selling Xbox title of all time, Halo 2 would also end up winning over 38 awards, and has subsequently come to be considered, by many, one of the greatest games of all time.

In November of 2002, alongside Unreal Championship, Microsoft released another key title, meant to promote the launch of their Xbox Live service - - the fantastic BattleTech/MechWarrior spinoff, MechAssault. A joint effort between Crimson Skies developer, Fasa Studio and Day 1 Studios, MechAssault was designed from the ground up to feature a slick single player campaign, as well as a sensible smattering of exciting multiplayer options. The game was an early hit on the Xbox Live service and was also well-received by critics, even managing to claim several awards from various gaming publications.

Two years later, Fasa and Day 1 would team up again to bring their fans the new and improved, (also) Xbox-exclusive sequel, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf. As good as the first MechAssault game had been, Lone Wolf represented a pretty significant improvement, in regards to everything from graphics, to gameplay, to even the specific Xbox Live features offered. MechAssault 2's gameplay, in particular, offered a much greater amount of variety and depth to the proceedings, including the abilities to leave your mech, hack enemy mechs, and even operate a number of non-mech machines, in addition to the excellent assortment of new and returning mechs that you could also pilot. Like the first MechAssault, Lone Wolf was also a pretty big hit with the critics, even though it sadly wasn't quite as successful commercially - - most likely as a result of the title having been released too late for the 2004 Christmas season, yet still a bit too hot on the heels of the absolutely unprecedented monster that was Halo 2.

Since their very first home console, the original PlayStation, one of Sony's most popular, key franchises has been the Gran Turismo series. For many years, the series was considered by many to be the pinnacle of video game racing experiences. Soon after launching their own home console, Microsoft created a brand new studio, Turn 10, with the express purpose of creating an Xbox equivalent to rival Gran Turismo. Though the game wouldn't end up releasing until the Xbox's final year on the market, Microsoft's goal was most definitely realized.

Forza Motorsport offered everything anybody could want in a Gran Turismo game, and more. The game boasted 231 cars of all types and from nearly every major auto maker, a vast wealth of customization options, realistic damage (which Gran Turismo didn't even have), a fantastic variety of both real world and original tracks to choose from, and a racing physics engine that was on par with those used to train professional racecar drivers. Not to mention that the game was fully playable online over Xbox Live.

Unsurprisingly, Forza Motorsport was a critical tour de force. The game was extremely favorably compared to Gran Turismo 4, which had been released only a few months prior to Forza, and had received a greater deal of criticisms across nearly the entire gaming press. Not only did Forza Motorspont manage to rival the long-standing king of the realistic console racing scene, Microsoft's game dethroned it entirely; and would then go on to spawn its own dynasty of industry-leading racing titles. A series that would manage to retain that status for the better part of two decades.

​The Xbox debuted on November 15, 2001, and featured an impressive number of phenomenal Launch titles, including the aforementioned Halo (Combat Evolved), Dead Or Alive 3, and Project Gotham Racing - - in addition to several fairly excellent others. The launch was one of the most successful in gaming history, with over 1.5 million consoles sold, by the end of 2001. Halo would come to define the system as the most popular game, by far, with a console attach rate of nearly 1 to 2 for the first year; falling only to 1 copy sold for every 4 systems, by the end of the Xbox's life. In fact, a Halo title would remain the number one best-selling game for the entirety of the console's run, with Combat Evolved only being surpassed by Halo 2, in its final year on the market.

On November 15, 2002, exactly one year after the Xbox's debut, Microsoft rolled out their planned Xbox Live online service for the console. Their decision to ship each console with an Ethernet port and a hard drive would prove to be a smart one, as those factors would greatly contribute to the success of the service; allowing a fast, seamless way for millions of console owners to play together, and even download a plethora of great new game content, as well. The launch of the service would also serve as a fantastic shot in the arm to console sales, a year into its run, with the debut of hot new online-capable titles like the (also) aforementioned Unreal Championship and MechAssault. The service ended up with over 2 million subscribers by the time the Xbox was discontinued, in 2005, and would only keep growing from there.

By most measures, the Xbox was an incredible success for Microsoft. It enabled them to gain a respectable foothold in the gaming market, and keep it there - - allowing them to effectively fill the gap left in the wake of Sega's abrupt departure - - and it even managed to outperform secondary rival, Nintendo's, GameCube console, in terms of total units sold, worldwide. However, one thing that the Xbox would not manage to do is make a dent in the numbers of their main rival, Sony's, PlayStation 2, which would actually go on to become the best-selling game console of all time.

But rather than simply standing aside and accepting their number 2 spot, Microsoft would redouble their efforts with their next console, the Xbox 360. Launching in November of 2005, a full year before Sony and Nintendo's next consoles, Microsoft would manage to, not only get a jump on their rivals, but actually outsell Sony's PlayStation 3 system for the majority of the console generation; only being surpassed by them overseas, and only in the last year of the PS3's life (which Sony would conveniently decide to extend to over a year longer, in the Japanese market). In an eerily ironic twist, however, Microsoft's foray into the video game console market would ultimately end up mirroring Sega's, with the ill-fated (or mismanaged) successor consoles - - the Xbox One and Series X/S, in Microsoft's case - - to their high-point second effort, each performing worse than the last. Despite their alarmingly rapid decline into irrelevance (as far as their console business has been concerned, anyway), Microsoft has still managed to leave an incredibly enjoyable and indelible mark on the home entertainment world; one which all arguably began with a powerful black DirectX-enabled box that launched way back in 2001.

[Images: Microsoft, Bungie, Team Ninja, SEGA, Atari, Fasa Studio, Bizarre Creations, Digital Illusions CE]

In late 1971, former amusement park manager and electrical engineer, Nolan Bushnell, together with his business partner Ted Dabney, and amusement company, Nutting Associates, created and released Computer Space - - the first arcade video game ever created, as well as the first ever commercial video game. Heavily inspired by the 1962 MIT computer program, Spacewar! - - one of the first ever non-commercial video games - - Computer Space would prove to be a modest success for Bushnell and Dabney. In June of the following year, the pair would form their own video game company, Atari, shortly before parting ways with Nutting Associates.

Their next arcade title, Pong, would also be their first official release as Atari, debuting in the fall of 1972. Pong would quickly become a massive hit, with Atari finding itself struggling to make new machines fast enough to keep up with the demand for them. Over the next few years, Atari would grow by leaps and bounds, releasing several Pong variants, in addition to a variety of other arcade titles. Then, in 1975, Atari struck a deal with department store chain, Sears, which would sell dedicated Pong consoles that could be hooked up and played directly from any consumer television set. Originally branded as the "Sears Tele-Game", Atari-branded versions would eventually become available, as well.

Following the success of their Pong home device, Bushnell started a project within Atari to develop the world's first ever flexible home gaming console, that could allow different titles to be swapped in and out at any time. In order to help see this device come to fruition, a deal was struck in which Atari would be acquired by entertainment conglomerate, Warner Communications, in exchange for $28 million, and Bushnell getting to stay on in his same roles, as chairman and CEO. Though they would ultimately be beaten to market by the 1976 release of US rival, Fairchild's, swappable cartridge-based home game console, the Video Entertainment System (later rebranded as the "Channel F"), Atari would eventually succeed at creating their own such system, as well.

Featuring 6 metal switches (later scaled back to 4) and a faux wood grain panel on the front, the Atari Video Computer System - - or VCS, for short - - would officially launch on October 14, 1977. While Atari was a bit slow to build up a respectable library and user base for the console, they would finally begin to hit their stride by the beginning of the 1980s, with monster hits like Space Invaders and Asteroids (amongst others). It was the (eventual) collection of top-notch titles like these that made the VCS the incredibly popular cultural phenomenon that it was. In honor of the console's anniversary, we would like to take a look back with you, now, at 12 of the finest examples of groundbreaking excellence that the Atari VCS/2600's library had to offer.

One of the first video game cartridges ever sold (as only a handful of Fairchild VES/Channel F titles had preceded it), Combat could also be considered the first Atari cartridge, as it originally came bundled with every one of their VCS systems sold. As far as first impressions go, Combat couldn't have been much more solid. This was despite the fact that the game was only for two players, which wasn't actually too big of an issue as the VCS also originally came bundled with two standard controllers.

Loosely based on their 1974 arcade game, Tank, Combat was a shooter title in which two players would face off in mostly one-one-one battles of either tank, biplanes, or jets (though some of the game types did offer three-on-one battle variations as well). The real fun of the game, however, was in all of the crazy variants on offer, such as invisible tanks, guided artillery (where you could actually steer your projectiles somewhat), and arguably the most entertaining by far, the repeatedly rebounding artillery game type, "Tank-Pong". In the years since its debut, Combat has been included in nearly every Atari compilation ever released and is generally considered to be among the greatest video games, not only for the VCS, but of all time.

Including Combat, Atari made a total of nine titles available to coincide with the launch of their VCS console. While these were overall a fairly decent assortment of games, only one really stood out above the rest (other than Combat, of course) - - Indy 500. A racing title inspired by the famous annual sporting event of the same name, the game was actually based off of Atari's 1975 arcade release, Indy 800.

Like Combat, Indy 500 featured a variety of game types to choose from, some with slightly crazier mechanics, such as the "Ice Race" variants, or the "Tag" game mode. Unlike Combat, however, not every game type in Indy 500 required a second player in order to enjoy them. Since the launch of the VCS, Indy 500 has fairly widely been regarded as one of, if not the best racing title ever released for the system. The game has frequently been included in the number of Atari compilations that have appeared of the years, often under its simpler alternate title, "Race (500)".

Considered by many to be the first shoot-'em-up video game ever made, Space Invaders was a 1978 arcade title from Japanese developer, Taito. The game was a massive hit upon release and helped to usher in what has since come to be known as the golden age of the arcade. As a result of the game's enormous popularity, it wasn't long before Atari acquired the rights for a VCS version; and Space Invaders soon became the first ever officially-licensed console port of an arcade title.

Just like the coin-op original, the 1982 home port of Space Invaders would also prove to be a monumental success. The title would quickly become the first ever "killer app" for a home game console, managing to actually quadruple sales numbers for Atari's previously struggling VCS. The overwhelmingly positive performance of the game would inspire Atari to license other popular titles for release on the console, starting with their infamous 1982 port of the Namco-developed 1980 arcade hit, Pac-Man.

First released to the arcade in the fall of 1979, Asteroids quickly caught on and, like Space Invaders, soon became one of the first monster hits of the arcade's famous golden age. A black-and-white vector-displayed title, Asteroids saw the player controlling a small triangular ship, and was tasked with both avoiding and destroying all the asteroids (and flying saucers) in the wrap-around field of play; with subsequent levels gradually increasing in difficulty. The game was notable for it's semi-realistic ship physics, emergency randomized teleport/hyperspace mechanic (which was actually "borrowed" from Spacewar!), and for its tense two-note melody that bore more than a passing resemblance to John Williams' famous "Jaws" theme.

Considering how popular the game was, it was only natural that a VCS port would eventually follow. Although the home version traded the detailed vector graphics of the arcade for blockier, simpler sprites, they were at least upgraded from black and white to color. Asteroids was also the first VCS game to utilize a programming technique called bank switching, which effectively doubled the cartridge size from the (then) standard 4 kilobytes to 8. The VCS release would prove to be every bit as popular as the coin-op version, and it would quickly become a best-selling title for the home console.

Nintendo's first big hit, ever, was their 1981 arcade title, Donkey Kong. Upon release, Donkey Kong took the world by storm and, along with Pac-Man and Space Invaders, became one of the biggest and most successful titles, not only of the arcade's golden age, but of all time. The game would also mark the beginning of Nintendo's Meteoric rise to success, in addition to debuting what would become two of their premier characters/franchise - Donkey Kong, himself, of course, as well as their future mascot, Mario (originally called "Jumpman").

While Atari would attempt to strike a deal for the licensing rights to the game, Nintendo would instead ultimately grant them to Atari rival, Coleco. However, in addition to bundling a port of the game with their new, more powerful ColecoVision console, Coleco would also create a port for the VCS, as well. Despite their own version looking and playing closer to the arcade original, as well as it being included with every ColecoVision sold, the VCS release would still end up as the most popular home console version by far, ultimately selling over twice as many copies.

For its part, the Atari port did look and play incredibly well on the inferior VCS hardware. Though it may have been missing a few things, and Donkey Kong, himself, may have more closely resembled an undecorated gingerbread man than a detailed cartoon ape, the game was still a joy to play, somehow managing to capture a bit of that same magic as the coin-op (instant) classic. Like the arcade version, the VCS port of Donkey Kong would also go on to become the third best-selling cartridge for the system; once again, right behind Pac-Man and Space Invaders.

Although Sega/Gremlin's 1978 arcade title, Frogs, may have come first, Konami's similarly-themed 1981 arcade hit, Frogger, traded the former's more relaxed, fly-catching focus, for the slightly more exciting gameplay hook of hopping your fragile amphibian across a busy highway and swift-moving river whilst attempting to avoid getting squashed by vehicles or swept away on a log. Frogger would quickly become a much bigger success than Frogs had ever been and Sega/Gremlin would end up publishing Konami's title in the West as well. As a result of Frogger's massive popularity, longtime board game company, Parker Brothers, would strike a deal with Sega for the home console rights, releasing a VCS port of the title in 1982.

Parker Brothers' port was highly-praised by the gaming press for its authenticity to the arcade original, in addition to its impressive level of detail. Like the arcade version, the Atari Frogger title would prove to be incredibly popular as well, ultimately becoming one of the top-selling games for the VCS. It would also set a record for Parker Brothers, as the best-selling new product in thier (then) entire 99-year history.

Arguably one of the most famous games to ever grace the Atari ironically wasn't even created by them. Rather, it was created by a contingent of disgruntled former employees of Atari that had come together in 1979 to form Activision, the first ever third-party video game development company. Although they had released a string of fairly popular titles prior to 1982, it was that year's game, Pitfall!, that would prove to be their biggest hit for the VCS by far.

One of the very first platformers - - following Nintendo's smash hit, Donkey Kong, just a couple months prior - - Pitfall! featured colorful graphics and an adventurous setting, with gameplay fairly strongly reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark (by which the game was actually partially inspired). As hero character, Pitfall Harry, the player was tasked with navigating a variety of jungle hazards whilst attempting to discover a number of secret treasures and relics that were hidden throughout the games many stages. Following its release, Pitfall! enjoyed heaps of praise and immense popularity, both from gaming publications and the population at large. The  game would go on to become one of the best-selling titles of all time for the VCS, and would also serve as Activision's first of their many wildly popular, top-selling game titles over the decades that would come.

After a rival ad campaign aggressively criticized two of their earlier sports releases for the console, Atari opted to start the RealSports series of titles, which would signify a higher tier of quality for their sports games going forward. One of the first releases under this new series would by 1982's RealSports Volleyball. The game would actually be an enhanced version of an earlier Volleyball prototype that had already been created by Atari, but never released.

Unlike the rather simplistic rectangles of earlier Atari "sports" titles like Pong and Video Olympics/Pong Sports, RealSports Volleyball featured actual player characters (Crude, though they may have looked) on an actual court; and at the beach, no less! The game also sported moving waves in the background, as well as a high sun that would gradually drop down low in the sky, and even set, if you played for long enough - - details that were incredibly impressive in those days! As arguably the greatest sports title to ever grace the 2600, RealSports Volleyball was well-regarded by critics and enthusiasts alike and has been included in numerous Atari compilations over the many years since its release.

In 1983, Activision released another outstanding 2600 platformer, called Keystone Kapers. In this title, you played as a Keystone Cop named Keystone Kelly, whose goal it was to navigate a hazard-filled, multi-level department store while chasing down a fleeing criminal named Harry Hooligan. The game was incredibly complex for the time and featured a mini-map, an elevator, escalators, toy airplanes, runaway shopping carts, bouncy balls, and more. Following its release, the game was highly praised - - particularly for its colorful, detailed graphics, and deeply entertaining gameplay - - and, along with Pitfall!, it is widely considered to be among both Activision's and the Atari 2600's best titles ever made.

Following the unprecedented success of Space Invaders, in 1980, Atari began searching for other popular arcade titles that they could license for release on the VCS.  Atari would soon strike a deal with acclaimed Japanese company, Namco, to port several of their coin-op releases to the console; starting with their wildly successful 1980 smash hit, Pac-Man. Despite selling millions of copies, the VCS port of Pac-Man was almost shockingly poor in quality and both the game and Atari were subject to quite a bit of criticism, as a result.

Atari did seem to take that criticism to heart somewhat, however, as their 1983 ports of Namco coin-op hits, Pole Position and Dig Dug, were much more faithful to the originals than Pac-Man had been. Dig Dug, in particular, was an exceptionally high quality 2600 adaptation. The title actually utilized a more advanced 16k ROM cartridge, instead of the system-standard 4k variety - - one of the few games to do so.

Even with the increased cartridge size, however, the (then) aging 2600 hardware still couldn't have reasonably been expected to fully replicate the look and sound of the latest and greatest arcade releases. Yet, Dig Dug on the 2600 came impressively close, far closer than Pac-Man; and arguably closer than any of the other countless arcade ports that graced the console. All of the game's simple charm, gameplay mechanics, and infectious melodies were replicated with a surprising level of accuracy. Unsurprisingly, Dig Dug was a critical and commercial success on the 2600 as well, ultimately selling over a million copies for Atari.

In 1983, Atari released the first ever video game to be based off of Charles M Schulz's incredibly popular Peanuts franchise. Snoopy and the Red Baron was an action title in which you controlled the beloved beagle, Snoopy, as his World War I fighter ace persona, engaging his "Sopwith Camel"/doghouse in aerial combat with his imaginary rival, the infamous Red Baron. Periodically, the Red Baron would briefly stop trying to shoot Snoopy out of the sky in order to instead drop bonus-awarding treats from his aeroplane, such as pizza slices, popcorn, and glasses of root beer.

Despite being released during the waning months of the Atari 2600's life, when the market-altering video game crash of 1983 was beginning to take its toll, the game was still a well-regarded, charming, and colorful late life classic for the console. Additional Peanuts titles had been planned for the 2600, but were cancelled as a result of the aforementioned deteriorating market conditions. Two fairly decent follow-ups to Snoopy and the Red Baron would eventually materialize, however, just not on an Atari device - - the 2006 PlayStation 2 title, Snoopy Vs the Red Baron, and the 2010 Xbox (360) Live Arcade release, Snoopy: Flying Ace.

In mid-1982, shortly before releasing their outstanding home port of Konami's coin-op hit, Frogger, Parker Brothers had released another title - - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. In addition to being one of the first movie-to-video game adaptations ever, it was also Parker Brothers' very first video game - - as well as the first ever official Star Wars video game. While the title's sales and general reception weren't disappointing, per se, they weren't particularly impressive either; and neither could remotely compare to Frogger's.

Throughout 1983, three more Star Wars titles would be released - - two additional 2600 games from Parker Brothers, and an arcade title from Atari. While both of the Parker Brothers releases were of fairly middling quality, Atari's simply-titled "Star Wars" was an absolutely incredibly 3-dimensional, vector-displayed rail shooter (one of the first ever made, in fact), in which players could pilot an X-wing starfighter in a recreated simulation of the final Death Star assault sequence from the groundbreaking 1977 film. Atari's Star Wars title was not only one of the most profitable arcade releases of that year, but has since been regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made.

In 1984, following their steady stream of Star Wars mediocrity, Parker Brothers smartly decided to release a port of Atari's arcade hit, as well. Titled, "Star Wars: The Arcade Game", their console port did a heroically stellar job of recreating nearly every aspect of the fantastic arcade hit on the vastly less powerful (and by this time), absolutely ancient 2600 hardware. Somehow, the game still managed to feature 3D vector-style graphics, a melody from the movie, and all three distinct gameplay phases from the arcade version. Sadly, whether due to the oversaturation of the market by Parker Brothers' previous Star Wars stinkers, or to the game having been released near the height of the video game crash of '83 (or both), Star Wars: The Arcade Game came and went, largely unnoticed by the gaming press and public; but it has since become one of the pricier and more sought-after 2600 titles, among collectors.

In 1978, Warner Communications hired former Burlington Industries VP, Ray Kassar, to head up Atari's marketing department. Kassar and Bushnell would soon come to disagree on where best to focus company resources, which would ultimately lead to Bushnell's departure from Atari, in 1979, and Kassar replacing him as CEO, later that same year. Sadly, Kassar was a lot better at marketing than he was at managing, and his arrogant, unappreciative leadership style would soon lead to a mass exodus of Atari's most talented programmers, several of which would band together to form their own game companies. The most notable of these, of course, being Activision.

In December of 1979, American toy manufacturing company, Mattel, released  their Intellivision home game console, in direct competition with Atari's VCS. In response, Atari would begin working to create a newer, more powerful VCS replacement. This new console, dubbed the "5200", would eventually launch in November of 1982. In order to better differentiate the two consoles and ensure optimal branding alignment, Atari would officially rename the VCS to the "2600", that very same month.

As a result of their decision to release their new console near the height of the 2600's popularity, in addition to not initially providing it with any compatibility whatsoever with the already well-established  library of popular 2600 titles, the 5200 would end up being a pretty spectacular failure for Atari. Worse still, 1982 happened to be the same year that Atari would cause irreparable damage to their reputation, with the release of both Pac-Man and E. T. - - two of their most high profile and highly-anticipated titles that would also end up being two of their worst. By 1983, the public began to lose faith, and interest, in Atari, and their sales began to plummet precipitously as a result - - kicking off what would later become known as the infamous video game crash of 1983.

By 1984, Warner was already looking to divest itself of their failing subsidiary, which they ultimately did, with their July sale of Atari to former Commodore International CEO, Jack Tramiel. Under Tramiel, Atari would release multiple new consoles over a span of several years, including the newer, smaller 2600 "Jr"; an even more powerful 2600-compatible successor, called the 7800; the Atari Lynx color portable; and the "64-bit" Atari Jaguar. Sadly, Atari wouldn't see much success with any of these products and the brand would end up changing hands a couple more times before finally being  scooped up by French company, Infogrames Entertainment, in 2001. Though Tramiel's Atari would stop supporting the 2600 in 1992, in 2023, Infogrames - - which rebranded themselves as Atari, in 2009 - - in conjunction with Austrian media company, Plaion, would begin selling multiple 2600 and 7800 titles, as well as a slightly smaller, high-definition, 7800-compatible VCS replica (right down to the woodgrain panel), called the 2600+; something they are still doing to this day.

[Images: Atari, Coleco, Parker Brothers, Activision]