With the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X hitting stores this week, I bet you're wondering how these launches will compare to some of the great system debuts of all time. Will they hit as hard as the Dreamcast? Will they have a killer app as good as the Nintendo 64? Or will they fumble out of the gate like the Saturn? These are all good questions. And in order to find the answers, I'm going to embark on a four-episode journey where we analyze console launches throughout history, all through the eyes of one of my favorite video game magazines -- Electronic Gaming Monthly.

For this series, we're going to talk about the history and importance of each launch, all while seeing what the EGM review crew had to say about the system's earliest games. This is going to be an epic and comprehensive journey that will takes us through nearly two dozen consoles and hundreds of launch games. We're going to start with the 16-bit consoles of the late 1980s and early 90s, work our way through the 32-bit war, check in with a bunch of PlayStation sequels, as well as couple Xboxes and then eventually end with the Wii. Oh, and don't forget about all those handhelds. EGM covered a total of 23 different consoles, and we're going to look at each and every one of them.


This is the first part of a 4-part series covering a wide assortment of launch games. We encourage you to continue the journey with Part 2: 1992-1996, Part 3: 1999-2001 and the series finale, Part 4: 2004-2006. You can also find the full EGM & the Launch Games playlist on YouTube. And now, let's start our journey with a look at the first console launches that were covered by Electronic Gaming Monthly ...


Electronic Gaming Monthly may not have been there for the launch of the 8-bit systems, but they definitely showed up when it came to the 16-bitters. The first out the gate was the Sega Genesis, which launched in the United States on August 14, 1989. After getting trounced by the Nintendo Entertainment System in the 8-bit war, Sega knew they had to make a splash with their next-generation unit, and they did exactly that with a balanced and varied selection of launch games that rightly used massive arcade hits to impress both critics and consumers.

If you bought a Genesis on day one, then you would be going home with a pack-in version of Altered Beast, which was a hugely recognizable game that had been a staple of American arcades since its 1988 release. Unfortunately, Electronic Gaming Monthly bad track record when it comes to not reviewing pack-in games, so we'll never know what the editors thought of this Genesis port. And while we're on the subject, they also ignored Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, which barely got mentioned in the pages of EGM.

The good news is that Ed Semrad, Steve Harris and the rest of the review crew managed to rate the five other games that launched with the Genesis. The worst reviewed game was Last Battle, a side-scrolling beat 'em up that the editors compared to Altered Beast and Kung Fu Master. They hated the simplistic gameplay and short length, but the great graphics were enough to raise the average to a 6 out of 10. The stunning 16-bit graphics also helped Space Harrier II, which managed to average a score of 6.75. The fact that it even scored that high is due entirely to Donn, who called it a "great game" and raved that it was an "outstanding" sequel. The rest of the review crew were less enthusiastic, with most giving it a 6 and calling it a "not bad" shooter. Oh well, at least it's better than the 8-bit version.

One of the strategies Sega employed in the early days of the Genesis was to get famous names attached to their games. You saw that with Michael Jackson's Moonwalker and Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf, but the first example of this was Tommy Lasorda Baseball. This was the only sports game at the Genesis launch, and the critics were impressed. Scoring 7s and 8s from all four critics, the consensus was that Tommy had great graphics, realistic gameplay and even a password feature that let you save the season. Even Jim, who was one of two critics that gave it a 7, said that it's probably the best baseball game on the market. With an average score of 7.5 out of 10, it was not just the best-reviewed baseball game they had covered at that point, but it was also the best-reviewed sports game. It wouldn't be topped until they played Ultimate Basketball by Sammy, which was reviewed 12 issues later.

Wrapping up the Genesis launch games, we saw the shoot 'em up Thunder Force II debut with an impressive average of 7.75. Everybody agreed that this was a great shooter that proves the series could eventually be great. And they were right, because Thunder Force III was a landmark shooter that remains one of the genre's best reviewed games.

But forget about Tommy, Thunder Force and Space Harrier, because the first killer app on the Genesis was an incredible arcade port of Capcom's Ghouls 'N Ghosts. This was the must-own title, with all four editors giving the game 9s and showering it with praise. In fact, the game proved to be so good that Ghouls 'N Ghosts ended up winning five awards in the Best & Worst of 1989 issue, including best graphics, coolest boss, best sequel and best game of the year.

With the help of Ghouls 'N Ghosts, the Sega Genesis launch games managed to average an impressive 7.4 out of 10. That's just a bit higher than the 6.7 average we saw at the end of the system's life. Even with Sonic still a couple years off, Sega's Genesis was off to a solid start thanks to a lot of great arcade ports.


Sega wasn't the only company launching 16-bit hardware in August of 1989. Released only fifteen days after the Genesis, NEC's TurboGrafx-16 launched with half the titles and a lot less fanfare. While Sega relied heavily on arcade hits, NEC went with a slightly different approach -- focus on great original games that tried to split the difference between the arcade experience and console sensibilities. As a result, we get a 2D platformer, hack and slash brawler, science fiction-themed pinball and a brand-new racing game with more than a passing resemblance to Sega's OutRun.

Unfortunately, Electronic Gaming Monthly only reviewed half of the TurboGrafx launch games. Just like with Altered Beast, they opted against scoring the system's pack-in -- Keith Courage in Alpha Zone. Instead of review it, they ended up giving Keith Courage an award for Most Unintelligible Spelling in a Game, which isn't exactly the kind of prize you see quoted in the advertising. What's even more frustrating is the lack of an Alien Crush review. This weird little pinball game eventually led to Devil's Crush, which the EGM editors were mostly impressed with a year later. Sadly, we'll never know which version the review crew preferred.

Of the two launch games reviewed by Electronic Gaming Monthly, Victory Run received the lower scores. But don't feel too bad for it, because with a 7.25 out of 10, this was still the best reviewed racing game of 1989. Of course, it was also the only racing game EGM reviewed in 1989, but don't let that inconvenient fact get in the way of me praising this oft-forgotten gem.

Thankfully, it was the other launch game that really made the case for the TurboGrax-16. I'm talking about none other than The Legendary Axe, which was just about the closest you were going to get to a Ghouls 'N Ghosts killer in 1989. With an average of 8.25 out of 10, the review crew loved this Turbo exclusive. Ed compared it to Rastan, Donn said it was "one of the best action/adventure games " he had ever seen and Steve argued that it has some of the best graphics you'll ever see. As Jim said, "The Legendary Axe is everything you could want in a game," which is why EGM named it the best TurboGrafx game of 1989.

By only reviewing two of the four launch games, Electronic Gaming Monthly failed to tell the full story when it came to the TurboGrafx-16. By only tackling what likely would have been the two highest scoring games, the Turbo's launch averaged an impressive 7.8 out of 10. Of course, that high score was only temporary. By the time EGM reviewed their final TurboGrafx game in 1994, the average had sunk all the way down to a more reasonable 6.3. One can only imagine what the score would have been with Alien Crush and Keith Courage included.


1989 may have been dominated by new 16-bit consoles, but that was only half of the story. This was the year that also gave us true handheld gaming, which officially kicked off in the United States with the release of the Nintendo Game Boy on July 31st. It may have been large and clunky by today's standards, but this little black and white system was one of the most impressive things I had ever seen in 1989. It also quickly became my go-to handheld, thanks in large part to games like Tetris and Super Mario Land.

Looking back on what EGM said about the Game Boy, it's clear that they were not impressed. Year after year, the editors gave the monochromatic games low scores and bashed the outdated hardware, with many saying that they never liked the system. You can see the start of that sentiment back in 1989, when the review crew tackled four of the system's five launch games.

Unlike the Genesis and TurboGrafx, Electronic Gaming Monthly decided to review the pack-in game -- Tetris. They liked it ... for the most part. Given how enduring Tetris has been over the last three decades, you might expect the editors to be head over heels in love with this black and white version. After all, it often gets cited as not just one of the most influential games of all time, but also one of the best. Yet EGM was not ready to fall in love with Tetris. Sure, they called it addictive and a perfect fit on the Game Boy, but concluded that it was missing something and gave it a 7.75 out of 10.

Unfortunately, we can also say that about Super Mario Land, which averaged the same 7.75. Every editor liked Mario's shrunken adventure, but the review crew was underwhelmed. They complained that it was too short and too simple when compared to the NES games, though Donn admitted that it's the best Game Boy game he had ever seen before giving it a 7. EGM expected more out of Mario.

Speaking of the Italian plumber, Nintendo's mascot was also used to sell the three other launch games -- Baseball, Alleyway and Tennis. Unfortunately, Electronic Gaming Monthly decided not to review Tennis, but if their review of Baseball is any indication, perhaps we were spared reading about another generic sports game. They called Baseball "adequate," while complaining that it left out too many modes and features. Steve gave it a 4 and argued that it's "not good, but it's not bad either." This very middle-of-the-road game of baseball averaged a disappointing 6.25 out of 10.

If you think that's bad, then let me introduce you to Alleyway, the Game Boy's worst reviewed game. This Breakout clone feels like a throwback to the early days of the Nintendo Entertainment System, and I don't mean that in a good way. Ed gave it a 3 and called it "nothing special." He recommended Game Boy owners save their money and wait for better games to come out. The one argument for Alleyway was that it felt like a perfect fit on the Game Boy. With ho-hum graphics and a lack of power-ups, Alleyway averaged a pitiful 5 out of 10.

All in all, EGM did a good job covering the Game Boy's launch. By only skipping one game, they managed to review 80% of the launch, which is a lot better than most of the consoles we'll talk about in this series. That said, the editors were largely underwhelmed by the selection, with the four reviewed games averaging a so-so 6.7 out of 10. And even though that's on the low side, it's still better than the 6.2 average the system would see by the time it was discontinued. I think it's fair to say that Electronic Gaming Monthly never fully embraced the Game Boy.


Believe it or not, the Game Boy was not the only portable system released in 1989. Coming just two months after Nintendo's black and white handheld, Atari launched the Lynx, a color portable with a 16-bit processor that outclassed the competition in practically every way ... at least on paper. The system would eventually rely on Atari's wide selection of arcade hits, including Paperboy, Pit-Fighter, RoadBlasters, S.T.U.N. Runner and more. But there isn't even a hint of that when we look at the Lynx's four launch games.

Seeing as the system was originally designed by Epyx, it only seems fair that they developed all four of the games we're going to talk about today. This included a colorful third-person shooter Electrocop, the side-scrolling shoot 'em up Gates of Zendocon and California Games, which was easily the system's most recognizable franchise. Unfortunately, Electronic Gaming Monthly failed to review any of these games. In fact, the magazine neglected reviewing any game for the system until April of 1990, which was a full seven months after the system's launch. And even then, they only reviewed eight Lynx games in 1990.

The good news is that the one launch game they eventually got around to reviewing was also the system's killer app. Blue Lightning was a bright and colorful game that was not only impressive as a handheld game, but also would have wowed as a console game. It featured relatively smooth 3D effects that were not far off from what Sega was doing with Space Harrier. The review crew agreed, calling Blue Lightning "a showpiece game for this extraordinary system." Their biggest complaint was how repetitive it got towards the end, but all four critics agreed that the 3D effects make up for that. They gave the one and only launch game they reviewed an average of 7.75 out of 10, which also makes the system's average a 7.75. That's higher than most of the systems released in 1989, but it's hard to compare when they only review one of the four launch games.


After a flurry of high-profile console launches in 1989, things calmed down until 1991. This was the year when both Sega and Nintendo released new hardware, with one of them going on to become one of the biggest players in the 16-bit war. But before we get to the Super NES, let's first take a look at the Game Gear, which was released in the United States in April of that year.

With a color screen and all-star line-up, this was Sega's response to the black and white Game Boy. In a lot of ways, Sega took what they were doing on the aging Master System and moved it over to this brand-new handheld, eventually going as far as to let you play the console games on the portable system with an adaptor. But when it came to the system's launch, it's clear that the company had a game plan -- dazzle consumers with big names and stripped-down ports.

The biggest name was none other than Mickey Mouse, who had just received high praise for his turn in Castle of Illusion on the Genesis. Critics were also impressed with Sega's 8-bit version, even if it didn't hit the same highs as its 16-bit doppelganger. Martin Alessi was quick to call it "the best Game Gear game yet," raving about it being the perfect translation of the Master System version. Ed echoed those thoughts and hoped it would be an indication of all future Game Gear games. Although not as impressive as the Genesis version, this handheld port of Castle of Illusion still managed to score an average of 7.75 out of 10, making it the system's most celebrated launch games.

Unfortunately, it's all downhill from here. In fact, the very next review in the same issue was for Revenge of Drancon, a weirdo Wonder Boy port with a confusing new name. Ed was quick to call this ploy out, noting that it "sounds like a sneaky way to sell more Wonder Boy games." Martin called it "good by not great," complaining that it's a port of a game that had already been on the Master System for four years. Sushi-X sums it up perfectly: Revenge of Drancon is "basically nothing more than Wonder Boy on the tiny screen." With a 5, 6 and a couple of 7s, this sneaky port averaged a score of 6.25 out of 10.

I wish I had better news for the handheld, but things only got worse with G-LOC. In case you don't remember the 1990 arcade game, it was basically an Afterburner-style dogfighting game, complete with advanced 3D effects and some truly mind-blowing graphics for the time. The problem is that none of that translated when it came to the Game Gear version. The handheld was woefully unprepared to even attempt that kind of port, and the reviews reflected this poor decision. Giving it a 5, Martin says that "G-LOC just doesn't stand up to other handheld airplane shooters." Ed called it the Game Gear's version of Blue Lightning, only "without smooth scaling effects and fluid moving action." This scaled-down shooter didn't impress anybody and ultimately averaged a disappointing 5.5 out of 10, the lowest score of any Game Gear launch game.

It's worth mentioning that Electronic Gaming Monthly only reviewed three of the six games released on day one. This means that we'll never know what the magazine thought of the puzzle game Columns, side-scrolling platformer Psychic World and racing game Super Monaco GP. That said, we can make a reasonable guess based on how they scored the Master System versions of each of those games. For example, they gave the 8-bit version of Columns a 5.5 out of 10, substantially lower than the 7.4 average we saw on the Genesis. It's even worse when we look at Super Monaco GP, where the Master System version averaged a sub-standard 4.75, half of the 9.5 average found with the Genesis version. That said, we can't use the Master System to predict Game Gear scores. When we look at the three launch games EGM actually reviewed, the Game Gear averages a score of 6.5 out of 10. Not that far off from where Nintendo's Game Boy landed.


Speaking of Nintendo, it's finally time to talk about the Super NES. This is not only one of the very best game systems ever released, but also the first time Electronic Gaming Monthly has reviewed 100% of the launch games. They came close with the Game Boy, but the magazine managed to go five for five with the Super NES. As somebody analyzing old school reviews, I really appreciate the extra effort they put into being so thorough. Let's hope this is a trend that continues throughout the 1990s (and beyond).

I think it's fair to say that the Super NES was the first console launch that EGM took seriously. That's not to say that the magazine ignored the Genesis and TurboGrafx launch, but EGM was in a different spot by 1991. They were producing larger issues with more spreads and special features. The Super NES launch allowed them to spend month after month previewing the games and tearing apart the hardware. They had never done anything like it before, and their coverage did not go unnoticed. By the time Nintendo launched their 16-bitter on August 23, 1991, EGM had already reviewed all of the launch games, as well as most of cartridges that would trickle out over the next few months. They wanted to be the number 1 source for unbiased Super NES coverage.

When it comes to the reviews, they loved almost everything. In fact, the worst-reviewed launch game was SimCity, which still managed to average an impressive 7.5 out of 10. While it may have been a massive hit on PC, the review crew wasn't sure what to make of this Super NES port. Ed gave it a 9 and called it a cerebral experience where nothing had been overlooked. Sushi-X, on the other hand, gave it a 6 and complained that "you can't even nuke the city when you get bored." With scores going in every direction, SimCity was clearly the system's most polarizing launch game.

Another Super NES game to get mostly strong scores was Pilotwings, the system's showpiece game. More than anything else at launch, this was the game that expertly demonstrated the Super Nintendo's Mode 7 scalin g and rotating effects. That may not seem like a big deal in 2020, but these 3D effects were considered a game-changer three decades ago. The review crew were mostly on the same page when it came to Pilotwings, calling it a good showpiece that is criminally lacking on content. Steve griped about the lack of multiplayer, Ed thought it was too easy and Martin was underwhelmed by the graphics. With an average of 7.75 out of 10, the EGM editors were ready for a proper sequel. We'll see how that ranks in our next episode.

Our next game is also about flying, but in a very different way. The one and only traditional shoot 'em up at launch was Gradius III from Konami, the lone third-party game reviewed in this episode. This was a sequel to the hugely popular arcade and NES game, and the review crew was primed to give it high scores. But while the four critics all gave the game straight 8s, it's impossible to ignore the disappointment in their words. A lot of the criticism centered around its lack of originality and the severe technical problems, which involved a whole lot of slowdown and screen flickers. It didn't help that Gradius III came right after Thunder Force III and Gaiares, two of the best 16-bit shoot 'em ups ever made. Despite the disappointment, this Konami classic still managed to average an impressive 8 out of 10.

If you weren't into simulating cities, found Pilotwings boring and didn't think Gradius was next-gen enough, then F-Zero was the game for you. In a world where racing games looked Victory Run, this futuristic Nintendo game was a sea change for the racing genre. Giving it 8s and 9s, the EGM critics were wowed by the Mode 7 effects and inventive track designs. Sushi-X argued that this is not just another racing game, but rather a new high-water mark full of hairpin turns, flying jumps and head spinning. Martin called it awesome and raved that it's the most addicting Super NES cart yet. Ed also gave it a 9, but said that he prefers "true" racing games. I get what he's saying, but with an average of 8.5 out of 10, I'm here to say that F-Zero already is a true racing game.

And that brings us to the best-reviewed Super NES launch game, which also turns out to be the game that came with the system. I am of course talking about Super Mario World, which earned nothing but 9s from all four critics. Martin called it "the biggest and most fun to play game ever" and Sushi-X named it "the ultimate Mario adventure." But even with all these high scores, you could tell there was some hesitation in the ranks. Steve noted that Super Mario World "may not be the ideal cart to show off all the fancy things the Super NES can do." Ed went even further, explaining that he "had hoped Nintendo would do more with the game than just make another Mario adventure." And it's this feeling of sameness that ultimately led Mario to lose to Sonic the Hedgehog for EGM's game of the year award in 1991.

But who cares about the competition when you're launch line-up is this good? I think it's safe to say that the Super NES debuted with only good games, even if some are better than others. They covered a number of different genres and even gave a third-party developer something to do, which was incredibly rare in the early days of system launches. With an average of 8.2 out of 10, the Super NES has the best and most consistent line-up so far. Unfortunately, that average didn't hold for long. By the time Nintendo ran out of 16-bit cartridges, the system's average had dropped all the way down to a 7 out of 10. I think we can all agree that this was a great start for a great console.

PART 2: 1992-1996

PART 3: 1999-2001

PART 4: 2004-2006