Welcome back to the fourth and final episode of EGM and the Launch Games, the show where we analyze two decade's worth of console launches through the eyes of Electronic Gaming Monthly. Over the past few weeks, we've looked at the rise of the 16-bit consoles, the growing pains of the 32-bit generation and the mainstreaming of the modern era. We've seen the industry go from arcade ports to computer ports, from mascot heroes to first-person heroes, from Mario to ... well ... Mario. Some things never change.

In today's episode, we've finally made it to the final five consoles that EGM had the honor of covering. This not only includes the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii, but also the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. We're going to see if anything can top the Nintendo 64 as the best-reviewed launch line-up of all time.


This is the fourth part of a 4-part series covering a wide assortment of launch games. We encourage you to continue the journey with Part 1: 1989-1991, Part 2: 1992-1996 and the series finale, Part 3: 1999-2001. You can also find the full EGM & the Launch Games playlist on YouTube. And now, let's complete our 4-part journey by looking at the final consoles (and handhelds) covered by Electronic Gaming Monthly ...


It took Nintendo twelve years to deliver a proper next-generation Game Boy, but only three years to make it all but obsolete. While Nintendo may have insisted at the time that the DS wasn't a Game Boy Advance replacement, that's essentially what happened. Electronic Gaming Monthly would go on to review only eleven more GBA games, with only a handful coming out in 2005 and 2006. The Nintendo DS would go on to become a smash hit, selling more than 150 million units and housing games that EGM couldn't stop raving about. In fact, it proved to be so successful that Nintendo did the unthinkable -- they retired the Game Boy brand once and for all.

I think the best word to describe the Nintendo DS launch line-up is "unfocused." In a lot of ways, this does not feel like a traditional Nintendo console launch, since the company only published one of the six games. Nintendo's sole contribution was an updated port of Super Mario 64, which seemed like an odd fit for a system without even a single analog stick. The frustrating gameplay was front and center in the EGM reviews, with Mark complaining that "this game has control issues. None of the different control options on the DS come close to providing the effortless precision the analog stick delivers." Shoe was also disappointed, but for a different reason: "Why not make this a completely brand-new game? I would've sold Mark's first born for that." Despite a few hang-ups, the critics liked revisiting this Nintendo 64 classic and gave the DS port an 8.3 out of 10.

With only one game from Nintendo, you would think that this would be the perfect opportunity for third-party publishers to make the system their own. Unfortunately, the selection is mostly uninspired licensed games and franchise spin-offs. I'm talking about games like Spider-Man 2, which Andrew described as being "like wasting your life, 15 minutes at a time." The editors hated the level designs and frustrating difficulty, which ultimately translated into an average of 4.8 out of 10, the lowest scoring game at the DS launch.

In case you're wondering, the best-reviewed game was The Urbz: Sims in the City, a short-lived spin-off of The Sims. While Jennifer and Demian liked the game enough to give it sevens and eights, it was Carrie who boosted the average with a near-perfect 9.5 out of 10. "The story and surprising twists work to make Urbz feel a lot less like a Tamagotchi with care and feeding and a lot more like an actual game -- like a Westernized version of Animal Crossing, but with a plot." Speaking of surprises, that score raises the overall average up to an 8.5 out of 10.

The most unique and compelling DS game at launch was a weird Sega original called Feel the Magic: XY/XX. Want to know how much Jennifer loved this game? She loved it so much that she was able to get past the Cop a Feel mode, "in which you stroke your girlfriend in ... special ... places just for kicks." This may have creeped her out, but "the wide variety of minigames really utilized the DS' touch screen." Demian, on the other hand, was split reviewing Feel the Magic. The stylish art design was a plus, but the game is ultimately too short and the minigames are too simple. This bizarre Sonic Team release averaged a solid 8 out of 10.

Probably the least surprising release at the DS launch was Madden NFL 2005, which you should just go ahead and expect with every system debut. Patrick called it a "paradox," noting that he's "embracing technology with the brand-new Nintendo handheld, but then embarking on an old school gaming experience that looks almost exactly like Madden on the N64." That was one of the kinder reviews, which is why Madden averaged a 7.2 out of 10. Similarly, the critics were underwhelmed by Asphalt Urban GT, a racing game ported to the DS from the Nokia N-Gage. The editors liked the smooth and pretty visuals, but were underwhelmed by gameplay and lack of DS features. The lone racing game at launch received an average of 6 out of 10.

It's weird how little Nintendo there was in the launch of the Nintendo DS. The truth is, this line-up is incredibly depressing. We get a Super Mario 64 port with frustrating controls, a downgraded Madden port, an N-Gage reject, a Sims spin-off nobody remembers and your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. I have a hunch that the only game people would go back and play now is Feel the Magic, and even that is short-lived. The DS would go on to sell millions of units and even rival the PlayStation 2's sales, but you wouldn't know it based on these launch games. The six Nintendo DS launch games end up averaging a 7.1 out of 10, which is still a little high in my opinion.


Coming not even half a year after the Nintendo DS, Sony entered the handheld market with the PlayStation Portable. This was a compact device with a widescreen display, UMD drive, internet access and roughly the power of the PlayStation 2. And with the brand name and tons of third-parties behind it, there was no way the little PSP could fail. 15 years later, we know that the Nintendo DS caught fire and ultimately won the handheld war, but Sony's first attempt at a portable system sold more than 80 million units and had a large library of must-own games. Not too shabby.

Looking only at the launch games, the PSP clobbered the Nintendo DS. Not only did it launch with nearly three times the amount of games, but there was also a wider variety of genres, bigger name franchises and more enthusiastic reviews across the board. The PSP's launch felt more in line with modern console debuts, while the DS launch came across as weirdly outdated. We'll compare the numbers at the end, but let's first take a look at the eleven PSP launch games reviewed by EGM.

As it turns out, the best-reviewed title at launch was a PlayStation mainstay. I'm of course talking about Ridge Racer, a franchise that launched with the PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3. Here it is on the PSP, and this is arguably the best version of the game yet. Giancarlo loved that this handheld Ridge Racer offered a collection of tracks from every game in the series, making it a greatest hits package. "These old courses are not only still incredibly fun to race on, but they also hold up well with the new drifting boost feature, which gives added incentive to perfect your drifting skills." The EGM editors had a few nitpicks here and there, but they gave it an average of 8.8 out of 10 and had no problem recommended it to PSP owners.

And that wasn't the only racing game they enthusiastically endorsed. Right on Ridge Racers' tail was wipEout purE, which EGM described as "sleek, shiny and superfast." It was almost too much for Demian, who started his review by saying, "Every few minutes, I have to remind myself: Relax the death grip. Unclench the jaw. wipEout is that intense." Shane agreed, saying that it was a return to form for the franchise. "Pure revives the speed, style and grace of XL while cherry-picking the worthwhile features." Their biggest complaint seemed to be the lack of tracks, which is why it ultimately averaged an 8.2 out of 10.

It's also worth mentioning that Need for Speed Underground: Rivals launched with the PSP. While EGM didn't like it as much as Ridge Racer and wipEout, they still gave it a 7.8 out of 10 and called it "an impressive effort." They were far less kind to vehicular combat game Twisted Metal: Head-On, a franchise that had run itself into the ground by 2005. Robert complained that "Twisted Metal has circled the block a few times, and it shows. I resisted its archaic control scheme, I scoffed at the charmless characters and simple jousting patterns. But as the later, larger levels opened up and I started getting a feel for the combat, Head-On grew on me." He wasn't alone in these criticisms, which is why Twisted Metal: Head-On only managed to average a 6.7 out of 10.

The good news is that the PSP launch was about a lot more than just racing games. One of the biggest surprises was Lumines, a music/puzzle mash-up that earned a toe-tapping 8.5 out of 10. Che gave it a near-perfect 9.5, but warned that it takes a little while to see the game's greatness. "At first, the game will strike you as a cool-kid variant of Puzzle Fighter. But like all good puzzle games, there comes an epiphany -- a sort of Zend understanding -- of the game's core mechanics, after which you'll be hopelessly hooked on its hypnotic sights and sounds." Shane was less impressed, noting that "the weird design choices keeps Lumines from being truly classic. None of the modes delivers a balanced gameplay experience." With both sides represented and an average of 8.5, Lumines beats Tetris as the best-reviewed puzzle game to launch with any system.

The PSP line-up was so good that it even launched with a brand- new Metal Gear game, though it wasn't the one that everybody expected. Metal Gear Ac!d was an odd turn-based strategy game with a story way more baffling than anything we saw in the Solid series. The EGM editors were confused, but not necessarily in a bad way. Warning that it's a "seriously hardcore game," Shoe concluded that "the variety kept me spying. Almost every stage introduces something new, whether it was getting a partner to control or wearing disguises." Scooter agreed, noting that "as someone who likes Metal Gear and turn-based games, I quite dig it, but I know Ac!d's unique formula will alienate most of you." With a score of 7.8 out of 10, this sadly forgotten Metal Gear chapter was one of the PSP's most interesting oddities at launch.

One of the biggest complaints people had about the PSP was that it often felt like a dumping ground for stripped-down console ports. We saw a little of that with the launch line-up, thanks to Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix, a lengthier version of the console hit from 2004. The editors loved that it looked and played just like it did on the home consoles, complete with new levels and classic modes. They hated the Jackass story and limited multiplayer modes. EGM gave it an impressive 8.5 out of 10. They said similar things about NFL Street 2: Unleashed, yet another port of a 2004 game. They were impressed with the fast-paced action, but felt the single-player mode was shallow and boring. NFL Street 2 averaged an 8 out of 10. On the other hand, they were less impressed with the port of Dynasty Warriors, which earned a 5.8 out of 10 and became the system's lowest-scoring launch game. As Che put it, "If you've played Dynasty Warriors before on a console, then this kid brother version will feel comfortably familiar." This was one of those games that suffered by showing off the handheld's limitations.

Although EGM did a great job reviewing most of the launch line-up, there were a few games they missed. For one thing, they skipped right over most of the sports games, including Gretzky NHL, World Tour Soccer and a game simply titled NBA. Just NBA. They also avoided talking about Ape Escape: On the Loose, a handheld remake of the 1999 PlayStation game. Even more curious is the lack of coverage for DarkStalkers Chronicles: The Chaos Tower, the system's lone fighting game at launch. Looks like the fighting game craze had finally subsided. Averaging the eleven launch games reviewed by EGM, the PSP scores a 7.6 out of 10, which is half a point higher than the Nintendo DS. That may not sound like much, but only seven systems scored higher, and some of those only launched with a couple of games.


After selling a little over twenty million Xbox units and coming in a distant third place, Microsoft knew they needed to shake things up with a brand-new plan. Their strategy was to launch the next-generation console early, that way they could spend twelve months building a massive library and dominate fanbase without worrying about the pesky competition getting in the way. This strategy has been met with mixed results in the past, but it ended up working out for the 360.

Part of the reason the next-generation Xbox was so successful was because the launch line-up offered an impressive selection of great games. Part of this came from the purchase of Rare Ltd., but most of it came from the third-parties delivering strong must-play games that really took advantage of the 360's added power. EGM ended up reviewing 12 of the 18 launch games, and they came away impressed.

The top-ranked game was Project Gotham Racing 3, the third installment to one of the original Xbox's best launch games. Che was quick to chime in that "PGR3 is pretty much everything I've been looking for in a racing game but somehow didn't even know I wanted until I strapped into its gorgeous interior." Shane loved that the game was "perched comfortably between the fanciful arcade insanity of Ridge Racer and the meticulous gearhead simulation of Gran Turismo." He gushed that "PGR3 offers instant gratification: From the outset you're getting behind the wheel of some wickedly powerful sports cars. And you'll actually want to improve your skills, thanks to the series' trademark kudos system." With all three editors wowed by the graphics and gameplay, Project Gotham Racing 3 averaged a speedy 9 out of 10.

It's worth mentioning that the Xbox 360 launched with two other racing games, neither of which impressed the critics as much as Project Gotham Racing 3. They called Need for Speed: Most Wanted formulaic and complained that Electronic Arts didn't do enough to warrant the game being released on the next-generation console. Need for Speed averaged a 7.3 out of 10. They were also unimpressed with Ridge Racer 6, which they called the "cheese pizza of the 360 launch -- a safe, no-frills arcade racer that is guaranteed to please, but only mildly." They complained that the graphics are barely next-gen and there's no way to customize your cars. Ridge Racer 6 averaged a franchise low of 6.5 out of 10.

One of the big trends at the Xbox 360 launch was the rise of the first-person shooter. A lot of that rests on the shoulders of Call of Duty 2, which was the right game at the right time. This was a massive hit with both gamers and critics, with Mark noting that the game is so intense, that he forgot to keep blinking. Garnett explained that "Call of Duty 2 makes a pretty strong statement about the capabilities of the 360." He compared it to an amusement park ride and noted that the game actually runs better on the 360 than the PC. With all three editors raving about the intense presentation, Call of Duty 2 wows with an average of 8.8 out of 10.

Speaking of first-person shooters, the Xbox 360 also launched with Quake 4. Che loved the multiplayer modes and solid gameplay, but the rest of the review crew wasn't sold. They gave it low scores and complained that the story mode stinks and that it's no fun as a solo experience. And did I mention that the levels are bland and repetitive? Che's high score helps the average, but it still winds up with a 6.3 out of 10. They were much kinder to Condemned: Criminal Origins, which is more of a first-person horror game than a first-person shooter. Ryan raved about the scary graphics and effectively creepy level designs, while Kathleen said the game wasn't much fun to play. "Ultimately, this game's truly creepy sights and sounds end up only slightly more shocking than your character's loafing stupidity." With scores ranging from a 6 to an 8.5, Condemned averaged out to a solid 7.2 out of 10.

The other big first-person shooter at launch was one of several games from famed UK developer Rare Ltd., who was previously best known for their work with Nintendo. This was a major coup for Microsoft, and they wanted those games to be front and center at the Xbox 360's launch. As it turns out, Perfect Dark Zero proved to be a surprisingly polarizing game. Che loved it, raving about the excellent co-op and Dark Ops mode, concluding that "only more multiplayer maps could have topped off what's already an excellent online experience." Shoe, on the other hand, was thoroughly underwhelmed, spending most of his review ripping the game's single-player mode apart. He complained about the level designs, the aimless gameplay and the arrows pointing the player in the right direction. The fact that Perfect Dark Zero has fun online modes saved it from getting an even lower score. As the headline puts it, "Offline: Bad, Online: Rad." Perfect Dark Zero disappoints with a lower-than-expected average of 7.8 out of 10.

Speaking of Rare, EGM was even less kind to their other launch game -- Kameo: Elements of Power. Andrew was just happy to see it come out after the abnormally long gestation period: "After all these years, it's comforting to see that Rare hasn't lost its ability to make moderately amusing Nintendo knockoffs." Christian gave it a 6 and concluded that "Perhaps Rare spent so much time shuffling Kameo from system to system that it never got the chance to perfect the gameplay or levels. It's a brief, disappointing adventure with occasional flashes of greatness." After originally being developed for the Nintendo 64, GameCube and Xbox, the finished product on the Xbox 360 only managed to average a score of 6.3 out of 10.

The rest of the launch line-up is made up of sports titles, with Madden NFL 06 topping them all with an average of 8.7 out of 10. They liked the new animations and awesome audio. NBA Live also impressed, though the critics complained that shooting free throws is way too tough. It averaged 7.5 out of 10, which is a lot higher than the 6 out of 10 they gave competing NBA 2K6. They complained that it was basically the same game as the current-generation version. And finally, on a completely different note, Amped 3 delivered the best snowboarding reviews since SSX launched with the PS2. The editors raved about the ambitious cinemas, fun gameplay and relentless wackiness. It's definitely over-the-top, which makes the 8 out of 10 average so easy to understand.

Electronic Gaming Monthly wisely decided to avoid reviewing ports of previous-generation games like Gun, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland and Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie. They also missed out on reviewing popular sports games like NHL 2K6 and FIFA '06: Road to FIFA World Cup. Thankfully, they were able to hit all of the major releases, which average out to a solid 7.5 out of 10. That's nearly half a point higher than the original Xbox, which was a system released with one of the best launch games of all time. It's easy to see why the Xbox 360 was such a hit right from day one.


After releasing two consoles and a handheld, you might think that Sony would have the whole system launch thing down to a science. After all, their last console sold more than 150 million units and defined an entire generation of gaming, so you would think that all of the momentum was going in Sony's favor. But that wasn't the case in 2006, when the Japanese company released the PlayStation 3 in the U.S. for a staggering $600, twice the price of the competition. And that was just the start of Sony's problems, because the PS3 was quickly overshadowed by the shocking success of Nintendo's Wii and the overwhelming support heaped on Microsoft's Xbox 360.

You can almost hear the EGM editors say "meh" when covering the PlayStation 3 launch. In fact, the debut was so lackluster that the Review Crew only bothered to review five of the 14 launch games. That's right, FIVE. And they weren't necessarily the best of the line-up, as you'll see in a moment. I think it's fair to say that it won't take long to go over EGM's thoughts on the PlayStation 3 launch.

The first thing you need to know is that only one of those five games scored higher than a 7 out of 10. In EGM's eyes, there was one great game, followed by a bunch of middling titles you were best to avoid. The great game was Resistance: Fall of Man, a science fiction first-person shooter with a fun alternate history conceit. Garnett had a hard time separating this Insomniac game from Half-Life 2, saying that "instead of getting wrapped up in its world, I kept picking it apart, looking for the next inevitable connection." Joe liked it the most, saying that even if it is derivative, at least it's fun. "The balance between epic large-scale battles and claustrophobic, corridor-creeping segments is dead on, as is the balance between the frantic firefights and ominous exploration. No, it doesn't break much new ground, but as long as the game's fun, does it really matter?" With an average of 8.5 out of 10, Resistance: Fall of Man is easily the best-reviewed game at the PS3's launch. It's not even close.

Coming in second is the franchise you expect to see at a PlayStation launch -- Ridge Racer. Milkman couldn't decide if Ridge Racer 7 is the "highly polished apex of the series or just a glamorous rehash capitalizing on the freshness of the PS3 launch." Shane agreed, suggesting that the game should have been called Ridge Racer 6: Director's Cut. "Sure, if you have access to a whiz-bang 1080p HDTV, then you'll spy a greater visual upgrade, but even then, the series' spartan aesthetic keeps it from looking particularly real." With mixed reactions, Ridge Racer 7 managed to average a low 6.8 out of 10.

From here, things start to look bleak. Genji: Days of the Blade was called "competent" before averaging a 5.8 out of 10. Tom argued that some critics were being too kind on the game and said that Genji was the "poster child for launch-lineup disappointment." He concluded that the game should have been called "Genji: Rushed Out the Door." The editors were even less impressed with Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, a four-player adventure game from Sony Online that was devoid of any innovation or charm. And then there's NBA 07, which may have had great graphics, but came up lacking in almost every other way. The EGM critics were quick to recommend fellow basketball launch-game, NBA 2K7.

It's probably worth mentioning that Electronic Gaming Monthly did review the PlayStation 3 version of NBA 2K7, but opted against assigning a score. The same goes for NHL 2K7, Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 and Madden NFL 07. The rest of the line-up (which included Blazing Angels: Squadrons of World War II, Call of Duty 3, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Tony Hawk's Project 8) were reviewed on the Xbox 360, but not PS3. That means that EGM only scored five PlayStation 3 launch games, which is only 36% of the line-up. That's the lowest percentage since Atari released the Lynx back in 1989. There are a few caveats involved, but the five PlayStation 3 games averaged a frustratingly low 6.1 out of 10, making it the second-lowest scoring console launch in EGM's history. To put it in perspective, the only system to go lower than the PS3 was the Jaguar.


Released only two days after the PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Wii would go on to become one of the best-selling consoles of all time. It would also end up being the final system launch covered by Electronic Gaming Monthly, which shut down (for the first time) only two years later. This would prove to be Nintendo's biggest launch line-up yet, offering a whopping 21 games, ten of which were reviewed by the EGM editors.

In a lot of ways, the Wii launch is indicative of the Wii's library as a whole. There's one really great game that everybody should buy, a few notable oddities and then an avalanche of terrible licensed games looking to score a quick buck. In this case, the must-own title was obviously The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which is now the third (and last) launch game to earn a perfect 10 out of 10 from all three editors. Crispin gave a word of warning with his high marks: "Twilight Princess is the most rich, deep, fun and emotionally resonant game I've played all year. It's also not for everyone. It's not, for instance, for the geriatric gamers Nintendo shows waggling Wii remotes in ads." Shane agreed, noting that "never have I seen a better argument for longer game development times. For everyone who thought we'd never see a Zelda better than Ocarina of Time, prepare to have your mind blown ... and your Wii purchase instantly validated." With an average of 10 out of 10, this is Nintendo's best-reviewed launch game since Super Mario 64 debuted a decade ago.

For a lot of people who bought the Wii, Zelda was the last thing on their mind. It was the pack-in game, Wii Sports, that attracted millions of non- and casual-gamers to the platform, and for good reason. Unfortunately, the EGM editors were not impressed with this minigame collection. Bryan warned you right from the start that he wasn't going to give this game a free pass. He liked the bowling, but "the rest of this shallow minigame collection either tires really quickly (Baseball, Tennis), feels a bit too sensitive (Golf) or has the right idea but misses the punch (Boxing). I like the concept behind this pack-in, but Wii Sports simply ends up being an overly publicized demo." The other critics liked it a little more, but only enough to raise the average up to a 6.3 out of 10.

Once you get beyond the so-so pack-in game and the Zelda sequel, you're left with a mixed bag of mostly forgettable releases. Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam was the second-best reviewed Wii game at launch, but only averaged a 7.5 out of 10 and was generally dismissed as being one of the weaker Tony Hawk games. Similarly, Rayman Raving Rabbids earned a 7.3 out of 10, with the editors complaining that it feels more like a Wii-mote demo than a full game. There wasn't enough flesh on the bone. And Excite Truck excited the EGM critics with its simple yet intuitive controls and great sense of speed, but they hated the butt rock soundtrack and generic courses. They gave it a 7 out of 10 and concluded that you'll forget about it quickly.

One of the few games to really take advantage of the Wii's unique motion control was Trauma Center: Second Opinion, the sequel to the popular Nintendo DS game. While the EGM editors had a lot of critiques, they largely agreed that using the Wii remote was almost as good as playing with a touchscreen. Sam liked the gameplay, but noted that "Trauma Center's tool selection can be really cumbersome and the instructions lacking. It's a really fun experience that, at times, unfortunately feels like more trouble than it's worth." With an average of 7 out of 10, Trauma Center is right on the cusp of recommendation.

The problem is that as we make our way down the list, the Wii's questionable motion controls become more of a liability. A good example of that is Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, which forced you to learn a whole bunch of complicated moves using motion controls. The editors eventually got used to the way it handled, but didn't think that it added anything when compared to the other, normal version on other platforms. It averaged a 6.5 out of 10. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz also suffers from these problems, with at least one editor saying he wanted to throw the Wii-mote. Michael explains that "Mastering the tricky Wii controls doesn't help, either -- performing simple actions (like turning around) is a chore using the Wii remote." It too averaged a 6.5 And yes, even Madden NFL 07 was impacted by the forced motion controls. The critics complained that they hated using the Wii remote to throw passes and felt totally helpless on defense. With an average of 5.7 out of 10, Madden on the Wii was a big disappointment.

On the other hand, nothing was more disappointing than Red Steel, the much-hyped launch game that was supposed to be the system's showstopper. With guns and swords and intense first-person action, all eyes were on this brand-new IP from UbiSoft. Sadly, the developer couldn't deliver on any of the promises, giving us a pathetically short game with major control issues. Michael did not mince words: "Red Steel doesn't cut the crap -- it sticks its sword straight into it." Robert was also underwhelmed, comparing the story to Reading Rainbow and hating on the disconnected feel of the sword fighting that makes "you feel (and look) like a jackass." With an average of 5.2 out of 10, this was the worst-reviewed game at the Wii launch.

As I mentioned at the top, EGM only bothered to review half of the launch line-up. This means that they avoided licensed junk like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Cars, Happy Feet and SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab. They also skipped the motion-controlled version of Call of Duty 3, as well as Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Monster 4x4 World Circuit, Need for Speed: Carbon and Rampage: Total Destruction. I'm sure some of these games have their fans, but I would argue that EGM didn't miss much by skipping these games. The truth is, they probably could have avoided a lot of pain by ignoring most of the launch line-up. If not for Twilight Princess, the Wii would have almost nothing to recommend. Even with a game that received perfect 10s, the Nintendo Wii only averaged a 6.9 out of 10. That's the worst score for any Nintendo console, and only beat by the Game Boy and Virtual Boy.

PART 1: 1989-1991

PART 2: 1992-1996

PART 3: 1999-2001