There's no telling where the PSP would be without this quirky puzzler. Probably in a gutter somewhere, selling its internal circuits for cash. Say what you will about the PSP, but the system's performing amicably against Nintendo's portable juggernaut, and this funky and addictive puzzler was a driving force. Now that it's no longer exclusive to the system, is it time for Sony brass to worry?
After the NES's long reign, it was going to take something big to jump to the first ''next-gen''. While the Genesis had some great titles out before the SNES launched, Super Mario World started turning the tide back to Nintendo for another console generation. Deep and colorful, Super Mario World refined the 2-D platformer to perfection.
If one game could be credited for pulling the videogame industry out of its early-80s funk, Super Mario Brothers would be that title. Simple enough to be many a gamers' first experience, but deep enough to be enjoyed more than two decades after originally released, Super Mario Brothers defined the gaming industry like no other.
Sega sure did put up a fight before it fell out of the console wars, and its final parting shot was a mighty one. No one expected the Dreamcast to succeed where the Saturn and Genesis' add-ons failed, but the system managed to produce some quality titles before it croaked. None were quite as spectacular as Soul Calibur though. Namco's weapon-based fighter boasted many improvements from the original Soul Blade, and a serious step up in visuals from the other systems available at the time. This one stands up against some of the best-looking PS2 titles.
The Nintendo 64 launched in the US with only two (2!) games, but most folks didn't notice. That's probably because the system launched with the first and some still say best 3D platformer ever. Not only did Mario 64 serve as a lynchpin for a third straight Nintendo console launch, but the game was repurposed and repackaged as one of the few highlights of the meager Nintendo DS launch slate.
