The 10 worst launch titles

by Blake Snow on Nov 16th 2006 11:00AM

The December issue of EGM profiles the 10 worst launch titles (or next-generation ... of crap) with quick-fix suggestions on how the games could have been better. Hindsight's 20-20. Regardless, here's the summarized list of games for any print-less readers out there:

Night Trap (Sega CD)
Street Fight: The Movie (PSX)
Cybermorph (Jaguar)
Altered Beast (Genesis)
Marky Mark: Make My Video (Sega CD)
Army Men Advance (GBA)
Mortal Kombat Gold (Dreamcast)
Donkey Kong Jr. Math (NES)
Fighting Street (Turbo CD)
Perfect Dark Zero (360)

Some wise commentary from the article reminds us "hype destroys our perspective." So beware of launch poopskies.

Reader Comments (100)

Seanbaby is the single greatest writer in the history of man. This article is what is commonly known as "satire". Saying EGM has no journalistic integrity based on this is like saying the same about CNN.com because they post content from The Onion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_game_console_launch_titles#Super_Famicom.2FSuper_NES

Wow, it's easy to bash this review but I guess most launch games in the past are not that bad...Has for altered beast and mk gold...Blake must be using serious drugs.
I personally had fun about a month ago at Dk-Math and PD-Zero...well, big hype, great graphics but everyone wanted something better than the 64 version which didn't happen

Altered Beast is the reason I purchased my Genesis way back when. I played that game more than Sonic.

PDZ is an OK game...not the best...but not the worst. If they actualy needed a 360 game, they could have picked ROBOTRON or JOUST (if GeoWars could be best launch title, then another XBLA could be worst)

You didn't like COMBAT?? ? I just played it Yesterday! I wanted to show my housemate what deathmatch used to mean. He puts crazy hours into Dig Dug.

Wake up peeps PDZ is only put up for the website hits

PDZ is defo a 7.5 and therefore no way one of the worst 10 launch games

Altered Beast was awesome. I have no idea why the hell they're putting it on here.

And I find it super funny that everyone remembers the same thing about it: "Wise from you gwave". My mother used to make fun of that endless when I was playing it. It pissed me off to no end.

> On the flip side, how could they forget Ping Pals for the DS? Nobody liked that.

If I recall correctly, Ping Pals came out a short time after the DS's initial release.

Altered Beast???
I do not care how many times it's already been said. The writer of this blarticle (blog article im getting that pattented) clearly is no gamer at all.

What's up with these screwed up top 10 list lately.

Altered Beast was a classic at the time. The arcade machine was awesome.

What about that fireworks game for the PS2? Fantavision
http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/fantavision?q=fantavision

I'm going to have to go with "Battle Ace" for the short-lived and best-forgetten SuperGrafx as the worth launch title in history. Damn thing didn't even make the list.

And WTF, EGM? Altered Beast kicked ass.

I presume they just felt like they had to have representation from recent launches.

However, PDZ wasn't anywhere near the worst game in the 360 launch list. I'd reserve that for one of the third party titles, probably from Activision (I nominate Tony Hawk). Talk about your half-assed crappy ports.

Fighting Street? Ok, not a good game, but it's worth remembering that without it, we'd have no Ken and Ryu, and no Street Fighter II, World Heroes, Mortal Kombat, Virtua Fighter, Tekken, Dead or Alive, or any of the rest of that entire one on one fighting genre boom. We'd surely have one or two games, but they would have been utterly different, IMHO, without the impact of Fighting Street.

I can't believe that people are standing up for Altered Beast, but I'd say that Kieth Courage in Alpha Zones was probably a worse launch title (hard as hell, and a completely unknown franchise).

That's Worst^, not "worth".

/grrrrr

Fantavision(PS2) - HELLO!

PDZ should not be on that list

I'll have to throw out my support for Altered Beast as well.

WELCOME TO YOUR DOOM!

Altered Beast doesn't belong on that list.

They nailed the first one, tho... Night Trap was horrendous!

As a 360 owner who bought into the hype and picked up PDZ at launch I understand exactly why that game is on there. The game failed in everyway to deliver a great experience and with the overwhelming amount of hype that it recieved it deseveres a place on that list. Gamespot gave the game a 9.1 The gameplay was boring, the multiplayer was not engaging and the story left a lot to be desired. Ultimately the game belongs on the list to serve as a reminder that hype does not a great game make.

Donkey Kong Jr. Math?? Okay, granted it was an educational title, but this was one of the key titles that got my parents to get me my first game system, a brand-spanking new NES in 1985. I always gave it some respect for that little feat. And gameplay actually wasn't that bad, particularly with multiple players...

Better to pick on the R.O.B. titles, me thinks...

Altered Beast got a definite "WHAT?!" from me... it was an awesome pack in game and at the time the only game on a console to have a voice you could actually understand... "RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE!" that's a piece of gaming history right there...

The folks at EGM have had, for the longest time, an unfair disposition against Rare. I have no idea why, but you can't read a "worst games ever" list in their magazine without it being riddled with some of Rare's best titles.

Perfect Dark Zero is, in my opinion, more fun than Halo 2. It has better weapons and, oh yeah, BOTS! Inlcuding that title in the list takes away all credibility from the article.

Whenever a Rare title is included in an EGM magazine, I ignore it. They always do this kind of thing.

Thats a BS list that a seven year old child made.

wtf, night trap was awesome. so was altered beast. who are these chumps making this list?

and now i really wish i could find a version of night trap to play... ah memories.

perhaps we need to have a top 10 list for worst EGM gamers.

Wow. This list sucks. PDZ isn't a great game, but it's not one of the ten worst. Really.

And Cybermorph? Really? That was pretty fun. Trevor McFurr for the Jaguar was 100 times worse than that.

And Altered Beast? Come on, it's a Genesis port of an Arcade game, which I liked btw.

Whoever wrote this is an idiot.

I don't think PDZ, Altered Beast or Cybermorph should be on that list. I loved all three of them.

Altered beast was the reason I got a genesis This list needs to check itself, 'for it wrecks itself.

Altered Beast?? WTF!!!!!!!!!

Covering up Seanbaby's ignorance with the word satire does not change the fact that he is an attention-craving poseur not unlike Jessica Chobot. This list was poorly thought out and not-at-all entertaning but hey, look at all of us sitting here talking about this idiot's opus.

Next issue look forward to top ten worst mascots of all time including Mario, Sonic, and Bubsy thrown in to make it seem like he knows what he's talking about.

Wasn't Altered Beast a launch title for the Sega CD too?

What about Kakuto Chojin? Wasn't that an Xbox launch title?

Perfect Dark Zero isn't a horrible game, and it doesn't deserve to be on that list. However, as a follow-up to the first Perfect Dark game, it definitely wasn't great. Graphics were a lot better, since the original was on the N64. But it sure didn't live up to the hype. Bad sequel (err prequel) syndrome.

Hey, wait a minute... I thought Sewer Shark was way worse than Night Trap on the ol' Sega CD. Viva Dana Plato!

Altered Beast #4 on that list? Fuck right the hell off!

What in the crap is PDZ doing on this list??? They cannot be serious! That is at the very minimum just a pretty good game, I love it...and there's no way they should consider that for this list. Overhyped...of course. Worst launch title?? NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!

... Perfect Dark Zero?

How about ping pals?

Altered Beast was awesome, ok not awesome but it was still a good launch title far from being the worst launch title of all time.

I only played the demo of PDZ and I liked the weapons selection and gameplay.

Seanbaby is hilarious. He put a few of those titles up there just to get a rise out of you guys. Which is always something he can count on.

I imagine this will sell a few issues. Hook, line, and sinker.

Rise of the Robots

Two games that should be on the list:

INXS: Make My Video & Marky Mark: Make My Video

*shudders at the thought of those two awful games.

PDZ was a decent game. It's only on this list because it was billed as a killer app, meaning people bought the console with PDZ in mind. Killer app, it was not. But it was still a good game on it's own.

I enjoyed PDZ.

Cybermorph's inclusion is totally wrong. That was an excellent game and well reviewed if I remember correctly. I remember nailing three enemies at a time with the three-shot weapon - very satisfying.

I haven't trusted EGM reviews since their crew gave *AvP* on the Atari Jaguar 5's and 6's. It was ridiculous and obviously a payoff by the various powers-that-be at the time (Sony, Nintendo) who wanted Atari out of the console biz. The game deserved 8's and 9's in terms of scoring at the time.

And if you think my post is tin-hat worthy, just remember that Rayman had been complete for 6 months on the Jaguar yet was delayed a release on the part of UbiSoft until the Playstation version was ready. Hmmm...wonder what happened behind-the-scenes with that one?

PDZ sucked.... Im glad it made the list, it was a horrible game.... Awful...

I ask all of you defending Altered Beast: When's the last time you actually PLAYED it? I did so the other day, and found it to be unbelievably short (it can be finished in HALF an HOUR!) and filled with a laundry list of flaws and issues. And how they re-colored the wolf and used it again for the final level instead of making a new beast was very, very lazy. Nostalgia does not equal good people, the freaks who enjoy Night Trap are a testament to that.

What about Keith Courage in Alpha Zones for the TurboGrafx-16? That SUCKED!

Replace PDZ with Sprung for the DS, and we've got a deal.

I call bs on PDZ, that game is really good, great graphics, good multiplayer and online co-op, excellent production values..How the hell is that worse than donkey kong fucking math!

Also Me and my mate absolutely loved Night Trap too!

Perfect Dark Zero is what happens when Tron has diahhrea.

Not to mention horrid AI and buggy MP physics.

Altered Beast? Playing that game was one of the most epic moments of my childhood. It may have had some hype behind it, and the gameplay wasn't particularly deep, but it was the greatest thing to ever hit home gaming up to that point.

0. Mario 64 (N64)

That's a perfect addition to a screwed up list!

Yeah.. why is PDZ up there? PDZ was a great game. Just because it was hyped horribly doesn't mean it isn't a good game. With the right settings, PDZ's multiplayer is more balanced and competitive than any FPS out for the 360 (yes, including GoW)

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The 10 worst launch titles

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