Hardware launches are a notoriously tricky thing to master. Regardless of how impressive the actual console is, true judgement is reserved for the software line-up to declare whether a launch has been a success or not. Looking back, it’s fair to say that only a handful can truly lay claim to fully showcasing the potential of their respective systems, resulting in progressive products that truly usher the industry onward. Nevertheless, despite such slim pickings, games™ remembers those special debuts that made a sizeable impact.
10. Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Console: PS Vita
Year: 2013
Cautious after Nintendo’s muted 3DS launch a year earlier, Sony knew it would have to bring something special to the launch of its second handheld if it wanted to avoid raising a similar indignation from fans. Luckily, Nathan Drake was more than up for the challenge. Proving that the Vita could pump out eye-dazzling visuals not far behind those of the PlayStation 3, Uncharted: Golden Abyss was true home console gaming on the go. Now the possibilities on where handheld gaming goes next seem positively endless.
9. Power Stone
Console: Dreamcast
Year: 1999
In Power Stone, Capcom completely re-established the way 3D fighting games should be made, and found itself at the forefront of a new era in the genre. It couldn’t have been better timed either, as Sega’s Dreamcast was the first to really make 3D graphics shine on home consoles. Power Stone’s rich textures, slick animations and artistry really came into its own and declared the Dreamcast as Sega on the cutting edge of the latest gaming hardware.
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8. Panzer Dragoon
Sega Saturn
Year: 1995
It’s easy to forget the Sega Saturn. Unfortunately released in European territories just prior to the original PlayStation, Sony’s new system resulted in stalled sales of the Saturn in PAL territories. Panzer Dragoon therefore never received the full attention it deserved over here. Surreal, stylish and featuring one of the best videogame soundtracks of the Nineties, this injustice could have easily been avoided if Sega’s console reached the market several months earlier. Alas, it shall remain a hidden jewel among Sega’s roster of licenses.
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