1: NES (Nintendo) – Oct. 18, 1985
Best Console Launch Lineups
Finally we land at the top spot, the OG of all OG consoles: the Nintendo Entertainment System better known as the NES. The reason a (then) small Japanese company like Nintendo is now one of the most recognizable brands in the entire world is largely thanks to this murderer’s row of excellent launch games.
While sure, by today’s standards games like Golf, Hogan’s Alley, and Kung Fu don’t hold up all that great, but in the 80s and 90s, they were mind-blowing.
Not to mention plenty of games like Duck Hunt, Ice Climber, and of course the legendary Super Mario Bros. all hold up quite well even today and became iconic franchises for Nintendo.
If Nintendo botched this launch, who knows where it would be now, but it’s a moot point because it came through with the best launch day lineup of all-time for one of the most successful and iconic consoles ever, setting the stage for the rest of Nintendo history, making it an easy choice for number one on our list.
- 10-Yard Fight, Baseball
- Clu Clu Land
- Donkey Kong Jr. Math
- Duck Hunt
- Excitebike
- Golf
- Gyromite
- Hogan’s Alley
- Ice Climber
- Kung Fu
- Mach Rider
- Pinball
- Soccer
- Stack-Up
- Super Mario Bros.
- Tennis
- Wild Gunman
- Wrecking Crew
