25 Killer Console Exclusives

With each generation of gaming consoles there are a number of factors which help gamers decide where to spend their money. On a logical level we look at hardware parity - is there a stand-out performer which, on paper at least, surpasses its competitors? On the opposite side of the rational spectrum, there is an emotional connection... a sort of brand loyalty that can be cultivated over years (in the case of a generation-spanning brand like Sony's Playstation), or birthed suddenly by masterful marketing and an impressive product to go with it. Somewhere between the rational and the emotional, another hugely powerful differentiator which can make or break a console is the selection of exclusive games which find their way onto the system. Often heavily bankrolled by the console manufacturer, its usually these mega-franchises or stand-alone blockbuster titles which show off the best of what the hardware has to offer. These massive IPs, especially those which branch over multiple console generations, form a bond with gamers. We make an emotional and financial investment in them over the years - when you've been blasting Covenant scum in Halo for a decade, it's hard to give up on Master Chief and jump ship. When we bond with a game, and by extension with a specific console, things can get heated. Generations of gamers have wasted countless hours furiously flaming one another in "my console exclusive is better than yours" wars. For every Mario and Solid Snake, there's a Sonic and Marcus Fenix. These are the games which captured our hearts, and which poured big money into the pockets of the developers, publishers and console holders involved. Considering the impact these titles have made, let's take a look back at three decades of the incredible console exclusives which defined their generations. (The fine print: some of these games have been released on other consoles later, or on another console within their own family. Or on PC. But you get the idea.)

25. Super Mario Bros. - Nintendo Entertainment System (1985)

This moustached plumber has to rank among the most famous, widely recognized characters in gaming history. While his adventures didn't start with the Nintendo Entertainment System classic Super Mario Bros. back in 1985, it was his staring role here which turned Mario into a worldwide phenomenon. One of the earliest examples of game mascot mega-stardom, Mario's adventures became the blueprint for platform gaming for years to come. Coming off the back of the miserable video game industry crash of 1983, this trip through the Mushroom Kingdom not only cemented Mario's place in gaming culture but did wonders for the success of Nintendo's fledgeling console. Through its lifetime the NES (and it's Japanese twin Famicom predecessor) was the birth place for many acclaimed long-running franchises, but none have surpassed the impact of our favorite Italian tradesman.

24. Metroid - Nintendo Entertainment System (1986)

For its time, Metroid was a vast game. The sprawling alien world of Zebes stretched out in all directions, prompting hours of wandering around, backtracking, frustration and eventual relief when you defeat Mother Brain. Renowned as one of the earliest instances of open world gaming, in a time where platform gaming was all about running and jumping from left to right as fast as possible, Nintendo brought immense depth and scale to the action-adventure realm. The maze-like caverns forced us to rethink our conventions when it came to platform gaming - progress gates and bottlenecks demanded exploration, while the sense of solitude forged a meaningful attachment to our hero Samus Aran. Who then turned out to be a heroine. The Metroid name has gone on to become one of the most revered franchises in the Nintendo stable, this first outing setting the scene for the adventures to come.