What game(s) were system sellers for you!

[Lynda Monica | 350]

We've all been there at some point, where gaming has to take a bit of a backseat to more important things. Once your parents are no longer buying games for you, you have to decide if you're going to sit out on a system or not. Out of the blue a game announcement fills you with glee, and now you need the system JUST for that one game.

My question to all of you is, what systems did this happen to you with, and what was the game or games that made you pull the trigger?

I didn't grow up with a Sega Genesis, but I bought one in 2011 because of an incredible looking beat em up called "Streets of Rage 2". I was blown away at how good it looked, and I thought to myself "I must have this." Of course it turned out to be one of the most iconic games for the system, and I can understand why looking back at it. 

How about you?

Edited August 19, 2022 by Lynda Monica

[Deadeye | 1,596]

At two points I had stepped away from modern gen and a game came out that pulled me back in and I bought the system to play it.

Wii - Super Paper Mario

Switch - Breath of the Wild

[Reed Rothchild | 9,585]

Well I never sat on the sidelines, I've ALWAYS been here.  But...

N64 - Ocarina and Mario 64.

PS1 - MGS, Symphony, Final Fantasy

Switch - Breath of the Wild, Mario Odyssey

Not to say I wasn't hyper aware of Goldeneye, Resident Evil 2, and all the other notable games.

Every other system was too broad.  I bought a PS2 and a Cube and a 360 and a PS3 and a PS5 for many different games, but nothing in particular.  I wanted God of War 3, Mass Effect, and GTAIII, but I didn't race out and get a system for them.

[dogbowl | 150]

I get all Nintendo systems at launch; everything else I'll wait until something unique is interesting.

I didn't pick up a PS1 until parappa the rapper came out.

Might have been Katamari for the PS2, can't recall specifically. Jet Set Radio for the Dreamcast.

I don't have a PS5 yet but Goat Simulator 3 might push me over the edge....

Edited August 19, 2022 by dogbowl

[G-type | 2,525]

DS: Nintendogs

When I first saw the DS at the Gamestop demo-stations, it was running Metroid Prime: Hunters first hunt... I tried to play it, but found it frustratingly unintuitive and was immediately turned off. Later, I saw Nintendogs being demoed at Best Buy and immediately I "got it"... This wasn't the first game I purchased for it, but it's what sold me on a touch screen based game system.

PS2: Eyetoy Play

It was pretty much a toss up between getting xbox or PS2... they were both the exact same price at the time... but PS2 came with a Ethernet adapter and ATV Offroad Fury 2 packed in... and I really wanted to try out the Eyetoy.

Wii: Wii Fit

My wife wanted to get this. 

Switch: Tumbleseed

I had been playing a lot of Ice Cold Beer at Magfest, so when I saw this for the Switch, it was the first game I was excited to get for it.

Edited August 19, 2022 by G-type

[AstralSoul | 503]

SNES - Super Mario World / Super Mario Kart

N64 - Super Mario 64

PS1 - Final Fantasy IX

PS2 - Kingdom Hearts / Final Fantasy X

PS3 - Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion / Fallout 3

PS4 - Last Guardian / Final Fantasy XV

[spacepup | 2,412]

Hmmm...

I usually didn't rush out to buy consoles right away, and I wouldn't say I necessarily bought them JUST for a specific game (usually it'd be multiple games).  However, some of the games that REALLY made me want certain consoles (not necessarily my favorite games, but the games that made me want to buy these systems) are:

PS1 --- Final Fantasy 7
I was huge into the Final Fantasy series at the time, and was spending the night at a friend's house who had a PlayStation and Final Fantasy 7, and I remember just watching him play for hours.  I had already really wanted a PlayStation, but this made me want one soooooo much more!  
---Runner Ups:  Intelligent Qube, and Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

PS2 --- Final Fantasy X
I know, I know.... more Final Fantasy.  But again, I was just suuuuuuper into RPGs at the time.  When I did get a PS2, FFX was the first big game I really delved into - I know I put over 100 hours into the game, which was probably a first for me at the time.  The PS2 Launch titles didn't really interest me all that much, to be honest - which is funny, because PS2 quickly became my favorite console of all time (and has remained).
---Runner Ups:  Zone of the Enders, Red Faction, and Dark Cloud

PS3 --- Folklore
This one is a little bit less known.  It looked so pretty, colorful, and just *interesting* and unique compared to other games I was playing around that time.  It was an RPG, but a different kinda style, and I just found it fascinating before playing it.  I don't hear many people talk about this game, but it will always have a special place in my memory. 
---Runner Ups:  Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (amazing game btw!)

PS4 --- Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
I just love the Metal Gear Solid series - so playing the next big one on the pretty new PS4 was very very appealing to me.  A lot of people don't really love this game - even MGS lovers - but I really enjoyed it.
---Runner Ups:  LittleBigPlanet 3

PS5 --- Horizon: Forbidden West
I absolutely LOVED Horizon: Zero Dawn on PS4 (one of my favorite games), so as soon as I heard about a sequel, I knew that I'd just have to play it on PS5, eventually.  Getting the PS5 was crazy, so I knew I'd put it off for a while, but this would be one game I know I'd have to play, and have to get a PS5 at some point, to play it.
---Runner Ups:  Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (this was tough and both these 2 games were about equal in terms of my anticipation)

[Hammerfestus | 3,884]

Resident Evil

[RH | 4,970]

Interesting question.  I know I've bought a LOT of consoles over the past, but only a few were directly because of one or two games that I had to have.  Here's the list as best as I can recall.

• NES, Super Mario Bros.: I mean, I think this is true.  That was an early time in my childhood and I remember two things about that era.  We had an Atari 2600.  I loved it.  I'd played others systems before like the Colecovision, and all though their are capability differences between them all, they are mostly minor.  Then some time around 1986/87 I was introduced to the Nintendo Entertainment System!  What amazed me about this thing were the graphics, and seeing SMB (and Duck Hunt too) blew me away!  So, I think it was primarily SMB for me.
• N64, A non-existent Final Fantasy title: Sigh... this one is lame.  I went through a gaming "dark age" in the SNES era.  My mom vowed to never buy us another video game system when she became "addicted" to Dr. Mario. So, it wasn't until the N64 came out that I could save up and buy my own console.  Anyway, in a friends Nintendo Power, I saw screenshots of a Squaresoft demo for "an upcoming Final Fantasy game".  I was pumped and ready for it, since I loved Final Fantasy Adventure as my favorite game, ever.  Well, in the mean time, Squaresoft jumped ship, I didn't hear about it and on launch day I bought an N64 with SM64, but really I was waiting for "Final Fantasy VII" on the N64.  I went to school the next day, and a friend told me the news.  I was devastated for about 10 minutes, then I realized it was just an excuse to save up and buy a PS1.
• PS1, Final Fantasy VII: Seriously, the N64 debacle only fueled my desire even more.  I really, really, REALLY wanted Final Fantasy VII.  In fact, I wanted it so badly, I both bought the strategy guide, read it cover-to-cover AND bought the game before I even owned a PS1.  Now, that might sound crazy, but back then I didn't have access to a used game store and keep in mind that once a game is done selling, it might leave your local walmart and never come back.  A friend of mine had bought the game but didn't have a memory card so he sold it to me for about $10 less than retail, so at the time, it made sense to buy these items before owning a console because, one day, I was going to get a PS1.  Anyway, my Dad bought me a PS1 for Christmas when he heard how much I wanted to play this game. I didn't see it coming and it's one of the best gaming memories I have to date.
• Wii, Wii Sports: I think we can all agree that there was something alluring about a console that was selling like hot cakes to everyone on the planet all because of one game--Wii Sports.  I was at a phase where I wasn't paying much attention to games, but Wii Sports looked fun and my wife was interested too.  It also didn't hurt that it had a virtual console and since I wasn't a collector at the time, that was the appealing feature that gave me the final push to justify the purchase.  Still, Wii Sport was 90% of that decision.

Edited August 19, 2022 by RH

[T-Pac | 7,588]

Blazing Lazers sold me on the TurboGrafx-16 Mini a few years ago (along with all the other preloaded space-shooters).

-CasualCart

[Mega Tank | 974]

Halo

 

[Webhead123 | 687]

2 hours ago, CasualCart said:

Blazing Lazers sold me on the TurboGrafx-16 Mini a few years ago (along with all the other preloaded space-shooters).

-CasualCart

Blazing Lazers was the only TG-16 game I was ever able to play for most of my life (played it on a friend's TurboExpress in the mid-90's) up until tracking down a console sometime around 2010. That said, it left such an impression on me that it was the game I had to have in my collection and the first game I fired up when I finally got my Turbo. So yeah, pretty much a system seller for me, too.

The impression Super Mario World left on me after playing at a friend's house was definitely the nail in the coffin that I had to get a SNES. I would read the game manual cover-to-cover on an almost daily basis. What a game!

Metroid Prime was the reason I broke down and bought a GameCube. No regrets here.

I bought an X-Box for the sole purpose of playing Knights of the Old Republic. Despite it having everything I could have possibly asked for on paper, I end up feeling pretty disappointed by that game. I ended up playing the port of Serious Sam on the console far more.

And back in 2017, I decided to make the investment in building a new gaming PC...specifically to play DOOM (2016) at max settings. It was glorious.

Oh, and of course, Breath of the Wild is essentially the reason I bought a Switch. I actually bought it on WiiU first and tried to avoid getting a Switch but that didn't last very long.

Edited August 19, 2022 by Webhead123

[a3quit4s | 4,125]

1 hour ago, CasualCart said:

Blazing Lazers sold me on the TurboGrafx-16 Mini a few years ago (along with all the other preloaded space-shooters).

-CasualCart

It’s funny you mention blazing lazers I’m actually playing that on TG16 now. Really fun schmup lol

I’m the opposite on this I just buy systems and then discover the great games later but with two exceptions: Switch and BOTW and N64 and Goldeneye. I’m kind of strange I guess because I’m a huge Zelda fan so you’d think the N64 driver would have been OoT and MM but playing with 3 other friends was such a new and cool experience. I could also easily say WCW vs NWO cause that shit was a blast lol

Edited August 19, 2022 by a3quit4s

[Gloves | 11,838]

Demon's Souls is the system seller for me on PS5. I would be happy to buy a PS5 just to play Demon's Souls.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

Since this is about system sellers, I'll try to stick to launch or early titles that got me to buy the system.

NES: SMB/Duck Hunt and Excitebike

Game Boy: Tetris

SNES: Final Fight and Sim City

Genesis: Altered Beast and Sonic

PS1 : Mortal Kombat 3 and Resident Evil

Saturn: Daytona USA and Virtua Fighter

N64: Mario 64 and Wave Race

Gamecube: Luigi's Mansion and Wave Race: Blue Storm

PS2: Tekken Tag Tournament and Madden 2001

Wii: Wii Sports

PS3: Metal Gear Solid 4

[RH | 4,970]

1 hour ago, Mega Tank said:

Halo

 

I forgot about that.  Halo is the sole reason I have an Xbox 360 setting under my Trinitron.  Serious Sam is part of that reason too, though I've yet to pick up a copy.  I need to get on that.

[LostLevel83 | 86]

Not a game, but I have a GameCube because of the Game Boy Player.

[Nintegageo | 582]

4 hours ago, Gloves said:

Demon's Souls is the system seller for me on PS5. I would be happy to buy a PS5 just to play Demon's Souls.

You should look into Returnal. I am playing it right now.

[Gloves | 11,838]

7 minutes ago, Nintegageo said:

You should look into Returnal. I am playing it right now.

I've played it, love it!

[TDIRunner | 2,773]

Of course, I knew I wanted a SNES because I was wanted Super Mario Bros. 4.  I remember being pretty surprised when I found out they called it Super Mario World.  

Crash Bandicoot was the game that made me want to get a PS1.  That was one of the few times that I actually rented an entire system to try it out before actually getting the system.  

I already knew I wanted a PS3 and planned to get one, but Metal Gear Solid 4 was the game that made me finally pull the trigger and buy it.  I even tried to get the MGS4 themed PS3, but of course they sold out immediately.  I ended up getting a regular PS3 not long after.  

Also, my girlfriend at the time (now wife) had a Wii before I did and we played Wii Sports at her house.  That game was enough for me to want a Wii as odd as that seems now.  

[WhyNotZoidberg | 586]

Good topic!

In 1995 I was torn between the PS1, N64 and Saturn.

The PS1’s flat launch line-up probably helped me remain patient. And I had the opportunity to try Mario 64 at the « Megadome Nintendo» (those who know, know) and I was sold there and then. 
 

Of course I still got a PS1 later down the line lol.

Interestingly, I was really, really into Virtua Fighter 2 and sort of felt bad about not getting a Saturn, so with the promise of Virtua Fighter 3 on Dreamcast I blind-bought that system and in the end I never even owned VF3. So you could say Virtua Fighter 2 sold me a Dreamcast.

[MegaMan52 | 2,461]

I didn't start buying games with my own money until 1998, when I bought Kirby's Dream Land 2 (I still have my original copy). However, my parents got me a Game Boy a few years before that so that doesn't count.

PS1: Gran Turismo, Mega Man 8, Crash Bandicoot 2

N64: Since the games and the console were expensive, I didn't buy an N64 until 2000 or so and just kept renting it until then. Super Mario 64 was the game that made me want to get one, though by 2000 there were plenty of other games I wanted as well. 

Game Boy Advance: Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Mega Man & Bass. I bought a GBA SP in 2004, and by then I was able to get Mega Man & Bass for $10 or $20. 

GameCube:  Luigi's Mansion, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Mario Sunshine, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (Sonic's debut on a Nintendo console was a huge deal)

Nintendo DS: Super Mario 64 DS, Metroid Prime Hunters. I actually got the DS fairly early on (before the DS Lite came out) and I was impressed with it...until 2007 or so, then it was a bit of a letdown like the Wii.

Wii: I didn't buy the Wii until several years after it was released. It was the first Nintendo console that didn't really impress me, not because of its visual capabilities/limited hardware but because of the ridiculous amount of shovelware. Initially I wanted it because of Mega Man 9 and Mega Man 10, but I didn't get a chance to play them on the Wii because I used to share a Computer a decade or so ago and didn't know the password for the internet connection. So, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Paper Mario ended up being my first Wii games and the main reasons why I got the console. I pre-ordered the GameCube version of Twilight Princess, because I wanted the normal version of the game and didn't really care for the flipped environments in the Wii version.

3DS: Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World 

Switch: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mega Man 11. The Switch was the first game system I bought the year it was released. In early 2017, I wasn't impressed. Other than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, there wasn't really much I was interested in. I wanted to play MK8D, but didn't think it was worth buying a Switch just for that game so I waited a few months. Then Mega Man 11 was announced later in the year. I didn't get a chance to play Mega Man 9 and 10 on the Wii, and definitely wanted to buy Mega Man 11. So, I bought a Switch in late 2017 and got Super Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and pre-ordered the amiibo edition of Mega Man 11. Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 being released on Switch was also good news, so I finally got to play Mega Man 9 and 10.

Edited August 19, 2022 by MegaMan52

[captmorgandrinker | 1,650]

GTA III sold me on buying a PS2.   Probably would have bought one eventually anyway, but the first time I played that at my buddy's house that did it.

Bought a Wii for Wii Sports (specifically bowling)

DS Lite because of Touchmaster

Sega Genesis for Mutant League Football

 

 

[MagusSmurf | 577]

Got a 3DS for Link Between Worlds and three Ace Attorney games.

The only 3DS game I’ve played other than those is Mario 3D Land.

 

[Splain | 2,588]

I never got a GBA when they came out, and I completely ignored the DS until Scribblenauts. That with Mario 64 DS and I got one for a short time. But then I HAD to get a 3DS because I wanted to play Sticker Star, Yoshi's New Island, and Link Between Worlds. Some disappointment there, lol.

I wasn't going to get a GameCube, but one night my friends and I scraped up all our money and bought one, with one of those Blockbuster perpetual-rental deals. We played Smash and Sunshine and a bunch of other games that didn't matter, those were the ones I got my own cube for.

Basically everything else I bought just kinda knowing there would be good games.