When Hype Meets Harsh Reality
Let's face it: console launch day excitement can quickly turn into buyer's remorse. That magical moment unwrapping your new gaming system sours fast when the game you bought alongside it belongs in a dumpster. These 20 games are the titles gamers were unlucky enough to get with their brand-new console upon launch, and we're all about digging up past trauma. Let's dive in.
1. China Warrior (TurboGrafx-16: Japan)
Imagine controlling a massive martial artist named Wang, walking (never running) toward the right side of the screen forever. That's China Warrior. While it impressed 1989 players with large character sprites, the gameplay quickly betrayed them. Most enemies fall with one hit, making the early levels easy.
China Warrior Longplay (TurboGrafx-16) [QHD] by AL82 Retrogaming Longplays
2. Universal Studios Theme Park Adventures (GameCube: Europe)
Dreaming of Universal Studios? This game destroys those dreams forever. Most rides are initially locked, forcing players to earn cash through impossible trivia or trash collection throughout the park. Peak disappointment arrives during the Waterworld "ride"—just a cutscene where you sit back and do nothing.
3. Teleroboxer (Virtual Boy: Japan)
Nintendo's doomed Virtual Boy console only released 14 games, with some considering this boxing simulator with robots among the worst. The concept sounds promising until you experience the cranked-up difficulty combined with complex controls. Additionally, the close-up enemy boxer viewpoint intensifies Virtual Boy's headache-inducing display.
Virtual Boy Longplay [16] Teleroboxer (US) by World of Longplays
4. Knack (PS4: North America)
PlayStation 4 owners expected a revolutionary launch title to showcase their new console's power. Instead, they got Knack. The gameplay technically works, and the character has some charm, but that's where the praise ends. No new controller features, no groundbreaking graphics, nothing innovative whatsoever.
KNACK PS4 Pro Gameplay 4K by Gameplay Only
5. Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire (PS3: Japan)
Giant fighting robots should be an instant PlayStation 3 winner. Unfortunately, this hastily ported PS2-quality game featured Nintendo 64-era fog effects and a camera that couldn't keep pace with your mecha. The combat lacks polish. Players expecting next-gen robot battles got a technical disaster.
Underrated Game: Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire (PS3) by GmodCaboose56
6. Night Trap (Sega CD: North America)
Night Trap tasks individuals with protecting a slumber party from vampire-like "Augers" by monitoring surveillance cameras and activating traps. The gameplay barely exists—just watching footage and occasionally pressing buttons. A 1993 US Senate hearing on violent video games cited Night Trap, claiming it encouraged trapping women.
Night Trap (1992 Sega CD | Full Game With Best Scenes and Best Ending) by Let's Play With Brigands
7. Smurf: Rescue In Gargamel's Castle (ColecoVision: North America)
The difficulty of this Smurfs game frustrated children everywhere. Aimed at younger audiences, it punished every minor mistake with instant death. Missed a jump? Dead. Brushed against a fence? Dead. Many people never even made it to Gargamel's Castle despite the game's deceptively simple premise.
Smurf - Rescue in Gargamel's Castle Colecovision 4k Gameplay by 4k Retro Gaming
8. Basic Math (Atari 2600: USA)
Basic Math lived down to its name, presenting random arithmetic problems against occasionally changing background colors. Your joystick and single button made answering these mathematical questions difficult for some. The "game" included sound effects confirming right or wrong answers, but little else.
Basic Math Atari 2600 Review by AqualungGameReviews
9. Defender Of The Crown (Philips CD-i: North America)
Philips CD-i never produced anything above "average," but this strategy game reached new lows. Gamers conquer territories by selecting them, watching armies break through castle walls via catapult, then playing brief side-scrolling segments. The rest is just watching the game play itself for extended periods.
Defender of the Crown Longplay (Amiga) [4K] by AL82 Retrogaming Longplays
10. Street Fighter: The Movie (PS1: North America)
A game based on a film based on a game—what could go wrong? Many things. Despite using digitized sprites of movie actors like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Kylie Minogue, it suffers from slowdowns. The engine change abandoned the crisp fighting mechanics that made Street Fighter II a phenomenon.
11. Red Steel (Nintendo Wii: North America)
The Wii motion controller promised a gaming revolution, leading Ubisoft to create the ultimate concept. This included shooting bad guys and engaging in katana duels with Yakuza bosses. Unfortunately, reality crashed hard against expectations. The controller simply couldn't deliver the precise movements needed for sword combat.
Wii - Red Steel - GamePlay [4K:60FPS] by Levan
12. Fighting Street (TurboGrafx-CD: North America)
Before becoming a legendary franchise, Street Fighter began as this awkward launch title cleverly renamed Fighting Street for the TurboGrafx-CD. A red-headed Ryu battles forgettable characters like Joe the karate master and Mike the boxing champion. How? With stiff movements and minimal special moves.
Fighting Street (TurboGrafx-CD) Playthrough by NintendoComplete
13. Ninja Combat (Neo Geo: Japan)
Neo Geo promised authentic arcade experiences at home, but not all games deserved home versions. Your character's long sword kept you at a safe striking distance, making regular enemies trivial. This odd balance was shattered by bosses capable of eliminating your life bar in a couple of hits.
Ninja Combat | Arcade | Full Game [Upscaled to 4K using xBRz] by Project Detonado
14. 10-Yard Fight (NES: North America)
This football game remains intentionally forgotten in Nintendo's history. Controlling your team produces the bizarre effect of all players moving simultaneously in the same direction. When attacking, rushing proves far more effective than passing, and once you learn the computer's predictable movements, touchdowns become automatic.
10-Yard Fight (NES) gameplay 4K by Gamelayersen
15. Donkey Kong Jr. Math (NES: Japan)
Donkey Kong Jr. Math features numbers that appear at the top of the screen while DK Jr. tackles vines with digits and operation symbols to create correct answers. The gameplay quickly becomes tedious, crushing the spirits of children who thought this would not be as bad as arithmetic.
Donkey Kong Jr. Math (NES) Playthrough by NintendoComplete
16. Marky Mark/INXS: Make My Video (Sega CD: North America)
Can pressing buttons to change video footage while listening to three songs qualify as a game? Sega CD's launch title stretched the definition to breaking point with this "interactive music video creator." The gameplay basically consists of switching between pre-rendered footage with no objectives.
Make My Video: Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch ... (Sega CD) Gameplay by 10min Gameplay
17. Kileak: The DNA Imperative (PS1: Japan)
Sony's answer to Doom for the PlayStation launch was this first-person shooter developed by Genki. Players control Matt Coda, exploring a bunker in an armored suit. However, they soon discover the game's fatal flaw: endless, identical gray corridors. The later-released sequel couldn't compete with Doom either.
Kileak: The Blood/The DNA Imperative (PS1) - Longplay Full Game by ZeroGamer2
18. Kabuki Warriors (Xbox: North America)
Someone thought kabuki theater and fighting games would make a perfect combination. Well, they were catastrophically wrong. Beneath the superficial button-masher lurks a game so simplistic it becomes impossible to lose. The nightmarish wax-mannequin fighters bleed in theatrical spurts when hit, looking utterly unnatural in motion.
CXBX Reloaded Kabuki Warriors 4K UHD Xbox Emulator Gameplay by Emulators & Gameplay HD
19. Highlander: The Last Of The Macleods (Atari Jaguar CD: North America)
Jaguar CD owners had limited options, with only 11 games ever released. Unfortunately, this adaptation of the animated series was among them. Crude 3D-rendered characters tackle pre-rendered environments, fighting monsters in technical misery. Motion-captured animations literally gave human movements to faceless polygon jumbles.
20. Black Hole Assault (Sega CD: North America)
While visiting visually interesting environments, your mech's limited moveset of jumps, kicks, and jumpkicks quickly reveals the game's shallow design. Special moves exist but deplete energy, making basic jump kicks the superior strategy. Ten-minute anime introduction sequences showcase where the development effort went instead of creating engaging gameplay.
