2001 in video games

Last updated

2001 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Madden NFL 2002 , NBA Live 2002 , NBA 2K2 , WWF Smackdown! Just Bring It , Capcom vs. SNK 2 , Crazy Taxi 2 , Dead or Alive 3 , Final Fantasy X , Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec , Grand Theft Auto III , Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty , Myst III: Exile , Silent Hill 2 , Sonic Adventure 2 , SSX Tricky , Super Smash Bros. Melee , Tekken 4 , Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 , and Virtua Fighter 4 . New intellectual properties include Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney , Advance Wars, Animal Crossing , Burnout , Gothic , Black & White , Devil May Cry , Fatal Frame , Ghost Recon, Halo: Combat Evolved , Jak and Daxter , Max Payne , Oni , Onimusha: Warlords , Operation Flashpoint , Pikmin , Pro Evolution Soccer , Red Faction , Serious Sam , and Tropico.

Contents

Three major video game systems were released in 2001: the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance by Nintendo, and the Xbox by Microsoft. [1] Sega, which had been a major competitor in the video game hardware market to this point, ended its involvement in the market after the failure of the Dreamcast. [2]

The year 2001 is remembered for its influence on the video game industry with the release of many games recognized as classics. [3] [4] Many video games released in 2001 defined or redefined their respective genres, including hack and slash game Devil May Cry , [5] [6] first-person shooter game Halo: Combat Evolved , [7] [8] and open world action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto III , which is regarded as an industry-defining work. [9] [10]

The year has been retrospectively considered one of the best and most influential in video game history due to the release of numerous critically acclaimed, commercially successful and influential titles across all platforms and genres at the time. It was the peak year for the sixth generation of video game consoles, with the launch of the GameCube and Xbox, the latter focusing on online games (following SegaNet the previous year), and the Dreamcast's last year of production with Sega's exit from console manufacturing. Storytelling and mature themes also became a more mainstream trend. [11] [12]

The year's best-selling video game worldwide was Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal , the fourth year in a row for the Pokémon series (since 1998). The year's most critically acclaimed titles were Gran Turismo 3 and Final Fantasy X in Japan, and Halo and Grand Theft Auto III in the West.

Legend

Video game platforms
DC Dreamcast GBA Game Boy Advance, iQue GBA GBC Game Boy Color
GCN GameCube N64 Nintendo 64, iQue Player PS1 PlayStation 1
PS2 PlayStation 2 WIN Microsoft Windows, all
versions Windows 95 and up
X360(replace with XB360)
XBLATerm not foundXBOX(replace with XB)

Hardware releases

Game Boy Advance Nintendo-Game-Boy-Advance-Purple-FL.jpg
Game Boy Advance
GameCube GameCube-Set.jpg
GameCube
Microsoft released it's first home console, the Xbox. Xbox-console.jpg
Microsoft released it's first home console, the Xbox.
MonthDayConsole
March21 Game Boy Advance JP
June11Game Boy AdvanceNA
22Game Boy AdvancePAL
September14 GameCube JP
November15 Xbox
16 Pokémon Mini [13]
18GameCubeNA

Top-rated games

Major awards

GameRankings named Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty the Game of the Year for 2001, citing its position as the highest-rated title of the year with an aggregated score of 97% based on reviews from more than 50 gaming publications. [14]

Game of the Year awards for 2001
Awards Game of the Year Platform(s)Publisher(s)GenreRef
Electronic Playground Grand Theft Auto III PS2 Rockstar Games Open world [15]
GameRevolution Grand Theft Auto III PS2 Rockstar Games Open world [16]
British Academy Games Awards Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec PS2 Polyphony Digital Racing [17]
British Academy Games Awards Halo Combat Evolved Xbox Bungie FPS [18]
British Academy Games Awards Max Payne PC Rockstar Games Third Person Shooter [19]
D.I.C.E. Award for Game of the Year Halo Combat Evolved Xbox Bungie FPS [20]
Game Developers Choice Awards Grand Theft Auto III PS2 Rockstar Games Open world [21]
Golden Joystick Awards Grand Theft Auto III PS2 Rockstar Games Open world [22]
Japan Game Awards Final Fantasy X PS2 SquareSoft Role-Playing [23]
EGM Magazine Halo Combat Evolved Xbox Bungie FPS [24]
Eurogamer Grand Theft Auto III PS2 Rockstar Games Open world [25]
Game Informer Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PS2 Konami Stealth game [26]
GameSpot Grand Theft Auto III PS2 Rockstar Games Open world [27]
IGN Halo Combat Evolved Xbox Bungie FPS [28]

Critically acclaimed titles

Famitsu Platinum Hall of Fame

In Japan, the following video game releases in 2001 entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40. [29]

TitlePlatform(s)PublisherGenreScore (out of 40)
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec PS2 Sony Racing simulation 39
Final Fantasy X PS2 Squaresoft Role-playing 39
Fushigi no Dungeon: Fūrai no Shiren GB2 GBC Chunsoft Roguelike 38
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PS2 Konami Stealth 38
Culdcept Second DC Media Factory Turn-based strategy 37
Dai Rantō Smash Brothers DX (Super Smash Bros. Melee)GCN Nintendo Fighting 37
Dōbutsu no Mori + (Animal Crossing)GCNNintendo Social simulation 37
Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko no Daibōken 2 (The Last Hope)GBA Enix Roguelike36
Madden NFL 2001 PS2 Square EA Sports 35
Onimusha (Onimusha: Warlords)PS2 Capcom Hack and slash 35
Kessen II PS2 Koei Real-time tactics 35
Crazy Taxi 2 DC Sega Driving 35
Zeonic Front: Kidō Senshi Gundam 0079 (Mobile Suit Gundam)PS2 Bandai Strategy 35
Capcom vs. SNK 2: Millionaire Fighting 2001 DC, PS2CapcomFighting35
Magical Vacation GBANintendoRole-playing35
Battle Network Rockman EXE 2 (Mega Man Battle Network 2)GBACapcom Tactical role-playing 35

Metacritic and GameRankings

In the West, Metacritic (MC) and GameRankings (GR) are aggregators of video game journalism reviews.

2001 games and expansions scoring at least 88/100 (MC) or 87.5% (GR) [30] [31]
GamePublisherRelease datePlatform(s)MC scoreGR score
Halo: Combat Evolved Microsoft Game Studios November 15, 2001XBOX97/10095.54%
Grand Theft Auto III Rockstar Games October 22, 2001PS297/10095.19%
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Konami November 13, 2001PS296/10095.09%
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec Sony Computer Entertainment April 28, 2001PS295/10094.54%
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Activision October 30, 2001PS297/10093.43%
Devil May Cry Capcom August 23, 2001PS294/10092.6%
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Activision June 11, 2001GBA95/10089.88%
Madden NFL 2002 EA Sports August 19, 2001PS294/10092.32%
NBA 2K2 Sega October 24, 2001DC93/10092.82%
Mario Kart: Super Circuit Nintendo July 21, 2001GBA93/10091.54%
SSX Tricky EA Sports November 5, 2001PS292/10092.49%
Advance Wars Nintendo September 10, 2001GBA92/10092.38%
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 Nintendo December 14, 2001GBA92/100 [32] 92.36% [33]
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages Nintendo February 27, 2001GBCN/a92.2%
Final Fantasy X Square July 19, 2001PS292/10091.73%
Super Smash Bros. Melee Nintendo November 21, 2001GCN92/10090.52%
Conker's Bad Fur Day Rare March 5, 2001N6492/10089.28%
NHL 2002 EA Sports September 24, 2001PS292/10088.84%
Pro Evolution Soccer Konami March 15, 2001PS2N/a91.69%
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons Nintendo February 27, 2001GBCN/a91.37%
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Activision November 18, 2001GCN91/10091.12%
IL-2 Sturmovik 1C Company November 18, 2001WIN91/10090.65%
Golden Sun Nintendo August 1, 2001GBA91/10089.1%
Twisted Metal: Black Sony Computer Entertainment June 18, 2001PS291/10088.52%
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Konami March 21, 2001GBA91/10088.11%
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil Namco March 22, 2001PS291/10084.76%
Madden NFL 2002 EA Sports November 17, 2001GCN89/10090.39%
Ico Sony Computer Entertainment September 24, 2001PS290/10090.29%
NCAA Football 2002 EA Sports July 23, 2001PS290/10090.25%
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy Sony Computer Entertainment December 3, 2001PS290/10090.22%
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader LucasArts November 18, 2001GCN90/10090.04%
Black & White Electronic Arts March 30, 2001WIN90/10089.79%
NFL 2K2 Sega September 19, 2001DC90/10089.35%
Civilization III Infogrames October 30, 2001WIN90/10088.75%
Madden NFL 2002 EA Sports October 31, 2001XBOX90/10088.72%
Unreal Tournament Infogrames March 13, 2001DC90/10087.8%
Virtua Tennis 2 Sega October 24, 2001DC90/10087.22%
Dance Dance Revolution Konami March 6, 2001PS190/10083.63%
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 Microsoft October 16, 2001WIN90/10082.44%
Shenmue II Sega September 6, 2001DCN/a89.63%
Max Payne Gathering of Developers July 23, 2001WIN89/10089.26%
NASCAR Racing 4 Sierra Entertainment February 6, 2001WIN89/10088.5%
NBA Street EA Sports June 19, 2001PS289/10086.92%
Pikmin Nintendo October 26, 2001GCN89/10086.71%
Final Fantasy Chronicles Square June 29, 2001PS189/10086.7%
NHL 2002 EA Sports December 10, 2001XBOX89/10086.33%
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies Namco September 13, 2001PS289/10086.07%
Max Payne Rockstar Games December 12, 2001XBOX89/10085.95%
Silent Hill 2 Konami September 24, 2001PS289/10085.82%
Sonic Adventure 2 Sega June 23, 2001DC89/10083.26%
Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal Interplay Entertainment June 22, 2001WIN88/10088.73%
Super Monkey Ball Sega September 14, 2001GCN87/10088.7%
Red Faction THQ May 22, 2001PS288/10088.32%
Dark Age of Camelot Vivendi Universal Games October 10, 2001WIN88/10088.08%
Return to Castle Wolfenstein Activision November 19, 2001WIN88/10086.75%
SSX Tricky EA Sports December 10, 2001XBOX88/10086.6%
Wario Land 4 Nintendo August 21, 2001GBA88/10085.34%
Madden NFL 2002 EA Sports August 13, 2001PS188/10085.08%
Tribes 2 Sierra Entertainment March 28, 2001WIN88/10084.85%
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis Nintendo June 21, 2001GBA88/100 [32] 83.62% [33]

Financial performance

Best-selling home video games

Best-selling home video games in Japan and the United States
RankTitlePlatform(s)PublisherSales
Japan United States [34] Combined
1 Pokémon Gold / Silver / Crystal GBC Nintendo 826,125 [a] 3,127,6593,953,784
2 Final Fantasy X PS2 Squaresoft 2,434,015 [35] 746,632 [36] 3,180,647
3 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec PS2 Sony 1,656,959 [35] 1,172,3222,829,281
4 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PS2 Konami 750,560 [35] 1,800,000+ [37] 2,550,560+
5 Madden NFL 2002 PS1, PS2 EA Sports N/a2,220,1122,220,112
6 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages GBCNintendo772,858 [35] 1,248,1912,021,049
7 Grand Theft Auto III PS2 Rockstar N/a1,965,8321,965,832
8 Super Mario Advance GBANintendo777,899 [38] 1,172,323+ [39] [34] 1,950,222+
9 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone PS1, WIN EA 83,954 [38] 1,628,744 [34] [40] 1,712,698
10 The Sims WINEAN/a1,482,182 [40] 1,482,182
Highest-grossing home video games in the United States and Europe
RankTitlePlatform(s)Sales revenue
USA [34] [39] [41] Europe [42] CombinedInflation
1 Pokémon Gold / Silver / Crystal GBC$91,038,324€221,000,000 ($198,000,000)$289,038,324$513,000,000
2 Grand Theft Auto III PS2$98,940,325€54,000,000 ($48,000,000)$146,940,325$261,000,000
3 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone $55,148,445 [34] [39] [40] €92,000,000 ($82,000,000)$137,148,445$244,000,000
4 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec PS2$58,264,403€64,000,000 ($57,000,000)$115,264,403$205,000,000
5 Madden NFL 2002 PS1, PS2$110,000,000Unknown$110,000,000+$200,000,000+
6 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 $81,000,000€24,000,000 ($21,000,000)$102,000,000$181,000,000
7 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PS2$87,000,000+N/a$87,000,000+$154,000,000+
8 The Sims WIN$60,499,079 [40] €25,000,000 ($22,000,000)$82,499,079$147,000,000
9 Super Mario Advance GBA$37,000,000+€23,000,000 ($21,000,000)$56,000,000+$99,000,000+
10 FIFA Football 2002 Unknown€52,000,000 ($47,000,000)$47,000,000+$83,000,000+

Japan

Best-selling home video games in Japan
RankTitlePlatformSalesSales revenueInflationRef
1 Final Fantasy X PS22,434,015¥17,600,000,000+ ($145,000,000+)$257,000,000+ [35] [43]
2 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec PS21,656,959Unknown [35]
3 Dragon Quest Monsters 2 GBC1,138,756Unknown [38]
4 Dragon Quest IV: Michibikareshi Monotachi PS11,039,443Unknown [35]
5 Onimusha (Onimusha: Warlords)PS21,000,000+Unknown [44] [45]
6 Minna no Golf 3 (Everybody's Golf 3)PS2871,167Unknown [35]
7 Dai Rantō Smash Brothers DX (Smash Bros. Melee)GCN838,237
8 Pocket Monsters: Gold / Silver / Crystal (Pokémon)GBC826,125Unknown [a]
9 Winning Eleven 5 (Pro Evolution Soccer)PS2789,515Unknown [35]
10 Super Mario Advance GBA777,899Unknown [38]

United States

Best-selling home video games in the United States
RankTitlePlatform(s)SalesRevenueInflationRef
1 Pokémon Gold / Silver / Crystal GBC3,127,659$91,038,324$162,000,000 [34] [39] [41]
2 Madden NFL 2002 PS2, PS12,220,112$110,000,000$200,000,000 [39] [34]
3 Grand Theft Auto III PS21,965,832$98,940,325$180,000,000 [39] [34]
4 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PS21,800,000+$87,000,000+$150,000,000+ [37] [39]
5 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 PS2, PS11,693,037$81,000,000$144,000,000 [39] [34]
6 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone PS1, WIN1,628,744$55,148,445$98,000,000 [34] [39] [40]
7 The Sims WIN1,482,182$60,499,079$110,000,000 [40]
8 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages GBC1,248,191$39,000,000$69,000,000 [39] [34]
9 Super Mario Advance GBA1,172,323+$35,000,000+$62,000,000+ [39] [34]
10 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec PS21,172,322$58,264,403$103,000,000 [39] [34]

PAL regions

Highest-grossing home video games in Europe [42]
RankTitlePlatform(s)PublisherGenreSales revenueInflation
1 Pokémon Gold / Silver / Crystal GBC Nintendo Role-playing €221,000,000 ($198,000,000)$352,000,000
2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Electronic Arts Action-adventure €92,000,000 ($82,000,000)$150,000,000
3 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec PS2 Sony Racing sim €64,000,000 ($57,000,000)$101,000,000
4 Grand Theft Auto III PS2 Rockstar Games Action-adventure€54,000,000 ($48,000,000)$85,000,000
5 FIFA Football 2002 EA Sports Sports €52,000,000 ($47,000,000)$83,000,000
6 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Eidos Interactive Quiz €33,000,000 ($30,000,000)$53,000,000
7 FIFA 2001 EA SportsSports€31,000,000 ($28,000,000)$50,000,000
8 Final Fantasy IX PS1 Squaresoft Role-playing€30,000,000 ($27,000,000)$48,000,000
9 Black & White WINElectronic Arts God game €28,000,000 ($25,000,000)$44,000,000
10 The Sims WINElectronic Arts Life simulation €25,000,000 ($22,000,000)$39,000,000
Best-selling home video games in Australia [46]
RankTitlePlatformDeveloperPublisherGenre
1 Pokémon Crystal GBC Game Freak Nintendo Role-playing
2 Pokémon Gold
3 Pokémon Silver
4 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone PS1 Argonaut Games Electronic Arts Action-adventure
5 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone GBC Griptonite Games Role-playing
6 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec PS2 Polyphony Digital Sony Racing simulation
7 Gran Turismo 2 PS1
8 Pokémon Stadium 2 N64 Nintendo EAD Nintendo Turn-based strategy
9 Super Mario Advance GBA Nintendo R&D2 Platformer
10 Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped PS1 Naughty Dog Sony

Highest-grossing arcade games in Japan

Highest-grossing arcade games in Japan [47]
RankTitleDeveloperManufacturerTypeGenrePoints
1Canvas Shot / Flash Shot / Chaopi Omron Omron Other Purikura 8712
2 Derby Owners Club Sega AM3 Sega Dedicated Simulation 3837
3 Battle Gear 2 Taito Taito Dedicated Racing 2601
4 Tekken Tag Tournament Namco Namco Software Fighting 2568
5 Shakatto Tambourine (Samba de Amigo) Sega SegaDedicated Rhythm 2523
6 Time Crisis 2 NamcoNamcoDedicated Light gun shooter 2400
7 The King of Fighters 2000 SNK SNK SoftwareFighting2382
8 Virtua Striker 2 ver. 2000 Sega AM2 SegaSoftware Sports 2345
9Street Snap EG Hitachi Hitachi OtherPurikura2291
10 Kidō Senshi Gundam: Renpō vs. Zeon (Federation vs. Zeon) Capcom Banpresto Software Third-person shooter 2280

Major events

DateEvent
January 29 Infogrames acquired Hasbro Interactive, including the Game.com division, the MicroProse and Atari labels, and a right to publish and develop games based on Hasbro properties. Paradigm Entertainment was also acquired. [48]
January 31 Sega announced it would be departing from the console market [49] and discontinuing the Dreamcast, and develop and publish games for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. [50]

Events

Business

Lawsuits

Notable releases

Release dateTitleComputer ReleasesConsole ReleasesHandheld Releases
January 4 RuneScape WINN/aN/a
January 10 Mega Man 64 N/aN64N/a
January 16 Mario Tennis N/aN/aGBC
January 29 Oni WINPS2N/a
January 29 Phantasy Star Online N/aDCN/a
January 30 Rayman 2: The Great Escape N/aPS2N/a
January 31 Mega Man X5 N/aPS1N/a
February 5 Paper Mario N/aN64N/a
February 6 Action Man: Search for Base X N/aN/aGBC
February 6 Metal Walker N/aN/aGBC
February 7 Clive Barker's Undying WINN/aN/a
February 16 Final Fantasy IX N/aPS1 (EU)N/a
February 20 Scooby-Doo! Classic Creep Capers N/aN/aGBC
February 27 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages N/aN/aGBC (JP)
March 1 Lego Island 2 The Brickster's Revenge WINPS1GBC, GBA
March 5 Conker's Bad Fur Day N/aN64N/a
March 6 The Bouncer N/aPS2N/a
March 9 Sonic Shuffle N/aDCN/a
March 12 Star Wars: Episode I: Battle for Naboo WINN/aN/a
March 13 Onimusha: Warlords N/aPS2N/a
March 13 Unreal Tournament N/aDCN/a
March 14 Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage N/aN64N/a
March 15 SpongeBob SquarePants: Legend of the Lost Spatula N/aN/aGBC
March 20 Summoner [52] WINN/aN/a
March 21 Daytona USA N/aDCN/a
March 21 Tribes 2 WINN/aN/a
March 21 Serious Sam: The First Encounter WINN/aN/a
March 22 Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil N/aPS2N/a
March 23 Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising WINN/aN/a
March 25 Black & White WINN/aN/a
March 26 Pokémon Stadium 2 N/aN64N/a
March 26 The Simpsons: Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror N/aN/aGBC
March 26 Zone of the Enders N/aPS2N/a
March 27Rocket Power: Gettin' AirN/aN/aGBC
March 27 Strikers 1945 II N/aPS1N/a
March 30 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine N/aN/aGBC
March 30 Star Wars: Episode I: Battle for Naboo N/aN64 (EU)N/a
April 6 Snoopy Tennis N/aN/aGBC
April 8 Dr. Mario 64 N/aN64N/a
April 11 Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble N/aN/aGBC
April 12 The Simpsons Wrestling N/aPS1N/a
April 16 Illbleed N/aDCN/a
April 16 Batman: Chaos in Gotham N/aN/aGBC
April 19 Spider-Man N/aDCN/a
April 23 Silpheed: The Lost Planet N/aPS2N/a
April 30 The Adventures of Cookie & Cream N/aPS2N/a
April 30 Mars Matrix: Hyper Solid Shooting N/aDCN/a
May 7 Mario Party 3 N/aN64N/a
May 8 Myst III: Exile WINPS2N/a
May 14 Crazy Taxi N/aPS2N/a
May 16 Giga Wing 2 N/aDCN/a
May 16 Project Justice N/aDCN/a
May 18 Atlantis The Lost Empire: Trial by Fire WINN/aN/a
May 21 Cool Boarders N/aPS2N/a
May 22 Red Faction N/aPS2N/a
May 28 Crazy Taxi 2 N/aDCN/a
May 29 Shrek: Fairy Tale Freakdown N/aN/aGBC
May 30 Bejeweled WINN/aN/a
May 30 Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six N/aN/aGBC
May 30 Max Steel: Covert Missions N/aDCN/a
June 11 Castlevania: Circle of the Moon N/aN/aGBA
June 11 ChuChu Rocket! N/aN/aGBA
June 11 Earthworm Jim N/aN/aGBA
June 11 F-Zero: Maximum Velocity N/aN/aGBA
June 11 Konami Krazy Racers N/aN/aGBA
June 11 Rayman Advance N/aN/aGBA
June 11 Super Mario Advance N/aN/aGBA
June 14 Atlantis: The Lost Empire N/aPS1N/a
June 18 Twisted Metal: Black N/aPS2N/a
June 19 Sonic Adventure 2 N/aDCN/a
June 19 Startopia [53] WINN/aN/a
June 20 Time Crisis: Project Titan N/aPS1N/a
June 21 Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal WINN/aN/a
June 22 Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis WINN/aN/a
June 27 Anachronox WINN/aN/a
June 27 Anarchy Online [54] WINN/aN/a
June 29 Bomberman Tournament N/aN/aGBA
June 29 Diablo II: Lord of Destruction WINN/aN/a
June 29 Final Fantasy Chronicles N/aPS1N/a
July 1 Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword N/aN/aGBC
July 6 Runaway: A Road Adventure WINN/aN/a
July 8 Dark Angel: Vampire Apocalypse N/aPS2N/a
July 10 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec N/aPS2N/a
July 14 Mega Man Legends WINN/aN/a
July 16 Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor N/aN/aGBA
July 17 City Crisis N/aPS2N/a
July 19 Final Fantasy X N/aPS2 (JP)N/a
July 23 Extermination N/aPS2N/a
July 23 Max Payne WINN/aN/a
July 28 Rune: Viking Warlord N/aPS2N/a
July 30 Pokémon Crystal (North America)N/aN/aGBC
July 30 Tweety and the Magic Gems N/aN/aGBA
August 1 Golden Sun N/aN/aGBA
August 1 Nancy Drew: Treasure in the Royal Tower WINN/aN/a
August 7 WWF Betrayal N/aN/aGBA
August 8 Shogun: Total War: Mongol InvasionWINN/aN/a
August 19 Madden NFL 2002 N/aPS1, PS2N/a
August 20 Armored Core 2: Another Age N/aPS2N/a
August 21 Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura WINN/aN/a
August 27 Mario Kart: Super Circuit N/aN/aGBA
August 27 Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 N/aPS2N/a
August 28 ESPN Final Round Golf 2002 N/aN/aGBA
August 29 Alchemy WINN/aN/a
August 30 Klonoa: Empire of Dreams N/aN/aGBA
September 6 Shenmue II N/aDCN/a
September 10 Advance Wars N/aN/aGBA
September 10 Jurassic Park III: Park Builder N/aN/aGBA
September 10 Portal Runner N/aPS2N/a
September 11 The World Is Not Enough N/aN/aGBC
September 13 Heavy Metal: Geomatrix N/aDCN/a
September 13 Ooga Booga N/aDCN/a
September 15 Power Rangers Time Force N/aN/aGBA
September 17 Arctic Thunder N/aPS2N/a
September 18 Red Faction [55] WINN/aN/a
September 21 SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge N/aPS1N/a
September 24 Monster Rancher 3 N/aPS2N/a
September 24 Phantasy Star Online Version 2 N/aDCN/a
September 24 Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor WINN/aN/a
September 24 Silent Hill 2 N/aPS2N/a
September 24 SpyHunter N/aPS2N/a
September 24 SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Krabby Patty WINN/aN/a
September 25 X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse N/aN/aGBA
September 26 Bass Strike N/aPS2N/a
September 26 Dexter's Laboratory: Deesaster Strikes! N/aN/aGBA
September 26 Final Fight One N/aN/aGBA
September 26 Kessen II N/aPS2N/a
September 30 Ico N/aPS2N/a
October 1 NASCAR Thunder 2002 N/aPS1, PS2, XBOXN/a
October 1 Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase N/aN/aGBA
October 1 Time Crisis II N/aPS2N/a
October 1 Yanya Caballista: City Skater N/aPS2N/a
October 2 Lego Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge N/aN/aGBA
October 3 Lego Bionicle N/aN/aGBA
October 4 Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase N/aPS1N/a
October 5The Wild Thornberrys: Chimp ChaseN/aN/aGBA
October 8 Castlevania Chronicles N/aPS1N/a
October 10 Dark Age of Camelot WINN/aN/a
October 12 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney N/aN/aGBA
October 15 Lady Sia N/aN/aGBA
October 15 Batman: Vengeance WINPS2, GCN, XBOXGBA
October 17 Devil May Cry N/aPS2N/a
October 18 E.T.: Digital Companion N/aN/aGBC
October 21 Stronghold WINN/aN/a
October 22 Grand Theft Auto III N/aPS2N/a
October 24 Virtua Tennis 2 N/aDCN/a
October 28 Doom N/aN/aGBA
October 28 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 N/aPS1, PS2, GCNN/a
October 29 Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex N/aPS2, XBOX, GCNN/a
October 29 Spyro: Season of Ice N/aN/aGBA
October 30 Aliens versus Predator 2 WINN/aN/a
October 30 Boxing Fever N/aN/aGBA
October 30 Civilization III WINN/aN/a
October 30 Mega Man Xtreme 2 N/aN/aGBC
October 30 Monsters, Inc. Scream Team WINPS1, PS2N/a
October 30 Super Street Fighter II Turbo Revival N/aN/aGBA
October 31 Soul Reaver 2 N/aPS2N/a
October 31 Mega Man Battle Network N/aN/aGBA
November 1 Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies N/aPS2N/a
November 1 Burnout N/aPS2N/a
November 1 Dragon Warrior VII N/aPS1N/a
November 1 FIFA Football 2002 N/aPS1, PS2N/a
November 1 Nancy Drew: The Final Scene WINN/aN/a
November 3Rocket Power: Dream SchemeN/aN/aGBA
November 5 SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge N/aPS1GBA
November 5 SSX Tricky N/aPS2, GCN, XBOXN/a
November 7 Jackie Chan Adventures: Legend of the Dark Hand N/aN/aGBA
November 9 Project Gotham Racing N/aXBOXN/a
November 11 Golden Sun N/aN/aGBA
November 12 Empire Earth WINN/aN/a
November 12 Gradius Advance N/aN/aGBA
November 12 Survivor WINN/aN/a
November 13 007: Agent Under Fire N/aPS2N/a
November 13 Cubix - Robots for Everyone: Race 'N Robots N/aN/aGBC
November 13 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty N/aPS2N/a
November 13 Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon WINN/aN/a
November 14 Frank Herbert's Dune [56] WINPS2N/a
November 14 Harvest Moon 3 GBC N/aN/aGBC
November 14 Shrek N/aXBOXN/a
November 15 Cel Damage N/aXBOX, PS2, GCNN/a
November 15 Dead or Alive 3 N/aXBOXN/a
November 15 Halo: Combat Evolved N/aXBOXN/a
November 15 Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion N/aN/aGBA
November 15Oddworld: Munch's OddyseeN/aXBOXN/a
November 15 Wizardry 8 [57] WINN/aN/a
November 16 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone WINPS1GBC, GBA
November 16 Headhunter N/aDCN/a
November 17 NHL Hitz 2002 N/aGCNN/a
November 17 Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader N/aGCNN/a
November 18 Crazy Taxi N/aGCNN/a
November 18 Super Monkey Ball N/aGCNN/a
November 18 IL-2 Sturmovik WINN/aN/a
November 18 Luigi's Mansion N/aGCNN/a
November 18 WWF Road to Wrestlemania N/aN/aGBA
November 19 Soul Reaver 2 [58] WINN/aN/a
November 19 Wario Land 4 N/aN/aGBA
November 19 WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It N/aPS2N/a
November 20 Frequency N/aPS2N/a
November 20 Return to Castle Wolfenstein WINN/aN/a
November 20 Frogger: The Great Quest N/aPS2N/a
November 21 Ecks vs. Sever N/aN/aGBA
November 21 Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles N/aN/aGBA
November 21 Super Smash Bros. Melee N/aGCN (JP)N/a
November 22 Mr. Driller G N/aPS1 (JP)N/a
November 23 Gothic WINN/aN/a
November 24 Frogger's Adventures: Temple of the Frog N/aN/aGBA
November 25 Azurik: Rise of Perathia N/aXBOXN/a
November 26 Jurassic Park III: Island Attack N/aN/aGBA
November 26 Star Wars: Starfighter N/aXBOXN/a
November 26 Twisted Metal: Small Brawl N/aPS1N/a
November 27 Extreme-G 3 N/aGCNN/a
November 27 Lego Racers 2 N/aN/aGBA
November 28 Cruis'n Velocity N/aN/aGBA
November 29 Rampage Puzzle Attack N/aN/aGBA
November 30 Dokapon: Monster Hunter N/aN/aGBA
December 1 Breath of Fire N/aN/aGBA
December 1M&M's Blast!N/aN/aGBA
December 3 Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance N/aPS2N/a
December 3 Pikmin N/aGCNN/a
December 3 Super Smash Bros. Melee N/aGCN (NA)N/a
December 3 Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy N/aPS2N/a
December 4 Mega Man X6 N/aPS1N/a
December 5 American Bass Challenge N/aN/aGBA
December 7 Cel Damage N/aGCNN/a
December 7 Magical Vacation N/aN/aGBA
December 7 Evil Twin: Cyprien's Chronicles N/aPS2 (PAL & EU)N/a
December 9 The Flintstones: Big Trouble in Bedrock N/aN/aGBA
December 12 Mortal Kombat Advance N/aN/aGBA
December 12 Shadow Hearts N/aPS2N/a
December 17 Dark Rift (North America)N/aN64N/a
December 18 Universal Studios Theme Parks Adventure N/aGCNN/a
December 19 Star Wars: Obi-Wan [59] N/aXBOXN/a
December 19 Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land N/aPS2N/a
December 20 Final Fantasy X N/aPS2 (US)N/a
December 20 Giants: Citizen Kabuto N/aPS2N/a
December 21 Silent Hill 2: Director's Cut N/aXBOXN/a
December 21 Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 N/aN/aGBA

Video game consoles

The dominant video game console in 2001 was Sony's PlayStation 2.

Nintendo released the GameCube on September 14 in Japan (North America on November 18 and in Europe on May 3, 2002). Microsoft released the Xbox in North America on November 15 (in Europe on March 14, 2002).

Handheld game systems

The dominant handheld system in 2001 was Nintendo's Game Boy Color.

Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance in Japan on March 21 (in North America on June 11 and Europe on June 22).

Deaths

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Crystal Version sold 749,863. [35] Gold and Silver versions sold 76,262. [38]

References

  1. Hu, Jim. "Video game sales set record in 2001". CNET. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  2. Watts, Jonathan (February 1, 2001). "Sega to end production of Dreamcast console". The Guardian. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  3. Kelly, Andy (September 30, 2021). "2001 Was The Best Year Ever For Video Games". TheGamer. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  4. Fillari, Alessandro (February 6, 2021). "Remembering 2001: The Biggest Games That Turn 20 This Year". GameSpot. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  5. Madsen, Hayes (October 17, 2022). "21 years ago, Capcom changed action games forever". Inverse. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  6. Figueiredo, Erick Duarte (October 2, 2022). "Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden: The Two Extremes of the Hack-and-Slash Genre". Superjump. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  7. Carnley, Zackery Van (April 19, 2021). "How Halo Has Defined the Shooter Genre". Game Rant. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  8. Plant, Mike. "In the loop: how Halo defined a new decade of first-person shooters". The Register. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  9. Kelly, Andy (October 27, 2021). "Grand Theft Auto 3 Changed Video Games Forever". TheGamer. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  10. Gordon, Jeremy (October 22, 2021). "After 'Grand Theft Auto III,' Open-World Games Were Never (and Always) the Same". The Ringer. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  11. Kelly, Andy (September 30, 2021). "2001 Was The Best Year Ever For Video Games". TheGamer. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  12. Fillari, Alessandro. "Remembering 2001: The Biggest Games That Turn 20 This Year". GameSpot. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  13. IGN Staff (November 14, 2001). "Pokemon Mini Hits the US". IGN. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  14. "Game Rankings - The Game Reviews Database - Best Games of 2001!". www.gamerankings.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2002. Retrieved October 24, 2025. As Decided by ALL Websites and Magazines combined
  15. "the electric playground". www.elecplay.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2003. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  16. "Best PS2 Games of 2001 - Game Revolution". www.game-revolution.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2002. Retrieved October 24, 2025. GTA 3 stole more than a few cars...it stole our jaded gamer's heart. Embroiled in controversy due to its violent nature, it's much, much more than a topic for the 6 o' clock news - it's the best console game of the year.
  17. "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  18. "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  19. "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  20. "Awards Category Details". www.interactive.org. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  21. "Game Developers Choice Online Awards | Archive | 2nd Annual GDCA". www.gamechoiceawards.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  22. GamesRadar_UK (September 14, 2009). "12 hot facts about the Golden Joystick Awards". GamesRadar+. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  23. "Japan Game Awards 2011". awards.cesa.or.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 26, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  24. "EGM Awards | Award | VideoGameGeek". videogamegeek.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  25. "Games of the Year 2001". Eurogamer.net. December 30, 2001. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  26. Marchiafava, Jeff. "Check Out 25 Years Of Game Informer's GOTY Awards". Game Informer. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  27. "GameSpot Presents: The Best and Worst of 2001". gamespot.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2002. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  28. "Overall Game of the Year 2001 - Cube News at IGN". IGN. January 19, 2002. Archived from the original on December 19, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  29. "週刊ファミ通クロスレビュープラチナ殿堂入りソフト一覧" [Weekly Famitsu Cross Review Platinum Hall of Fame Software List]. Geimin (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 27, 2008. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  30. "Best Video Games for 2001". Metacritic. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  31. "Highest-Ranking Games of 2001 (with at least 10 reviews)". GameRankings. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  32. 1 2 "Best Video Games for 2002". Metacritic. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  33. 1 2 "Highest-Ranking Games of 2002 (with at least 10 reviews)". GameRankings. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "The top five selling videogame software titles sold in the United States for 2001". WIPO Guide on the Licensing of Copyright and Related Rights. Collective Management. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). 2004. p. 72. ISBN   978-92-805-1271-7.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "2001 Top 100 Japanese Console Game Chart". The Magic Box. Archived from the original on January 24, 2004. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  36. "August sales data". The Motley Fool . The NPD Group. September 23, 2002. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  37. 1 2 "Metal Gear Solid 2 hits the 1.8 million mark". Gaming Intelligence Agency. November 28, 2001. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  38. 1 2 3 4 5 "2001年ゲームソフト年間売上TOP300" [2001 Game Software Annual Sales Top 300]. Famitsū Gēmu Hakusho 2002ファミ通ゲーム白書2002[Famitsu Game Whitebook 2002] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Enterbrain. 2002. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015.
  39. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "NPD REPORTS ANNUAL 2001 U.S. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT SALES SHATTER INDUSTRY RECORD" (Press release). Port Washington, New York: NPD Group. February 7, 2002. Archived from the original on August 14, 2004. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  40. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bradshaw, Lucy (January 31, 2002). "Markle Forum on Children and Media" (PDF). New York University. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 19, 2004. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  41. 1 2 Schilling, Melissa (January 2005). "Game Not Over: Competitive Dynamics in the Video Game Industry". In Lampel, Joseph; Shamsie, Jamal; Lant, Theresa K. (eds.). The Business of Culture: Strategic Perspectives on Entertainment and Media. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. pp. 75–103.
  42. 1 2 "Europäische Verkaufsawards" [European Sales Awards]. GameStar (in German). February 7, 2002. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  43. Nicholson, Zy (September 2001). "Final Reality" (PDF). Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine . No. 11. Future Publishing. pp. 49–50.
  44. "First PlayStation 2 videogame to sell one million units". Guinness World Records . February 2001. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  45. Nicholson, Zy (September 2001). "Final Reality" (PDF). Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine . No. 11. Future Publishing. pp. 49–50.
  46. "Top 20 Console Games Ranked by Units Sold, 1998–2013". Screen Australia . Australian Government . Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  47. Akagi, Masumi, ed. (January 15, 2002). ""Tekken TT", "DOC 2000" Top Game Charts" (PDF). Game Machine . No. 650. Amusement Press, Inc. p. 18.
  48. "Infogrames to Acquire Hasbro Interactive". IGN . December 6, 2000. Archived from the original on November 19, 2001. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  49. "CNN.com - Game over for Sega's Dreamcast - January 31, 2001". www.cnn.com. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  50. I. G. N. Staff (February 3, 2001). "Sega Goes Third-Party, Nintendo Ties Announced". IGN. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  51. "Attendance and Stats". IGN. June 8, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  52. "Summoner Review". GameSpot. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  53. "Startopia | Eurogamer.net". Eurogamer . July 6, 2022. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  54. "Anarchy Online: The Shadowlands Review". GameSpot. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  55. "Red Faction Review". GameSpot. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  56. "Frank Herbert's Dune in November - IGN". May 20, 2024. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  57. I. G. N. Staff (December 15, 2001). "Wizardry 8". IGN. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  58. I. G. N. Staff (July 26, 2001). "Soul Reaver 2 to PC". IGN. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  59. Boulding, Aaron (January 3, 2002). "Star Wars: Obi-Wan". IGN. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
  60. John Chartier (May 18, 2001). "Sega's gaming gambit". CNN. Retrieved July 5, 2020.