2001 in video games

Events

Business

Lawsuits

  • Sega of America Inc. v. Kmart Corporation; Sega sues Kmart over an unpaid debt of over US$2 million
  • Uri Geller v. Nintendo; Geller sues Nintendo over his resemblance to a Pokémon character. The suit is dismissed.

Notable releases

Video game platforms
DC Dreamcast
GBA Game Boy Advance
GCN GameCube
N64 Nintendo 64
PS1 PlayStation
PS2 PlayStation 2
Win Microsoft Windows
Xbox Xbox
GBC Game Boy Color
Notable releases of the year 2001
Release Title Windows 5th Gen 6th Gen Handheld
January 4RuneScapeWinN/AN/AN/A
January 10Mega Man 64N/AN64N/AN/A
January 16Mario TennisN/AN/AN/AGBC
January 29OniWinN/APS2N/A
January 29Phantasy Star OnlineN/AN/ADCN/A
January 30Rayman 2: The Great EscapeN/AN/APS2N/A
January 31Mega Man X5Win (2002)PS1N/AN/A
February 5Paper MarioN/AN64N/AN/A
February 6Action Man: Search for Base XN/AN/AN/AGBC
February 6Metal WalkerN/AN/AN/AGBC
February 7Clive Barker's UndyingWinN/AN/AN/A
February 16Final Fantasy IXN/APS1 (EU)N/AN/A
February 20Scooby-Doo! Classic Creep CapersN/AN/AN/AGBC
February 27The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of AgesN/AN/AN/AGBC
March 1Lego Island 2 The Brickster's RevengeWin'98PS1N/AGBC, GBA
March 5Conker's Bad Fur DayN/AN64N/AN/A
March 6The BouncerN/AN/APS2N/A
March 9Sonic ShuffleN/AN/ADCN/A
March 12Star Wars: Episode I: Battle for NabooWinN/AN/AN/A
March 13Onimusha: WarlordsN/AN/APS2N/A
March 13Unreal TournamentN/AN/ADCN/A
March 14Aidyn Chronicles: The First MageN/AN64N/AN/A
March 15SpongeBob SquarePants: Legend of the Lost SpatulaN/AN/AN/AGBC
March 21Daytona USAN/AN/ADCN/A
March 21Tribes 2WinN/AN/AN/A
March 21Serious Sam: The First EncounterWinN/AN/AN/A
March 22Klonoa 2: Lunatea's VeilN/AN/APS2N/A
March 23Hostile Waters: Antaeus RisingWinN/AN/AN/A
March 25Black & WhiteWinN/AN/AN/A
March 26The Simpsons: Night of the Living Treehouse of HorrorN/AN/AN/AGBC
March 26Zone of the EndersN/AN/APS2N/A
March 27Rocket Power: Gettin' AirN/AN/AN/AGBC
March 28 Pokémon Stadium 2N/AN64N/AN/A
March 27Strikers 1945 IIN/APS1N/AN/A
March 30Indiana Jones and the Infernal MachineN/AN/AN/AGBC
March 30Star Wars: Episode I: Battle for NabooN/AN64 (EU)N/AN/A
April 6Snoopy TennisN/AN/AN/AGBC
April 8Dr. Mario 64N/AN64N/AN/A
April 11Kirby Tilt 'n' TumbleN/AN/AN/AGBC
April 12The Simpsons WrestlingN/APS1N/AN/A
April 16Batman: Chaos in GothamN/AN/AN/AGBC
April 23Silpheed: The Lost PlanetN/AN/APS2N/A
April 30The Adventures of Cookie & CreamN/AN/APS2N/A
April 30Mars Matrix: Hyper Solid ShootingN/AN/ADCN/A
May 7Mario Party 3N/AN64N/AN/A
May 8Myst III: ExileWinN/APS2N/A
May 14Crazy TaxiN/AN/APS2N/A
May 16Giga Wing 2N/AN/ADCN/A
May 16Project JusticeN/AN/ADCN/A
May 18Atlantis The Lost Empire: Trial by FireWinN/AN/AN/A
May 21Cool BoardersN/AN/APS2N/A
May 22Red FactionN/AN/APS2N/A
May 28Crazy Taxi 2N/AN/ADCN/A
May 29Shrek: Fairy Tale FreakdownN/AN/AN/AGBC
May 30BejeweledWinN/AN/AN/A
May 30Spider-Man 2: The Sinister SixN/AN/AN/AGBC
June 8Castlevania: Circle of the MoonN/AN/AN/AGBA
June 11ChuChu Rocket!N/AN/AN/AGBA
June 11Earthworm JimN/AN/AN/AGBA
June 11F-Zero: Maximum VelocityN/AN/AN/AGBA
June 11Konami Krazy RacersN/AN/AN/AGBA
June 11Rayman AdvanceN/AN/AN/AGBA
June 11Super Mario AdvanceN/AN/AN/AGBA
June 14Atlantis: The Lost EmpireN/APS1N/AN/A
June 18Twisted Metal: BlackN/AN/APS2N/A
June 20Time Crisis: Project TitanN/APS1N/AN/A
June 21Baldur's Gate II: Throne of BhaalWinN/AN/AN/A
June 22Operation Flashpoint: Cold War CrisisWinN/AN/AN/A
June 23Sonic Adventure 2N/AN/ADCN/A
June 27AnachronoxWinN/AN/AN/A
June 29Bomberman TournamentN/AN/AN/AGBA
June 29Final Fantasy ChroniclesN/APS1N/AN/A
July 1Tomb Raider: Curse of the SwordN/AN/AN/AGBC
July 8Dark Angel: Vampire ApocalypseN/AN/APS2N/A
July 10Gran Turismo 3: A-SpecN/AN/APS2N/A
July 14Mega Man LegendsWinN/AN/AN/A
July 16Jurassic Park III: The DNA FactorN/AN/AN/AGBA
July 17City CrisisN/AN/APS2N/A
July 19Final Fantasy XN/AN/APS2 (JAP)N/A
July 23ExterminationN/AN/APS2N/A
July 23Max PayneWinN/AN/AN/A
July 28Rune: Viking WarlordN/AN/APS2N/A
July 29Pokémon Crystal (North America)N/AN/AN/AGBC
July 30Tweety and the Magic GemsN/AN/AN/AGBA
August 1Golden SunN/AN/AN/AGBA
August 7WWF BetrayalN/AN/AN/AGBA
August 8Shogun: Total War: Mongol InvasionWinN/AN/AN/A
August 19Madden NFL 2002N/APS1PS2N/A
August 20Armored Core 2: Another AgeN/AN/APS2N/A
August 21Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick ObscuraWinN/AN/AN/A
August 27Mario Kart: Super CircuitN/AN/AN/AGBA
August 27Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2N/AN/APS2N/A
August 28ESPN Final Round Golf 2002N/AN/AN/AGBA
August 29AlchemyWinN/AN/AN/A
September 10Advance WarsN/AN/AN/AGBA
September 10Jurassic Park III: Park BuilderN/AN/AN/AGBA
September 10Portal RunnerN/AN/APS2N/A
September 11The World Is Not EnoughN/AN/AN/AGBC
September 13Heavy Metal: GeomatrixN/AN/ADCN/A
September 13Ooga BoogaN/AN/ADCN/A
September 15Power Rangers Time ForceN/AN/AN/AGBA
September 15Klonoa: Empire of DreamsN/AN/AN/AGBA
September 17Arctic ThunderN/AN/APS2N/A
September 21SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSpongeN/APS1N/AN/A
September 24Monster Rancher 3N/AN/APS2N/A
September 24Phantasy Star Online Version 2N/AN/ADCN/A
September 24Silent Hill 2N/AN/APS2N/A
September 24SpyHunterN/AN/APS2N/A
September 24SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Krabby PattyWinN/AN/AN/A
September 25X-Men: Reign of ApocalypseN/AN/AN/AGBA
September 26Bass StrikeN/AN/APS2N/A
September 26Dexter's Laboratory: Deesaster Strikes!N/AN/AN/AGBA
September 26Final Fight OneN/AN/AN/AGBA
September 26Kessen IIN/AN/APS2N/A
September 30IcoN/AN/APS2N/A
October 1NASCAR Thunder 2002N/APS1PS2, XboxN/A
October 1Scooby-Doo and the Cyber ChaseN/AN/AN/AGBA
October 1Time Crisis IIN/AN/APS2N/A
October 1Yanya Caballista: City SkaterN/AN/APS2N/A
October 2Lego Island 2: The Brickster's RevengeN/AN/AN/AGBA
October 3Lego BionicleN/AN/AN/AGBA
October 4Scooby-Doo and the Cyber ChaseN/APS1N/AN/A
October 5The Wild Thornberrys: Chimp ChaseN/AN/AN/AGBA
October 8Castlevania ChroniclesN/APS1N/AN/A
October 10Dark Age of CamelotWinN/AN/AN/A
October 12Phoenix Wright Ace AttorneyN/AN/AN/AGBA
October 15Lady SiaN/AN/AN/AGBA
October 17Devil May CryN/AN/APS2N/A
October 18E.T.: Digital CompanionN/AN/AN/AGBC
October 21StrongholdWinN/AN/AN/A
October 22Grand Theft Auto IIIN/AN/APS2N/A
October 28DoomN/AN/AN/AGBA
October 28Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3N/APS1PS2, GCNN/A
October 29Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of CortexN/AN/APS2, Xbox, GCNN/A
October 29Spyro: Season of IceN/AN/AN/AGBA
October 30Aliens versus Predator 2WinN/AN/AN/A
October 30Boxing FeverN/AN/AN/AGBA
October 30Civilization IIIWinN/AN/AN/A
October 30Mega Man Xtreme 2N/AN/AN/AGBC
October 30Monsters, Inc. Scream TeamWinPS1PS2N/A
October 30Super Street Fighter II Turbo RevivalN/AN/AN/AGBA
October 31Soul Reaver 2N/AN/APS2N/A
October 31Mega Man Battle NetworkN/AN/AN/AGBA
November 1Ace Combat 04: Shattered SkiesN/AN/APS2N/A
November 1BurnoutN/AN/APS2N/A
November 1Dragon Warrior VIIN/APS1N/AN/A
November 1FIFA Football 2002N/APS1PS2N/A
November 3Rocket Power: Dream SchemeN/AN/AN/AGBA
November 5SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSpongeN/APS1N/AGBA
November 5SSX TrickyN/AN/APS2, GCN, XboxN/A
November 7Jackie Chan Adventures: Legend of the Dark HandN/AN/AN/AGBA
November 9Project Gotham RacingN/AN/AXboxN/A
November 11Golden SunN/AN/AN/AGBA
November 12Empire EarthWinN/AN/AN/A
November 12Gradius AdvanceN/AN/AN/AGBA
November 12SurvivorN/AWinN/AN/A
November 13007: Agent Under FireN/AN/APS2N/A
November 13Cubix: Robots for Everyone – Race 'n RobotsN/AN/AN/AGBC
November 13Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of LibertyN/AN/APS2N/A
November 14Harvest Moon 3 GBCN/AN/AN/AGBC
November 14ShrekN/AN/AXboxN/A
November 15Dead or Alive 3N/AN/AXboxN/A
November 15Halo: Combat EvolvedN/AN/AXboxN/A
November 15Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneWinPS1NAGBC, GBA
November 15Oddworld: Munch's OddyseeN/AN/AXboxN/A
November 15Cel DamageN/AN/AXbox, PS2, GCNN/A
November 17NHL Hitz 2002N/AN/AGCNN/A
November 17Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue LeaderN/AN/AGCNN/A
November 18Crazy TaxiN/AN/AGCNN/A
November 18Super Monkey BallN/AN/AGCNN/A
November 18IL-2 SturmovikWinN/AN/AN/A
November 18WWF Road to WrestlemaniaN/AN/AN/AGBA
November 19Wario Land 4N/AN/AN/AGBA
November 19WWF SmackDown! Just Bring ItN/AN/APS2N/A
November 20FreQuencyN/AN/APS2N/A
November 20Return to Castle WolfensteinWinN/AN/AN/A
November 20Frogger: The Great QuestN/APS2N/AN/A
November 21Ecks vs. SeverN/AN/AN/AGBA
November 21Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power BattlesN/AN/AN/AGBA
November 21Super Smash Bros. MeleeN/AN/AGCN (NTSC-J)N/A
November 22Mr. Driller GN/APS1 (NTSC-J)N/AN/A
November 23GothicWinN/AN/AN/A
November 24Frogger's Adventures: Temple of the FrogN/AN/AN/AGBA
November 25Azurik: Rise of PerathiaN/AN/AXboxN/A
November 26Jurassic Park III: Island AttackN/AN/AN/AGBA
November 26Star Wars: StarfighterN/AN/AXboxN/A
November 26Twisted Metal: Small BrawlN/APS1N/AN/A
November 27Extreme-G 3N/AN/AGCNN/A
November 27Lego Racers 2N/AN/AN/AGBA
November 28Cruis'n VelocityN/AN/AN/AGBA
November 29Rampage Puzzle AttackN/AN/AN/AGBA
November 30Dokapon: Monster HunterN/AN/AN/AGBA
December 1Breath of FireN/AN/AN/AGBA
December 1M&M's Blast!N/AN/AN/AGBA
December 3Baldur's Gate: Dark AllianceN/AN/APS2N/A
December 3PikminN/AN/AGCNN/A
December 3Super Smash Bros. MeleeN/AN/AGCN (NTSC-U)N/A
December 3Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy N/AN/APS2N/A
December 4Mega Man X6N/APS1N/AN/A
December 5American Bass ChallengeN/AN/AN/AGBA
December 7Cel DamageN/AN/AGCNN/A
December 7Evil Twin: Cyprien's Chronicles N/AN/APS2 (PAL & EU)N/A
December 9The Flintstones: Big Trouble in BedrockN/AN/AN/AGBA
December 12Mortal Kombat AdvanceN/AN/AN/AGBA
December 12Shadow HeartsN/AN/APS2N/A
December 17Luigi's Mansion N/AN/AGCNN/A
December 17Dark Rift (North America)N/AN64N/AN/A
December 18Universal Studios Theme Parks AdventureN/AN/AGCNN/A
December 19Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken LandN/AN/APS2N/A
December 20Final Fantasy X N/AN/APS2 (US)N/A
December 20Giants: Citizen KabutoN/AN/APS2N/A
December 21Silent Hill 2: Director's CutN/AN/AXboxN/A
December 21Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3N/AN/AN/AGBA

Video game consoles

The dominant video game consoles in 2001 were:

Additionally, Nintendo released the Nintendo GameCube on September 14 in Japan (U.S. on November 18 and in Europe on May 3, 2002). Microsoft released the Xbox video game console in the U.S. on November 15 (in Europe on March 14, 2002).

Handheld game systems

The dominant handheld systems in 2001 were:

Additionally, Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance (GBA) in Japan on March 21 (in the U.S. on June 11 and Europe on June 22).

Video game sales

According to the NPD Group, Grand Theft Auto III was the top selling console video game in 2001 in the United States with just under two million sold; the top 10 selling console video games in 2001 in the United States ranked by units sold were:[2]

Top Grossing Video Games of 2001
Rank Title Platform Publisher
1Grand Theft Auto IIIPS2Rockstar Games
2Madden NFL 2002PS1-PS2Electronic Arts
3Pokémon CrystalGBCNintendo
4Mario Kart: Super Circuit GBANintendo
5Super Mario AdvanceGBANintendo
6Gran Turismo 3: A-SpecPS2Sony
7Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StonePS1Electronic Arts
8Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2PS1Activision
9Pokémon SilverGBCNintendo
10Wario Land 4GBANintendo

Personal computer game sales

According to the NPD Group, the top 10 selling personal computer games in 2001 in the United States ranked by units sold were:[2]

Top Grossing Computer Games of 2001
Rank Title Publisher
1The SimsElectronic Arts
2RollerCoaster TycoonInfogrames
3Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's StoneElectronic Arts
4Diablo II: Lord of DestructionVivendi Universal
5The Sims: House PartyElectronic Arts
6The Sims: Livin' LargeElectronic Arts
7The Sims: Hot DateElectronic Arts
8Diablo IIVivendi Universal
9Sim Theme ParkElectronic Arts
10Age of Empires II: The Age of KingsMicrosoft

Critically acclaimed titles

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)[3][4]
Game Publisher Release Date Platform(s) MC score GR score
Halo: Combat Evolved Microsoft Game Studios November 15, 2001 Xbox 97/100 95.54%
Grand Theft Auto III Rockstar Games October 22, 2001 PlayStation 2 97/100 95.19%
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Activision October 30, 2001 PlayStation 2 97/100 93.43%
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Konami November 13, 2001 PlayStation 2 96/100 95.09%
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec Sony Computer Entertainment April 28, 2001 PlayStation 2 95/100 94.54%
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Activision June 11, 2001 Game Boy Advance 95/100 89.88%
Devil May Cry Capcom August 23, 2001 PlayStation 2 94/100 92.6%
Madden NFL 2002 EA Sports August 19, 2001 PlayStation 2 94/100 92.32%
NBA 2K2 Sega October 24, 2001 Dreamcast 93/100 92.82%
Mario Kart: Super Circuit Nintendo July 21, 2001 Game Boy Advance 93/100 91.54%
SSX Tricky EA Sports November 5, 2001 PlayStation 2 92/100 92.49%
Advance Wars Nintendo September 10, 2001 Game Boy Advance 92/100 92.38%
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 Nintendo December 14, 2001 Game Boy Advance 92/100[5] 92.36%[6]
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages Nintendo February 27, 2001 Game Boy Color N/A 92.2%
Final Fantasy X Square July 19, 2001 PlayStation 2 92/100 91.73%
Super Smash Bros. Melee Nintendo November 21, 2001 GameCube 92/100 90.52%
Conker's Bad Fur Day Rare March 5, 2001 Nintendo 64 92/100 89.28%
NHL 2002 EA Sports September 24, 2001 PlayStation 2 92/100 88.84%
Pro Evolution Soccer Konami March 15, 2001 PlayStation 2 N/A 91.69%
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons Nintendo February 27, 2001 Game Boy Color N/A 91.37%
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Activision November 18, 2001 GameCube 91/100 91.12%
IL-2 Sturmovik 1C Company November 18, 2001 Microsoft Windows 91/100 90.65%
Golden Sun Nintendo August 1, 2001 Game Boy Advance 91/100 89.1%
Twisted Metal: Black Sony Computer Entertainment June 18, 2001 PlayStation 2 91/100 88.52%
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Konami March 21, 2001 Game Boy Advance 91/100 88.11%
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil Namco March 22, 2001 PlayStation 2 91/100 84.76%
Madden NFL 2002 EA Sports November 17, 2001 GameCube 89/100 90.39%
Ico Sony Computer Entertainment September 24, 2001 PlayStation 2 90/100 90.29%
NCAA Football 2002 EA Sports July 23, 2001 PlayStation 2 90/100 90.25%
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy Sony Computer Entertainment December 3, 2001 PlayStation 2 90/100 90.22%
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader LucasArts November 18, 2001 GameCube 90/100 90.04%
Black & White Electronic Arts March 30, 2001 Microsoft Windows 90/100 89.79%
NFL 2K2 Sega September 19, 2001 Dreamcast 90/100 89.35%
Civilization III Infogrames October 30, 2001 Microsoft Windows 90/100 88.75%
Madden NFL 2002 EA Sports October 31, 2001 Xbox 90/100 88.72%
Unreal Tournament Infogrames March 13, 2001 Dreamcast 90/100 87.8%
Virtua Tennis 2 Sega October 24, 2001 Dreamcast 90/100 87.22%
Dancing Stage Konami March 6, 2001 PlayStation 90/100 83.63%
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 Microsoft October 16, 2001 Microsoft Windows 90/100 82.44%
Shenmue II Sega September 6, 2001 Dreamcast 88/100 89.63%
Max Payne Gathering of Developers July 23, 2001 Microsoft Windows 89/100 89.26%
NASCAR Racing 4 Sierra Entertainment February 6, 2001 Microsoft Windows 89/100 88.5%
NBA Street EA Sports June 19, 2001 PlayStation 2 89/100 86.92%
Pikmin Nintendo October 26, 2001 GameCube 89/100 86.71%
Final Fantasy Chronicles Square June 29, 2001 PlayStation 89/100 86.7%
NHL 2002 EA Sports December 10, 2001 Xbox 89/100 86.33%
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies Namco September 13, 2001 PlayStation 2 89/100 86.07%
Max Payne Rockstar Games December 12, 2001 Xbox 89/100 85.95%
Silent Hill 2 Konami September 24, 2001 PlayStation 2 89/100 85.82%
Sonic Adventure 2 Sega June 23, 2001 Dreamcast 89/100 83.26%
Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal Interplay Entertainment June 22, 2001 Microsoft Windows 88/100 88.73%
Super Monkey Ball Sega September 14, 2001 GameCube 87/100 88.7%
Red Faction THQ May 22, 2001 PlayStation 2 88/100 88.32%
Dark Age of Camelot Vivendi Universal Games October 10, 2001 Microsoft Windows 88/100 88.08%
Return to Castle Wolfenstein Activision November 19, 2001 Microsoft Windows 88/100 86.75%
SSX Tricky EA Sports December 10, 2001 Xbox 88/100 86.6%
Wario Land 4 Nintendo August 21, 2001 Game Boy Advance 88/100 85.34%
Madden NFL 2002 EA Sports August 13, 2001 PlayStation 88/100 85.08%
Tribes 2 Sierra Entertainment March 28, 2001 Microsoft Windows 88/100 84.85%
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis Nintendo June 21, 2001 Game Boy Advance 88/100[5] 83.62%[6]

Deaths

References

  1. "Attendance and Stats". IGN. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  2. "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.
  3. "Best Video Games for 2001". Metacritic. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  4. "Highest-Ranking Games of 2001 (with at least 10 reviews)". GameRankings. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  5. "Best Video Games for 2002". Metacritic. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  6. "Highest-Ranking Games of 2002 (with at least 10 reviews)". GameRankings. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  7. John Chartier (May 18, 2001). "Sega's gaming gambit". CNN. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.