Rather than launching a piece of hardware with a large catalog of low-budget games for players to enjoy, most developers will instead release a handful of highly-polished titles that are expected to be the driving force for the system's sales. These games are known as "system sellers", and while they are usually released alongside the launch of a console or handheld system, sometimes they come out a few years later but end up bringing a tremendous amount of attention to the device they can be played on.
Many of these games helped in making the system they were attached to commercially successful, but because of how much development time and attention they were given, it also means that more than a few of these titles turned out to be amazing in their own right.
7 Grand Theft Auto 3 - PlayStation 2
While it's hard to believe nowadays, considering how immensely popular the series has become, there was actually a time when Grand Theft Auto was a relatively niche and unpopular franchise that only had a small core fanbase. This changed almost immediately with the release of the third mainline entry.
The third-person perspective mixed with a gigantic open world that players could freely explore had never been so fully realized as it was in Grand Theft Auto 3, with the game truly becoming a revolutionary landmark in video game design. The graphic violence also made it fairly controversial, but this only helped raise sales even more, making it the best-selling game of 2001 with many people flocking to the PlayStation 2 just to see what all the hype was about.
6 Virtua Fighter - Sega Saturn
Sega's high ambitions for the Sega Saturn eventually fell short after the system failed to meet sales expectations by the end of its lifespan, but the game that essentially carried the console for its launch period was Virtua Fighter, the very first 3D fighting game ever made. By the time the Saturn was released in 1995, the competitive arcade scene had been dying out, and gamers were looking for a new way to play against their friends one-on-one on a home console, and it was Virtua Fighter that made this possible.
The tiny handful of first-party titles Sega had released with the Saturn was not enough to draw attention to the system, especially with the launch of the PlayStation looming around the corner, but the gigantic leap in technology demonstrated by Virtua Fighter still ensured that Saturn units were sold out in the first few weeks of its launch.
5 Final Fantasy 7 - PlayStation
Unlike most of the games on this list, Final Fantasy 7 actually wasn't a launch title for the PlayStation and only came out two years after its release. That said, it's hard to fathom just how big of an impact this game had when it dropped in 1997. Final Fantasy 7 had the largest development budget of any game at the time, and this certainly showed in-game, with full 3D models and jaw-dropping cutscenes demonstrating just how far games had come from the days of the arcade cabinets.
Not only did the game establish Final Fantasy as a major series in the Western world, but it also proved just how much more powerful Sony's PlayStation was compared to its competition, especially with the use of compact discs which could store much more data than the cartridges that Nintendo were still using. For many years, Final Fantasy 7 was inescapable in the gaming world, and this only made people more eager to buy the console it was tied to.
4 Super Mario World - SNES
Despite being incredibly similar to earlier games in the series, Super Mario World still managed to draw people's attention thanks to its colorful art style, challenging platforming gameplay, and the introduction of the now fan-favorite character, Yoshi. A huge reason this game would eventually sell over 20 million copies and become the best-selling game for the SNES was not only because of how big of a name Mario had become at the time, but also how accessible the game was.
At a time when games were becoming almost entirely based around reaching high scores with the likes of Pac-Man and Space Invaders, Super Mario Bros was a game that could be played in this way but was also very casual and easy to get to grips with. Super Mario Bros still remains one of the highest-rated games ever made, and considering it was only one of five games released for the system at launch, it played a massive part in the success the SNES would eventually receive.
3 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild - Nintendo Switch
Coming off the poor critical response and low sales of the Wii-U, Nintendo knew that their next system would need to go above and beyond to restore people's confidence in the company, eventually leading to the development of the Nintendo Switch. Mario Odyssey was one of the flagship titles that was heavily advertised to sell the new system, but by this point, many people were already aware of the Mario formula and needed something extra to convince them.
Breath of the Wild was what really made the Switch a must-have system, and it is often regarded as one of the greatest games of all time for multiple reasons. Not only was it undoubtedly the best-looking game on a handheld system at that time, but the large open world of Hyrule, engaging story, and a plethora of content ensured that Switch gamers would be occupied for many hours before new games would be released for the system.
2 Halo 3 - Xbox 360
It's fair to say that without the immeasurable amount of hype leading up to the release of Halo 3, the Xbox 360 wouldn't have performed anywhere near as well as it did, and may not have even taken off in the first place if not for this massive game. Halo 3 was much more than just the end of Master Chief's story, it was truly a cultural moment in the gaming sphere that so many people had been waiting for after the incredible commercial success of Halo 2.
In the first 24 hours of the game being released, over a million people were already playing online through Xbox Live, with it going on to become the best-selling game of 2007 in the US. Alongside a stunning campaign that fans had eagerly been waiting for, Halo 3 also improved on all the multiplayer features of the previous games, meaning anyone could jump in and enjoy the experience, even if they had no prior experience with the series. The $40 million marketing campaign also paid off extremely well, with the game having some of the most iconic advertisements in the history of the industry.
1 Wii Sports - Nintendo Wii
Packaging Wii Sports with the Nintendo Wii console itself was the perfect way to introduce players to the motion controls that the system revolved around, while also allowing people to get together and play with their friends without having to go and buy an extra game. At a time when online gaming was becoming a lot more popular, and couch co-op looked like it might be on the way out, Wii Sports proved that local multiplayer was still very much alive and well, and with five very different sports to choose from, there was plenty to enjoy here.
Even in Japan where the game wasn't featured with the console, it still sold over 170,000 units in its first two days which was the first time this had been achieved in the seventh generation of consoles. While all the sports were simple to understand and play, there was also a lot of room to improve and learn about certain techniques and movements that could help players be a step ahead of their competition, meaning literally anyone could get involved and have a good time. Wii Sports played a crucial role in the international success of the Nintendo Wii, helping it sell over 100 million units by the end of its lifespan.