What single game made you buy a system? (1 Viewer)

[Michael St. Clair]

I've been collecting for 25 years, but it wasn't until the 32-bit generation that a single game was enough to get me to buy a system.
Tempest 2000 made me buy a Jaguar. I didn't buy one until I could get the system, plus the game, and an extra controller for about $170 (system alone debuted at $250 if I remember right), but that was enough for me. I didn't care if another good Jaguar game ever came out (lucky me, only 2 or 3 more good ones did), as long as I had my T2K. I still love that game.
Ridge Racer made me buy a PSX. On launch day...when was that, 9-9-95? Seems like a lifetime ago. Alas, from a graphical standpoint, RR hasn't even held up as well as the other games on this list (even Tempest 2K). Great game, though. And I bought an import neGcon for analog control, well before they were available in the states.
Mario 64 had me at hello (tear). Yep, got an N64 on launch day, and didn't buy another game for months. I loved the N64. Despite having a small library, the N64 was a tough act to follow. The first party games were excellent...one can see why so many 'Cube games are just prettied-up N64 remakes...which has its good and bad sides. My opinion of course...you may find the best 'Cube games to be more original...
Night Warriors prompted me to finally get a Saturn, but not until I could get a Saturn for $100 by trading in any 3 used PSX games. Pure fighting goodness, and the best 2D ever to grace a home console to that point. Lucky for me, the last couple of years of the Saturn (including imports) were LOADED with more fighting and shooting goodness.
Soul Caliber for the Dreamcast! I waited until the system was out 3 months and I got an online deal in the 'crazy days' of e-commerce...system for $100! The legend will never die! SC is still an amazing game, and the DC may very well be the best all-around system ever released for the so-called 'diehard' gamer.
That's it...I've got a PS2, XBox, and Cube, but none had a single game that made me feel I must own the system. PS2 came close...Drummania combined with ParaParaParadise made me pull the trigger...two imports that each cost almost as much as a whole console.
But crazy expensive games, that's another whole story...

 

[Brian J Dupuis]

I'm sure I won't be the last to say that I bought an Xbox for Halo. Period. I would be one of the cretins on Slashdot lambasting the machine had they not purchased Bungie and, by definition, Halo. Glad I did, though .

 

[Mike_G]

Nothing specific made me buy an Atari 2600 .
Soul Caliber made me buy a DC.
Zelda and Mario made me buy an N64.
Tekken made me buy a PS.
Mike

 

[Dave Falasco]

The only system that I bought on the strength of one game was N64, which I bought to play Goldeneye. 4 years and maybe 3 other games later, I'm not sure that was the best decision. Every other system I've bought has been on the overall strength of its library, and that has worked out much better.

 

[Kelley_B]

WipEout made me get the PSX.

Being able to play Altered Beast at home made me get a Genesis.

 

[Adam Nixon]

Halo, Halo, Halo, and... Halo 2. This is why I bought an X-box last week -- and ripped through the campaign in three days.

However, for the last few generations, I've bought the Nintendo machine first based on the Zelda games. I also picked up a PS2 for Final Fantasy X.

 

[Masood Ali]

Right on Kelley. Wipeout also hooked me on the PS1; I spent an insane number of hours mastering the sequel, WipeoutXL; and Wip3out, the third in the series, was definitely the looker of the trio.

Halo was the big reason for me buying an Xbox (so my group of friends could add another 4 players to our fragfests).

Mario64 is undoubtedly the most obvious case of a system-selling game in the history of videogames.

Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega Genesis.

 

[Andrew s wells]

once i heard that panzer was on xbox, that was all she wrote. great system so far. had it since launch day, and currently own 21 games for it.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Tempest 2000. (Heck, I'm considering digging up a Nuon DVD player for Tempest 3000)

 

[Chris Bardon]

Most of the systems have had many notable games that I've really enjoyed, but if I had to think of the first game that sold me on the system...

NES-If anything, it'd have to be Super Mario Bros. Played that game for hours when I first got it, but soon added Punch Out, Metroid, and a little game called Zelda to the mix.

SNES-From the NES it was a given, but I remember a Nintendo Power article that showed SNES game screens, and Final Fantasy 2 being the most incredible looking game I'd ever seen. Mario World and Zelda also had a big stake in this one, but I remember FF2 being the "Must get NOW" game.

N64-Bought three of these actually. First for Mario (then sold to get a playstation), then for Zelda (then sold cause I needed the cash), and then most recently for Majora's Mask.

PSX-Final Fantasy 7. Sold my first N64 to buy this, and didn't regret it for a second. Absolutely incredible game.

Xbox-Actually, Munch's oddysee sold me on the system before Halo.

Gamecube-Mario Sunshine and the promise of Zelda and Metroid finally broke me on this one.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Tempest 2000. (Heck, I'm considering digging up a Nuon DVD player for Tempest 3000)

Jason,

I bought a $70 Samsung N501 just for T3K and VLM a few weeks ago. Supposedly it has the best VLM of all the domestic Nuon models (better beat detection).

As a bonus, there is a code where you can use an Aiwa mini-system remote (or Pronto codes) to make it region-free NTSC.

So, really, I bought it as a $70 region-free NTSC, VLM-pumpin', T3K-playin' DVD player for the 'regular' TV upstairs in the living room.

 

[GlenHaag]

NES - Super Mario Bros. (Ok, I didn't buy it... but it was the best Christmas ever) Seeing the game at a friends house made me know that was the game system I wanted)
SNES - Super Mario World. Deja Vu all over again.
N64 (twice) - Mario 64 and Goldeneye. I bought it on launch day... and hit financial hard times. Sold it a month later and bought it again the next Christmas season when Goldeneye came out.
DC - Soul Calibur. Still as pretty as it gets.
Gamecube - Wave Race: Blue Storm. My friends and I played the hell out of the original game, and once I saw the videos and such I was hooked. Launch day geek.
PS2 (twice) - SSX and Final Fantasy X. I bought my first PS2 on launch day for SSX, but when I saw the Ebay $$$ I had to sell it. Bought it again a year and a half later when I saw FFX.
Xbox - Halo. I played it once... and kind of liked it. Sat down with it again and knew I had to have it.
Glen

 

[Jon W H]

Atari 2600 - Pac-Man. I kid not.

NES - Super Mario Bros. & Jackal. Played the former with a friend all the time, so I broke down.

Genesis - Mortal Kombat. At the time, Nintendo refused to allow blood (codes notwithstanding) in their games.

PC - Doom. I'm still very nostalgic about this game and death matching.

Sega CD - Ecco the Dolphin. Beautiful music.

SNES - Castlevania IV. I am hoping for the platformer to make an appearance on the XBox.

PSX - Final Fantasy VII. (Unfortunately that was the only one of the series I ended up liking immensely.)

Xbox - If I didn't already have it, I'd say Splinter Cell. That game is so good. So, I'll go with Morrowind. Halo was a gimme.

 

[Andy Sheets]

Tempest 2000 made me buy a Jaguar.

Mario 64 had me at hello (tear).

Yup, these were mine. I think my mom still has my Jaguar in a closet somewhere and I always mean to ask her to mail it up to me sometime just so I could play T2K again. I think I could play that game forever.

 

[Clinton McClure]

I bought a N64 for Zelda and sold it a couple weeks later because I didn't like it.

 

[Tim Markley]

There's really only 2 systems that I bought strictly because of one game:

N64 - Goldeneye. About the only game I really liked on the N64.

XBox - Halo. I held off on buying an XBox until the price drop and then I just had to have Halo.

 

[NickSo]

Ferarri F355 Challenge For dreamcast.. yes im a racing junkie

 

[Dave W]

Cool Topic
Mine are...
PC - For DOOM... and have never stopped playing PC games since
NES - For Mario Bros. and Contra
SNES - For Super Star Wars and Street fighter 2 (I know its lame in hindsight but...)
Sega Genesis - For Altered Beast and Golden Axe
PSX - For Resident Evil... and FF VII... and Metal Gear Solid... and Thrill Kill...
N64 - For Goldeneye and Rogue Squadron
Dreamcast - For Soul Caliber and Sonic
PS2 - For FF X and Baldur's Gate: DA (Really...)
XBOX - For Halo... and have loved it ever since :p)
No GameCube yet

 

[Scott_lb]

Genesis- Phantasy Star II (although Thunderforce II remains one of my favs of all time)

SNES- Street Fighter II

PSX- Tekken 2

I am considering picking up a PS2 to sit next to my Xbox, however, the only titles I want on the PS2 are Devil May Cry (and the sequel), GTA: VC, and Final Fantasy X. I still can't decide if those few games warrant the additional $225 I'll have to spend.

 

[Gabe Oppenheim]

Hmm...

SMS for Hang On (kept it until it stopped working; never finished Phantasy Star because of some defect, though got all the way to right before the final boss battle/dungeon)
Genesis for Madden '94 (sold it to get PSX)
Sega CD for Star Wars: Rebel Assault (sold it, though got quite a few games for it)
Sega 32X for Virtua Fighter
PSX for the first Tomb Raider, though I actually rented Wipeout XL first (kept system until it became redundant due to PS2 forever)
N64 for the first Turok (I think, though this may be a case of poor memory) (sold it when I realized that I wasn't using it)
N64 again for Perfect Dark (again, sold it eventually)
Sega Saturn for Panzer Dragoon Saga (mmm), the last Shining Force Game, and for a whole host of awesome imports (Radiant Silvergun, a couple of the Capcom Vs. series, Metal Slug) (sold it to fund Dreamcast)
Dreamcast for Soul Calibur (sold it when it fell into disuse)
Game Boy Color for Tetris (still have it...somewhere)
PS2 for MGS2 (still have it)
XBOX for Halo (finished Halo [coughoverratedcough], felt no particular emotional connection to XBOX, sold it)

What have I learned? I keep Sony systems forever, and play them more than any other systems. I should have kept the Saturn, because those game=awesome. I'll end up buying an X-Box again (though for what game?). I'll not buy a Gamecube (as I have a general aversion to owning most systems Nintendo), unless there is something incredibly incredible on the horizon.