Games Released in 1989

605 new games released in 1989 across 10 platforms, with Family Computer being the most popular seeing 136 new titles. December was the busiest month of the year, launching 119 new releases.

Top Platform

Family Computer

New Releases

605

Busiest Month

December

Mega Man 2

What was the most popular game of 1989?

Mega Man 2

In the year 200X, a super robot named Mega Man was created. Dr. Light created Mega Man to stop the evil desires of Dr. Wily. However, after his defeat, Dr. Wily created eight of his own robots to counter Mega Man.

Which days had the most releases?

February 1 was the busiest single day of 1989 with 56 releases.

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56 releases

February 1

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22 releases

December 1

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19 releases

June 1

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18 releases

December 31

Which month had the most releases?

The busiest release month of 1989 was December, totaling 119 titles.

How did each season compare?

Q4 was the busiest quarter of 1989 with 204 releases.

Q1 (Jan–Mar)

168 releases
Golden Axe

Most popular release in Q1

Golden Axe

Progress is made through the game by fighting through Death Adder's henchmen, including men armed with clubs and maces, skeleton warriors, and knights. Players are able to attack using their weapon, jump and cast spells that hurt all enemies on the screen. The force of this magic depends on the number of "bars" of magic power currently available. The bars are filled by collecting blue 'magic potions' attained by kicking little sprites who then drop the potions. These sprites appear during regular levels and during bonus stages in between levels. The male warrior Ax is able to cast earth spells. The dwarf Gilius, casts lightning spells and the female warrior Tyris casts fire magic. Each character has a different number of maximum magic bars and varying ranges of attack. Various steeds known as bizarrians are found in the game. These can be ridden when the enemy rider is knocked off, or if one is found dormant. The least powerful steed is known as the Cockatrice, which can be used to knock down enemies with a swipe of its tail. The more powerful dragon, which can either shoot fireballs or breathe fire, is found later in the game.

Q3 (Jul–Sep)

140 releases
Disney's DuckTales

Most popular release in Q3

Disney's DuckTales

DuckTales is a platform game developed and published by Capcom and based on the Disney animated TV series of the same name. It was first released in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989 and was later ported to the Game Boy in 1990. The story involves Scrooge McDuck traveling around the globe collecting treasure and outwitting his rival Flintheart Glomgold to become the world's richest duck. Produced by key personnel from the Mega Man series, DuckTales would go on to sell over a million copies worldwide on each system, becoming Capcom's best-selling title for both platforms. The game was praised for its tight control, unique and non-linear gameplay and bright presentation, and is often regarded as one of the best titles for the NES, appearing on numerous "Best of" lists.

Q4 (Oct–Dec)

204 releases
Prince of Persia

Most popular release in Q4

Prince of Persia

The game is set in ancient Persia. While the sultan is fighting a war in a foreign land, his vizier Jaffar, a wizard, seizes power. Jaffar's only obstacle to the throne is the Sultan's daughter (although the game never specifically mentions how). Jaffar locks her in a tower and orders her, under threat of execution, to become his wife. The game's nameless protagonist, whom the Princess loves, is thrown into the palace dungeons. The player must lead the protagonist out of the dungeons and to the palace tower, defeating Jaffar and freeing the Princess in under 60 minutes. In addition to guards, various traps and dungeons, the protagonist is further hindered by his own doppelgänger, an apparition of his own self that is conjured out of a magic mirror.

Which platforms saw the most releases?

Family Computer received 136 new titles in 1989, holding the most releases. The runner up was TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine with 76 new titles.

Family Computer136 releases
TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine76 releases
Arcade72 releases
Nintendo Entertainment System49 releases
Sharp X6800039 releases
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis34 releases
DOS31 releases
MSX30 releases
PC-9800 Series29 releases
Commodore C64/128/MAX26 releases

What genres were most popular?

Shooter was the dominant genre in 1989 with 125 titles. Adventure followed closely with 122.

Shooter125
Adventure122
Arcade90
Sport89
Platform79
Role-playing76
Strategy57
Puzzle49
Hack and slash36
Simulator35
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