Games Released in December 1989

119 new games released in December 1989, with Family Computer being the most active platform. December 1 was the busiest day, with 22 new releases.

Top Platform

Family Computer

New Releases

119

Busiest Day

December 1

What was the most popular game of December 1989?

Toki

The hero of the game is a young jungle-man named Toki. One day the evil wizard Dr. Stark kidnaps his girlfriend Wanda. When Toki tries to save her, he is turned into a monkey! Now Toki has to find Dr. Stark in his palace, rescue Wanda, and become a human being again!

Which days had the most releases?

December 1 saw the most activity with 22 releases.

22 releases

December 1

18 releases

December 31

15 releases

December 15

10 releases

December 8

How did each week compare?

The third week of December was the busiest with 29 releases.

Week 1 (December 1–7)

27 releases

Most popular release in Week 1

The Revenge of Shinobi

The Revenge of Shinobi, known as The Super Shinobi in Japan, is the continuation of Shadow Dancer - the arcade sequel to Shinobi. The game was the first Shinobi title developed exclusively for home consoles.

Week 2 (December 8–14)

19 releases

Most popular release in Week 3

Ys: Book I & II

Ys Book I & II chronicles the first adventures of Adol Christin, a young, red-haired swordsman on a quest to unlock the secrets of an ancient kingdom. As Adol, you search the island of Esteria, gathering clues to unravel the mystery of Ys. Fight monsters that lurk in caves and towers with physical or magical attacks, and use your brain to make your way through dangerous areas filled with traps.

Week 4 (December 22–28)

26 releases

Most popular release in Week 4

Batman: The Video Game

Batman: The Video Game, is a group of platform games developed by Sunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy, loosely based on the 1989 film of the same name. Despite having the same title, each is actually a different game. The NES title is arguably the best known and contains five levels culminating in a final showdown with the Joker in the bell tower of Gotham Cathedral. It was received well despite changes from the movie upon which it was based. Sunsoft later released Batman: Return of the Joker as a follow-up which is not related to any movie.

Week 5 (December 29–31)

20 releases

Most popular release in Week 5

Basketball Nightmare

Basketball Nightmare is a basketball game where the player plays basketball against strange humanoid creatures on the court where the creature lives. The player must play and defeat each creature before moving onto a new place with a new harder opponent. The player starts of playing against Wolfs in the Forest and then, upon defeating that opponent, moves on to play Frogs at the Pond, One Eyed Aliens at the Waterfall, Vampires in the Skeleton Cave, Geishas in the Bamboo Forest, before finally playing against Samurais at the Shrine. If the player loses a match then that match can be replayed until won. The player at the start of each match gets to pick how long the match duration is out of the options of 15, 30, or 45 minutes (not in real time) before being placed on the court. When on the court the player always plays towards the right of the court. First the player tries to get the ball from a throw by a well timed button press. When the player has the ball the player has the option to move, pass the ball, and jump. When jumping the player can shoot, with the accuracy of the shot depending on the timing, or just simply pass. When defending the player can cycle through the field or just simply run into the opponent to challenge for the ball. There are a few penalties that the player can get including but not limited to Travelling (not passing after jumping), Charging (Sometimes called when the player with the ball runs into an opponent), and Pushing (Sometimes called when the player without the ball runs into an opponent) with all the penalties resulting with the other team getting the ball on the side of the court.

Which platforms saw the most releases?

Family Computer received 22 new titles in December 1989. The runner up was TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine with 13 new titles.

Family Computer22 releases

TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine13 releases

Sega Mega Drive/Genesis13 releases

Commodore C64/128/MAX10 releases

Sharp X680009 releases

Nintendo Entertainment System6 releases

PC-8800 Series6 releases

Amiga6 releases

MSX6 releases

Game Boy6 releases

What genres were most popular?

Shooter was the dominant genre in December 1989 with 28 titles. Adventure followed closely with 21.

Shooter28

Adventure21

Platform18

Sport17

Arcade15

Role-playing14

Strategy12

Hack and slash9

Simulator9

Racing7

1989 Review

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