Games Released in August 1990

61 new games debuted in August 1990, with Family Computer being the most active platform. August 1 was the busiest day, with 13 releases. Shadow of the Ninja was the most popular release of the month.

Which days had the most releases?

August 10 saw the most activity with 13 releases.

13 releases

August 10

13 releases

August 1

8 releases

August 24

6 releases

August 25

SunMonTueWedThuFriSat

Wed, Aug 1

13 releases

Thu, Aug 2

3 releases

Fri, Aug 3

3 releases

Sat, Aug 4

No releases

Sun, Aug 5

1 release

Mon, Aug 6

No releases

Tue, Aug 7

1 release

Wed, Aug 8

2 releases

Thu, Aug 9

4 releases

Fri, Aug 10

13 releases

Sat, Aug 11

2 releases

Sun, Aug 12

1 release

Mon, Aug 13

1 release

Tue, Aug 14

No releases

Wed, Aug 15

1 release

Thu, Aug 16

No releases

Fri, Aug 17

1 release

Sat, Aug 18

No releases

Sun, Aug 19

1 release

Mon, Aug 20

2 releases

Tue, Aug 21

1 release

Wed, Aug 22

No releases

Thu, Aug 23

2 releases

Fri, Aug 24

8 releases

Sat, Aug 25

6 releases

Sun, Aug 26

1 release

Mon, Aug 27

2 releases

Tue, Aug 28

No releases

Wed, Aug 29

No releases

Thu, Aug 30

2 releases

Fri, Aug 31

4 releases

How did each week compare?

The second week of August was the busiest with 23 releases.

Week 1 (August 1–7)

21 releases

Most popular release in Week 1

Punch-Out!!

You are Little Mac, a 17 year-old rookie fighter straight out of the Bronx. What you lack in size you more than make up for in determination. Spurred on by your trainer, Doc Louis, it's time to take on the world's boxing best! Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! was re-branded simply as Punch-Out!!, and re-released in the US and Europe in 1990. When Nintendo's license had expired with Mike Tyson, his likeness was replaced by a fictional character named Mr. Dream, whose visual likeness and undefeated record are based on Rocky Marciano. This version of the game is used in all Virtual Console releases, Animal Crossing, the NES Classic Edition, and on Nintendo Switch Online (which Mike Tyson contested).

Week 2 (August 8–14)

23 releases

Most popular release in Week 2

Shadow of the Ninja

Shadow of the Ninja, originally released in Japan as Yami no Shigotonin Kage, and later released in Europe as Blue Shadow, is a 1990 futuristic ninja-themed side-scrolling action game by Natsume for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Week 3 (August 15–21)

6 releases

Week 4 (August 22–28)

19 releases

Most popular release in Week 4

Michael Jackson's Moonwalker

Michael Jackson's Moonwalker involves the player controlling the pop star in a quest to save all the kids that have been kidnapped by Mr. Big. The gameplay is focused on finding children, who are scattered throughout the levels, some behind objects such as doors. The game's levels and music were borrowed from the 1988 Michael Jackson film "Moonwalker" (though many of the music tracks were taken from Jackson's Thriller album as well) and the player has the ability to destroy enemies by making them dance.

Week 5 (August 29–31)

6 releases

Most popular release in Week 5

Atomic Punk

There are four modes of gameplay in Atomic Punk, including two single player modes and two multiplayer game modes. Solo: "Game A" (known as "Bomber Boy" in the Japanese version) is similar to other games in the series, with a few differences. Power-ups, known as panels, which are usually gained in each level and carried over from one to the next, can also be bought from a store by using GP, which is collected depending on how much time it takes to complete a level and how many blocks are destroyed. At the beginning of each round, the player decides which panels to use to complete the round. Another difference is that the linear gameplay of the original, with the player advancing levels after completing each one, was changed to implement a world map with nine locations. The second game mode, "Game B" (known as "Bomber Man" in the Japanese version) is the same as that in the original Bomberman game, but the stage area is squared rather than rectangular and the screen is always centered on Bomberman rather than scrolling when he touches the border. Vs.: Panel Mode, in which players begin with only one bomb to place at a time and a bomb blast length of one unit, and Bomb Up and Fire Up panels appear. Powerful Mode, in which players have four bombs to place at a time and a bomb blast length of four units, and no panels appear.

Which platforms saw the most releases?

Family Computer received 15 new titles in August 1990. The runner up was Game Boy with 9 new titles.

Family Computer15 releases

Game Boy9 releases

Nintendo Entertainment System8 releases

TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine8 releases

Sega Mega Drive/Genesis5 releases

Arcade3 releases

MSX3 releases

PC-9800 Series3 releases

Sharp X680003 releases

Amiga2 releases

What genres were most popular?

Adventure was the dominant genre in August 1990 with 21 titles. Role-playing followed closely with 13.

Adventure21

Role-playing13

Platform12

Arcade9

Sport9

Puzzle8

Card & Board Game7

Shooter5

Hack and slash4

Simulator4

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