Games Released in January 1995

111 new games released in January 1995, with Super Famicom being the most active platform. January 1 was the busiest day, with 29 new releases.

Which days had the most releases?

January 1 saw the most activity with 29 releases.

How did each week compare?

The first week of January was the busiest with 43 releases.

Week 1 (January 1–7)

43 releases
X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse

Most popular release in Week 1

X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse

Because of a rise of anti-mutant activity in Genosha, Professor Xavier uses Cerebro to scan the island nation and discovers Apocalypse's presence there. Genosha's government is apparently using Apocalypse to bring their mutant population under control. However, Xavier suspects Apocalypse to follow his own plans and sends five X-Men, Cyclops, Wolverine, Psylocke, Beast and Gambit, to investigate. X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse combines the gameplay of a side-scrolling brawler like Final Fight with elements of a platformer, that is, players have to fight various enemies and survive the occasional jumping-puzzle. Most levels also feature mid- and end-bosses in form of robots, monsters or known Super-Villains. Each character has unique abilities and special moves: Cyclops uses his Optic Blast to attack enemies from a distance, Wolverine can climb walls, Psylocke is very agile and the best jumper of the team, Beast can cling to the ceiling while Gambit throws explosive cards at his enemies. Special moves are quite similar to those found in Street Fighter II (Wolverine has a Dragon-Punch-style attack and Gambit's Double Kick is virtually identical to M. Bison's Scissors Kick), and require similar button combinations. While most stages are unique for each character, some can be played with any of the X-Men. Progress is saved via password.

Week 5 (January 29–31)

5 releases
Pulstar

Most popular release in Week 5

Pulstar

The basic gameplay is simple: progress through the levels in the spacecraft, collecting powerups and protecting the spacecraft from destruction. The game has very obvious similarities in design and gameplay to R-Type. It is actually believed that some ex-Irem employees left the company to join Aicom, which used to be a subcontractor for various coin-op manufacturers like Jaleco or SNK. Despite the familiarities, Pulstar is not without innovations. There is the option of using the weapon power bar, which consists of two halves. The right-hand side of the bar turns blue when the fire button is depressed. When fully charged the ship delivers a devastating emission of energy. The left-hand side turns red when it is continually pressed, shooting out a barrage of smaller, rapid blasts. The in-game visuals are mostly pre-rendered 3D graphics, which gives the interactive elements a far more realistic appearance. Great care was taken to really place the player into the world of the game, with cinematic style cut scenes and pre-rendered movies. There is a hefty reliance on strategy and not just blasting everything in sight. Using the charged weapon is key, and requires careful precision. Also, once a power up is obtained, a small orb appears at the posterior end of the ship. This can be used as an advantage by deflecting/absorbing oncoming enemy fire and taking out small enemies that run into it.

Which platforms saw the most releases?

Super Famicom received 23 new titles in January 1995. The runner up was PC (Microsoft Windows) with 11 new titles.

Super Famicom23 releases
PC (Microsoft Windows)11 releases
Neo Geo AES11 releases
3DO Interactive Multiplayer10 releases
Neo Geo MVS10 releases
Super Nintendo Entertainment System8 releases
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis7 releases
Sega Game Gear7 releases
Arcade6 releases
PlayStation6 releases

What genres were most popular?

Sport was the dominant genre in January 1995 with 18 titles. Fighting followed closely with 16.

Sport18
Fighting16
Platform15
Shooter15
Adventure14
Puzzle11
Role-playing7
Racing7
Simulator7
Quiz/Trivia7