Games Released in April 1996

113 new games released in April 1996, with PlayStation being the most active platform. April 26 was the busiest day, with 29 new releases.

Top Platform

PlayStation

New Releases

113

Busiest Day

April 26

Metal Slug

What was the most popular game of April 1996?

Metal Slug

Metal Slug is a 1996 run-and-gun arcade video game originally developed by Nazca Corporation and released by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS. It is the first installment in the eponymous series. Set in 2028, players assume the role of Peregrine Falcon Strike Force soldiers Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving in a fight against the Rebel Army led by Donald Morden and overthrow his coup d'état to prevent a New World Order.

Which days had the most releases?

April 26 saw the most activity with 29 releases.

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29 releases

April 26

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13 releases

April 19

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10 releases

April 5

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8 releases

April 12

SunMonTueWedThuFriSat

Mon, Apr 1

7 releases

Tue, Apr 2

No releases

Wed, Apr 3

No releases

Thu, Apr 4

5 releases

Fri, Apr 5

10 releases

Sat, Apr 6

2 releases

Sun, Apr 7

1 release

Mon, Apr 8

1 release

Tue, Apr 9

No releases

Wed, Apr 10

1 release

Thu, Apr 11

No releases

Fri, Apr 12

8 releases

Sat, Apr 13

No releases

Sun, Apr 14

1 release

Mon, Apr 15

2 releases

Tue, Apr 16

2 releases

Wed, Apr 17

3 releases

Thu, Apr 18

1 release

Fri, Apr 19

13 releases

Sat, Apr 20

No releases

Sun, Apr 21

1 release

Mon, Apr 22

6 releases

Tue, Apr 23

1 release

Wed, Apr 24

3 releases

Thu, Apr 25

4 releases

Fri, Apr 26

29 releases

Sat, Apr 27

3 releases

Sun, Apr 28

1 release

Mon, Apr 29

4 releases

Tue, Apr 30

7 releases

How did each week compare?

The fourth week of April was the busiest with 47 releases.

Week 1 (April 1–7)

25 releases
Sexy Parodius

Most popular release in Week 1

Sexy Parodius

The gameplay in Sexy Parodius is similar to the rest of the series, but with a new catch. Instead of just playing through each level and destroying enemies while avoiding getting hit, the player must also complete a special mission for each stage as well. Some of these missions range from collecting a certain amount of coins in a stage to destroying a certain object or enemies. Depending whether or not the player completes the mission will determine whether the player can continue to the next stage or what the next stage will be. Unlike the past versions, home ports of the game (exception of the PSP version) has cooperative multiplayer intact (where both players play simultaneously). It's also improved in that the game continues to play even when one player is choosing a character upon continuing. In a 2-player game, when certain characters are near enough, a third-shot appears between them which can be purple shots that swirl all-over the screen, hearts that home in on enemies, or rockets that shoot straight ahead. This feature was first seen on Konami's arcade game Trigon. The playable characters in this game are: Vic Viper/Lord British Michael/Gabriel Hikaru/Akane Ivan/Toby Mambo/Samba Koitsu/Aitsu Option/Multiple Shooting Star/Black Viper

Week 4 (April 22–28)

47 releases
Jumping Flash! 2

Most popular release in Week 4

Jumping Flash! 2

Need an Action Fix? Get Sky High! Little Muu has been bottled up by the menacing Captain Kabuki. Baron Aloha, once a foe, now turns to friend? Take a flying leap into the wickedly weird world of Robbit and plunge into the wildest 3D gaming experience ever imagined. Single, double and triple-jump your way through a madcap quest-but just when you think it's over, you take to even newer heights and depths like never seen (or felt) before! * First-person, 360º perspective takes you on a free-falling flight, and the all-new Jump Meter lets you know how high you can go! * Barrel through 12 different fantasy worlds with bonus levels and maximize the fun with all-new underwater 3D environments! * Watch out for a slew of new enemies including the killer, kung-fu gripping, galaxy-ripping Captain Kabuki. * A variety of medals are awarded for different achievements. Can you win them all?!

Week 5 (April 29–30)

11 releases
Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal

Most popular release in Week 5

Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal

Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal is an expansion pack for Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness. After defeating the Orcish Horde and capturing the survivors, the Human Alliance attempts to destroy the Dark Portal. However, whilst they destroy the portal, the rift that joins the Orcs' world of Draenor to Azeroth remains. The Alliance forces decide to enter the rift to the Orcs' home world to attempt to seal it from the other side. At the same time, Ner'zhul - Warchief of the Shadow Moon clan, who has seized control of the Orcish hordes of Draenor following Orgrim Doomhammer's departure (and eventual defeat) to Azeroth, plans to send his forces to Azeroth to gather magical artefacts in an attempt to open rifts to other worlds. Beyond the Dark Portal contains two 12 map campaigns; one for each side, 50 new pud's (maps) and a new tile set for the Orc home world. It also contains 5 new hero characters for each side that actively participate in several of the new single player missions. In function, they are simply super powered versions of standard units that have different sounds. There are no new standard units however, which many saw as a disappointment. The map editor also isn't updated to include any of this expansion's new features, though third party programs exist that can add these features to the editor.

Which platforms saw the most releases?

PlayStation received 26 new titles in April 1996. The runner up was Sega Saturn with 23 new titles.

PlayStation26 releases
Sega Saturn23 releases
Super Famicom15 releases
PC (Microsoft Windows)12 releases
DOS12 releases
Satellaview9 releases
PC-9800 Series7 releases
Arcade4 releases
Mac4 releases
3DO Interactive Multiplayer4 releases

What genres were most popular?

Adventure was the dominant genre in April 1996 with 27 titles. Shooter followed closely with 22.

Adventure27
Shooter22
Role-playing17
Sport16
Platform13
Fighting12
Puzzle11
Simulator11
Strategy10
Arcade8
1996 Review
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