Games Released in December 1996

740 new games debuted in December 1996, with PlayStation being the most active platform. December 20 was the busiest day, with 48 releases. Diablo was the most popular release of the month.

Which days had the most releases?

December 20 saw the most activity with 48 releases.

48 releases

December 20

33 releases

December 31

28 releases

December 6

27 releases

December 13

How did each week compare?

The third week of December was the busiest with 72 releases.

Week 1 (December 1–7)

61 releases

Most popular release in Week 1

PaRappa the Rapper

The original music video game. Help Parappa rap with the best of the master rappers and straight into Sunny's heart. Guaranteed you'll be singin' and dancin' along with Parappa and his pals to the most fun music mixes.

Week 2 (December 8–14)

39 releases

Most popular release in Week 2

Mario Kart 64

Mario Kart 64 is the second main installment of the Mario Kart series. It is the first game in the series to use three-dimensional graphics, however, the characters and items in this game are still two-dimensional, pre-rendered sprites. The game offers two camera angles and three engine sizes: 50cc, 100cc and 150cc. Each kart has distinctive handling, acceleration and top speed capabilities. Shells that you fire at rival racers, Bananas that make them skid out and Lightning Bolts that make them small and very slow are just a few of the game's unique power-ups.

Week 3 (December 15–21)

72 releases

Most popular release in Week 3

Mega Man 8

A gigantic space explosion sends two strange meteors crashing to Earth. The call goes out and Mega Man speeds to the site. There he sees his arch-rival, Dr. Wiley, fleeing the scene, clutching one of the mysterious metallic meteors. Now Mega Man must uncover the secret of the second meteor in a race to stay one step ahead of Dr. Wiley and his new deadly breed of super-powered robots. • Battle across 14 huge stages to face eight devious new enemies. • Multiple upgrades for Mega Man - customize to your specifications every game. • Intense Japanese anime intros, cut scenes and cinema screens. • Incredibly fluid animation and highly detailed backgrounds.

Week 4 (December 22–28)

40 releases

Most popular release in Week 4

Battle Arena Toshinden 3

The Toshinden: the timeless battle tournament where only the best are invited, and only the strongest survive. Now, this third installment takes the fighting action to a level never seen before! You're caged like an animal in newly designed and closed-in arenas. Battle to the exhausting finish against over 30 sexy, bloodthirsty and deadly characters, each with their own weaponary, style and moves. Plus fast fresh graphics, unbelievably smooth gameplay and responsive controls makes this tournament the ultimate force to be reckoned with. - 10 all new and closed-in arenas. Riccochet off walls and ceilings and attack and retreat! - Over 30 characters, 12 never before seen - Dozens of new killer moves, strategies and multi-hit combination attacks - 2 player mode for head-to-head action - Battle in 30 frames or even faster 60 frames per second - Practice, Survival or Team Battle Mode not found in the Japanese version.

Week 5 (December 29–31)

39 releases

Most popular release in Week 5

Diablo

Diablo is an isometric strategy RPG and one of the most well-known examples of the action-RPG subgenre. Although some of the game mechanics resemble a typical RPG, all actions are done in real-time just like in an action game. The player have to kill hordes of monsters through randomized dungeon levels in order to gain experience points, gold and a variety of equipment to bolster the hero's monster-killing potency.

Which platforms saw the most releases?

PlayStation received 77 new titles in December 1996. The runner up was Sega Saturn with 59 new titles.

PlayStation77 releases

Sega Saturn59 releases

PC33 releases

DOS16 releases

Arcade13 releases

Super Famicom13 releases

Game Boy9 releases

Nintendo 646 releases

Mac5 releases

Vectrex5 releases

What genres were most popular?

Adventure was the dominant genre in December 1996 with 49 titles. Arcade followed closely with 38.

Adventure49

Arcade38

Shooter36

Sport32

Role-playing28

Strategy27

Fighting25

Puzzle25

Simulator24

Racing16

1996 Review

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