Games Released in May 1997

113 new games released in May 1997, with PlayStation being the most active platform. May 30 was the busiest day, with 18 new releases.

Which days had the most releases?

May 30 saw the most activity with 18 releases.

How did each week compare?

The first week of May was the busiest with 40 releases.

Week 2 (May 8–14)

16 releases
Shadow Warrior

Most popular release in Week 2

Shadow Warrior

Shadow Warrior is a first-person shooter video game developed by 3D Realms and released on May 13, 1997 by GT Interactive. Shadow Warrior was developed using Ken Silverman's Build engine and improved on 3D Realms' previous Build engine game, Duke Nukem 3D. Mark Adams ported Shadow Warrior to Mac OS in August 1997. The game's improvements included introduction of true room-over-room situations, the use of 3D voxels instead of 2D sprites for weapons and usable inventory items, transparent water, climbable ladders, and assorted vehicles to drive (some armed with weapons). Although ultra-violent, the game emphasized tongue-in-cheek humor and contained some sexual themes (although less blatantly than in Duke Nukem 3D). A combination of Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior was published by GT Interactive in March 1998, titled East Meets West.

Week 4 (May 22–28)

19 releases
Norse by Norse West: The Return of the Lost Vikings

Most popular release in Week 4

Norse by Norse West: The Return of the Lost Vikings

Lost Vikings 2 is a side-scrolling platform adventure in which the player alternates control of three of the five playable characters, guiding each of them one at a time from a designated start point in each level to the exit, collecting three specific items along the way. The game predetermines which characters are available in any specific level.[7] Control may be swapped from character to character at any point. In the two-player cooperative mode, each player simultaneously controls one character and is allowed to change control to the third, unused character at any point. Every level is designed such that each character must contribute his unique skills to help the other two through to the end. Similarly, to finish the level, all three characters must reach the exit point with the three items in possession.

Week 5 (May 29–31)

24 releases
Blood

Most popular release in Week 5

Blood

You carved your soul to shreds in servitude to a dark god, but false promises and betrayal were your only reward. Now you have a score to settle and it will be measured in blood! Experience the madness in one carnage-soaked package! All the gore, all the unholy war! Zombies, gargoyles, hellhounds and blood-crazed hordes of horrors await! Crush loathsome evil of the mighty Tchernobog! Or condemn yourself to eternal damnation in this leviathan of unhallowed gaming action! Visit a dark near-future world populated by hundreds of bloodthirsty enemies. You'll engage in a nightmarish battle against the minions of an ancient god bent on wiping humanity from the face of the earth. With cultists, gargoyles, zombies, hellhounds, and an unholy host of other terrors, Blood immerses you in a world of horror unlike any you've experienced before.

Which platforms saw the most releases?

PlayStation received 43 new titles in May 1997. The runner up was PC (Microsoft Windows) with 28 new titles.

PlayStation43 releases
PC (Microsoft Windows)28 releases
Sega Saturn21 releases
Mac7 releases
DOS7 releases
Satellaview7 releases
Nintendo 644 releases
Arcade3 releases
Super Famicom3 releases
Game Boy2 releases

What genres were most popular?

Shooter was the dominant genre in May 1997 with 22 titles. Adventure followed closely with 19.

Shooter22
Adventure19
Sport16
Simulator15
Visual Novel12
Arcade11
Puzzle11
Fighting9
Role-playing9
Racing9