Games Released in November 1998

136 new games debuted in November 1998, with PlayStation being the most active platform. November 30 was the busiest day, with 28 releases. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the most popular release of the month.

Which days had the most releases?

November 30 saw the most activity with 28 releases.

28 releases

November 30

23 releases

November 26

18 releases

November 19

17 releases

November 27

How did each week compare?

The fourth week of November was the busiest with 65 releases.

Week 1 (November 1–7)

42 releases

Most popular release in Week 1

Crash Bandicoot: Warped

Crash Bandicoot: Warped is the third game in the Crash Bandicoot series and the first to feature Coco as a playable character. The player takes control of Crash and Coco Bandicoot, who must travel back and forward in time and gather 25 crystals before Uka Uka and Doctor Neo Cortex can do so. Much of the game takes place in the Time Twister which acts as the hub area of the game. The Time-Twister is split up into five chambers, each chamber has five buttons that open portals to different levels. The goal in each level is to find and obtain the crystal hidden in the level. Crash Bandicoot: Warped was lauded by critics in many areas, and the game has been considered one of the best video games of all time.

Week 2 (November 8–14)

20 releases

Most popular release in Week 3

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the fifth main installment of The Legend of Zelda series and the first to be released for the Nintendo 64. It was one of the most highly anticipated games of its age, and is listed among the greatest video games ever created by numerous websites and magazines. The gameplay of Ocarina of Time was revolutionary for its time, it has arguably made more of an impact on later games in the series than any of its predecessors even though they had the same cores of exploration, dungeons, puzzles and item usage. Among the gameplay mechanics, one of the most noteworthy is the time-traveling system. The game begins with the player controlling the child Link, but later on an adult Link becomes a playable character as well and each of them has certain unique abilities. Ocarina of Time also introduces the use of music to solve puzzles: as new songs are learned, they can be used to solve puzzles, gain access to new areas and warp to different locations. Dungeon exploration is somewhat more puzzle-oriented than in earlier games but they are not too complex.

Week 4 (November 22–28)

65 releases

Most popular release in Week 4

The Last Blade 2

The Last Blade 2 is a 2D fighting game which features anime-style characters that fight each other with swords, clubs, and even fishing poles. These characters pull off their special moves with that 'quarter-circle-to-half-circle' and 'double-half-circle' controller motions, reminiscent of Street Fighter.

Week 5 (November 29–30)

30 releases

Most popular release in Week 5

Thief: The Dark Project

Thief is a first-person stealth game that likes the dark. You sneak through the ruins of haunted cathedrals, subterranean ruins, and forbidding prisons, in a dark and sinister city - heavily inspired by Steampunk and the Dark Ages. Garrett finds an ally in the shadows, as he steals for money and uncovers the hidden agendas of allies and enemies. The story that unravels is one of deception and revenge.

Which platforms saw the most releases?

PlayStation received 71 new titles in November 1998. The runner up was PC with 58 new titles.

PlayStation71 releases

PC58 releases

Nintendo 6417 releases

Game Boy Color13 releases

Sega Saturn7 releases

Arcade6 releases

Satellaview6 releases

Dreamcast3 releases

Game Boy3 releases

Mac3 releases

What genres were most popular?

Adventure was the dominant genre in November 1998 with 40 titles. Simulator followed closely with 27.

Adventure40

Simulator27

Sport26

Racing23

Shooter23

Puzzle21

Arcade20

Strategy18

Platform16

Fighting10

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