Games Released in December 2001

275 new games released in December 2001, with PC (Microsoft Windows) being the most active platform. December 20 was the busiest day, with 40 new releases.

Top Platform

PC (Microsoft Windows)

New Releases

275

Busiest Day

December 20

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

What was the most popular game of December 2001?

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is a 2001 platform video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the Sony PlayStation 2 on December 4, 2001, as the first game of the Jak and Daxter series. The game follows the protagonist, a young teenager named Jak, as he tries to help his friend Daxter after he is transformed into an "ottsel", a fictional hybrid of an otter and a weasel. The game offers a large range of missions, collectables and objectives, often in the form of minigames, which provide a variety of gameplay experiences, as well as puzzles and platforming stages, which are completed by the player to proceed with the story.

Which days had the most releases?

December 20 saw the most activity with 40 releases.

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40 releases

December 20

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31 releases

December 14

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26 releases

December 7

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23 releases

December 6

SunMonTueWedThuFriSat

Sat, Dec 1

20 releases

Sun, Dec 2

9 releases

Mon, Dec 3

4 releases

Tue, Dec 4

10 releases

Wed, Dec 5

5 releases

Thu, Dec 6

23 releases

Fri, Dec 7

26 releases

Sat, Dec 8

1 release

Sun, Dec 9

5 releases

Mon, Dec 10

7 releases

Tue, Dec 11

2 releases

Wed, Dec 12

3 releases

Thu, Dec 13

17 releases

Fri, Dec 14

31 releases

Sat, Dec 15

8 releases

Sun, Dec 16

2 releases

Mon, Dec 17

4 releases

Tue, Dec 18

4 releases

Wed, Dec 19

5 releases

Thu, Dec 20

40 releases

Fri, Dec 21

15 releases

Sat, Dec 22

3 releases

Sun, Dec 23

2 releases

Mon, Dec 24

3 releases

Tue, Dec 25

1 release

Wed, Dec 26

No releases

Thu, Dec 27

9 releases

Fri, Dec 28

6 releases

Sat, Dec 29

6 releases

Sun, Dec 30

8 releases

Mon, Dec 31

5 releases

How did each week compare?

The first week of December was the busiest with 97 releases.

Week 3 (December 15–21)

78 releases
Ikaruga

Most popular release in Week 3

Ikaruga

In this vertical scrolling spaceship shooter, you control a ship that can change its polarity at will. As blue/white, the ship can easily destroy red/black enemies, and vice versa. Bullets of your polarity can be collected to fuel your energy gauge, but those opposite will kill you. Destroying an enemy ship causes them to fire revenge bullets which can be absorbed and fired back by the player. Different difficulties exist to change exactly how you interact with polarized points, or how they appear. It is the spiritual successor to Radiant Silvergun, featuring similar level and boss design, as well as it's buddhism inspired themes and aesthetics. Both are directed by Hiroshi Iuchi, who also composed Ikaruga's soundtrack.

Week 4 (December 22–28)

24 releases
Maximo: Ghosts to Glory

Most popular release in Week 4

Maximo: Ghosts to Glory

The game is based in the Ghosts'n Goblins universe and features original character designs by Japanese illustrator Susumu Matsushita. The character is controlled by the player and can move freely within areas by running, jumping, crouching, and performing other various motions. Gameplay revolves around defeating large numbers of enemies, which can be accomplished by attacking with a sword and shield and combos and special moves. Maximo fights wearing armor, if he is hit, he will lose corresponding pieces of armor and eventually be reduced to wearing his boxer shorts, with another hit resulting in him losing a life. If Maximo loses all his lives, he can continue by giving Death Coins to the Grim Reaper. However, every time he loses all his lives, the required cost for a continue increases.

Week 5 (December 29–31)

19 releases
ESPN Great Outdoor Games: Bass 2002

Most popular release in Week 5

ESPN Great Outdoor Games: Bass 2002

With crystal-clear graphics, sound effects as clear as an Alpine stream and excellent play control, ESPN Great Outdoor Games: Bass Fishing is sure to knock your warders off! In Free Fishing Mode, drop a line into any of the 30 ponds and lakes that dot the tranquil landscape. Cast your skills against the world's top anglers in Tournament mode. In this mode, you'll race to see who can land the five biggest fish of a given variety, including bluegills and many types of bass. After picking from 15 unique lures, a power meter indicates the strength of your cast. You can reel in or play out line. Successful anglers will continually monitor the water depth and temperature and the time of day. The atmospheric soundtrack includes chirping birds, softly lapping water and cheery banjo plucking.

Which platforms saw the most releases?

PC (Microsoft Windows) received 69 new titles in December 2001. The runner up was Game Boy Advance with 49 new titles.

PC (Microsoft Windows)69 releases
Game Boy Advance49 releases
PlayStation 246 releases
PlayStation38 releases
Game Boy Color28 releases
Nintendo GameCube11 releases
Xbox9 releases
Mac7 releases
Arcade5 releases
Web browser5 releases

What genres were most popular?

Adventure was the dominant genre in December 2001 with 54 titles. Role-playing followed closely with 40.

Adventure54
Role-playing40
Platform32
Simulator32
Sport30
Strategy27
Shooter26
Racing23
Puzzle22
Arcade17
2001 Review
NovJan