Games Released in January 2004

87 new games debuted in January 2004, with PC being the most active platform. January 1 was the busiest day, with 17 releases. Pokémon FireRed Version was the most popular release of the month.

Which days had the most releases?

January 1 saw the most activity with 17 releases.

17 releases

January 1

12 releases

January 29

10 releases

January 30

9 releases

January 22

How did each week compare?

The third week of January was the busiest with 29 releases.

Week 1 (January 1–7)

26 releases

Week 2 (January 8–14)

20 releases

Most popular release in Week 3

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II

Using the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules set, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II features four new acts of hack-and-slash combat and powerful spell casting. Even more monster types will engage in real-time battles using the same overhead perspective as witnessed in the original game. Each selected character can parlay the experience gained from combat into acquiring new feats and enhanced abilities over time. To help in battle, a new item creation system lets players craft magical weapons and armor using raw materials found during their travels. As before, two heroes can join the adventure in cooperative play on the same screen, with each character differing in the types of feats and powers under his or her command. Equipment can be found or purchased from local merchants using the gold looted from felled creatures or received as payment for quests. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II also features a number of hidden areas, secret characters, and literally hundreds of items to find and use, including potions, scrolls, and wands. In addition, the game features a new branching storyline that offers players a choice where to go next for fortune and honor.

Week 4 (January 22–28)

25 releases

Most popular release in Week 4

Phantom Brave

Phantom Brave is a strategy RPG which takes place in the world of Ivoire. Ivoire consists of vast seas and numerous islands; it used to be a peaceful place, but an ancient (and powerful) force is now threatening life in the various lands. The character you control in the game is Marona, a 13 year old orphaned girl. Marona has the ability to communicate with phantoms, an ability that brings a lot of resentment from other people but will help her to head out into the world and solve the problems that are occurring. A phantom known as Ash acts as Marona's guardian; as the game progresses, other phantoms will join your party, each of which have different capabilities. The game features a turn based combat system. During battles, Marona is able to attack enemies by herself, and she can also summon phantoms in her party to help out. To summon phantoms, you will need to confine them to an object on the screen (such as a rock or tree). Once confined to an object, you will then be able to control the phantom in battle, though phantoms only remain controllable for a limited number of turns. The object you confine a phantom to will affect it's abilities; for example, a rock may make a phantom stronger but move slower. By defeating enemies in battle you earn experience points allowing to level up and become more powerful.

Week 5 (January 29–31)

26 releases

Most popular release in Week 5

Pokémon FireRed Version

Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version are a pair of core series Generation III games that are set in the Kanto region. They were released in Japan on January 29, 2004, in North America on September 9, 2004, in Australia on September 23, 2004 and in Europe on October 1, 2004. As the first remakes in the Pokémon franchise, the games revisit the original pair of Pokémon games, Pokémon Red and Green Versions, and so feature all of the characters, plot elements, and challenges of them, but with several important upgrades to bring them up to speed with other Generation III games. The Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter was initially included with the games when they were first released, eliminating the need for Game Link Cables when trading between the two games (and later Pokémon Emerald Version). In later copies, it was sold separately. FireRed and LeafGreen went on to become the second best-selling games of the Game Boy Advance, only behind Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Versions. They also received Nintendo's Player's Choice awards.

Which platforms saw the most releases?

PC received 41 new titles in January 2004. The runner up was PlayStation 2 with 34 new titles.

PC41 releases

PlayStation 234 releases

Game Boy Advance15 releases

Web browser13 releases

Xbox9 releases

Nintendo GameCube6 releases

Legacy Mobile Device5 releases

Mac2 releases

Neo Geo AES2 releases

Arcade1 release

What genres were most popular?

Adventure was the dominant genre in January 2004 with 33 titles. Role-playing followed closely with 25.

Adventure33

Role-playing25

Simulator16

Strategy16

Racing13

Puzzle11

Shooter10

Platform8

Arcade7

Fighting7

2004 Review

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