1988 in video games

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List of years in video games

1988 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Dragon Quest III, Super Contra, Super Mario Bros. 2, Mega Man 2, Double Dragon II: The Revenge, and Super Mario Bros. 3, along with new titles such as Assault, Altered Beast, Capcom Bowling, Ninja Gaiden, RoboCop, Winning Run and Chase H.Q.

The year's highest-grossing arcade games were After Burner and After Burner II in Japan, Double Dragon in the United States, Operation Wolf in the United Kingdom, and RoboCop in Hong Kong. The year's best‑selling home system was the Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom) for the fifth year in a row, while the year's best-selling home video games were Dragon Quest III in Japan and Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt in the United States.

Events

Financial performance

Highest-grossing arcade games

Japan

In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1988, according to the annual Gamest and Game Machine charts.

Rank Gamest[1] Game Machine[2]
Title Manufacturer Title Type Points
1 After Burner Sega After Burner / After Burner II Cockpit cabinet 3624
2 World Stadium Namco Operation Wolf Upright cabinet 3569
3 Gradius II Konami Final Lap Deluxe / Standard 3568
4 Out Run Sega Kyukyoku Tiger (Twin Cobra) Conversion kit 3192
5 Final Lap Namco World Stadium Conversion kit 3105
6 R-Type Irem R-Type Conversion kit 3074
7 Super Hang-On Sega Out Run Deluxe cabinet 2921
8 Street Fighter Capcom Hi Sho Zame (Flying Shark) Conversion kit 2109
9 Kyukyoku Tiger (Twin Cobra) Toaplan Galaga '88 Conversion kit 1990
10 Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 Taito Gradius II Conversion kit 1939

Hong Kong and United States

In Hong Kong and the United States, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1988.

Rank Hong Kong United States
Bondeal[3] Play Meter AMOA[4][5]
Dedicated cabinet Conversion kit
1 RoboCop Double Dragon[6] Double Dragon Shinobi
2 Chequered Flag Unknown Out Run,
After Burner,
Operation Wolf,
Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja
Twin Eagle,
Heavy Barrel,
Capcom Bowling,
Time Soldiers
3 Devastators
4 P.O.W.
5 Vindicators
6 Sky Soldiers Unknown N/A
7 Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja
8 Blasteroids
9 Vigilante
10 Xybots

United Kingdom

Operation Wolf was the top-earning arcade game of 1988 in the United Kingdom.[7][8] The following titles were the top-grossing games on the monthly arcade charts in 1988.

Month Title Manufacturer Genre Ref
January Operation Wolf Taito Light gun shooter [9]
February [10]
March [11]
April Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
May Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
June Street Fighter Capcom Fighting [12]
1988 Operation Wolf [7]

Best-selling home systems

Rank System(s) Manufacturer Type Generation Sales
Japan USA EU Worldwide
1 Nintendo Entertainment System / Famicom Nintendo Console 8-bit 1,590,000[13] 7,000,000[14] Unknown 8,590,000+
2 Mark III / Master System Sega Console 8-bit 240,000[15] 1,000,000[16] 195,000[17][18] 1,435,000+
3 Commodore 64 Commodore Computer 8-bit N/A N/A N/A 1,250,000[19]
4 IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC) IBM Computer 16-bit Unknown 1,229,000[20] Unknown 1,229,000+
5 Macintosh Apple Inc. Computer 16-bit N/A N/A N/A 900,000[19]
6 PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 NEC Console 16-bit 830,000[13] N/A N/A 830,000
7 NEC UltraLite / PC-88 / PC-98 NEC Computer 8-bit / 16-bit 700,000[21][22] 95,000+[23] Unknown 795,000+
8 Mega Drive / Genesis Sega Console 16-bit 400,000[15] N/A N/A 400,000
9 Amiga Commodore Computer 16-bit N/A N/A N/A 400,000[19]
10 Compaq PC Compaq Computer 8-bit / 16-bit Unknown 365,000+[23] Unknown 365,000+

Best-selling home video games

Japan

The following titles were the top ten best-selling home video games of 1988 in Japan, according to the annual Family Computer Magazine (Famimaga) charts.[24]

Rank Title Platform Developer Publisher Genre(s) Sales
1 Dragon Quest III: Soshite Densetsu e... Famicom Chunsoft Enix Role-playing 3,800,000[25]
2 Super Mario Bros. 3 Famicom Nintendo R&D4 Nintendo Platformer Unknown
3 Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium '87 Famicom Namco Namco Sports (baseball) < 1,300,000[26]
4 Kyūkyoku Harikiri Stadium Famicom Taito Taito Sports (baseball) Unknown
5 Captain Tsubasa (Tecmo Cup Soccer Game) Famicom Tecmo Tecmo Sports (association football) < 700,000[27]
6 Momotaro Densetsu Famicom Hudson Soft Hudson Soft Role-playing Unknown
7 Dragon Ball: Daimaō Fukkatsu Famicom TOSE Bandai Role-playing / card battle < 530,000[28]
8 Saint Seiya: Ōgon Densetsu Famicom TOSE Bandai Action role-playing Unknown
9 Final Fantasy Famicom Squaresoft Squaresoft Role-playing < 520,000[29]
10 Gegege no Kitaro: Youkai Daimakyou (Ninja Kid) Famicom TOSE Bandai Platformer Unknown

United Kingdom and United States

In the United States, the NES Action Set bundled with Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt was the best-selling toy of 1988.[30] The same year, Super Mario Bros. 2 became one of the best-selling cartridges of all time,[31] Super Mario Bros. 2 and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link were the top-selling cartridges during the holiday season,[32] and The Legend of Zelda and Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! each crossed 2 million sales between 1987 and 1988.[33]

The following titles were the top-selling home video games of each month in the United Kingdom and United States during 1988.

Month United Kingdom United States
All systems ZX Spectrum Weeks 1-2 Weeks 3-4 Platform Ref
January Unknown Out Run[10] Mike Tyson's Punch-Out![34] Top Gun[35] NES
February Unknown Platoon[11][36] Mike Tyson's Punch-Out![37][35]
March Unknown Mike Tyson's Punch-Out![38] The Legend of Zelda[39]
April Unknown We Are the Champions[40] Ice Hockey[39][41]
May Steve Davis Snooker[42] Target: Renegade[43] Ice Hockey The Legend of Zelda NES [44]
June Target: Renegade (ZX Spectrum)[45] Mike Tyson's Punch-Out![46] The Legend of Zelda[47] NES
July Football Manager 2[48] The Legend of Zelda[47] Double Dragon[49]
August Football Manager 2[50] European Five-a-Side[50] R.B.I. Baseball[49] Double Dragon[51]
September Bomb Jack[52] Football Manager 2[52] Double Dragon NES [53]
October Daley Thompson's Olympic Challenge[54] Bomb Jack[54] Super Mario Bros. 2 NES [55]
November Last Ninja 2[56] [57]
December Operation Wolf[58] RoboCop[59] [60][61]
1988 Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt NES [30]

Top-rated games

Major awards

Japan

Award 2nd Gamest Awards
(December 1988)[62]
3rd Famitsu Best Hit Game Awards
(February 1989)[63]
3rd Famimaga Game Awards
(February 1989)[64]
Arcade Console Famicom
Game of the Year Gradius II Dragon Quest III (Famicom)
Critics' Choice Awards N/A Dragon Spirit (PC Engine)
Sangokushi (Famicom)
Nobunaga no Yabō: Zenkokuban (Famicom)
Family Circuit (Famicom)
Captain Tsubasa (Famicom)
Chô Wakusei Senki Metafight (Famicom)
Rockman (Famicom)
N/A
Best Arcade Conversion N/A R-Type (PC Engine) N/A
Best Playability N/A N/A Super Mario Bros. 3
Best Scenario / Story N/A Final Fantasy (Famicom) N/A
Best Graphics Forgotten Worlds Alien Crush (PC Engine) N/A
Best Music / Sound The Ninja Warriors Galaga '88 (PC Engine) Dragon Quest III
Special Award After Burner II N/A N/A
Original / Frontier Spirit / Spotlight Syvalion No-Ri-Ko (PC Engine CD-ROM²) Captain Tsubasa
Best Character / Character Design Bravoman (Bravoman) Dragon Quest III (Famicom) Super Mario Bros. 3
Best Game Company Namco N/A N/A
Best Action Game N/A Super Mario Bros. 3 (Famicom)
Best Shooter / Shoot 'Em Up Gradius II / Ultimate Tiger Gradius II (Famicom) N/A
Best RPG N/A Dragon Quest III (Famicom)
Best Action RPG N/A Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished (Sega Mark III) N/A
Best Adventure Game N/A Famicom Detective Club (Famicom)
Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom (Famicom)
Famicom Detective Club
Best Simulation / Strategy Game N/A Famicom Wars (Famicom)
Best Sports Game World Stadium N/A Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium '87
Best Puzzle Game N/A Tetris (Famicom) N/A
Best Value for Money N/A N/A Dragon Quest III
Best Ending Gradius II N/A N/A
Best Performance N/A Ninja Ryūkenden (Ninja Gaiden) N/A
Best Commercial N/A Famicom Wars (Famicom) N/A

United Kingdom

Award Sinclair User Awards
(December 1988)[65]
6th Golden Joystick Awards
(April 1989)[66]
Arcade 8-bit computer 16-bit computer Console
Game of the Year Operation Wolf Speedball Thunder Blade (Master System)
Best Arcade / Coin-Op Conversion N/A Operation Wolf N/A
Best Graphics N/A Armalyte Rocket Ranger N/A
Best VGM / Soundtrack N/A Bionic Commando International Karate + N/A
Best Original Game Dynamite Düx N/A N/A N/A
Best Software House N/A Ocean Software Mirrorsoft N/A
Best Progammer N/A John Phillips The Bitmap Brothers N/A
Best Shooter / Shoot 'Em Up Galaxy Force N/A N/A N/A
Best Beat 'Em Up Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja N/A N/A N/A
Best Adventure Game N/A Corruption Fish! N/A
Best Simulation Game N/A MicroProse Soccer Falcon N/A
Best Racing Game Power Drift N/A N/A N/A

United States

Award Computer Gaming World
(November 1988)[67]
Electronic Gaming Monthly
(1989)[68]
Computer Entertainer Awards of Excellence
(January 1989)[69]
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment
(February 1989)[70]
Master System NES Console Console Computer Console Computer
Game of the Year N/A N/A Double Dragon (NES) Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)
Phantasy Star (SMS)
N/A Zaxxon 3D
(Master System)
Superstar Ice Hockey
Entertainment
Program of the Year
N/A N/A N/A N/A Rocket Ranger (AMI)
Wizardry IV (APL2)
Bubble Ghost (GS)
Captain Blood (ST)
Pool of Radiance (C64)
Battlehawks 1942 (PC)
The Colony (Macintosh)
N/A N/A
Arcade Conversion Out Run Arkanoid Rampage (Master System) N/A N/A Arkanoid (NES)
Best Graphics Rocky Side Pocket Phantasy Star (SMS) N/A King's Quest IV Side Pocket (NES) Rocket Ranger
Sound / Soundtrack N/A
Original / Innovative N/A Jaws Blaster Master (NES) Monopoly (Master System) Battle Chess N/A N/A
Action / Arcade-Style Space Harrier R.C. Pro-Am Contra (NES) N/A Chop N' Drop Blaster Master (NES) Skate or Die!
Shooter / Target Game Missile Defense 3-D Hogan's Alley N/A N/A N/A N/A
Best Adventure Game
/ Fantasy
N/A The Legend of Zelda N/A N/A Manhunter: New York The Legend of Zelda
(NES)
Neuromancer
Best Strategy Game N/A N/A N/A N/A Decisive Battles Monopoly (NES) The Fool's Errand
Best Simulation
/ Simulator
N/A N/A N/A N/A P51 Mustang Flight Sim
PT-109 (Macintosh)
N/A Test Drive
Best Sports Game Great Volleyball Pro Wrestling Bases Loaded (NES) Ice Hockey (NES)
Great Basketball (SMS)
Star Rank Boxing (APL2)
Fast Break (C64)
Jack Nicklaus Golf (PC)
Bases Loaded (NES) Super Bowl Sunday
Best Action-Strategy Monopoly Raid on Bungeling Bay N/A N/A N/A N/A Tetris
Designer of the Year N/A N/A N/A N/A Ezra Sidran N/A N/A
Best Educational N/A N/A N/A N/A Mixed-Up Mother Goose N/A N/A
Most Humorous N/A N/A N/A N/A Shufflepuck Café (Mac) N/A N/A

Famitsu Platinum Hall of Fame

The following 1988 video game releases entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.[71]

Title Score (out of 40) Developer Publisher Genre Platform
Dragon Quest III: Soshite Densetsu e... (Dragon Warrior III) 38 Chunsoft Enix RPG Family Computer (Famicom)
Final Fantasy II 35 Squaresoft Squaresoft
Super Mario Bros. 3 35 Nintendo EAD Nintendo Platformer

Business

Notable releases

Arcade

Home

Hardware

Sega Mega Drive

See also

References

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