| List of years in video games |
|---|
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2001 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such asMadden NFL 2002,NBA Live 2002,NBA 2K2,WWF Smackdown! Just Bring It,Capcom vs. SNK 2,Crazy Taxi 2,Dead or Alive 3,Final Fantasy X,Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec,Grand Theft Auto III,Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty,Myst III: Exile,Silent Hill 2,Sonic Adventure 2,SSX Tricky,Super Smash Bros. Melee,Tekken 4,Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, andVirtua Fighter 4. Newintellectual properties includePhoenix Wright: Ace Attorney,Advance Wars,Animal Crossing,Burnout,Gothic,Black & White,Devil May Cry,Fatal Frame,Ghost Recon,Halo: Combat Evolved,Jak and Daxter,Max Payne,Oni,Onimusha: Warlords,Operation Flashpoint,Pikmin,Pro Evolution Soccer,Red Faction,Serious Sam, andTropico.
Three major video game systems were released in 2001: theGameCube and theGame Boy Advance byNintendo, and theXbox by Microsoft.[1]Sega, which had been a major competitor in the video game hardware market to this point, ended its involvement in the market after the failure of theDreamcast.[2]
The year 2001 is remembered for its influence on the video game industry with the release of many games recognized as classics.[3][4] Many video games released in 2001 defined or redefined their respective genres, includinghack and slash gameDevil May Cry,[5][6]first-person shooter gameHalo: Combat Evolved,[7][8] andopen worldaction-adventure gameGrand Theft Auto III, which is regarded as an industry-defining work.[9][10]
The year has been retrospectively considered one of the best and most influential invideo game history due to the release of numerous critically acclaimed, commercially successful and influential titles across all platforms andgenres at the time. It was the peak year for thesixth generation of video game consoles, with the launch of theGameCube andXbox, the latter focusing ononline games (followingSegaNet the previous year), and theDreamcast's last year of production withSega's exit from console manufacturing. Storytelling and mature themes also became a more mainstream trend.[11][12]
The year's best-selling video game worldwide wasPokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal, the fourth year in a row for thePokémon series (since 1998). The year's most critically acclaimed titles wereGran Turismo 3 andFinal Fantasy X in Japan, andHalo andGrand Theft Auto III in the West.
| DC | Dreamcast | GBA | Game Boy Advance,iQue GBA | GBC | Game Boy Color |
| GCN | GameCube | N64 | Nintendo 64,iQue Player | PS1 | PlayStation 1 |
| PS2 | PlayStation 2 | WIN | Microsoft Windows, all versionsWindows 95 and up | X360 | Xbox 360,Xbox 360 Live Arcade |
| XBLA | Term not found | XBOX | Xbox,Xbox Live Arcade |

| Month | Day | Console |
|---|---|---|
| March | 21 | Game Boy Advance |
| September | 14 | GameCube |
| November | 15 | Xbox |
| 16 | Pokémon Mini[13] |
GameRankings namedMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty theGame of the Year for 2001, citing its position as the highest-rated title of the year with an aggregated score of97% based on reviews from more than 50 gaming publications.[14]
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In Japan, the following video game releases in 2001 enteredFamitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receivingFamitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.[29]
| Title | Platform(s) | Publisher | Genre | Score (out of 40) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PS2 | Sony | Racing simulation | 39 |
| Final Fantasy X | PS2 | Squaresoft | Role-playing | 39 |
| Fushigi no Dungeon: Fūrai no Shiren GB2 | GBC | Chunsoft | Roguelike | 38 |
| Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | PS2 | Konami | Stealth | 38 |
| Culdcept Second | DC | Media Factory | Turn-based strategy | 37 |
| Dai Rantō Smash Brothers DX (Super Smash Bros. Melee) | GCN | Nintendo | Fighting | 37 |
| Dōbutsu no Mori + (Animal Crossing) | GCN | Nintendo | Social simulation | 37 |
| Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko no Daibōken 2 (The Last Hope) | GBA | Enix | Roguelike | 36 |
| Madden NFL 2001 | PS2 | Square EA | Sports | 35 |
| Onimusha (Onimusha: Warlords) | PS2 | Capcom | Hack and slash | 35 |
| Kessen II | PS2 | Koei | Real-time tactics | 35 |
| Crazy Taxi 2 | DC | Sega | Driving | 35 |
| Zeonic Front: Kidō Senshi Gundam 0079 (Mobile Suit Gundam) | PS2 | Bandai | Strategy | 35 |
| Capcom vs. SNK 2: Millionaire Fighting 2001 | DC, PS2 | Capcom | Fighting | 35 |
| Magical Vacation | GBA | Nintendo | Role-playing | 35 |
| Battle Network Rockman EXE 2 (Mega Man Battle Network 2) | GBA | Capcom | Tactical role-playing | 35 |
In the West,Metacritic (MC) andGameRankings (GR) are aggregators ofvideo game journalism reviews.
| Game | Publisher | Release Date | Platform(s) | MC score | GR score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halo: Combat Evolved | Microsoft Game Studios | November 15, 2001 | XBOX | 97/100 | 95.54% |
| Grand Theft Auto III | Rockstar Games | October 22, 2001 | PS2 | 97/100 | 95.19% |
| Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | Konami | November 13, 2001 | PS2 | 96/100 | 95.09% |
| Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | Sony Computer Entertainment | April 28, 2001 | PS2 | 95/100 | 94.54% |
| Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 | Activision | October 30, 2001 | PS2 | 97/100 | 93.43% |
| Devil May Cry | Capcom | August 23, 2001 | PS2 | 94/100 | 92.6% |
| Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 | Activision | June 11, 2001 | GBA | 95/100 | 89.88% |
| Madden NFL 2002 | EA Sports | August 19, 2001 | PS2 | 94/100 | 92.32% |
| NBA 2K2 | Sega | October 24, 2001 | DC | 93/100 | 92.82% |
| Mario Kart: Super Circuit | Nintendo | July 21, 2001 | GBA | 93/100 | 91.54% |
| SSX Tricky | EA Sports | November 5, 2001 | PS2 | 92/100 | 92.49% |
| Advance Wars | Nintendo | September 10, 2001 | GBA | 92/100 | 92.38% |
| Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | Nintendo | December 14, 2001 | GBA | 92/100[32] | 92.36%[33] |
| The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages | Nintendo | February 27, 2001 | GBC | — | 92.2% |
| Final Fantasy X | Square | July 19, 2001 | PS2 | 92/100 | 91.73% |
| Super Smash Bros. Melee | Nintendo | November 21, 2001 | GCN | 92/100 | 90.52% |
| Conker's Bad Fur Day | Rare | March 5, 2001 | N64 | 92/100 | 89.28% |
| NHL 2002 | EA Sports | September 24, 2001 | PS2 | 92/100 | 88.84% |
| Pro Evolution Soccer | Konami | March 15, 2001 | PS2 | — | 91.69% |
| The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons | Nintendo | February 27, 2001 | GBC | — | 91.37% |
| Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 | Activision | November 18, 2001 | GCN | 91/100 | 91.12% |
| IL-2 Sturmovik | 1C Company | November 18, 2001 | WIN | 91/100 | 90.65% |
| Golden Sun | Nintendo | August 1, 2001 | GBA | 91/100 | 89.1% |
| Twisted Metal: Black | Sony Computer Entertainment | June 18, 2001 | PS2 | 91/100 | 88.52% |
| Castlevania: Circle of the Moon | Konami | March 21, 2001 | GBA | 91/100 | 88.11% |
| Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil | Namco | March 22, 2001 | PS2 | 91/100 | 84.76% |
| Madden NFL 2002 | EA Sports | November 17, 2001 | GCN | 89/100 | 90.39% |
| Ico | Sony Computer Entertainment | September 24, 2001 | PS2 | 90/100 | 90.29% |
| NCAA Football 2002 | EA Sports | July 23, 2001 | PS2 | 90/100 | 90.25% |
| Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy | Sony Computer Entertainment | December 3, 2001 | PS2 | 90/100 | 90.22% |
| Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader | LucasArts | November 18, 2001 | GCN | 90/100 | 90.04% |
| Black & White | Electronic Arts | March 30, 2001 | WIN | 90/100 | 89.79% |
| NFL 2K2 | Sega | September 19, 2001 | DC | 90/100 | 89.35% |
| Civilization III | Infogrames | October 30, 2001 | WIN | 90/100 | 88.75% |
| Madden NFL 2002 | EA Sports | October 31, 2001 | XBOX | 90/100 | 88.72% |
| Unreal Tournament | Infogrames | March 13, 2001 | DC | 90/100 | 87.8% |
| Virtua Tennis 2 | Sega | October 24, 2001 | DC | 90/100 | 87.22% |
| Dance Dance Revolution | Konami | March 6, 2001 | PS1 | 90/100 | 83.63% |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 | Microsoft | October 16, 2001 | WIN | 90/100 | 82.44% |
| Shenmue II | Sega | September 6, 2001 | DC | — | 89.63% |
| Max Payne | Gathering of Developers | July 23, 2001 | WIN | 89/100 | 89.26% |
| NASCAR Racing 4 | Sierra Entertainment | February 6, 2001 | WIN | 89/100 | 88.5% |
| NBA Street | EA Sports | June 19, 2001 | PS2 | 89/100 | 86.92% |
| Pikmin | Nintendo | October 26, 2001 | GCN | 89/100 | 86.71% |
| Final Fantasy Chronicles | Square | June 29, 2001 | PS1 | 89/100 | 86.7% |
| NHL 2002 | EA Sports | December 10, 2001 | XBOX | 89/100 | 86.33% |
| Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies | Namco | September 13, 2001 | PS2 | 89/100 | 86.07% |
| Max Payne | Rockstar Games | December 12, 2001 | XBOX | 89/100 | 85.95% |
| Silent Hill 2 | Konami | September 24, 2001 | PS2 | 89/100 | 85.82% |
| Sonic Adventure 2 | Sega | June 23, 2001 | DC | 89/100 | 83.26% |
| Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal | Interplay Entertainment | June 22, 2001 | WIN | 88/100 | 88.73% |
| Super Monkey Ball | Sega | September 14, 2001 | GCN | 87/100 | 88.7% |
| Red Faction | THQ | May 22, 2001 | PS2 | 88/100 | 88.32% |
| Dark Age of Camelot | Vivendi Universal Games | October 10, 2001 | WIN | 88/100 | 88.08% |
| Return to Castle Wolfenstein | Activision | November 19, 2001 | WIN | 88/100 | 86.75% |
| SSX Tricky | EA Sports | December 10, 2001 | XBOX | 88/100 | 86.6% |
| Wario Land 4 | Nintendo | August 21, 2001 | GBA | 88/100 | 85.34% |
| Madden NFL 2002 | EA Sports | August 13, 2001 | PS1 | 88/100 | 85.08% |
| Tribes 2 | Sierra Entertainment | March 28, 2001 | WIN | 88/100 | 84.85% |
| Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis | Nintendo | June 21, 2001 | GBA | 88/100[32] | 83.62%[33] |
| Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher | Sales | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | United States[34] | Combined | ||||
| 1 | Pokémon Gold / Silver /Crystal | GBC | Nintendo | 826,125[a] | 3,127,659 | 3,953,784 |
| 2 | Final Fantasy X | PS2 | Squaresoft | 2,434,015[35] | 746,632[36] | 3,180,647 |
| 3 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PS2 | Sony | 1,656,959[35] | 1,172,322 | 2,829,281 |
| 4 | Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | PS2 | Konami | 750,560[35] | 1,800,000+[37] | 2,550,560+ |
| 5 | Madden NFL 2002 | PS1, PS2 | EA Sports | — | 2,220,112 | 2,220,112 |
| 6 | The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages | GBC | Nintendo | 772,858[35] | 1,248,191 | 2,021,049 |
| 7 | Grand Theft Auto III | PS2 | Rockstar | — | 1,965,832 | 1,965,832 |
| 8 | Super Mario Advance | GBA | Nintendo | 777,899[38] | 1,172,323+[39][34] | 1,950,222+ |
| 9 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | PS1, WIN | EA | 83,954[38] | 1,628,744[34][40] | 1,712,698 |
| 10 | The Sims | WIN | EA | — | 1,482,182[40] | 1,482,182 |
| Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Sales revenue | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA[34][39][41] | Europe[42] | Combined | Inflation | |||
| 1 | Pokémon Gold / Silver /Crystal | GBC | $91,038,324 | €221,000,000 ($198,000,000) | $289,038,324 | $513,000,000 |
| 2 | Grand Theft Auto III | PS2 | $98,940,325 | €54,000,000 ($48,000,000) | $146,940,325 | $261,000,000 |
| 3 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | $55,148,445[34][39][40] | €92,000,000 ($82,000,000) | $137,148,445 | $244,000,000 | |
| 4 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PS2 | $58,264,403 | €64,000,000 ($57,000,000) | $115,264,403 | $205,000,000 |
| 5 | Madden NFL 2002 | PS1, PS2 | $110,000,000 | Unknown | $110,000,000+ | $200,000,000+ |
| 6 | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 | $81,000,000 | €24,000,000 ($21,000,000) | $102,000,000 | $181,000,000 | |
| 7 | Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | PS2 | $87,000,000+ | — | $87,000,000+ | $154,000,000+ |
| 8 | The Sims | WIN | $60,499,079[40] | €25,000,000 ($22,000,000) | $82,499,079 | $147,000,000 |
| 9 | Super Mario Advance | GBA | $37,000,000+ | €23,000,000 ($21,000,000) | $56,000,000+ | $99,000,000+ |
| 10 | FIFA Football 2002 | Unknown | €52,000,000 ($47,000,000) | $47,000,000+ | $83,000,000+ | |
| Rank | Title | Platform | Sales | Sales revenue | Inflation | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Final Fantasy X | PS2 | 2,434,015 | ¥17,600,000,000+ ($145,000,000+) | $257,000,000+ | [35][43] |
| 2 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PS2 | 1,656,959 | Unknown | [35] | |
| 3 | Dragon Quest Monsters 2 | GBC | 1,138,756 | Unknown | [38] | |
| 4 | Dragon Quest IV: Michibikareshi Monotachi | PS1 | 1,039,443 | Unknown | [35] | |
| 5 | Onimusha (Onimusha: Warlords) | PS2 | 1,000,000+ | Unknown | [44][45] | |
| 6 | Minna no Golf 3 (Everybody's Golf 3) | PS2 | 871,167 | Unknown | [35] | |
| 7 | Dai Rantō Smash Brothers DX (Smash Bros. Melee) | GCN | 838,237 | |||
| 8 | Pocket Monsters: Gold / Silver /Crystal (Pokémon) | GBC | 826,125 | Unknown | [a] | |
| 9 | Winning Eleven 5 (Pro Evolution Soccer) | PS2 | 789,515 | Unknown | [35] | |
| 10 | Super Mario Advance | GBA | 777,899 | Unknown | [38] | |
| Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Sales | Revenue | Inflation | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokémon Gold / Silver /Crystal | GBC | 3,127,659 | $91,038,324 | $162,000,000 | [34][39][41] |
| 2 | Madden NFL 2002 | PS2, PS1 | 2,220,112 | $110,000,000 | $200,000,000 | [39][34] |
| 3 | Grand Theft Auto III | PS2 | 1,965,832 | $98,940,325 | $180,000,000 | [39][34] |
| 4 | Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | PS2 | 1,800,000+ | $87,000,000+ | $150,000,000+ | [37][39] |
| 5 | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 | PS2, PS1 | 1,693,037 | $81,000,000 | $144,000,000 | [39][34] |
| 6 | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | PS1, WIN | 1,628,744 | $55,148,445 | $98,000,000 | [34][39][40] |
| 7 | The Sims | WIN | 1,482,182 | $60,499,079 | $110,000,000 | [40] |
| 8 | The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages | GBC | 1,248,191 | $39,000,000 | $69,000,000 | [39][34] |
| 9 | Super Mario Advance | GBA | 1,172,323+ | $35,000,000+ | $62,000,000+ | [39][34] |
| 10 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PS2 | 1,172,322 | $58,264,403 | $103,000,000 | [39][34] |
| Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher | Genre | Sales revenue | Inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokémon Gold / Silver /Crystal | GBC | Nintendo | Role-playing | €221,000,000 ($198,000,000) | $352,000,000 |
| 2 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Electronic Arts | Action-adventure | €92,000,000 ($82,000,000) | $150,000,000 | |
| 3 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PS2 | Sony | Racing sim | €64,000,000 ($57,000,000) | $101,000,000 |
| 4 | Grand Theft Auto III | PS2 | Rockstar Games | Action-adventure | €54,000,000 ($48,000,000) | $85,000,000 |
| 5 | FIFA Football 2002 | EA Sports | Sports | €52,000,000 ($47,000,000) | $83,000,000 | |
| 6 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Eidos Interactive | Quiz | €33,000,000 ($30,000,000) | $53,000,000 | |
| 7 | FIFA 2001 | EA Sports | Sports | €31,000,000 ($28,000,000) | $50,000,000 | |
| 8 | Final Fantasy IX | PS1 | Squaresoft | Role-playing | €30,000,000 ($27,000,000) | $48,000,000 |
| 9 | Black & White | WIN | Electronic Arts | God game | €28,000,000 ($25,000,000) | $44,000,000 |
| 10 | The Sims | WIN | Electronic Arts | Life simulation | €25,000,000 ($22,000,000) | $39,000,000 |
| Rank | Title | Platform | Developer | Publisher | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokémon Crystal | GBC | Game Freak | Nintendo | Role-playing |
| 2 | Pokémon Gold | ||||
| 3 | Pokémon Silver | ||||
| 4 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | PS1 | Argonaut Games | Electronic Arts | Action-adventure |
| 5 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | GBC | Griptonite Games | Role-playing | |
| 6 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PS2 | Polyphony Digital | Sony | Racing simulation |
| 7 | Gran Turismo 2 | PS1 | |||
| 8 | Pokémon Stadium 2 | N64 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | Turn-based strategy |
| 9 | Super Mario Advance | GBA | Nintendo R&D2 | Platformer | |
| 10 | Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped | PS1 | Naughty Dog | Sony |
| Rank | Title | Developer | Manufacturer | Type | Genre | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canvas Shot / Flash Shot / Chaopi | Omron | Omron | Other | Purikura | 8712 |
| 2 | Derby Owners Club | Sega AM3 | Sega | Dedicated | Simulation | 3837 |
| 3 | Battle Gear 2 | Taito | Taito | Dedicated | Racing | 2601 |
| 4 | Tekken Tag Tournament | Namco | Namco | Software | Fighting | 2568 |
| 5 | Shakatto Tambourine (Samba de Amigo) | Sega | Sega | Dedicated | Rhythm | 2523 |
| 6 | Time Crisis 2 | Namco | Namco | Dedicated | Light gun shooter | 2400 |
| 7 | The King of Fighters 2000 | SNK | SNK | Software | Fighting | 2382 |
| 8 | Virtua Striker 2 ver. 2000 | Sega AM2 | Sega | Software | Sports | 2345 |
| 9 | Street Snap EG | Hitachi | Hitachi | Other | Purikura | 2291 |
| 10 | Kidō Senshi Gundam: Renpō vs. Zeon (Federation vs. Zeon) | Capcom | Banpresto | Software | Third-person shooter | 2280 |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 29 | Infogrames acquiredHasbro Interactive, including theGame.com division, theMicroProse andAtari labels, and a right to publish and develop games based on Hasbro properties.Paradigm Entertainment was also acquired.[48] |
| January 31 | Sega announced it would be departing from the console market[49] and discontinuing theDreamcast, and develop and publish games for theGameCube,PlayStation 2, andXbox.[50] |
The dominantvideo game console in 2001 wasSony'sPlayStation 2.
Nintendo released theGameCube on September 14 inJapan (North America on November 18 and inEurope on May 3, 2002).Microsoft released theXbox inNorth America on November 15 (in Europe on March 14, 2002).
The dominanthandheld system in 2001 wasNintendo'sGame Boy Color.
Nintendo released theGame Boy Advance inJapan on March 21 (in North America on June 11 and Europe on June 22).
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As Decided by ALL Websites and Magazines combined
GTA 3 stole more than a few cars...it stole our jaded gamer's heart. Embroiled in controversy due to its violent nature, it's much, much more than a topic for the 6 o' clock news - it's the best console game of the year.