2002 in video gaming

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The year 2002 in video gaming saw the release of many sequels and prequels in video games and several new titles such as Battlefield 1942, Dungeon Siege, Kingdom Hearts, Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven, Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Metroid Prime and Super Mario Sunshine.

Contents

• 
  1 Events
  
  
  
  • 
    1.1 Notable releases
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  2 Trends
  
  
  
  • 
    2.1 Video game consoles
    
  
  
  • 
    2.2 Handheld game systems
    
  
  
  • 
    2.3 Video game sales
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  3 Highest critically reviewed games (Metacritic)
  


• 
  4 References
  

Events

• 
  Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Will Wright of Maxis to the AIAS Hall of Fame
  


• 
  BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) holds 5th annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards for multimedia technologies; 10 of 21 awards go to video games; awards Ian Livingstone the BAFTA Interactive Special Award


• 
  Big Fish Games is founded with Paul Thelen as the only employee.


• 
  Eidos Interactive selects Dutch model Jill De Jong as the new digitized Lara Croft character


• Gama Network hosts the 4th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF)


• 
  Game Developers Conference hosts the 2nd annual Game Developers Choice Awards
  


• 
  SEGA establishes the Sega Mobile division to develop, produce, and distribute video games for mobile phones and PDAs; establishes the Sega.com Business Solutions division to service video game developers and publishers


• 
  Rockstar Games embroiled in controversy for its Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City video games


• Early 2002 — Titus Software buys out Interplay Entertainment's European operations, owning the rights to publish their games in Europe, and also owning 100% of Virgin Interactive. They also buy a majority stake in Interplay.


• March 22 – The Sims overtakes Myst as all-time best-selling computer game, having sold 6.3 million units [1]
  


• May 14 — Virgin Interactive España is split up from its parent Titus Software and renames to Virgin Play, becoming the first "100% spanish" game distributor and publisher.


• April 24 – G4 Media, LLC (subsidiary of Comcast Corporation) launches the G4 cable television video game network channel


• May 22–24 – 8th annual E³ (Electronic Entertainment Expo);^[1] the 5th annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of E³


• July – IEMA (Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association) hosts 3rd annual Executive Summit.


• July 19 - Super Mario Sunshine was released in the GameCube introducing Bowser Jr. to the Mario series.

Notable releases

Video game platforms

GBA Game Boy Advance GBC Game Boy Color GCN GameCube PS1 PlayStation PS2 PlayStation 2 Win Microsoft Windows Xbox Xbox N64 Nintendo 64

Notable releases of the year 2002

Release	Title	Windows	5th Gen	6th Gen	Handheld	Arcade
January 1	Lilo & Stitch Pinball	Win	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
January 7	Rez	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
January 9	Freedom Force	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
January 12	NBA 2K2	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
January 12	NBA Courtside 2002	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
January 14	ESPN Winter X-Games Snowboarding 2002	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
January 15	Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
January 18	Dark Arena	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
January 19	Salt Lake 2002	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
January 22	Forever Kingdom	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
January 22	Medal of Honor: Allied Assault	Win	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
January 22	MotoGP 2	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
January 23	PaRappa the Rapper 2	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
January 24	Salt Lake 2002	Win	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
January 28	Drakan: The Ancients' Gates	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
January 28	AirBlade	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
January 28	Grandia II	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
January 28	ESPN International Winter Sports 2002	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
January 29	Salt Lake 2002	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 1	Serious Sam: The Second Encounter	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
February 4	Sonic Advance	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
February 4	Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
February 6	NFL Blitz 20-02	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 9	Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
February 9	High Heat Major League Baseball 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 11	Maximo: Ghosts to Glory	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 11	Sonic Adventure 2: Battle	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
February 11	Star Wars: Racer Revenge	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 12	State of Emergency	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 12	Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
February 17	Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat	N/A	N/A	PS2, Xbox	N/A	N/A
February 17	UFC: Tapout	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
February 19	Gitaroo Man	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 19	Woody Woodpecker: Escape from Buzz Buzzard Park	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 22	Jet Set Radio Future	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
February 24	Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 24	Pac-Man World 2	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 24	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 25	Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
February 25	ESPN NBA 2Night 2002	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 26	All-Star Baseball 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
February 26	EOE: Eve of Extinction	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 2	Shadow Man: 2econd Coming	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 3	Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 4	Fatal Frame	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 4	Knockout Kings 2002	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 4	Herdy Gerdy	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 4	Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3	N/A	N/A	Xbox	GBA	N/A
March 5	High Heat Major League Baseball 2003	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
March 10	Grandia II	Win	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
March 10	Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 11	Hot Shots Golf 3	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 11	Sled Storm	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 11	Triple Play 2002	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 12	Mad Maestro!	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 12	Mister Mosquito	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 12	007: Agent Under Fire	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
March 13	Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
March 17	Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
March 17	Virtua Fighter 4	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 18	Sega Soccer Slam	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
March 19	Bloody Roar 3	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
March 19	Monsters, Inc.	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 20	Baseball Advance	N/A	N/A	N/A	Game Boy Advance	N/A
March 20	Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 21	World Rally Championship	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 21	Blood Omen 2	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 25	007: Agent Under Fire	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
March 25	Britney's Dance Beat	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
March 25	Deus Ex: The Conspiracy	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 25	Hooters Road Trip	N/A	PS1	N/A	N/A	N/A
March 25	King's Field: The Ancient City	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 26	Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
March 27	Army Men: RTS	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 27	ESPN MLS ExtraTime 2002	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
March 31	Dungeon Siege	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
March 31	Savage Skies	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
March 31	The Scorpion King: Sword of Osiris	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
April 12	Evil Twin: Cyprien's Chronicles	N/A	N/A	DC (PAL & EU)	N/A	N/A
April 15	Blender Bros.	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
April 15	Breath of Fire II	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
April 15	Spider-Man: The Movie	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
April 16	RedCard 20-03	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
April 16	The Operative: No One Lives Forever	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
April 16	Spider-Man: The Movie	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
April 20	Vendetta Online	Win, OSX, Linux	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
April 22	2002 FIFA World Cup	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
April 30	2002 FIFA World Cup	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
April 30	Dinotopia: The Timestone Paradise	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
April 30	Resident Evil Remake	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
April 30	TransWorld Surf	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
May 2	The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
May 7	Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
May 8	Britney's Dance Beat	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
May 9	Headhunter	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
May 14	Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
May 16	Final Fantasy XI	N/A	N/A	PS2 (JAP)	N/A	N/A
May 20	Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
May 20	Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
May 21	Grand Theft Auto III	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
May 24	Super Smash Bros. Melee	N/A	N/A	GCN (PAL)	N/A	N/A
May 27	Test Drive	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
May 27	Looney Tunes: Space Race	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
May 27	Lost Kingdoms	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
May 28	Aggressive Inline	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
May 29	Dropship: United Peace Force	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
May 29	Hey Arnold! The Movie	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
May 29	Medal of Honor: Frontline	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
May 29	Muppet Pinball Mayhem	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
May 30	Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
May 31	Earthworm Jim 2	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
May 31	Way of the Samurai	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
May 31	WTA Tour Tennis	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
May 31	Lethal Skies Elite Pilot: Team SW	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 1	The House of the Dead III	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Arcade
June 3	Dead to Rights	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
June 3	Ultimate Fighting Championship: Throwdown	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 3	Endgame	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 5	Digimon World 3	N/A	PS1	N/A	N/A	N/A
June 6	The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
June 7	Disney's Lilo & Stitch	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
June 10	Outlaw Golf	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
June 12	Mega Man Battle Network 2	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
June 14	Disney's Lilo & Stitch	N/A	PS1	N/A	N/A	N/A
June 14	NickToons Racing	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
June 14	Downforce	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 14	Global Touring Challenge: Africa	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 14	Lilo & Stitch: Trouble in Paradise	Win	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
June 16	Neverwinter Nights	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
June 16	The Pinball of the Dead	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
June 16	Fire Blade	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 17	Wipeout Fusion	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 17	F1 2002	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 17	Freekstyle	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 17	Lego Soccer Mania	N/A	N/A	PS2	GBA	N/A
June 17	MX Superfly	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 17	Shifters	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 18	Legion: The Legend of Excalibur	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 19	Britney's Dance Beat	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
June 19	Disney's Stitch: Experiment 626	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 22	Shantae	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBC	N/A
June 23	MLB Slugfest 20-03	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 23	Stuntman	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 23	Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 24	SkyGunner	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 24	Barbarian	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 27	Men in Black II: Alien Escape	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
June 27	Gravity Games Bike: Street Vert Dirt	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
July 2	Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
July 3	Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
July 20	NCAA Football 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
July 22	Smuggler's Run	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
July 29	The Mark of Kri	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
July 29	UFC: Throwdown	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
July 30	Car Battler Joe	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
July 30	Virtua Tennis 2	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
July 31	Sega Sports Tennis	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 12	Beach Spikers	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
August 12	Duke Nukem Advance	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
August 12	Madden NFL 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 12	NFL 2K3	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 12	Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 12	NFL Blitz 20-03	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 12	NFL GameDay 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 12	Street Hoops	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 14	NCAA GameBreaker 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 18	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
August 20	The Thing	Win	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
August 20	Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3	N/A	N64	N/A	N/A	N/A
August 20	Medieval: Total War	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
August 22	Sega Soccer Slam	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
August 25	Super Monkey Ball 2	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
August 26	Super Mario Sunshine	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
August 27	SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 27	Twisted Metal: Black Online	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 28	Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven	Win	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
August 28	Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 28	Commandos 2: Men of Courage	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 31	Turok: Evolution	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
August 31	Riding Spirits	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 2	Blade II	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 3	The Thing	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
September 4	Gravity Games Bike: Street Vert Dirt	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
September 5	Armored Core 3	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 9	Dino Stalker	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 10	Battlefield 1942	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
September 10	Mega Man Zero	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
September 10	Ty the Tasmanian Tiger	N/A	N/A	GCN, PS2, Xbox	N/A	N/A
September 10	The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 10	The Thing	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 14	Disney's Tarzan: Return to the Jungle	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
September 14	Monsters, Inc. Scream Arena	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
September 14	Turbo Turtle Adventure	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
September 15	Animal Crossing	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
September 16	Boulder Dash EX	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
September 16	Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
September 16	Colin McRae Rally 2.0	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
September 16	NHL Hitz 20-03	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 16	Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 16	Gungrave	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 16	The Terminator: Dawn of Fate	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 17	Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
September 17	Dynasty Tactics	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 17	Kingdom Hearts	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 17	Taz: Wanted	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 18	NASCAR Thunder 2003	N/A	PS1	PS2, Xbox	N/A	N/A
September 18	Taz: Wanted	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
September 22	Divine Divinity	Win	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
September 23	Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 23	Tekken 4	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 23	Summoner 2	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 23	Tribes Aerial Assault	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 23	Dual Hearts	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A|-
September 24	NASCAR Thunder 2003	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
September 24	Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
September 24	Super Bust-A-Move 2	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 24	The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring	N/A	N/A	Xbox	GBA	N/A
September 25	Jimmy Neutron vs. Jimmy Negatron	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
September 25	Robotech: Battlecry	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 25	NBA ShootOut 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 25	Spyro 2: Season of Flame	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
September 25	Superman: Shadow of Apokolips	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 27	RLH: Run Like Hell	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 28	Ferrari F355 Challenge	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 29	Monster Force	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
September 30	No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
September 30	Burnout 2: Point of Impact	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 30	NHL 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 30	Grandia Xtreme	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 30	Conflict: Desert Storm	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
September 30	Mystic Heroes	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
October 1	Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2	Windows	N/A	PS2, Xbox, GCN	N/A	N/A
October 1	Hitman 2: Silent Assassin	Win	N/A	PS2, Xbox	N/A	N/A
October 1	Legaia 2: Duel Saga	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 1	Taz: Wanted	Win	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
October 4	Super Mario Sunshine	N/A	N/A	GCN (PAL)	N/A	N/A
October 4	Taz: Wanted	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
October 7	David Beckham Soccer	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
October 7	Dual Blades	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
October 8	Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
October 8	NBA 2K3	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 8	NBA Live 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 8	Virtua Tennis	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
October 9	TimeSplitters 2	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 9	Evolution Skateboarding	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 10	Shrek: Hassle at the Castle	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
October 12	Sub Rebellion	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 15	Casper: Spirit Dimensions	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
October 15	Red Faction II	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 15	Wild Arms 3	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 15	BloodRayne	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 15	X-Men: Next Dimension	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 15	The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 17	Disney Golf	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 18	Shrek: Treasure Hunt	N/A	PS1	N/A	N/A	N/A
October 21	Mario Party 4	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
October 21	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 22	Reign of Fire	N/A	N/A	PS2, Xbox, GCN	N/A	N/A
October 22	Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
October 22	Deathrow	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
October 22	V-Rally 3	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 22	Contra: Shattered Soldier	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 22	Defender	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 22	Sneakers	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
October 22	The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring	Win	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
October 23	List of Fire Pro Wrestling games#Fire Pro Wrestling 2	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
October 23	Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 24	Suikoden III	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 25	Austin Powers Pinball	N/A	PS1	N/A	N/A	N/A
October 26	GameCube Sports	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A	N/A
October 27	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 27	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 27	Toxic Grind	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
October 28	Doom II: Hell on Earth	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
October 28	Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBC	N/A
October 28	Star Wars: The Clone Wars	N/A	N/A	PS2, Xbox, GCN	N/A	N/A
October 28	DDRMAX: Dance Dance Revolution	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 28	Jet X2O	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
October 28	Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
October 29	Dexter's Laboratory: Chess Challenge	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
October 29	Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
October 31	Reign of Fire	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
October 31	WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 1	Age of Mythology	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
November 1	Bionicle: Matoran Adventures	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 1	Disney's PK: Out of the Shadows	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 3	Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 3	Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly	N/A	N/A	PS2, GCN	N/A	N/A
November 4	Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
November 4	Phantom Crash	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
November 4	Ratchet & Clank	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 4	Robot Alchemic Drive	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 4	The Fairly OddParents: Enter the Cleft	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 5	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	Windows	PS1	PS2, Xbox, GCN	GBC, GBA	N/A
November 5	NHL FaceOff 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 5	Zapper: One Wicked Cricket	Windows	N/A	PS2, Xbox, GCN	GBA	N/A
November 6	The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal	Windows	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
November 7	Medal of Honor: Frontline	N/A	N/A	Xbox, GCN	N/A	N/A
November 8	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 8	Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 9	ATV Offroad Fury 2	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 10	NHL 2K3	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 10	Shinobi	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 10	Sonic Mega Collection	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
November 11	Godzilla: Domination!	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 11	Kakuto Chojin: Back Alley Brutal	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
November 11	MechAssault	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
November 11	Rally Fusion: Race of Champions	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 11	Disney's Treasure Planet	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 11	Hot Wheels: Velocity X	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 11	The Simpsons Skateboarding	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 12	Resident Evil 0	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
November 12	Tomb Raider: The Prophecy	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 12	Whirl Tour	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
November 13	Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions	N/A	N/A	GCN, PS2	N/A	N/A
November 14	FIFA Soccer 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 14	Star Wars: The New Droid Army	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 15	Disney Sports Skateboarding	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 15	Metroid Prime	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
November 15	Metroid Fusion	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 16	BMX XXX	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 16	Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 17	Haven: Call of the King	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 17	Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
November 18	Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
November 18	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
November 18	Rocky	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 18	Marvel vs. Capcom 2	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 18	Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
November 18	Dead to Rights	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 18	Ninja Assault	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 18	James Cameron's Dark Angel	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 19	Activision Anthology	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 19	FIFA Football 2003	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A	N/A
November 19	Minority Report: Everybody Runs	N/A	N/A	GCN, PS2, Xbox	N/A	N/A
November 19	007: Nightfire	N/A	N/A	PS2, GCN	N/A	N/A
November 19	Shox	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 19	Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast	N/A	N/A	GCN, Xbox	N/A	N/A
November 19	Super Monkey Ball Jr.	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 19	Dr. Muto	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 19	Star Wars: Bounty Hunter	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 20	007: Nightfire	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
November 20	Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 21	Karnaaj Rally	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 21	Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (Japan)	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 21	Steel Battalion	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
November 22	Fatal Frame	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
November 22	Disney's Kim Possible: Revenge of Monkey Fist	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 24	BMX XXX	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
November 24	Phantasy Star Collection	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 25	Gauntlet: Dark Legacy	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 25	Legends of Wrestling II	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 25	Rygar: The Legendary Adventure	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 26	Legends of Wrestling II	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 26	Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 3	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 27	Gremlins: Stripe vs Gizmo	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
November 27	NCAA Final Four 2003	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 28	Dark Chronicle	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
November 28	007: Nightfire	Win	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
November 28	Space Channel 5 Part 2	N/A	N/A	PS2 (PAL)	N/A	N/A
December 1	Street Fighter Alpha 3	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
December 1	Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
December 3	Dragon Ball Z: Budokai	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
December 3	The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
December 6	Nickelodeon Party Blast	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
December 6	Pro Race Driver	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
December 7	Star Wars: Bounty Hunter	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A
December 10	Lunar Legend	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
December 10	The Clone Wars	N/A	N/A	PS2	N/A	N/A
December 13	The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker	N/A	N/A	GCN (JAP)	N/A	N/A
December 15	The Invincible Iron Man	N/A	N/A	N/A	GBA	N/A
December 30	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	N/A	N/A	Xbox	N/A	N/A
December 31	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	N/A	N/A	GCN	N/A	N/A

Trends

The market research company NPD estimated that video game hardware, software, and accessories sold about US$10.3 billion in 2002. This was a 10% increase over the 2001 figure.

Video game consoles

The dominant video game consoles in 2002 were:

• 
  Nintendo's GameCube
  


• 
  Microsoft's Xbox
  


• 
  Sony's PlayStation
  


• 
  Sony's PlayStation 2
  


• 
  Nintendo's N64
  

Handheld game systems

The dominant handheld system in 2002 was Nintendo's Game Boy Advance and Nintendo's Game Boy Color.

Video game sales

The top 10 selling console video games in 2002 in the United States ranked by units sold, according to NPD, were:

Top Grossing Video Games of 2002

Rank	Title	Platform	Publisher
1	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	PS2	Rockstar Games
2	Grand Theft Auto III	PS2	Rockstar Games
3	Madden NFL 2003	PS2	Electronic Arts
4	Super Mario Advance 2	GBA	Nintendo
5	Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec	PS2	Sony
6	Super Mario Advance 3	GBA	Nintendo
7	Spider-Man	PS2	Activision
8	Kingdom Hearts	PS2	Square
9	Halo: Combat Evolved	Xbox	Microsoft
10	Super Mario Sunshine	GameCube	Nintendo

Highest critically reviewed games (Metacritic)

Number	Video Game	Publisher	Platform	Release Date	Average score	Number of reviews	Refs
1	Metroid Prime	Nintendo	GameCube	November 17	97	70 reviews	[2]
2	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	Rockstar Games	PlayStation 2	October 27	95	62 reviews	[3]
3	The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past	Nintendo	GBA	December 3	95	30 reviews	[4]
4	Madden NFL 2003	EA Sports	PlayStation 2	August 12	95	25 reviews	[5]
5	Virtua Fighter 4	Sega	PlayStation 2	March 17	94	36 reviews	[6]
6	Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4	Activision	PlayStation 2	October 23	94	27 reviews	[7]
7	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell	Ubisoft	Xbox	November 17	93	46 reviews	[8]
8	NFL 2K3	Sega	PlayStation 2	August 12	93	20 reviews	[9]
9	Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem	Nintendo	GameCube	June 23	92	41 reviews	[10]
10	Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos	Blizzard Entertainment	PC	July 3	92	40 reviews	[11]

References

1. 
   ^ "Attendance and Stats". IGN. Retrieved May 21, 2015..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   


2. 
   ^ "Reviews for Metroid Prime". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
   


3. 
   ^ "Reviews for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
   


4. 
   ^ "Reviews for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - Metacritic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 4, 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
   


5. 
   ^ "Reviews for Madden NFL 2003". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
   


6. 
   ^ "Reviews for Virtua Fighter 4". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
   


7. 
   ^ "Reviews for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
   


8. 
   ^ "Reviews for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
   


9. 
   ^ "Reviews for NFL 2K3". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
   


10. 
    ^ "Reviews for Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
    


11. 
    ^ "Reviews for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
    

v t e History of video games
By system	Golden age of arcade video games Timeline of arcade video game history Video game crash of 1983 Early mainframe games
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By console generation	First (1972–1980) Second (1976–1992) Third (1983–2003) Fourth (1987–2003) Fifth (1993–2005) Sixth (1998–2013) Seventh (2005–2017) Eighth (2012–)
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