This is a fascinating thing for me and I think Meteos exemplifies this phenomenon the most. For those unaware, there was a huge rivalry between the DS and PSP at launch. They did totally different things and suddenly each platform had their own system seller— both puzzle games and both puzzle games made by Q Entertainmet. For PSP this was Lumines which went on to have a few sequels and can even be purchased on current consoles. For the DS, there was Meteos.

Meteos truly was this massive system seller as it was an addictive puzzle game that made exceptional use of the then underutilized touch screen in a non-gimmicky way. It was also developed under the direction of Sakurai, the man responsible for Smash Brothers, and it shows. The presentation is slick, there are tons of unlockables, tons of modes, etc. It truly is a stellar game.

But, now no one talks about it or mentions it. The game is pretty much stuck on the DS due to the necessity for both the touchscreen and the top screen. There was a pseudo sequel on the DS involving Disney but they fundamentally changed the gameplay so it isn’t quite popular. And that’s pretty much it. There was an attempt at a console version but due to the exceptionally fast paced gameplay that requires touch controls there was no chance for success there. And, for whatever reason, when people discuss best DS games casually (casually being the key word here) Meteos is hardly mentioned despite being a system seller.

What are some other games that fit this trope, for lack of a better word? Another I can think of is Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec which along with GTA3 was the PS2 system seller.

People in the SNES fandom used to talk about Demon’s Crest, Sunset Riders and Wild Guns a lot more than they do now. I think it’s a function of those having been rare and now the fandom has shifted in an emulation rather than collection direction

Meteos was never a system seller. Where did you get that info?

Marathon ah no

Twisted Metal, MechWarrior for PC

I mean I don't think they've forgotten twisted metal they just had a tv show and everything

By being alive at the time of release and following gaming news then. It absolutely was.

Max Payne 3. I still think it's one of the best third person shooters ever made

I don’t remember Meteos being a system seller in the way Lumines was. More a curiosity, the “other game” that Q Entertainment made which wasn’t nearly as hooky and addicting.

The King's Quest series broke more ground than most people realize being one of the first games to use a mouse interface entirely, a very early adopter of sound cards, fully voiced games, and even seeing your character on screen in a video game and being able to walk behind objects.

The series isn't entirely forgotten but given the popularity of the games, it's crazy that their legacy is largely ignored by most.

Tenchu :( bring it tf back please

Project Gotham Racing was the face of the racing genre for Xbox.

Excellent games, unfortunately they stopped making them, but they were all very very successful.

It was a spiritual successor to Metropolis Street Racing that released on Dreamcast. That was also very well received, but because of DCs short lifespan, it’s been forgotten over time.

I was never into Mechwarrior but I absolutely knew people who bought better pcs for itm