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2003 in video games

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2003 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Tony Hawk's Underground, Madden NFL 2004, NBA Live 2004, ESPN NBA Basketball, Saya no Uta: The Song of Saya, Final Fantasy X-2, Mario Kart: Double Dash, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Sonic Heroes, Postal 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, and WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain. New intellectual properties included Beyond Good & Evil, Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand, Call of Duty, Disgaea, Drakengard, Manhunt, PlanetSide, TrackMania, True Crime: Streets of LA, and Viewtiful Joe. The year's best-selling video game worldwide was Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire, the fifth time a Pokémon games was the annual worldwide top-seller (since 1998).

Legend

Events

February 27 – Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Yu Suzuki of Sega to the AIAS Hall of Fame.
March 6–9 – Game Developers Conference hosts 3rd annual Game Developers Choice Awards and Gama Network's 5th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF).
April 1 – Enix Corporation and Square Co., Ltd. officially merge, forming Square Enix Co., Ltd.
May 14–16 – 9th annual E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) held at Los Angeles Convention Center; 6th annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of E3.
July – IEMA (Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association) hosts 4th annual Executive Summit.
July 16 – Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA) renamed as Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
September 12 – Valve releases their game distribution software Steam out of beta.
October 1 – DreamWorks SKG and Tecmo announce a movie adaptation of the video game Fatal Frame has been fast-tracked with John Rogers and Steven Spielberg's involvement.
October 12–18 – The 2003 World Cyber Games are held.
October 20 – Families of Aaron Hamel and Kimberly Bede, two young adults shot by teens William and Josh Buckner (who in statements to investigators claimed their actions were inspired by Grand Theft Auto III), file a US$246 million lawsuit against developer Rockstar Games, publisher Take-Two Interactive Software, retailer Walmart, and console-maker Sony Computer Entertainment America.
October 31 – British Academy of Film and Television Arts announces that nominations for the 6th annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards will instead be split between the 1st annual BAFTA Games Awards for video game publications and (on November 24) the BAFTA Interactive Awards for multimedia technologies; ceremonies to be held in February 2004.
November – Kazushige Nojima resigns from Square Enix.
December 2 – The inaugural Spike Video Game Awards are held.
First PlayStation Portable prototype shown by Sony.
Nintendo states that its next generation console would be fully compatible with the GameCube.

Business

Early 2003 – Compile goes defunct.
February 19 – Microsoft announces a deal to buy Connectix Corporation.
Take-Two Interactive buys TDK Mediactive, Inc.
May 7 – Infogrames Entertainment, SA rebrands all its subsidiaries under the Atari brand.
Enix Corporation officially absorbs Square Co., Ltd., forming Square Enix Co., Ltd.
CNN Money reports that video games are a US$10 billion industry
April – Pan European Game Information (PEGI), a European video game content rating system, comes into use.
May – The 3DO Company announces bankruptcy and closes down its New World Computing subsidiary.
June 12 – Obsidian Entertainment founded.
August 1 – Virgin Interactive is renamed to Avalon Interactive by its owner Titus Software.
August – Microsoft announced ATI as the developer of the GPU for their next generation console, Project Xenon. Their previous contract with Nvidia was finished but the GPU of the Xbox continued in production.
September – Silicon Dreams Studio goes defunct.
December – Interplay closes its Black Isle Studios division.
Late 2003 – Nintendo buys shares from Japanese toy and animation conglomerate Bandai making Nintendo one of Bandai's top 10 shareholders.
Late 2003 – Data East goes defunct.

Hardware

Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance SP, the second & declared as the definitive model of the Game Boy Advance (it's also been declared as the best entry in the Game Boy family overall). The GBA SP was the first handheld Nintendo console to have a rechargeable battery powered by an AC Adapter instead of using AA batteries.

Month	Day	System
February	14	Game Boy Advance SPJP
March	23	Game Boy Advance SPNA
28	Game Boy Advance SPPAL
August	13	PlayStation 2IND
October	7	N-Gage

Discontinued

March 23 – Nintendo stops production of the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color worldwide.
September 23 – Nintendo stops production of the Family Computer and Super Famicom in Japan.

Trends

Computer games continue to lose ground to console video games with a US sales drop of 14% in 2003. Total 2003 entertainment software sales in the United States grew slightly to US$7 billion; console sales increased to $5.8 billion and computer games accounted for the remaining $1.2 billion.

Video game consoles

The dominant video game consoles in 2003 were:

Sony's PlayStation 2
Nintendo's GameCube
Microsoft's Xbox
Sony's PlayStation

Handheld game systems

The dominant handheld systems in 2003 were:

Nintendo's Game Boy Advance

Best-selling video games

Game	Platform	Publisher	Sales	Japan	USA	Europe	Worldwide
Pokémon Ruby / Sapphire	GBA	Nintendo	1,704,458	date=April 4, 2003	title=Nintendo Makes Money	url=http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/392/392355p1.html	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040618035314/http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/392/392355p1.html	archive-date=2004-06-18	access-date=July 17, 2008	work=IGN	publisher=News Corporation}}	1,500,000+	last=Gantayat	first=Anoop	title=Mario Very Popular	date=31 May 2004	url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/05/31/mario-very-popular	work=IGN	access-date=2021-11-08}}
Mario Kart: Double Dash	GCN	Nintendo	567,849	1,000,000+		3,580,000
Final Fantasy X-2	PS2	Square Enix	date=September 2, 2003	title=Square Enix U.S.A. announces details for FINAL FANTASY X-2 and greatest hits version of FINAL FANTASY X	url=http://www.square-enix.com/na/company/press/2003/02092003/	access-date=2021-11-07	website=Square Enix}}	last=Calvert	first=Justin	date=January 20, 2004	title=Final Fantasy X-2 Sells a Million	url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/finalfantasyx2/news_6086686.html	url-status=live	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307020924/http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/finalfantasyx2/news_6086686.html	archive-date=2016-03-07	access-date=2006-03-16	website=GameSpot}}		3,400,000
Pro Evolution Soccer 3 (World Soccer Winning Eleven 7)	PS2	Konami	date=2004-01-29	title=Non-Consolidated Financial Results for the Third Quarter Ended December 31, 2003	url=http://www.konami.co.jp/en/ir/merger050401/konamityo/tyo0403e.pdf	url-status=dead	publisher=Konami	page=9	accessdate=2008-01-08	archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006000231/http://www.konami.co.jp/en/ir/merger050401/konamityo/tyo0403e.pdf	archivedate=October 6, 2007}}		1,550,000	2,710,000
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3	GBA	Nintendo	457,095	1,100,000+		2,590,000
Madden NFL 2004	PS2	EA Sports		date=December 22, 2003	title=PlayStation 2 Vs. Xbox	url=https://www.forbes.com/2003/12/22/cx_dd_1222mondaymatchup.html	url-access=subscription	url-status=live	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040404001800/http://www.forbes.com/2003/12/22/cx_dd_1222mondaymatchup.html	archive-date=2004-04-04	access-date=2021-11-05	website=Forbes}}		2,300,000+
Mario Party 5	GCN	Nintendo	481,053			1,640,000
Enter the Matrix	PS2	Infogrames	92,459	last=Andrew	first=Burnes	title=Enter The Matrix Sells 1 Million In US, Becomes Biggest Selling Atari Game Ever	date=3 June 2003	url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/06/03/enter-the-matrix-sells-1-million-in-us-becomes-biggest-selling-atari-game-ever	work=IGN	access-date=2021-11-05}}	last=Yeung	first=Karlie	date=January 8, 2004	title=2003 UK Game Sales Highest Ever	url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/9308/2003-uk-game-sales-highest-ever	access-date=2021-11-07	website=Nintendo World Report}}	1,392,459+
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker	GCN	Nintendo	252,064	1,100,000+		1,352,064+
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	PS2	Rockstar		1,000,000+	300,000+	1,300,000+

Japan

Rank	Game	Platform	Publisher	Genre	Sales
1	Final Fantasy X-2	PS2	Square Enix	Role-playing	2,000,000+
2	Pocket Monsters: Ruby / Sapphire (Pokémon Ruby / Sapphire)	GBA	The Pokémon Company	Role-playing	1,704,458
3	Shin Sangokumusou 3 (Dynasty Warriors 4)	PS2	Koei	Hack and slash	1,178,455
4	World Soccer Winning Eleven 7 (Pro Evolution Soccer 3)	PS2	Konami	Sports	1,160,000
5	Minna no Golf 4 (Everybody's Golf 4)	PS2	Sony	Sports	875,252
6	Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart	GBA	Square Enix	Role-playing	593,458
7	Mobile Suit Gundam: Meguriai Sora	PS2	Bandai	Third-person shooter	577,972
8	Mario Kart: Double Dash	GCN	Nintendo	Kart racing	567,849
9	Made in Wario	GBA	Nintendo	Party	556,806
10	Dragon Ball Z (Dragon Ball Z: Budokai)	PS2	Bandai	Fighting	543,312

United States

Rank	Game	Platform	Publisher	Genre	Sales
1	Madden NFL 2004	PS2	EA Sports	Sports	2,300,000+
2	Pokémon Ruby / Sapphire	GBA	Nintendo	Role-playing	2,200,000+
3	Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3	GBA	Nintendo	Platformer	1,100,000+
4	The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker	GCN	Nintendo	Action-adventure	1,100,000+
5	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	PS2	Rockstar Games	Action-adventure	1,000,000+
6	Mario Kart: Double Dash	GCN	Nintendo	Kart racing	1,000,000+
7	Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga	GBA	Nintendo	Role-playing	1,000,000+
8	Enter the Matrix	PS2	Infogrames	Action-adventure	1,000,000+
9	Medal of Honor: Rising Sun	PS2	Electronic Arts	First-person shooter	1,000,000+
10	NCAA Football 2004	PS2	EA Sports	Sports	1,000,000+

PAL regions

Rank	Australia	United Kingdom	Game	Platform	Game	Platform(s)	date=11 January 2004	title=Big year for computer game sales	work=BBC News	url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/sci_tech/newsid_3387000/3387145.stm	access-date=9 November 2021}}
1	EyeToy: Play	PS2	FIFA Football 2004		last=Reed	first=Kristan	date=20 January 2004	title=UK Charts: A month in the top spot for Need for Speed	url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/uk-charts-a-month-in-the-top-spot-for-need-for-speed	access-date=2021-11-09	website=GamesIndustry.biz}}
2	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	PS2	Need for Speed: Underground		700,000
3	Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec	PS2	Medal of Honor: Rising Sun		300,000+
4	V8 Supercars	PS2	The Sims		300,000+
5	Pokémon Ruby	GBA	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City		300,000+
6	Pokémon Sapphire	GBA	Enter the Matrix		300,000+
7	Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex	PS2	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell		300,000+
8	Need for Speed: Underground	PS2	EyeToy: Play	PS2	300,000+
9	Rugby League	PS2	The Simpsons: Hit & Run		300,000+
10	Enter the Matrix	PS2	FIFA Football 2003		300,000+

Games with notable critical reception

Metacritic (MC) and GameRankings (GR) are aggregators of video game journalism reviews.

Critically acclaimed games

Game	Publisher	Release date	Platform(s)	MC score	GR score
Grand Theft Auto Double Pack	Rockstar Games	November 4, 2003	XBOX	96/100	94.6%
The Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition	Nintendo	November 17, 2003	GCN	95/100	92.17%
Championship Manager 4	Eidos Interactive	March 28, 2003	WIN	N/A	95%
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	Rockstar Games	May 12, 2003	WIN	94/100	94.39%
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic	LucasArts	July 15, 2003	XBOX	94/100	94.21%
NCAA Football 2004	EA Sports	July 16, 2003	PS2	94/100	93.27%
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3	Nintendo	October 21, 2003	GBA	94/100	92.25%
Madden NFL 2004	EA Sports	August 12, 2003	PS2	94/100	91.77%
Madden NFL 2004	EA Sports	August 12, 2003	GCN	94/100	91.54%
Pro Evolution Soccer 3	Konami	October 17, 2003	WIN	title=Best Video Games for 2004	url=https://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/year/all/all?sort=desc&year_selected=2004	website=Metacritic	access-date=September 6, 2019}}	title=Highest-Ranking Games of 2004 (with at least 5 reviews)	url=https://www.gamerankings.com/browse.html?site=&cat=0&year=2004&numrev=4&sort=0&letter=&search=	website=GameRankings	access-date=September 6, 2019}}
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic	LucasArts	November 19, 2003	WIN	93/100	93.19%
Project Gotham Racing 2	XBOX	November 18, 2003	XBOX	90/100	93.16%
Pro Evolution Soccer 3	Konami	August 7, 2003	PS2	93/100	92.97%
SSX 3	EA Sports	October 20, 2003	PS2	93/100	92.28%
Soulcalibur II	Namco	March 27, 2003	GCN	93/100	92.23%
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution	Sega	March 13, 2003	PS2	93/100	91.59%
Viewtiful Joe	Capcom	June 26, 2003	GCN	93/100	91.19%
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time	Ubisoft	November 18, 2003	XBOX	92/100	92.67%
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time	Ubisoft	November 18, 2003	GCN	92/100	92.12%
SSX 3	EA Sports	October 20, 2003	GCN	92/100	92%
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time	Ubisoft	November 10, 2003	PS2	92/100	91.94%
Soulcalibur II	Namco	March 27, 2003	XBOX	92/100	91.62%
Soulcalibur II	Namco	March 27, 2003	PS2	92/100	91.47%
SSX 3	EA Sports	October 20, 2003	XBOX	92/100	89.93%
Madden NFL 2004	EA Sports	August 12, 2003	XBOX	92/100	89.24%
Call of Duty	Activision	October 29, 2003	WIN	91/100	91.52%
NCAA Football 2004	EA Sports	July 16, 2003	XBOX	88/100	91.33%
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell	Ubisoft	February 19, 2003	WIN	91/100	90.16%
ESPN NFL Football	Sega	September 3, 2003	XBOX	91/100	89.27%
Madden NFL 2004	EA Sports	August 12, 2003	WIN	91/100	88.4%
ESPN NFL Football	Sega	September 3, 2003	PS2	91/100	88.12%
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow	Konami	May 6, 2003	GBA	91/100	87.9%
F1 Challenge '99–'02	EA Sports	June 24, 2003	WIN	91/100	85.29%
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne	Blizzard Entertainment	July 1, 2003	WIN	88/100	90.98%
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando	Sony Computer Entertainment	November 11, 2003	PS2	90/100	90.64%
Tony Hawk's Underground	Activision	October 27, 2003	PS2	90/100	90.58%
NCAA Football 2004	EA Sports	July 16, 2003	GCN	89/100	90.42%
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga	Nintendo	November 17, 2003	GBA	90/100	90.41%
NBA Street Vol. 2	EA Sports	April 29, 2003	PS2	90/100	90.16%
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising	Nintendo	June 24, 2003	GBA	89/100	90.16%
ESPN NHL Hockey	Sega	September 9, 2003	PS2	90/100	86.42%
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind – Game of the Year Edition	Bethesda Softworks	October 31, 2003	XBOX	88/100	89.9%
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004	EA Sports	September 22, 2003	PS2	89/100	89.78%
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004	EA Sports	September 22, 2003	GCN	89/100	89.54%
Burnout 2: Point of Impact	Acclaim Entertainment	April 9, 2003	GCN	89/100	89.43%
NBA Street Vol. 2	EA Sports	April 29, 2003	GCN	88/100	89.36%
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge	Microsoft Game Studios	October 21, 2003	XBOX	88/100	89.26%
NASCAR Racing 2003 Season	Sierra Entertainment	February 13, 2003	WIN	89/100	89.25%
Rise of Nations	Microsoft Game Studios	May 20, 2003	WIN	89/100	89.17%
World Series Baseball 2K3	Sega	March 10, 2003	XBOX	89/100	89.12%
F-Zero GX	Nintendo	July 25, 2003	GCN	89/100	89.03%
NBA Street Vol. 2	EA Sports	April 29, 2003	XBOX	89/100	88.91%
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!	Nintendo	March 21, 2003	GBA	89/100	88.83%
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time	Ubisoft	November 10, 2003	WIN	89/100	88.59%
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell	Ubisoft	March 28, 2003	PS2	89/100	88.07%
Top Spin	Microsoft Game Studios	October 28, 2003	XBOX	89/100	88.05%
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004	EA Sports	September 22, 2003	XBOX	89/100	87.23%
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell	Ubisoft	April 10, 2003	GCN	89/100	86.82%
Tony Hawk's Underground	Activision	October 27, 2003	GCN	89/100	86.18%
ESPN NBA Basketball	Sega	October 21, 2003	PS2	89/100	86.13%
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade	Nintendo	April 25, 2003	GBA	88/100	88.83%
Beyond Good & Evil	Ubisoft	December 2, 2003	XBOX	87/100	88.61%
Burnout 2: Point of Impact	Acclaim Entertainment	May 1, 2003	XBOX	88/100	88.55%
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne	Rockstar Games	October 14, 2003	WIN	86/100	88.52%
Beyond Good & Evil	Ubisoft	December 11, 2003	GCN	87/100	88.14%
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3	Ubisoft	October 28, 2003	XBOX	86/100	88.06%
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4	Activision	August 27, 2003	WIN	88/100	87.64%
ESPN NHL Hockey	Sega	September 9, 2003	XBOX	88/100	87.27%
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight	Microsoft	July 29, 2003	WIN	88/100	87.07%
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004	EA Sports	September 22, 2003	WIN	88/100	86.77%
NASCAR Thunder 2004	EA Sports	September 16, 2003	PS2	88/100	86.72%
Jak II	Sony Computer Entertainment	October 14, 2003	PS2	87/100	87.93%
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance	Square	February 14, 2003	GBA	87/100	87.64%

''Famitsu''

The following video game releases in 2002 entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" and received Famitsu scores of at least 36 out of 40.

Title	Platform	Developer	Publisher	Genre	Score (out of 40)
Operator's Side (Lifeline)	PS2	Sony Computer Entertainment	Sony Computer Entertainment	Survival horror	37
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution	PS2	Sega AM2	Sega	Fighting	37
Mario & Luigi RPG (Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga)	GBA	AlphaDream	Nintendo	RPG	37
Ikaruga	GCN	Treasure	Atari	Shoot 'em up	36
Shin Sangoku Musou 3 (Dynasty Warriors 3)	PS2	Omega Force	Koei	Hack and slash	36
Castlevania: Akatsuki no Menuetto (Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow)	GBA	Konami Tokyo	Konami	Action RPG	36
Minna no GOLF Online	PS2	Clap Hanz	Sony Computer Entertainment	Sports	36
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 10	GCN	Pawapuro Production	Konami	Sports	36
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 10	PS2	Pawapuro Production	Konami	Sports	36
Bokura no Taiyou (Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand)	GBA	Konami Tokyo	Konami	Action RPG	36
World Soccer: Winning Eleven 7 (Pro Evolution Soccer 3)	PS2	Konami Computer Entertainment Japan	Konami	Sports	36
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!	GCN	Nintendo EAD	Nintendo	Racing	36
Minna no GOLF 4 (Hot Shots Golf Fore!)	PS2	Clap Hanz	Sony Computer Entertainment	Sports	36
Biohazard Outbreak (Resident Evil Outbreak)	PS2	Capcom Production Studio 1	Capcom	Survival horror	36

Critically panned games

Game	Publisher	Release date	Platform(s)	MC score	GR score
Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing	GameMill Publishing	November 20, 2003	WIN	8/100	3.83%
Navy SEALs: Weapons of Mass Destruction	ValuSoft	July 18, 2003	WIN	18/100	18.83%
Gods and Generals	Activision	March 1, 2003	WIN	19/100	25.5%
Drake of the 99 Dragons	Majesco Entertainment	November 3, 2003	XBOX	22/100	20.48%
Charlie's Angels	Ubisoft	July 8, 2003	GCN	23/100	23.74%
Pulse Racer	Jaleco	January 2, 2003	XBOX	24/100	27.75%
Batman: Dark Tomorrow	Kemco	March 18, 2003	XBOX	25/100	24.06%
Terminator 3: War of the Machines	Atari	November, 2003	WIN	25/100	27.67%
Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis	TDK Mediactive	July 23, 2003	GCN	27/100	25.1%
Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis	TDK Mediactive	July 30, 2003	XBOX	26/100	30.87%
Mucha Lucha! Mascaritas of the Lost Code	Ubisoft	November 18, 2003	GBA	26/100	26.08%
Charlie's Angels: Angel X	Sony Online Entertainment	June 20, 2003	WIN	38/100	43.07&
Stake: Fortune Fighters	Metro3D, Inc.	May 5, 2003	XBOX	26/100	31%
Ultimate Demolition Derby	Global Star Software	September 16, 2003	WIN	27/100	32.33%
Celebrity Deathmatch	Gotham Games	October 14, 2003	WIN	30/100	27.42%
Batman: Dark Tomorrow	Kemco	March 21, 2003	GCN	29/100	27.83%
Mistmare	Strategy First	June 30, 2003	WIN	33/100	28.14%
Puzzle Bobble VS	Taito	October 6, 2003	NGE	N/A	28.73%
Interstellar Trader 2	Shrapnel Games	March 21, 2003	WIN	31/100	29%
RoboCop	Titus Interactive	July 24, 2003	XBOX	30/100	40.75%
Airport Tycoon 2	Global Star Software	February 26, 2003	WIN	32/100	31%
Ring II: Twilight of Gods	Global Star Software	September 16, 2003	WIN	31/100	35%
Celebrity Deathmatch	Gotham Games	October 14, 2003	PS2	32/100	36.76%
Yu Yu Hakusho: Spirit Detective	Atari	December 9, 2003	GBA	33/100	39.67%
American Idol	Codemasters	November 7, 2003	WIN	39/100	33.17%
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines	Atari	November 11, 2003	XBOX	35/100	41.06%
Fugitive Hunter: War on Terror	Encore, Inc.	November 18, 2003	PS2	35/100	42.71%
Celebrity Deathmatch	Gotham Games	October 14, 2003	XBOX	36/100	35.83%
MotoGP	THQ	November 14, 2003	NGE	N/A	35.85%
Ozzy & Drix	Midway Games	December 16, 2003	GBA	36/100	45.6%
Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu	Atari	November 24, 2003	GBA	40/100	37.4%

Notable releases

Release date	Game	Computer Releases	Console Releases	Handheld Releases
January 3	Super Bubble Pop		GCN	GBA
January 7	Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced			GBA
January 11	Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends		PS2
January 12	Panzer Dragoon Orta		XBOX
January 14	SimCity 4	WIN
January 19	The Getaway		PS2
January 20	Battle Engine Aquila		PS2, XBOX
January 22	Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball		XBOX
January 25	Devil May Cry 2		PS2
January 26	Black & Bruised		GCN, PS2
January 26	HSX: Hypersonic.Xtreme		PS2
February 3	Unreal II: The Awakening	WIN
February 6	GT Advance 3: Pro Concept Racing			GBA
February 7	Shadow of Memories (EU)	WIN
February 10	Command & Conquer: Generals	WIN
February 10	.hack//Infection Part 1		PS2
February 11	Capcom vs. SNK EO		XBOX
February 12	Knight Rider: The Game	WIN	PS2
February 12	Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters			GBA
February 13	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell	WIN
February 15	Disaster Report		PS2
February 15	Space Station 13	WIN
February 16	Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses		PS2
February 17	Dark Cloud 2		PS2
February 20	Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne		PS2
February 21	I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike	WIN
February 21	Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc		GCN	GBA
February 24	Everblue 2		PS2
February 24	Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb		XBOX
February 25	EverQuest: The Legacy of Ykesha	WIN
February 25	Master of Orion III	WIN
February 26	Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht		PS2
February 27	Men in Black II: Alien Escape		GCN
February 28	Praetorians	WIN
March 3	Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven		PS2
March 4	Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit		XBOX
March 4	Freelancer	WIN
March 9	Sonic Advance 2			GBA
March 10	Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis	WIN
March 10	MLB 2004		PS2
March 10	World Series Baseball 2K3		PS2, XBOX
March 10	Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner		PS2
March 11	Mega Man & Bass			GBA
March 11	Piglet's Big Game			GBA
March 14	Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc		PS2, XBOX
March 14	Tom and Jerry in Infurnal Escape			GBA
March 19	Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (North America)			GBA
March 17	WWE Crush Hour		GCN, PS2
March 18	Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc	WIN
March 19	Bloody Roar 3		GCN
March 19	Mobile Light Force 2		PS2
March 19	Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield	WIN
March 20	Pride FC: Fighting Championships		PS2
March 24	Amplitude		PS2
March 24	The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker		GCN (US)
March 25	Batman: Dark Tomorrow		GCN
March 25	Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22		PS1
March 25	Dynasty Warriors 4		PS2
March 25	Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis		PS2
March 25	Primal		PS2
March 25	Samurai Jack: The Amulet of Time			GBA
March 25	Ed, Edd n Eddy: Jawbreakers!			GBA
March 26	Galactic Civilizations	WIN
March 26	Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb	WIN
March 26	Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis		XBOX
March 26	Superman: Countdown to Apokolips			GBA
March 27	Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance	WIN
March 30	Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes		XBOX
April 8	Midnight Club II	WIN	PS2
April 9	Burnout 2: Point of Impact		GCN
April 9	Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride			GBA
April 9	Evil Dead: Hail to the King	WIN	DC, PS1
April 14	Postal 2	WIN
April 14	Golden Sun: The Lost Age			GBA
April 15	Ikaruga		GCN
April 16	Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee		XBOX
April 17	Final Fantasy XI: Rise of the Zilart	WIN (JAP)	PS2 (JAP)
April 17	Pinobee: Wings of Adventure		PS1
April 20	Siren		PS2
April 22	Ninja Five-O			GBA
April 30	RoboCop	WIN
April 30	MLB 2004		PS1
May 1	Burnout 2: Point of Impact		XBOX
May 6	Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow			GBA
May 6	Day of Defeat	WIN
May 6	Eve Online	WIN (JAP)
May 12	Finding Nemo		GCN, PS2, XBOX	GBA
May 12	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	WIN
May 12	Iridion II			GBA
May 12	The Sims: Superstar	WIN
May 14	Enter The Matrix	WIN	GCN, PS2, XBOX
May 20	Inside Pitch 2003		XBOX
May 20	Rise of Nations	WIN
May 20	PlanetSide	WIN
May 23	Silent Hill 3		PS2
May 21	WarioWare Inc.: Mega Microgame$			GBA
May 23	Ghost Master	WIN
May 27	Brute Force		XBOX
May 28	Hulk	WIN	PS2, GCN, XBOX
May 28	The Incredible Hulk			GBA
June 1	Sonic Pinball Party			GBA
June 2	Toontown Online	WIN
June 3	Midnight Club II		XBOX
June 9	Donkey Kong Country			GBA
June 17	Mega Man Network Transmission		GCN
June 17	Space Channel 5: Ulala's Cosmic Attack			GBA
June 17	Unlimited Saga		PS2
June 18	Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut		GCN
June 19	Drome Racers			GBA
June 19	Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter	WIN	PS2, XBOX
June 20	Neighbours from Hell	WIN
June 20	Star Trek: Elite Force II	WIN
June 20	Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness		PS2
June 23	Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising			GBA
June 23	Rock 'N Roll Racing			GBA
June 24	Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wrath of the Darkhul King			GBA
June 24	Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color		PS2
June 24	Mega Man Battle Network 3			GBA
June 24	Stuntman			GBA
June 24	Wario World		GCN
June 25	Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits		PS2
June 26		Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb		PS2
June 30	Ape Escape 2		PS2
June 30	The Simpsons: Road Rage			GBA
July 1	Pirates of the Caribbean		XBOX
July 1	Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne	WIN
July 1	Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness	WIN
July 9	Charlie's Angels		GCN, PS2
July 9	Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided	WIN
July 16	NCAA Football 2004		GCN, PS2, XBOX
July 17	Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic		XBOX
July 17	The Italian Job		GCN
July 23	Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis		GCN
July 23	Dinotopia: The Sunstone Odyssey		XBOX
July 23	The Great Escape	WIN	PS2, XBOX
July 24	RoboCop		XBOX
July 28	Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour		GCN
July 30	Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis		XBOX
July 30	Shrek: Reekin' Havoc			GBA
July 31	Butt-Ugly Martians: Zoom or Doom		PS2
August 5	Chaos Legion	WIN	PS2
August 5	Freaky Flyers		PS2, XBOX
August 6	SplashDown: Rides Gone Wild		PS2
August 8	Freaky Flyers		GCN
August 12	Futurama		PS2, XBOX
August 13	Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution		PS2
August 14	Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4	WIN
August 15	Pirates of the Caribbean	WIN
August 19	Alter Echo		PS2, XBOX
August 22	Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel	WIN
August 25	F-Zero GX		GCN
August 27	Bombastic		PS2
August 27	Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds		PS2, XBOX
August 27	Otogi: Myth of Demons		XBOX
August 27	Rescue Heroes: Billy Blazes			GBA
August 27	Soul Calibur II		PS2, XBOX, GCN
August 28	Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds		GCN
September 4	Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII	WIN
September 5	Power Rangers: Ninja Storm			GBA
September 8	Anarchy Online: The Shadowlands	WIN
September 8	Final Fantasy Tactics Advance			GBA
September 8	WWE WrestleMania XIX		GCN
September 9	Counter-Strike (Steam and Retail)	WIN
September 9	EverQuest: Lost Dungeons of Norrath	WIN
September 9	P.N.03		GCN
September 10	Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge			GBA
September 11	Road Rash: Jailbreak			GBA
September 12	Starsky & Hutch			GBA
September 14	Asterix & Obelix: Kick Buttix		PS2
September 16	Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand			GBA
September 16	Dino Crisis 3		XBOX
September 16	Homeworld 2	WIN
September 16	NASCAR Thunder 2004	WIN	PS1, PS2, XBOX
September 16	The Simpsons: Hit & Run		PS2, XBOX, GCN
September 17	Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes		XBOX
September 17	Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy	WIN
September 22	Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour	WIN
September 22	NHL 2004	WIN	GCN, PS2, XBOX
September 22	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004	WIN	GCN, PS2, XBOX
September 23	DDRMAX2: Dance Dance Revolution		PS2,
September 24	The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius: Jet Fusion			GBA
September 24	Digimon Battle Spirit 2			GBA
September 24	Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee			GBA
October 1	Etherlords II	WIN
October 1	Freedom Fighters	WIN	PS2, XBOX, GCN
October 3	Nancy Drew: Danger on Deception Island	WIN
October 6	DemiKids: Light Version			GBA
October 7	Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home		PS2
October 7	DemiKids: Dark Version			GBA
October 7	Sonic Advance			NGE
October 7	Viewtiful Joe		GCN
October 13	Kirby Air Ride		GCN
October 14	Cyber Troopers Virtual-On MARZ		PS2
October 14	Jak II		PS2
October 14	Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne	WIN
October 14	Mega Man X7		PS2
October 14	Mega Man Zero 2			GBA
October 14	The Haunted Mansion		GCN, PS2, XBOX
October 15	Tak and the Power of Juju		GCN, PS2	GBA
October 17	Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death	WIN (EU)	GCN, PS2, XBOX
October 20	SSX 3		XBOX, GCN
October 21	Castlevania: Lament of Innocence		PS2
October 21	Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge		XBOX
October 21	ESPN NBA Basketball		PS2, XBOX
October 21	SSX 3		PS2
October 21	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles	WIN	GCN, PS2, XBOX
October 21	Time Crisis 3		PS2
October 22	SeaWorld Adventure Parks Tycoon	WIN
October 24	The Hobbit			GBA
October 26	Super Duper Sumos			GBA
October 26	Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3			GBA
October 27	Spyro: Attack of the Rhynocs			GBA
October 27	Tony Hawk's Underground		PS2, XBOX, GCN	GBA
October 27	WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain		PS2
October 28	Amped 2		XBOX
October 28	Dragon Ball Z: Budokai		GCN
October 28	Final Fantasy XI	WIN (US)
October 28	Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup	WIN	GCN, PS2, XBOX	GBA
October 28	SWAT: Global Strike Team		PS2, XBOX
October 28	Top Spin		XBOX
October 29	Call of Duty	WIN
October 29	SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom	WIN	GCN, PS2, XBOX	GBA
October 31	Grand Theft Auto III		XBOX
October 31	Silent Hill 3	WIN
November 3	Drake of the 99 Dragons		XBOX
November 3	Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade			GBA
November 3	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	WIN
November 3	True Crime: Streets of LA		PS2, XBOX, GCN
November 4	Civilization III: Conquests	WIN
November 4	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King		PS2
November 4	SOCOM II U.S. Navy SEALs		PS2
November 4	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004			GBA
November 4	Yu-Gi-Oh! The Falsebound Kingdom		GCN
November 5	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King		GCN, XBOX	GBA
November 6	Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time		PS2
November 10	Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy		GCN, PS2, XBOX
November 11	Beyond Good & Evil		PS2
November 11	Looney Tunes: Back in Action			GBA
November 11	Mario Party 5		GCN
November 11	Medal of Honor: Rising Sun		PS2, XBOX, GCN
November 11	Muppets Party Cruise		GCN
November 11	Onimusha Tactics			GBA
November 11	Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando		PS2
November 11	SSX 3			GBA
November 11	The Hobbit	WIN	GCN, PS2, XBOX
November 11	Uru: Ages Beyond Myst	WIN
November 11	Legacy of Kain: Defiance	WIN	PS2, XBOX
November 12	Disney's Magical Quest 2 Starring Mickey & Minnie			GBA
November 12	Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time		XBOX
November 12	Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield		XBOX
November 13	Double Dragon Advance			GBA
November 13	Monster Rancher 4		PS2
November 13	Muppets Party Cruise		PS2
November 13	The Simpsons: Hit & Run	WIN
November 14	Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon	WIN	PS2, XBOX
November 15	Crash Nitro Kart		PS2, XBOX, GCN	GBA, NGE
November 17	Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town			GBA
November 17	The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition		GCN
November 17	Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga			GBA
November 17	Mario Kart: Double Dash		GCN
November 17	Need for Speed: Underground (North America)	WIN	GCN, PS2, XBOX
November 18	America's 10 Most Wanted	WIN	PS2
November 18	American Idol			GBA
November 18	Counter-Strike		XBOX
November 18	Go! Go! Hypergrind		GCN
November 18	Kya: Dark Lineage		PS2
November 18	Final Fantasy X-2		PS2
November 18	Manhunt		PS2
November 18	Metal Arms: Glitch in the System		PS2, XBOX
November 18	Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time		GCN
November 18	Space Channel 5 Special Edition		PS2
November 18	Spy Muppets: License to Croak			GBA
November 18	Star Wars: Flight of the Falcon			GBA
November 18	Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic	WIN
November 18	Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines			GBA
November 18	The Fairly OddParents: Breakin' da Rules	WIN	GCN, PS2, XBOX	GBA
November 18	Tonka: Rescue Patrol		GCN
November 18	Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun	WIN
November 18	Whiplash		PS2, XBOX
November 18	XIII	WIN	GCN, PS2, XBOX
November 19	Beyond Good & Evil	WIN
November 19	Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy		XBOX
November 20	Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing	WIN
November 24	Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu			GBA
November 25	Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne		XBOX
November 25	Mysterious Journey II	WIN
November 26	BlowOut		GCN, XBOX
November 28	SpellForce: The Order of Dawn	WIN
November 30	Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time	WIN
December 1	1080° Avalanche		GCN
December 2	Armed and Dangerous	WIN	XBOX
December 2	Beyond Good & Evil		XBOX
December 2	Deus Ex: Invisible War	WIN	XBOX
December 2	Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne		PS2
December 2	Mission: Impossible – Operation Surma		XBOX	GBA
December 2	Pac-Man Vs.		GCN
December 2	The Sims Bustin' Out			GBA
December 3	Gotcha Force		GCN
December 5	Counter-Strike (EU)		XBOX
December 4	Sonic Heroes		PS2, XBOX, GCN
December 8	Mission: Impossible – Operation Surma		PS2
December 9	Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon		XBOX
December 9	Yu Yu Hakusho: Spirit Detective			GBA
December 10	Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly		PS2
December 11	Beyond Good & Evil		GCN
December 14	Medabots Infinity		GCN

References

(June 8, 2012). "Attendance and Stats". IGN.
McIntosh, Neil. (2003-10-23). "Game, set and match". The Guardian.
Ward, Mark. (2003-09-08). "Is this Britain's best chance of gold this year?". BBC News.
"Video Game Awards".
Harris, Craig (January 6, 2003). "[http://ign.com/articles/2003/01/06/game-boy-advance-sp-2 Game Boy Advance SP]". IGN. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130618012830/http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/01/06/game-boy-advance-sp-2 Archived] from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
"[https://web.archive.org/web/20121102033901/http://reviews.cnet.com/consoles/nintendo-game-boy-advance/4505-10109_7-21059766.html Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP review]". [[CNET]]. Archived from [https://reviews.cnet.com/consoles/nintendo-game-boy-advance/4505-10109_7-21059766.html the original] on November 2, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
"[https://archive.today/20100206051613/http://n-europe.com/news.php?nid=3836 N-Europe News: GBA SP Press Release]". Ashley Jones. March 7, 2003. Archived from [http://n-europe.com/news.php?nid=3836 the original] on February 6, 2010. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
Niizumi, Hirohiko. (May 30, 2003). "Nintendo to end Famicom and Super Famicom production".
(February 5, 2004). "The NPD Group Reports Overall Decrease in PC Software Sales for 2003". [[The NPD Group]].
(2005). "Essential Facts".
(April 4, 2003). "Nintendo Makes Money". [[News Corporation (1980–2013).
(27 October 2003). "Pokemon Super Packs". [[IGN]].
Gantayat, Anoop. (31 May 2004). "Mario Very Popular". [[IGN]].
Chad Phelps, January 14, 2004 [http://www.itprotoday.com/management-mobility/nintendo-shows-strong-sales-growth-2003 Nintendo Shows Strong Sales Growth in 2003] Itprotoday.com
(September 2, 2003). "Square Enix U.S.A. announces details for FINAL FANTASY X-2 and greatest hits version of FINAL FANTASY X".
Calvert, Justin. (January 20, 2004). "Final Fantasy X-2 Sells a Million".
(2004-01-29). "Non-Consolidated Financial Results for the Third Quarter Ended December 31, 2003". [[Konami]].
(December 22, 2003). "PlayStation 2 Vs. Xbox".
"2003 Top 300". [[Famitsu]].
Andrew, Burnes. (3 June 2003). "Enter The Matrix Sells 1 Million In US, Becomes Biggest Selling Atari Game Ever". [[IGN]].
Yeung, Karlie. (January 8, 2004). "2003 UK Game Sales Highest Ever".
"2003 Top 100 Best Selling Japanese Console Games".
"Annual 2003 Video Game Best-Selling Titles and Console Accessories". [[The NPD Group]].
(2005). "The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2005". [[World Almanac.
"Top 20 Console Games Ranked by Units Sold, 1998–2013". [[Australian Government]].
(9 April 2020). "UK Top Selling Games 2003". [[The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment]].
(11 January 2004). "Big year for computer game sales". [[BBC News]].
Reed, Kristan. (20 January 2004). "UK Charts: A month in the top spot for Need for Speed".
"Best Video Games for 2003".
"Highest-Ranking Games of 2003 (with at least 10 reviews)".
"Best Video Games for 2004".
"Highest-Ranking Games of 2004 (with at least 5 reviews)".
"週刊ファミ通クロスレビュープラチナ殿堂入りソフト一覧".
"Best Video Games for 2003 - Page 10". [[Red Ventures]].
"Lowest-Ranking Games of 2003 (with at least 5 reviews)".
"''Gods and Generals'' for PC".
"''Ultimate Demolition Derby'' for PC".
"''Interstellar Trader 2'' for PC".
"''RoboCop'' for Xbox".
Yin-Poole, Wesley. (2017-11-29). "The curse of Space Station 13".
(2022-07-06). "Indiana Jones and The Emperor's Tomb {{!}} Eurogamer.net".
"Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter Review".
(2003-06-24). "Star Trek: Elite Force II". Eurogamer.net.
(2016-07-31). "Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb Review - GameSpot".
(2012-07-25). "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 Review - PC Review at IGN".
Krause, Staci. (2003-11-25). "Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon Review".
Aihoshi - 'Jonric', Richard. (2004-03-03). "SpellForce - The Order of Dawn Review".

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