Most gamers will agree that game demos are great, the ability to try a game before buying it is beneficial for consumers who wish to spend wisely. Demos have existed for decades, and most can be easily acquired through download on various gaming systems. It can be difficult for many to remember that there was a time when receiving game demos was rare and exciting.Sonywas the first significant home console maker to embrace this practice with many memorable demo discs released for the originalPlaystation.Segawould also start releasing demo discs, but it took a bit longer for Nintendo to follow suit.
In 2001, Nintendo released theGameCube, which finally made use of optical media. Thus, it finally became cost-effective for Nintendo to release game demos. Even then, Nintendo seemed far more reluctant than its competitors to release demos for their games. Still, there were several memorable and iconic instances of Nintendo letting players try before they bought.
5Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Bonus Disc
One way in which Nintendo distributed demo discs back in the GameCube days was as a bonus for subscribing to Nintendo Power magazine. Such was the case with theMetroid Prime 2: Echoes Bonus Disc, though it was also offered as a bonus with certain rereleases of the originalMetroid Prime.
This disc contained two trailers for Prime 2, a chronology of theMetroidseries up to that point, and a game demo. The demo could be played through in about 20 minutes and contained areas from the first part of the game stitched together into a vertical slice of what the full game would contain. It was fairly well done for its time, it did a great job both giving players a sense of what the full game would be like and getting them excited for it.
4The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Demo
Those who perused the game section oftheir local Walmartor Target around 2003 might remember seeing a playable demo forThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. This store demo would later be rereleased as a part ofThe Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition; a compilation disc containing 4 fullLegend of Zeldagames, plus trailers forThe Wind Wakerand theZeldaseries as a whole respectively.
RELATED:Demos of PS5 Games You Should Try First
The demo contained threesave filesfor the player to choose from, each of which showed off a different portion from early in the game. The first file allowed players to play through the dungeon on Dragon Roost Island. The second file contained the stealth sequence, in which players attempted to infiltrate the Forbidden Fortress. The third file allowed players to explore Windfall Island and experiment a bit with the game’s sailing mechanic.
3Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt
When the first model of theNintendo DSwas released back in 2004, it introduced players to the world ofdual-screen gaming. Packaged with that original model was a demo for the then-in-development titleMetroid Prime Hunters, appropriately subtitled First Hunt.
The demo contained a short single-player level and a morph ball challenge. Players likely got the most value out of the 4-player multiplayer mode that allowed for deathmatch over local wireless connections. While fairly bare bones, this was actually fairly impressive for a handheld first-person shooter at the time and did an excellent job showcasing the system’s technical capabilities. The demo also allowed players to experiment with a variety of control methods. It gave a tantalizing glimpse of how a system like the DS might be able to handle an FPS, despite not having dual analog sticks.
2Super Smash Bros. Brawl Masterpieces
TheSuper Smash Bros.series has always been a celebration of Nintendo’s many franchises. With hundreds of game series represented, these fighting games function as a sort of museum celebrating the legacy of countless classic titles.Super Smash Bros Brawltook this concept even further by including playable demos of many of Nintendo’s mostclassic titles. This served as a promotion for Nintendo’s Virtual Console service, but it was undeniably fun to be able to unlock these demos. Players got to experience (albeit in an extremely limited form) where many of the iconic characters and locations originated.
RELATED:Forgotten Nintendo GameCube Action RPGs
Unfortunately, many of these demos featured extremely short time limits, with a few lasting for less than a minute. This has not stopped players from trying to get as much value as they could from them. For example, in 2021 the speed runner Savestate used glitches to reach the end ofThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timewithin the5 minute demo inBrawl.
The feature would return inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U.However, it would end up missing fromSuper Smash Bros Ultimate, likely due to Nintendo putting an end to the Virtual Console service.
1Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Bonus Disc
One common method of distributing demo discs back in the day was by including them as a bonus with another game. This practice was largely popularized by the gameZone of the Endersfor PS2, which contained a demo disk for the then-upcomingMetal Gear Solid 2.
Nintendo dabbled in something similar with the Bonus Disc included with certain copies ofMario Kart: Double Dash. The disc in question contained playable demos forMario Party5,F-Zero GX,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,Star Wars Rogue Squadron III, andSonic Heroes,as well as trailers for a number of other games. Overall, it was a pretty cool little bonus.
