Today we will be looking at not just one game, but a series of games created by Nintendo during the 80s, known as the Game & Watch series. Read on after the jump.
Tag Archives: 1980s
Tapper
Original version: Tapper, released in 1983 for arcade
Looking back, it’s amazing to think of just how many games had a downright wacky premise compared to the somber and “safe” franchises you’ll see nowadays. Outside of the odd, or in some cases, very odd indie game, you’ll usually end up stepping into the shoes of a tortured, yet endlessly bland, blank slate and go on a series of sidequests.
M.U.L.E.
Why do story writers never give terra-forming its due respect? In science fiction especially, the whole process is glossed over, so that you can get right to the action. It couldn’t possibly be as interesting as laser battles, right? Wrong! Let’s take a look at a true forgotten classic after the jump.
Why Games Appreciation?
A Simple Question for a Simple Mind
Back in August of 2011 when I wrote my first Games Appreciation article I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought it would be a cinch to write about the games that held a special place in video game history. Well, in 2011-2012 I began intently reading up on the history of games so that I could one day call myself a Video Game Historian–and during my research I found out that some games were overrated, some were sorely underrated, others still were completely forgotten. It became quite clear that my task was about to become a lot more involved. Here’s a sample of what 1982 had to offer.
2nd Generation Video Game Notes
This list doesn’t include every game from the 2nd generation, unfortunately–I lost the original files. But here’s what I have.
To skip to the next article, click here.
Runners-up of 1982
1982 was without a doubt one of the best years in video gaming history. The sheer amount of innovation and variety is stunning. Of course, the glut of low-quality games released in 1982 directly caused the great crash of ’83. So, it was the best of times and the worst of times. But maybe, considering how many games there are on the list below, 1982 ought to be called “the year that almost made it.”
River Raid (HONORABLE MENTION)
Original version: River Raid, released on 1982/08/19 for Atari VCS a.k.a. Atari 2600
Recommended version: River Raid, released in 1983 for Atari 800
Isn’t it amazing how war, the greatest misfortune, often provides the greatest backdrop for a story? Whether it’s an epic tale of a warrior’s fight as in The Iliad, or the slow torment of a man’s mind as in “Lawrence of Arabia,” war has a seemingly limitless capacity for showcasing the ultimate struggle in all its manifestations. It makes sense then that video games, tasking the player with overcoming a struggle, would be so well suited to war. What makes River Raid so special, though, is that it’s one of the first shooters to take place on a “realistic” depiction of Earth. The cover of the manual even appears to be alluding to the mountainous jungles of Viet Nam. So let’s go raid that river!
Yar’s Revenge
Original version: Yar’s Revenge, released on 1982/05 for Atari VCS
It’s funny how game consoles and computers carry different connotations with them. Even though consoles are just computers designed for a specific purpose, they carry a different association. Today, consoles are considered more “sociable” whereas PC gaming is often considered suitable for a “lone-wolf.” Multiplayer games on consoles are built with the living room in mind, and up until the seventh generation any game with a multiplayer mode included local multiplayer (i.e., the other players are sitting next to you instead of miles away) by default. In the 1970s and ’80s consoles also carried the connotation of shrinking down arcade cabinets to cartridges. Ever since the days of Home Pong consoles tried their hardest to bring arcade games to households.
Ms. Pac Man
Original version: Ms. Pac-Man, released in 1982 for arcade
Nibbler
Original version: Nibbler, released in 1982 for arcade
In my Ms. Pac-Man feature I remarked that the 1981 game Lady Bug demonstrated that the “maze chase” genre allows for many different interpretations, and now I’m here to show you that it can be taken in an entirely different direction with Nibbler, a game that makes traveling through the maze steadily more and more restrictive by filling it with a snake. Intrigued? I thought so.
Pictured: an unrelated Nibbler.
Cake's Corner 