1971 - Computer Space
The first arcade video game is widely considered to be a game called Computer Space, which was created by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in 1971. The game was a space-themed shooter that was installed in a number of different arcades and other locations, and it was one of the first commercially available video games. Computer Space was not a particularly successful game, and it was eventually eclipsed by other, more popular games, such as Pong and Space Invaders. However, it is still considered to be an important milestone in the history of video games.
1978 - Space Invaders
Space Invaders is a classic video game that was first released in 1978. It was developed and published by Taito Corporation and was one of the first games to use scrolling graphics. In the game, players control a spaceship that is moving across the bottom of the screen, shooting at waves of aliens that are advancing down the screen. The goal is to destroy as many aliens as possible without being hit by them or their projectiles.
The game was a huge commercial success, and it was one of the first video games to achieve widespread popularity. It was particularly popular in arcades, where it became a staple of the early video game industry. Space Invaders was also one of the first video games to be released for home consoles, and it was available on a number of different platforms, including the Atari 2600 and the Atari 5200.
Despite its age, Space Invaders remains a popular game, and it has been re-released in various forms over the years, including as a mobile app and in remastered versions for modern consoles. It has also been cited as an influence on a number of other games, including the popular shoot-em-up game Galaga. Overall, Space Invaders is an important part of video game history and remains a classic to this day.
1979 - Asteroids
Asteroids is a classic video game that was first released in 1979. It was developed and published by Atari, Inc. and was one of the first games to use vector graphics. In the game, players control a spaceship that is moving through an asteroid field. The goal is to destroy as many asteroids as possible without being hit by them or colliding with them.
The game was a huge commercial success, and it was one of the first video games to achieve widespread popularity. It was particularly popular in arcades, where it became a staple of the early video game industry. Asteroids was also one of the first video games to be released for home consoles, and it was available on a number of different platforms, including the Atari 2600 and the Atari 7800.
Despite its age, Asteroids remains a popular game, and it has been re-released in various forms over the years, including as a mobile app and in remastered versions for modern consoles. It has also been cited as an influence on a number of other games, including the popular shoot-em-up game Galaga. Overall, Asteroids is an important part of video game history and remains a classic to this day.
1979 - Galaxian
Galaxian is a classic arcade game that was released in 1979. It was developed and published by Namco and was a space-themed shooter game. In the game, players control a spaceship that is moving across the bottom of the screen, shooting at waves of aliens that are advancing down the screen. The goal is to destroy as many aliens as possible without being hit by them or their projectiles.
Galaxian was a popular game in arcades, and it was also released for home consoles, such as the Atari 2600. The game was known for its colorful graphics and challenging gameplay, and it was an important part of the early video game industry. Despite its age, it remains a classic game and is still enjoyed by many players today.
Buy a Galaxian themed arcade machine from GCOM
1979 - Lunar Lander
Lunar Lander is a classic arcade game that was released in 1979. It was developed by Atari and was a simulation game in which players had to land a spacecraft on the moon. The game was played on a black and white vector display, and it featured simple but challenging gameplay.
In the game, players had to use the spacecraft's thrusters to navigate to a safe landing spot on the moon's surface. They had to carefully manage their fuel and avoid obstacles, such as mountains and craters, in order to land safely. The game also included a number of different levels, each of which had different terrain and challenges to overcome.
Lunar Lander was a popular game in arcades, and it was also released for home consoles, such as the Atari 2600. Despite its age, it remains a classic game and is still enjoyed by many players today.
1980 - Centipede
Centipede is a classic video game that was first released in 1980. It was developed and published by Atari, Inc. and was one of the first games to use color graphics. In the game, players control a spaceship that is moving through a field of mushrooms. The goal is to destroy a centipede that is moving down the screen by shooting at it with a laser.
The game was a huge commercial success, and it was one of the first video games to achieve widespread popularity. It was particularly popular in arcades, where it became a staple of the early video game industry. Centipede was also one of the first video games to be released for home consoles, and it was available on a number of different platforms, including the Atari 2600 and the Atari 7800.
Despite its age, Centipede remains a popular game, and it has been re-released in various forms over the years, including as a mobile app and in remastered versions for modern consoles. It has also been cited as an influence on a number of other games, including the popular puzzle game Tetris. Overall, Centipede is an important part of video game history and remains a classic to this day.
1980 - Pac Man (Puckman)
Pac-Man is a classic video game that was first released in 1980. It was developed and published by Namco and was one of the first games to use scrolling graphics. In the game, players control a character named Pac-Man, who is moving through a maze filled with dots and other objects. The goal is to eat as many dots as possible while avoiding ghosts that are trying to catch Pac-Man.
Pac-man was first released in Japan as Puc-Man, but was quickly changed for the USA marketplace when it was realised that teens liked to modify the first letter 'P' to make it look like an 'F'.
The game was a huge commercial success, and it quickly became one of the most popular video games of all time. It was particularly popular in arcades, where it became a staple of the early video game industry. Pac-Man was also one of the first video games to be released for home consoles, and it was available on a number of different platforms, including the Atari 2600 and the Atari 7800.
PacMan was also the first video game to acheive widespread apeal amongst the female gamers who had traditionally shied away from 'violent' video games that tended to focus on blowing things up
Despite its age, Pac-Man remains a popular game, and it has been re-released in various forms over the years, including as a mobile app and in remastered versions for modern consoles. It has also been cited as an influence on a number of other games, including the popular puzzle game Tetris. Overall, Pac-Man is an important part of video game history and remains a classic to this day.
Buy Pacman themed Bartop Arcade Machine
1981 - Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong is a classic video game that was first released in 1981. It was developed by Nintendo and was one of the first games to feature the now-iconic character Mario. In the game, players control Mario, who is trying to rescue a damsel in distress named Pauline from a giant ape named Donkey Kong. The game is divided into four different levels, each of which presents a different challenge for the player to overcome.
The game was a huge commercial success, and it was one of the first video games to achieve widespread popularity. It was particularly popular in arcades, where it became a staple of the early video game industry. Donkey Kong was also one of the first video games to be released for home consoles, and it was available on a number of different platforms, including the Atari 2600 and the Atari 5200.
Donkey Kong is still a popular game, and it has been re-released in various forms over the decades, including as a mobile app and in remastered versions for modern consoles. It has also been cited as an influence on a number of other games, including the popular platformer Super Mario Bros. Overall, Donkey Kong is an important part of video game history and remains a classic to this day.
1982 - An Important year for Video Games
1982 was an important year for the video game industry, as it saw the release of several influential and popular games. Some of the notable games that were released in 1982 include Donkey Kong Jr., Joust, and Pitfall.
Donkey Kong Jr. was a sequel to the popular game Donkey Kong, and it featured the same characters and basic gameplay mechanics. In the game, players controlled Donkey Kong Jr. as he navigated through a series of obstacles and challenges to rescue his father, Donkey Kong, who had been captured by Mario.
Joust was a unique arcade game that was developed by Williams Electronics. It was a two-player game in which players controlled knights on flying ostriches, and the goal was to knock the other player off their ostrich using a lance. The game was known for its fast-paced gameplay and innovative mechanics.
Pitfall! was a popular Atari 2600 game that was developed and published by Activision. It was a platformer game in which players controlled a character named Pitfall Harry as he navigated through a series of jungle-themed levels, collecting treasures and avoiding obstacles. The game was known for its detailed graphics and challenging gameplay.
These are just a few examples of the many games that were released in 1982, and there were many other popular games from this time period as well.
1997 - Street Fighter
Street Fighter is a series of fighting games that was first released in 1987. It was developed and published by Capcom and has become one of the most popular fighting game franchises of all time. In the games, players control a character from a roster of fighters and engage in one-on-one combat against other characters. The goal is to defeat the other player by depleting their health bar before they deplete yours.
The Street Fighter games are known for their fast-paced gameplay, complex combos, and a wide range of characters to choose from. The series has been released on a number of different platforms, including arcade cabinets, home consoles, and mobile devices. Over the years, the series has spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs, as well as a number of animated television shows, movies, and other media.
Despite been around for ages, Street Fighter remains a really popular game, and it continues to receive new releases and updates. It is widely considered to be one of the best fighting game franchises of all time, and it has been cited as an influence on a number of other games in the genre. Overall, Street Fighter is an important part of video game history and remains a classic to this day.
Street fighter can be played on PC using an emulater such as MAME or via retro gaming services like Antstream. It is best played using a GCOM Arcade Stick as the input device.