Rogue (1980)

Video games today have it real good. With the CPUs and the RAMs, developers are capable of creating dazzling displays of artistic beauty. Those making games in the 1980s didn't have so good but found ways to work with what they had. In Rogue, the game world is rendered using simple ASCII characters and despite this visual handicap, the game is no less than exciting for it. Dungeons as well as item and monster placement are completely randomized, making no two sessions (or three or three hundred) of Rogue alike.

Tempest (1980)

Before I get into talking about the game, I'd like to point out that this is the 50th title I've played since starting this mad quest! 50 down, 951 to go!

Tempest can be fun...when it's not sending me into apoplectic fury! Created by Dave Theurer, the man behind Missile Command, Tempest originated from a nightmare Theurer experienced about monsters climbing out of a pit. The goal in the game was to descend into pits, taking out all shorts of enemies as you hug the tunnel's outer rim. The action gets fast and frenetic and while better precision can be obtained on an original Tempest arcade cabinet, I didn't have that luxury and, as a result, it wasn't belong before a rage quit!

Eamon (1980)

Eamon is a text adventure game with an interesting twist. Most of the games I've played in the genre more or less focus on puzzle solving and following along with the narrative. In Eamon, designer Donald Brown introduced combat to the mix, forcing the player to keep track of important stats like agility and health while being completely aware of their current surroundings (keep that graphic paper handy!). I had anticipated that the combination would result in total confusion (which it did), but despite my sad end, I found that I got really into it!

Battle Zone (1980)

Now that I've finished playing catch up by cataloging all the games I played at once, we're jumping back in time for a little bit by looking at Atari's famous tank combat sim, Battle Zone. Developed in 1980 by Ed Rotberg, Battle Zone is a total classic that I remember playing a great number of times at Disneyland when I was younger.

Arkanoid (1986)

Arkanoid is pretty hilarious because it attempts to put a story to the old Atari classic, Breakout. The story (snicker) involves a galactic ship succumbing to damage it sustained during a battle. The paddle is actually some sort of spacecraft/escape pod that is somehow trapped in an alternate dimension filled with bricks. Or something!

Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985)

Though I am more familiar with this game's horrible, horrible sequel, I still felt terrified at having to play Ghost 'n Goblins. I quickly discovered that the game is just as difficult and frustrating and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't even get past the first level! This was the kind of game that required me to know my limits. As I was playing this on a Dave & Buster's multicab, if I didn't keep myself in check I would have blown all my money trying to advance in this damn game!

Bomb Jack (1984)

Bomb Jack is a funny little game. There really isn't much to it: you'll guide a Mario-look alike named Jack as he collects bombs strewn across platforms in levels placed in front of images that highlights famous world landmarks. Bonus points are awarded for collecting bombs just before they are about to go off, but the quick pace of the game and enemies makes that task easier said than done.

H.E.R.O. (1984)

H.E.R.O. is a surprisingly fun game to play. The goal was to traverse a series of mine shafts looking for trapped workers. However, all manner of obstacles stand between you and your goal. For one, the small helicopter engine strapped to your back has limited power. You've also got a set number of dynamite to use in order to blow up walls to create paths. Nasty creatures, such as spiders, bats and snakes, are looking to make you their next meal.

Ballblazer (1984)

Before Grim Fandango Dark Forces, and The Secret of Monkey Island, there was Ballblazer. The very first video game developed by the newly created Lucasfilm Games, Ballblazer played a lot like a futuristic first person version of soccer, pitting two players against one another to score goals via their own personal hovercraft pods. It wasn't much of a game to be honest, but there are some pretty nifty things going on, like an innovative camera scheme (you'll automatically face the direction of the goal or ball) and some neat looking perspective effects.

Gyruss (1983)

Many of the games on this list are games I used to play on the Commodore 64. As a child, I wasn't playing games for their stories, action or graphics. What I mostly played them for was the chance to listen to the catchy soundtracks. Gyruss was one of those games. I could never get very far - the goal was to shoot your way to Earth from the edge of the Solar System - but that didn't matter. I just loved listening to the speedy chip tune rendition of Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor."

Tapper (1983)

You may be familiar with the popular version of Tapper in which you help a bartender dispense delicious root beer to legions of thirsty bar hoppers. However, in the original game the beverage of choice was actually Budweiser. Also, the arcade cabinet itself was a work of art. 1,001 Games To Play describes it perfectly: "The arcade cabinet, outfitted with faux wood trim, a brass foot rest, and a joystick topped by a tap handle, feels like an extension of the bar."

Juno First (1983)

At first blush, Juno First looks like a vertical version of Defender. Developed by Konami (who, 1,001 Games Played notes, took inspiration from the West), the game offered up familiar shoot 'em up mechanics but flipped the screen 90 degrees. Like Defender, you could move your ship forwards and backwards (or up and down in this case) to shoot down enemies.

Spy Hunter (1983)

I remember Spy Hunter for one thing: it was the game that had the Peter Gunn theme. This was a title I couldn't get too far with because of my desire to go as fast as humanly possible. A score based game, the aim was to take down as many enemy cars as possible, utilizing Knight Rider-style semi trucks that would give you various power ups (like oil slicks and smoke screens).

Utopia (1982)

When Mattel Electronics created Utopia, I wonder if they had any idea just how popular the simulation genre would eventually become. Instead of blowing up aliens and scoring tons of points, Utopia offered a more laid back experience as players took control of one of two islands, utilizing various resources in order to collect more money than the other player.

Time Pilot (1982)

Despite the lack of any sort of explicit premise, Time Pilot is a pretty cool shooter. You control a ship from the future as it goes back in time and engages in dogfights throughout history (Are you good? Evil?? Why commit such wanton historical damage?!). Each era is marked by a date and a change in the enemy design - for example, you'll do battle with biplanes in 1914 and diesel planes in the 1940s.

Xevious (1982)

Most shoot 'em up games of the era were set in space fields, but according to 1,001 Games To Play, Xevious was the first "to feature a backdrop themed around something than space. Instead, it plays out over detailed landscapes." Your ship's arsenal also included a new feature - two firing modes. A forward cannon let you take out other craft while an ever present reticle helped to mark ground targets for bomb runs.

Mr. Do! (1982)

This was another game that sent me back to the days of my youth, as I watched my dad play the hell out of this game on the Commodore 64. Very much a variant of Dig Dug, Mr. Do! tasked the player with cutting a path throughout each level, collecting fruit while avoiding (or attacking) monsters. The action was wholly different than Dig Dug because the pace was faster and your primary attack consisted of tossing a bouncing ball that would rattle throughout the maze until it struck a foe or found its way back to you.

Moon Patrol (1982)

After playing Moon Patrol, I can't help but wonder if someone over at Bioware looked at this game and said, "That's it! That will be the Mako!" Moon Patrol is a bit of endurance test. The goal was to simply move along a linear path dodging craters and blasting rock formations. UFOs and other ships will come along and buzz around your vehicle like gnats and the only way to take them out was to use your vehicle's guns that only fired up and to the right.

Miner 2049er (1982)

When Miner 2049er first booted up, my immediate impression was that the game reminded me so much of Jumpman (developed by Epyx in 1983). The design of the multi-tiered levels looked familiar, but instead of collecting mines and dodging bullets, you were tasked with helping Bounty Bob clean surfaces by walking over them (hey, it's a video game). Standing in his way are obstacles, such as robots, slides and shifting platforms.

Robotron 2084 (1982)

Robotron 2084 is a pretty frightening game. As gaming's earliest twin stick shooter, your goal was to clear out an arena filled with all sorts of robots that will, at first, slowly lurk in your direction. In later levels, the robots are faster, deadlier, appear in greater numbers and have a tendency to run blindly into various traps laid out all over the room. Adding an extra level of frantic misery are wandering humans who can be rescued for score boosts. If they are attacked by robots, however, they emit a freaky digitized scream.

Choplifter (1982)

Broderbund, the fine purveyors of the classic Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego, takes players away from the task of hunting down criminals and puts them in charge of rescuing civilians from a warzone. To do so, you'll control a helicopter to pick up civilians under fire and return them back to base. What makes Choplifter notable is its risk and reward system - you can rescue as many civilians as you want, but stray too close to enemy fire and all your work will be for nothing.

Venture (1981)

Admittedly, there really isn't much to Venture. You'll control a floating head (named "Winky") as he/it moves from room to room collecting treasure and taking down enemies using a bow and arrow. When making your way into a room, the path to the treasure seems like a pushover until you realize that enemies can still kill you after they've been shot by your weapon. A neat little twist that helps to keep things interesting. But that's pretty much all the game has going for it.

Warlords (1980)

While Pong and Combat introduced gamers to two player competitive gaming, Warlords raised the bar by creating a game designed specifically for four players. At its core, Warlords is a reverse variant of Breakout as players had to protect their base from a ball (in the arcade version, the ball was actually a flame from a dragon) by deflecting it away with a shield. The opposing players had to break through each player's multi-layer wall in order to take out their warlord. Last warlord standing is the winner.