Top Ten Classic Video Games
By Simon M Cook
Top Ten Classic Video Games
Origin: Pong was based on a game called 'Two Tennis' which simulated a tennis game on an oscilloscope. Physicist William Higinbotham, a designer, goes down in history as the creator of one of the first electronic games to use a visual aid.
Concept: A game is intended to represent a game of tennis or table tennis (Ping Pong). Each player has a bat; the bat can be moved vertically. The screen has two horizontal lines at the top and bottom of the screen. The ball is 'given' and goes to one player - that player has to move the bat to get the ball hit. The ball goes back and forth in another direction. Depending on where the ball hits the bat, the ball will move in different directions - if it hits one line up or down, it will jump. The idea is to make another player miss the ball - thus gaining a point.
Gameplay: while it sounds completely boring, the gameplay is very addictive. It is easy to play but very difficult to understand, especially with fastball speed, and intense 'bounce' angles.
Nostalgia: for me, this is the father of video games. Without Pong you probably wouldn’t have had video games - started a craze that will continue to grow and become a multi-billion dollar industry. I will always remember this game!
9. Frog
Origin: the game was developed by Konami in 1981, and it was the first game I could introduce to Sega. At the time it was very novel and introduced a new style of play.
Tip: Easy - you want to move from one side of the road to the other. Slow down - there is a lot of traffic; I better block traffic. Phew Made it - hold on, who put that river there. You better jump on those tortoises and logs to the other side - stay there crocodile! AHHH! Sounds easy - cars and logs are in horizontal lines, and the way they move, the number of logs and cars, and the speed can vary. You have to move the frog up, down the left and right, avoid cars, jump on logs and avoid evil creatures and get home - do this several times and move on to the next level.
Playing the Game: Another amazingly addictive concept. The game is time-dependent; you find yourself in and out of traffic jams, sometimes going nowhere. The images are bad, the sound is bad, but adrenalin is really pumping as you try to avoid that fast-paced car or the hunting snake!
Nostalgia: I love this game for many reasons. I played it for a long time, but I did not really become a champion - however, it was the first game I could produce using Basic on my ZX81 - until I sold about 50 copies in Germany!
8. Aeronautics
Origin: Tomohiro Nishikada, Space Invaders designer inspired by Star Wars and War of the Worlds. He produced the first video shooting games and drew a lot on Breakout play.
The concept: aliens attack the Earth 'with blocks' by slowly lowering the screen. As the brave savior of the Earth it is your job to use your laser cannon alone, in a horizontal motion, and take those evil creatures out of the sky. Fortunately, you have four bases to hide behind - these eventually disintegrate, but offer some protection from alien arrows.
Gameplay: This is a repetitive game, but very addictive. Each wave starts to get a little closer to you, and it moves faster - so all the new waves are a tough challenge. The game included the right amount of strategy and good eye contact.
Nostalgia: I spent a lot of time playing this game. Although at first, the green aliens invaded, some geniuses added color strips to the screen and the aliens dramatically changed the low color they had acquired - that was almost as high-tech as it came back in the days of monochrome video games!
7. Galaxies
Origin: The Galaxians expanded the Space Invaders theme by making aliens attack the invader. It was one of the first games to have colored sprites.
Tip: Take Space Invaders, add some color, remove bases and make some aliens attack you and you have Galaxians. Actually, the concept is similar to Space Invaders, it protects the world from outside invaders, but instead of the whole screen full of aliens coming to you in an orderly fashion, you find groups of aliens descending in random ways.
Gameplay: if you like Space Invaders you will love this. The tricks are different, as you usually have to avoid two or three different groups of outdoor 'swoopers' but if you can shoot them as they jump, then you get some bonus points. The game is difficult until you get used to some patterns
Nostalgia: this was one of the first games I played on a desktop computer that closely resembled arcade fame. I had an old Acorn Electron, and the game was almost perfect on this little machine. I miss my old Acorn Electron!
6. Protector
Origin: The game was created by Williams Electronics in 1980. The play was designed by Eugen Jarvis, Sam Dicker, Paul Dussault, and SLarry DeMar. It was one of the first games to incorporate sophisticated controls, with five buttons and a play stick. Although it holds up a bit because of its weight, it was still a popular sport.
Fact: Most of the shoot-em-up games of the time were horizontal shoot-em-ups. The game changed the field by becoming a vertical shooter. But the aliens also intend to do evil in the world - this time they are trying to kidnap 10 people. You have only one defender and you have to kill the aliens before they can kidnap people. You fly over the 'spot' and you can see your people gathering up. Aliens appear and throw people - you can kill them this time, but if they catch a stranger, you have to shoot the aliens and catch the man before the alien reaches the top of the screen.
Playing the game: This was a good game that was easy to play but hard to understand. Shooting aliens and capturing people provided excellent bonuses, and this formed a large part of the strategy. There was a different kind of alien chase that made the game busier than the others; it was usually just comfortable to finish the level. Although it can be as addictive as the others, it gives you a sense of accomplishment when you reach the highest points.
Nostalgia: I went on vacation with a friend for a week and spent a whole week in the arcade playing this game and the first game on my list (I will not reveal the name now!). It was one of the best memories of my youth!
5. Missile Command
Origin: In July 1980, Atari published the game-changer. He did not have a toy stick, but he had a ball control case on the screen. Edited by Dave Theurer and licensed for Sega.
Fact: Those dangerous aliens go smart. Instead of sending spacecraft into space, it hides in deep space and sends dozens of missiles to blow up the cities of the Earth. This game is different as you use a 'circular' play stick. Use this to get somewhere on the screen and shoot an arrow at this point - the final explosion will destroy any arrows hitting the 'cloud'. The arrows were actually lines running down the top of the screen at various angles and speeds - some of which would split into many 'arrows' straight down.
Gameplay: This is a very strategic game. Placing your bombs in the right place and setting the right time can extinguish the outer arrows quickly and easily. As the game progresses you find yourself circling the wheel trying to find the bombs in the right place. This game was a fun adrenaline pump - sometimes you seemed to be dealing with the impossible but you could still breathe when one city survived.
Nostalgia: this was one of the first games I played on the machine above the table. Although these are not really catchy, it was still fun to be able to put a can of soda on the floor while you play!
4. Outbreaks
Background: This game is very inspired by Pong. Founded in 1976 by Atari, Nolan Bushnell and Stew Bristow are key designers. Probably one of the most well-designed games ever, and today there are new games based on the same theme coming out. Apparently, the Apple II computer is inspired by this game - wow where is Steve Jobs now without Breakout.
Tip: The view is simple - you have a bat at the bottom of the screen that can go back and forth. Above you is a brick wall. The ball will move from your bat - every time it collides with a brick, the brick disappears and the ball returns to you. Your task is simple - stop the ball out from under the screen by placing your bat in the path and bouncing the ball back against the wall - you must also remove all the bricks from the wall to progress to the next level!
Playing the game: this is a hard game to do well. As the bricks fall below each level and the speed of the ball increases, it becomes even more difficult to 'break'. Also, sometimes the angle at which the ball comes out of the bat is so sharp that it can be very difficult to judge where the ball will jump! You are one of those games where you just say 'one game' and before you know it five hours have passed.
Nostalgia: When I lived in Wales we had a small used room that housed books and my little ZX Spectrum - I spent many hours playing this game as Dad sat and read. It was like a men's arrest session!
3. Linda
Origin: The game was released in 1985 and developed by Sega. It was one of the first '3D 'racing games and the first to introduce the' true 'game-playing aid - that it was a larger cabinet of style motorcycle, with speed, brakes, and throttle. The game has become a benchmark for future racing games and has led to a highly recommended Out Run series. The game cleverly uses 'billboards' and trees to make you feel like you are moving too fast.
Tip: You are a motorcycle racer - you are sitting on a bike and you have to run around a 3d race track, pass other riders and reach certain checkpoints within the time limit. A game with different locations and modes (such as night).
Gameplay: Another game that is easy to play but very difficult to understand. Keeping track of time was crucial, especially when other cyclists were on their way. A slight touch on another bike or a crash in the barrier slowed down and made it difficult to reach the checkpoint on time. Amazing graphics (for now) make this game fun to play as you feel like you are in a race. Another game that made you come back to find out more.
Nostalgia: As a kid, I always wanted a real motorcycle, so this made me feel really good. I was very good at this game (d Pole Position) and my name was always on the high score table - probably the only game I could think of as a champion.
2. Pacman
Origin: Developed by Toru Iwatani, and edited by Hideyuki Moakajima San, this game came out in the mid-1980s. The word is derived from a sound-related sentence when your mouth opens and closes (suspected). Namco produced the game, but it really started in America when Midway released it.
Tip: You're Pacman and you're very hungry. You find a maze full of 'dots' and then you zip up and eat it. Unfortunately, there are ghosts that are not very happy about this and will chase you away - but hey, there are really big dots that give you the power to chase ghosts back to their cage. The maze is complex, filling the entire screen, but with no dead ends - there is also a way to move between each side of the screen. In the middle, there is a cage that catches ghosts - occasionally bonus fruits appear near the cage. You need to eat all the dots to improve.
Playing the game: This is a simple concept, but with good decent graphics and an addictive song it has been a huge success. There are many strategies in this game - each ghost follows a set pattern (though we will eventually forget this and follow it) - there are actually books devoted to the best way to avoid ghosts. The game gets harder as you go, and the ghosts are faster and smarter.
Nostalgia: There is something about music in this game that is very interesting - even if I write it I feel it in my mind. He’s one of the first games I remember using music as a major retail outlet. I spent many hours playing this game, and although I was never really good I was always happily trying to design new lines. And perhaps my most successful editing experience - I designed this version of Acorn Atom and actually sold a few hundred copies (also in Germany) - I am proud that as a teenager, I was able to use thinking and programming skills and make money by doing so.
1. Stars
Origin: It's really amazing to think that this game was first released in 1979 - I've been playing it for 30 years! Developed by Atari and designed by Lyle Rains and Ed Logg, the game cleverly uses vector graphics and real inertia physics to turn a simple concept into an old game.
Hint: Your little space shuttle has turned into a blue belt. With the use of thrusters, a reliable laser cannon, and a hyperspace unit, you should move your spacecraft to all directions on the screen and avoid asteroids. You can go anywhere on the screen and even get off the edge OK - it just happens to be universal. Asteroids come to you from all angles. At first, they are large, and they move slowly. Once struck they split into smaller asteroids, and these smaller asteroids split again - when the smaller asteroid moves faster. Sometimes an evil alien ship will appear and start shooting at you - from time to time you will hit the asteroids and separate them. The concept of the game is simple - destroy all asteroids without crashing into them or being shot by an unknown person.
Game: Wow what can I say. To be truly successful in this game you have to use strategy - shooting at all the asteroids will fill the screen with small fast-moving asteroids, making it difficult to avoid collisions. So the game required you to remove one asteroid at a time, and then deal with smaller asteroids. When you do this, you should also be well directed; with real inertia, you often find yourself drifting without realizing it and suddenly you would be between four or five asteroids.
Nostalgia: This is one of the only games I still play today. That 'Buck Rogers' to me, or I like the challenge I do not know! You would think that after 30 years of playing I could be a champion in the game or be bored; somehow nothing has happened yet - sometimes I can get a lot of points, but usually I'm just a measure. I think I love the fact that it makes me think and keeps my eye contact with the eye up! Now if only I could get all that money I pushed into the asteroids machine back - I would be very rich!
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