Lesson in history: homage to the classics

Posted Dec 25, 2006 at 10:54PM by QJ Staff Listed in: Wii, PS3, MMORPG, Xbox 360, PC Gaming Tags: Baseball, Donkey Kong, Famicom, joysticks, Space Invaders, Super Mario
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retroSo you've got the next gen console of your choice - and of course - along with the latest games. But have you ever wondered where all the the games began? Take a tour down memory lane and check out the titles that started it all.


Do you remember the first computer game you ever played? Honestly, the first game i remember was Super Mario Bros., a hands down classic. Anyway, the first video game was composed of nothing but two dots chasing each other on the screen and it was aptly called Chase. The first consoles were simple joysticks plugged straight into the TV. After a while, Pong - a ping pong game with two flat paddles, a dot ball, and a net - came to life.


Along with lot of advancements in technology came the tide of arcade games: (some people might not recognize some titles) Space Invaders, Galaga, Pac- Man, Donkey Kong, Dig Dug, Elevator Action, Mario Bros., Star Wars, Centipede, Frogger, and many others.


Here are some games that started each genre:


Fighting - Street Fighter 2
First Person Shooter (FPS) - Doom, Wolfenstein 3D
Role Playing Game (RPG) - Ultima, Wizardry, Dungeon Master
Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) - Dungeons and Dragons, pen and paper games
Racing - Night Driver, Pole Position
Sports - Track & Field, Star Rank Boxing, Championship Baseball
Adventure - Zork (text only), Myst, Legend of Zelda
Strategy - Civilization, Heroes of Might and Magic, WarHammer, Supreme Ruler 2010
Action - Double Dragon, Contra
Simulation - Civilization, MS Flight Simulator
Platform - Donkey Kong, Chack'n Pop, Super Mario Bros., Metroid, Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, Castlevania


These were the great grandfathers of the games today. Without them (and their brilliant creators), we probably wouldn't have the sweet games we enjoy today. Anyway, history lesson's over. Now, where'd I put that Famicom?




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