1980′s Fun & Games
In a time when “Wii” was just something little kids said on the swing, “Playstations” were filled with crayons and coloring books and talking about your “X-box” could probably land you time out, youth around the country still found a way to enjoy themselves without having to actually set foot outside. Thanks largely to original Nintendo, Sega Genesis and Gameboy, the handheld phenomenon, the 1980′s saw kids spend a lot more time hanging out with not just their real friends but their virtual friends as well, including the likes of the Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, and Zelda. From classic arcade games that haven’t changed to the humble beginnings of the biggest game franchises the industry, here’s a look at some lasting titles that originated in the 80′s.
- Pac-Man Take a slice out of a cheese wheel and you have arguably the most iconic symbol of the 80′s. Still available in most arcades and bars around the country, game play is brilliantly simple enough for both society’s youngest minds and inebriated young adults to master. First released in the middle of 1980, Pac-Man finally set the date soon after, with Ms. Pac-Man completing (in a Jerry Maguire sense of the word) the popular couple in 1981.
- Super Mario Brothers What’s the solution to an evil lizard’s tyrannical rule? Why Italian plumbers, of course. With levels, power-ups and villains reminiscent of a 1970′s music festival, America’s young people quickly became addicted to Super Mario Brothers, much like the organic substances creators may have been under the influence of. Subsequent years have seen successful spin-offs, such as Mario Kart, Mario 64, Mario Party, Super Mario Galaxy and The Incredible Luigi guess which one’s made up? poor little green guy.
- Tetris Leave it to the Soviets to develop a wildly popular game centering around drab blocks and without any characters. Kids had quite simply never been so fascinated with putting blocks together since they played with, well… building blocks. Withstanding the test of time, Tetris still springs up on cell-phones around the world as students subtly learn basic geometry skills while tuning out geometry class.