Balloon Fight is an arcade-style platform action game for 1-2 players that is similar to Joust. Players take to the sky and try to pop their foes' balloons befo...
Hydlide (ハイドライド Haidoraido) is a 1984 action role-playing game developed by T&E Soft and published in 1985.
One of the earliest puzzle-platformers has you running around an underground treasury in an attempt to escape with a motherlode of treasure. It is one of the fi...
An early action-strategy-RPG game created by Koji Sumii and published by ASCII for the Sharp X1 computer in 1983. The game is considered a precursor to several ...
A turn-based strategy game originally released in 1987 by Koei, the creators of Nobunaga's Ambition and Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
An anime style adventure game that uses cut-scenes and text menus, as well as a few action sequences inspired by other sci-fi games.
One of the progenitors of Japanese RPGs, The Black Onyx brings the world of high-fantasy RPGs to Japanese computers as five brave adventurers set out through a ...
Xevious is one of the first vertical scrolling shoot-em-up arcade games.
One of the earliest and most famous "mahjong solitaire" games, Shanghai is a puzzle game where players clear a formation of 144 mahjong tiles by matching unrest...
Classic turn based strategy game based on the classic Chinese novel "Water Margin."
This shape-based Russian mind-bender set the stage for innumerable puzzle games to follow.
Released by Namco for arcades in 1980, Rally-X was the first scrolling open-world video game, and the first open-world driving/racing game.
Released in 1984, Hydlide was the first open-world action RPG. It was the first on-foot, fully-scaled, open-world game, and introduced innovations such as a hea...
Sorcerian, also known as Dragon Slayer V: Sorcerian, is an action RPG released by Nihon Falcom in 1987. It was considered unique for its party-based action comb...
Battle space aliens and avoid their suicidal attacks to survive in the world of Galaxian, Namco's first installment in the Galaxian franchise. It was a technica...
Dig dug is an arcade game released in 1982. The objective is to kill the underground monsters by either squishing them under a rock through the tunnels you cre...
Archon: The Light and Dark is a popular hybrid of turn-based, chess-like strategy as well as 2-player action sequences. It has been released on numerous systems...
The third and final game in the sci-fi shoot 'em up series.
Mario steps aside to let Stanley the bugman have a go in the third Donkey Kong game.
Bosconian is an arcade multi-directional shooter where players must clear levels of enemy space stations.
A version of Lode Runner with a much harder collection of levels, intended for "champion" players. Some versions were exclusive to Japan, where Lode Runner was ...
A role-playing adventure and the second game in the Phantasie franchise. The player commands again a band of six adventurers and has to stop the Dark Lord Nicka...
Run your own video arcade and try to keep your token machines filled in this frantic action game from Brøderbund.
The first game in Koei's long-running strategy game series, based on the Chinese historical novel of the same name.
An adventure game in which, as Sir Cucumber, you must rescue Princess Tomato.
Play as chef Peter Pepper, climbing ladders and running over burger ingredients to assemble giant burgers, whilst avoiding dastardly hot dogs, pickles and frie...
The direct sequel to Ys: Ancient Ys Vanished developed by Falcom and released on a number of platforms.
Herzog is an early strategy game made by TechnoSoft and released exclusively in Japan. It ran on the MSX and NEC PC-88 home computers.
Based on the famous martial artist of the same name, Bruce Lee is a 1984 action-adventure platformer starring Bruce himself. Navigate a perilous fortress while ...
A falling-block tile-matching puzzle game by Sega in which you stack columns of jewels in order to create a three-or-more chain of the same shape and color.
Play as a flying dude holding a large cannon as he takes on giant mechs, flying mushrooms, and fire-breathing dragon skeletons.
An early Arcade action game from Taito and in many ways a precursor to their bigger hit Bubble Bobble. The player controls the eponymous avian Chack'n as she at...
A multi-directional shooter where the player commandeers a tank to destroy the enemy and protect their base.
A side scrolling action game with a female protagonist. The original 1986 8-bit game was later remade for the Genesis/MegaDrive and the PC-Engine Super CD form...
The first Ultima game to be published by Origin Systems Inc.
One of the most popular arcade games of all time, Pac-Man was released in arcades in 1980 and became a pop culture icon for the decade.
A top-down driving game for Japanese computers where you recklessly drive an eighteen-wheeler down a highway at high speeds. Cars crashing everywhere. Mass hyst...
A turn-based strategy game in which the player conquers maps with armies of summoned monsters.
Elevator Action is a 1983 arcade game by Taito where players control Agent 17, who is attempting to steal documents in a tall building.
A puzzle game from dB Soft for various home systems. It was the first dB Soft game on the Famicom. The player controls a mole-like creature named Flappy and mus...
The player has to find the Golden Idol which is hidden within a ancient Aztec temple in this 2D action-adventure platformer.
This adventure game has the player searching ancient Mayan temples for a lost professor and his team.
Traverse a vast castle with 100 puzzling rooms to rescue the imprisoned princess in this 1985 action-adventure platformer for Japanese computers.
A billiards game from HAL Laboratory. It is the first commercially released game in which Satoru Iwata was credited.
1942 is a vertical shooter set in an exaggerated World War 2 universe. It went on to be one of Capcom's very first hits.
Swing a blade and toss shuriken at enemies in this Arcade action game from Taito.
A menagerie of animals roll balls at each other across a large table, with the goal being to get every single ball into the opponent's goal simultaneously.
The seventh entry in the original Scott Adams text adventure series. This time the player finds himself hoplessly lost in the middle of a carnival fun house and...
Dragon Buster is a dungeon-crawling, arcade platformer with RPG elements, released by Namco in 1985. It was later ported to various home systems. It featured se...
Players control Flicky, a bird who must escort chicks to the exit door while avoiding cats.
Cannon Ball is a early Hudson game where players destroy large spheres with a harpoon.
Brain Breaker is an epic open-world platform-adventure for the Sharp X1 Japanese home computer. It was an early Metroidvania-style game, predating both Metroid ...
In Ice Climber the player controls a hammer wielding Eskimo that needs to climb 32 ice-covered mountains in order to recover a stolen vegetable from a giant con...
The second game in Koei's Nobunaga's Ambition series of historical simulation-strategy games set in the warring states era of Japan, and the first to be release...
The first game in the Ys series. The player controls Adol Christin who is on a quest to retrieve the six books of Ys which he will use to destroy the evil force...
An action shooter game featuring a giant robot which can transform into a jet. Trapped within a mysterious facility, the goal is to navigate 16 maze-like levels...
A role-playing game in which the player must gather a party of four warriors and battle the evil Lord Terarin. Originally released in 1986 for Japanese home com...
The earliest known card solitaire game released via retail, Solitaire Royale features 11 games: eight standard and three children's.
Excitebike is a 1985 motocross racing game for the NES. Race around premade tracks and even create custom ones!
Dragon Slayer is an action RPG designed by Yoshio Kiya and developed by Nihon Falcom. The title helped to pioneer the action RPG genre in Japan and spawned many...
An action RPG released by Nihon Falcom in 1985 that was the company's first blockbuster success, becoming one of the best selling Japanese PC games of all time.
A side scrolling arcade shoot 'em up and the first in Konami's famous series. The game became famous for its extreme difficulty and varied power-ups.
Based off the popular MAD Magazine comic strip, Spy vs. Spy is said to be one of the earliest "split screen" games. Two players are pit against each other and m...
The third game in T&E Soft's Hydlide series of action RPGs, released on various home computers and consoles. Originally released in 1987, a graphically enha...
A pinball game featuring an extra long table themed after New York City.
A classic role-playing game in which the player commands a group of one to six characters whith such roles as monk, priest, wizard, ranger, thief or fighter.
DoorDoor is an arcade-style puzzle game developed by Chunsoft founder Koichi Nakamura and published by Enix. As Enix's very first game, the player's task is to ...
Boxxle 2 is a puzzle game in which you have to push crates from point A to point B without getting them stuck.
Volume one of SSI's Forgotten Realms series in which your party sets out on a journey to save the city of Phlan from the evil Tyranthraxus.
Wizardry II continues the story arc that had started with the first game. After Werdna's defeat, a new threat arises to disrupt the peace of the kingdom. A part...
An action maze game where a mouse policeman has to find stolen goods in a house filled with crooked cats.
An early role-playing shooter released by Arsys Software for the PC-88, PC-98 and FM-7 computers in 1986 and ported to MS-DOS by Brøderbund. An early RPG-shoot...
A simple puzzle game created in 1980 by Hiroyuki Imabayashi and published by Thinking Rabbit in 1982.
Walk forward and take out the opposition in this early arcade run & gun shooter from Taito.
Romancia is the third game in Falcom's Dragon Slayer series. Because of its cute graphics and simple gameplay, it is also known as "Dragon Slayer Jr."
A train/railroad management simulation, released by Artdink in 1985. It was a landmark management simulation title, influencing a number of later games in the g...
Originally developed by Dan Gorlin of Brøderbund, Choplifter!, which claims to be the computer! game of the year, focuses on the simple mechanics of avoiding f...
The original game in the Megami Tensei franchise. Based on a novel by Aya Nishitani, it introduced many of the elements the series is known for such as demon ba...
A Nintendo Entertainment System game developed and published by Nintendo as part of their series of sports games. It can be played in singles or doubles.
An updated version of The Castle, featuring a new set of puzzles for the 100-room castle. It is best known for its NES port, which was the only version of the s...
Originally released in 1986, J.B. Harold: Murder Club is the first entry in the long-running noir adventure game series.
Grobda is a shooter released by Namco in 1984. It can be found in the Namco Museum Battle Collection.
The original golf game for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Super Mario Bros. Special is a sequel to Super Mario Bros. created by Hudson Soft. It is also the predecessor to The Lost Levels.
An adventure game created by Yuji Horii in 1985 about a young man trying to find the sister of his girlfriend.
RPG developed by Xtalsoft in 1986. It was developed for home computers and later ported to the Famicom Disk System.
An adventure game based off the anime and manga franchise of the same name published by Enix in 1984.
Wingman 2: Kitakura no Fukkatsu ("Wingman 2: Resurrection of Kitakura") is an adventure game developed by TamTam and published by Enix in 1986.
Side-scrolling shooter developed by TechnoSoft in 1983.
Mahjong game developed by Hudson Soft in 1983.
Adventure game developed by Cross Media Soft in 1984.
Simulation game created by Tsukumo in 1981.
Adventure game created by Hudson in 1983.
Adventure game created by Hudson in 1986.
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