1980s in video games

Video game-related events in 1980s thumb|right|100px|Pac-Man (1980) The 1980s was the second decade in the industry's history. It was a decade of highs and lows for video games. The decade began amidst a boom in the arcade video game business with the golden age of arcade video games, the Atari 2600's dominance of the home console market during the second generation of video game consoles, and the rising influence of home computers. However, an oversatuation of low quality games led to an implosion of the video game market that nearly destroyed the industry in North America.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvHcYe2sQ-I The Video Game Crash of 1983 YouTube Most investors believed video games to be a fad that had since passed,http://listverse.com/2011/12/08/top-10-embarrassing-moments-in-video-game-history/ Top 10 Embarrassing Moments in Video Game History up until Nintendo's success with its Nintendo Entertainment System (NES, Famicom) revived interest in game consoles and led to a recovery of the home video game industry.http://www.gamespot.com/features/flashback-nes-6144735/ A 20-Year Old Legend In the remaining years of the decade, Sega ignites a console war with Nintendo, developers that had been affected by the crash experimented with PC games,http://games.ign.com/articles/119/1195693p1.html Ten Facts about the Great Video Game Crash of '83 2012-03-12 2012-01-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20120121113548/http://games.ign.com/articles/119/1195693p1.html dead and Nintendo released the Game Boy, which would become the best-selling handheld gaming device for the next two decades.https://www.engadget.com/2010/05/07/nintendos-ds-family-becomes-best-selling-gaming-handheld-in-his/ Nintendo's DS family becomes best selling gaming handheld in history Other consoles released in the decade included the Intellivision, ColecoVision, TurboGrafx-16 (PC Engine) and Sega Genesis (Mega Drive). Notable games of the 1980s included Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., Adventure, Galaga, Duck Hunt, Tetris, The Legend of Zelda, John Madden Football, Pole Position, Final Fantasy, King's Quest, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Dragon Warrior, Double Dragon, Contra, Mega Man 2, SimCity, Sid Meier's Pirates!, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, After Burner, Prince of Persia, Toss-Up, Gauntlet, Gradius, Out Run, Manic Miner, Defender, Missile Command, Dizzy, 3D Monster Maze, Mother, Frogger, Q*bert, Mappy, Dig Dug, Pitfall!, Elite, and Maniac Mansion. Consoles of the 1980s The 1980s opened with popular holdovers like the Atari 2600, alongside newer machines chasing “arcade-at-home” fidelity such as ColecoVision (launched mid-1982 with Donkey Kong as a pack-in) and the self-contained, vector-display Vectrex.Colecovision game release dates, Atari Archive https://www.atariarchive.org/colecovision-game-release-dates/ 2025-10-02 en-US thumb thumb In Japan, Nintendo’s Family Computer (Famicom) arrived in 1983, setting the stage for the company’s U.S. push two years later with the Nintendo Entertainment System. However it wasn't an easy transition to the United States as the market had just crashed the same year as Nintendo launched their own system, the Famicom, in Japan. Thus the American debut began in New York City on Oct. 18, 1985, marketed as a toy (with R.O.B. the Robot and the Zapper Gun) to win back skeptical retailers after the market crash—an approach that helped spark a broader recovery.Brown Marcel 2025-07-15 Nintendo Releases Famicom https://thisdayintechhistory.com/07/15/nintendo-releases-famicom/ 2025-10-02 This Day in Tech History en-US Through the second half of the decade, Nintendo consolidated its lead in North America while refining a stricter publishing model: the 10NES lockout chip and licensing rules that shaped third-party game releases and distribution. thumb thumb thumb thumb Sega mounted the most persistent challenge with the Master System (sold as Mark III in Japan). While it lagged in the U.S., it had strength in places like Brazil, where local partner TecToy kept variants on store shelves for decades—an unusual long time for an ’80s console.Chauveau Philippe 2022-02-01 Still doing what “Nintendon't”: The saga of the SEGA Master System in Brazil https://commons.erau.edu/publication/2277 Publications 1–10 Atari returned with the 7800, emphasizing affordability and backward compatibility with 2600 cartridges—an early nod to preserving players’ libraries. (Modern reissues even highlight that cross-compatibility today.)Jovanée Alice 2024-08-20 Atari just announced its second retro-inspired console https://www.polygon.com/pre-order/441690/atari-7800-plus-price-availability-games/ 2025-10-02 Polygon en By the late 1980s, the conversation shifted toward higher performance: NEC and Hudson’s PC Engine (1987, Japan) and Sega’s Mega Drive/Genesis (1988 Japan; 1989 U.S.) ushered in faster scrolling, bigger sprites, and more elaborate sound, signaling the next wave of competition that would define the early 1990s.shmuplations 2022-01-03 The History of the PC Engine (1987/2003) - shmuplations.com https://shmuplations.com/pcengine/ 2025-10-02 en-US Behind the scenes, the decade also standardized features that have since become commonplace—battery-backed saves and rewritable media (e.g., Nintendo’s Disk Writer service for the Famicom Disk System)—and elevated hardware engineers like Masayuki Uemura.Kohler Chris Oct. 18, 1985: Nintendo Entertainment System Launches https://www.wired.com/2010/10/1018nintendo-nes-launches/ 2025-10-02 Wired en-US 1059-1028 History section March 2026 the United States Golden age of arcade games Golden age of arcade video games In the early-1980s, arcade games were a vibrant industry. The arcade video game industry in the US alone was generating $5 billion of revenue annually in 1981The video game explosion: a history from PONG to PlayStation and beyond Mark J.P. Wolf ABC-CLIO 978-0313338687 103 https://books.google.com/books?id=XiM0ntMybNwC&pg=PA103 2011-04-19 2008 and the number of arcades doubled between 1980 and 1982.The video game explosion: a history from PONG to PlayStation and beyond Mark J.P. Wolf ABC-CLIO 978-0313338687 105 https://books.google.com/books?id=XiM0ntMybNwC&pg=PA105 2011-04-19 2008 The effect video games had on society expanded to other mediums as well such as major films and music. In 1982, "Pac-Man Fever" charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chartshttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,921174,00.html https://web.archive.org/web/20071107105801/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,921174,00.html dead November 7, 2007 Pac-Man Fever Time Magazine 1982-04-05 2009-10-15 and Tron became a cult classic.http://archive.boston.com/ae/movies/gallery/top_cult_films/ The Boston Globe Top 20 cult films, according to our readers 17 August 2006 Third-party development and an oversaturated market Following a dispute over recognition and royalties, several of Atari's key programmers split and founded their own company Activision in late 1979.John Hubner William F. Kistner Jr What went wrong at Atari https://books.google.com/books?id=sy8EAAAAMBAJ&q=ray+kassar+insider+trading&pg=PA151 InfoWorld 1983-11-28 Activision was the first third-party developer for the Atari 2600.http://www.cgexpo.com/bios/amiller.htm Classic Gaming Expo: ALAN MILLER dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120208143935/http://www.cgexpo.com/bios/amiller.htm 2012-02-08 Atari sued Activision for copyright infringement and theft of trade secrets in 1980,https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-history-of-activision The History Of Activision but the two parties settled on fixed royalty rates and a legitimizing process for third parties to develop games on hardware.https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0202/052.html Forbes Peter C. Beller Activision's Unlikely Hero 2 February 2009 In the aftermath of the lawsuit, an oversaturated market resulted in companies that had never had an interest in video games before beginning to work on their own games and acquire software houses, for instance, Parker Brothers, the board game giant owned at the time by General Mills, developed video games, which spurred the acquisition of U.S. Games by Quaker Oats to compete.Prince Suzan D. September 1983 Faded Glory: The Decline, Fall and Possible Salvation of Home Video https://archive.org/stream/Video_Games_Volume_1_Number_12_1983-09_Pumpkin_Press_US#page/n17/mode/2up 2016-02-24 Video Games Pumpkin Press 18–20, 77 The market was also flooded with too many consoles and what were seen as too many poor quality games,http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg80-over.htm History of the Video Game Console : 1980s elements that would contribute to the collapse of the entire video game industry in 1983. American video game crash of 1983 Video game crash of 1983 By 1983, the video game bubble created during the golden age had burst and several major companies that produced computers and consoles had gone into bankruptcy.http://www.time.com/time/interactive/0,31813,2029221,00.html https://web.archive.org/web/20110120004122/http://www.time.com/time/interactive/0,31813,2029221,00.html dead January 20, 2011 A History of Video Game Consoles Time Atari reported a $536 million loss in 1983.http://www.snopes.com/business/market/atari.asp Five Million E.T. Pieces Some entertainment experts and investors lost confidence in the medium and believed it was a passing fad.http://www.insidegamingdaily.com/2011/02/24/all-your-history-the-video-game-crash-of-1983-continue/ All Your History: The Video Game Crash of 1983 A game often given poster child status to this era, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial had such bad sale figures that the remaining unsold cartridges were buried in the deserts of New Mexico.http://www.gamespy.com/articles/115/1157331p2.html 10 Ridiculous Old-School Video Game Rumors (That Were Actually True)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvHcYe2sQ-I&feature=player_embedded#! The Video Game Crash of 1983 YouTube Rise of computer gaming thumb The brunt of the crash was felt mainly across the home console market, localized within the United States. Home computer gaming continued to thrive in this time period, especially with lower-cost machines such as the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum and IBM Personal Computer. Some computer companies adopted aggressive advertising strategies to compete with gaming consoles and to promote their educational appeal to parents as well.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2jRuh1bAxw https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/J2jRuh1bAxw 2021-12-20 live 80's Radio Shack Color Computer Commercial YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK9VU1aJvTI https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/UK9VU1aJvTI 2021-12-20 live Commodore VIC-20 ad with William Shatner YouTube Home computers also allowed motivated users to develop their own games, and many notable titles were created this way, such as Jordan Mechner's Karateka, which he wrote on an Apple II while in college.Jordan Mechner's Karateka remake looks to modernize a classic story Polygon http://www.polygon.com/2012/11/7/3612408/karateka-remake-jordan-mechner-modernize-classic-story In the late 1980s, IBM PC compatibles became popular as gaming devices, with more memory and higher resolutions than consoles, but lacking in the custom hardware that allowed the slower console systems to create smooth visuals.Hague James Why Do Dedicated Game Consoles Exist? http://prog21.dadgum.com/181.html American rejuvenation By 1985, the home market console in North America had been dormant for nearly two years. Elsewhere, video games continued to be a staple of innovation and development. After seeing impressive numbers from its Famicom system in Japan, Nintendo decided to jump into the North American market by releasing the Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES for short. After release it took several years to build up momentum, but despite the pessimism of critics it became a success. Nintendo is credited with reviving the home console market within the United States. One innovation that led to Nintendo's success was its ability to tell stories on an inexpensive home console; something that was more common for home computer games, but had only been seen on consoles in a limited fashion. Nintendo also took measures to prevent another crash by requiring third-party developers to adhere to regulations and standards, something that has existed on major consoles since then. One requirement was a "lock and key" system to prevent reverse engineering. It also forced third parties to pay in full for their cartridges before release, so that in case of a flop, the liability will be on the developer and not the provider.http://www.nintendojo.com/features/editorials/striking-a-balance Striking a BalanceIs Nintendo digging its grave with shovelware? Notable video-game franchises established in the 1980s thumb|right|North American flyer for Frogger thumb|A Pole Position cabinet in Berlin, Germany thumb|Pac-Man merchandise released in the 1980s, displayed at the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego thumb|Dragon Warrior, released as Dragon Quest in Japan, introduced the famous Slime character thumb|Japanese Famicom box art for Mother thumb|Loading screen of Manic Miner Arcades 22em 1942 (1984) After Burner (1987) Altered Beast (1988) Arkanoid (1986) Balloon Fight (1984) Baraduke (1985) Battlezone (1980) Berzerk (1980) Bionic Commando (1987) Bomb Jack (1984) Bubble Bobble (1986) BurgerTime (1982) Centipede (1981) Contra (1987) Darius (1987) Defender (1981) Dig Dug (1982) Donkey Kong (1981) Double Dragon (1987) Dragon's Lair (1983) Fantasy Zone (1986) Final Fight (1989) Frenzy (1982) Frogger (1981) Gauntlet (1985) Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985) Golden Axe (1989) Golden Tee Golf (1989) Gradius (1985) Hang-On (1985) Joust (1982) Jungle King (1982) Kunio-kun (1986) Ikari Warriors (1986) Mappy (1983) Missile Command (1980) Mr. Do! (1982) Ms. Pac-Man2 (1982) Ninja Gaiden (1988) OutRun (1986) Pac-Man (1980) Paperboy (1985) Pocky & Rocky (1986) Pole Position (1982) Punch-Out!! (1984) Q*bert (1982) Qix (1981) Rally-X (1980) Rampage (1986) Red Baron (1981) Robotron: 2084 (1982) R-Type (1987) Rush'n Attack (1985) Shinobi (1987) Space Harrier (1985) Spy Hunter (1983) Street Fighter (1987) Strider (1989) Super Cobra (1981) Tempest (1981) Track & Field (1983) Tron1 (1982) TwinBee (1985) Wonder Boy (1986) World Stadium (1988) Xevious (1982) Zaxxon (1982) Consoles and home computers 22em Adventure Island (1986) Alien1 (1982) Alternate Reality (1985) Alex Kidd (1986) The Bard's Tale (1985) Batman1 (1986) BattleTech (1988) Blaster Master (1988) Bomberman2 (1983) Bonk (1989) Boulder Dash (1984) Carmen Sandiego (1985) Castlevania (1986) Chip's Challenge (1989) Choplifter (1982) Dizzy (1987) Dragon Ball1 (1986) Dragon Quest (1986) Dragon Slayer (1984) Dungeons & Dragons (1988) Dungeon Explorer (1989) Dungeon Master (1987) Elite (1984) Excitebike (1984) Famicom Detective Club (1988) Family Stadium (1986) Final Fantasy (1987) Fire Pro Wrestling (1989) G.I. Joe1 (1983) Godzilla1 (1983) Giana Sisters (1987) Horace (1982) James Bond1 (1983) Jetpac (1983) Kid Icarus (1986) King's Quest (1980) Last Ninja (1987) The Legend of Heroes (1989) The Legend of Zelda (1986) Leisure Suit Larry (1987) Lode Runner (1983) Madden NFL (1988) Maniac Mansion (1987) Manic Miner (1983) MechWarrior2 (1989) Mega Man (1987) Megami Tensei (1987) Metal Gear (1987) Metroid (1986) Microsoft Flight Simulator (1982) Middle-earth1 (1982) Might and Magic (1986) Monty Mole (1984) Mother (1989) Parodius (1988) Phantasie (1985) Phantasy Star (1987) Pitfall! (1982) Police Quest (1987) Populous (1989) Prince of Persia (1989) The Prisoner1 (1980) RealSports (1982) RoboCop1 (1988) Rocky's Boots (1982) Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1985) SaGa (1989) Shadow of the Beast (1989) SimCity (1989) Space Quest (1986) Spider-Man1 (1982) Star Raiders (1980) Star Soldier (1986) Super Mario2 (1985) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles1 (1989) Test Drive (1987) Tetris (1985) Thunder Force (1983) Ultima (1981) Wasteland (1988) Wizardry (1981) Wolfenstein (1981) X-Men1 (1989) Ys (1987) Notes: 1Game franchises that also accompany major film or television franchises. 2Game franchises that are considered spin-offs of previously established franchises. Financial performance Highest-grossing arcade games of the decade List of highest-grossing arcade games The following titles were the highest-grossing arcade video games of each year in the 1980s, in terms of coin drop earnings. +Highest-grossing arcade games of the 1980s Year Market Chart(s) Title Revenue Inflation Developer Manufacturer(s) Genre Ref Reference(s) 1980 Worldwide rowspan="3" Pac-Man 6 billion no US 6 1982 billion no Namco Namco / Midway Maze Uncle John's Legendary Lost Bathroom Reader September 1999 Portable Press 978-1-879682-74-0 373 https://books.google.com/books?id=OdxLduEdxmcC In 1982 alone, Americans pumped $6 billion in quarters into Pac-Man's mouth—more than they spent in Las Vegas casinos and movie theatres combined.Uncle John's Legendary Lost Bathroom Reader November 2012 Simon and Schuster 978-1-60710-670-8 348 https://books.google.com/books?id=QClZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT348 In 1982 alone, Americans pumped $6 billion in quarters into Pac-Man's mouth—more than they spent in Las Vegas casinos and movie theatres combined. 1981 1982 1983 Worldwide Pole Position colspan="2" Namco Namco / Atari Racing Racing Games Roundup: Facts Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008 https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec00guin_0/page/153 Little Brown Books 1541984 UK Track & Field colspan="2" Konami Konami Olympic sports January 1986 Commando: Soldier of Fortune https://archive.org/details/your-sinclair-01/page/n53 Your Sinclair 1 54 USA AMOA Pole Position colspan="2" Namco Atari Racing Michael Jackson Sweeps AMOA Awards; 'Pole Position' Wins In Games Division Cash Box November 10, 1984 31, 33 https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-11-10.pdf#page=31 RePlay Pole Position II colspan="2" Namco Atari Racing Top Hits of Last 5 Years RePlay March 19871985 UK Commando colspan="2" Capcom Capcom Run-and-gun USA Play Meter Hang-On colspan="2" Sega Sega Racing December 1994 1985 https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-20-number-13-december-1994/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2020%2C%20Number%2013%20-%20December%201994/page/74 Play Meter 20 13 74 RePlay Karate Champ colspan="2" Technōs Data East FightingNovember 1985 1985 Operator Survey: This Poll Says Go Gettum! https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985/page/93 RePlay 11 2 91-102 (93-4) 1986 Japan Game Machine Hang-On colspan="2" Sega Sega Racing Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '86 上半期 Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: First Half '86 Game Machine 288 Amusement Press, Inc. 15 July 1986 28 ja https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860715p.pdf#page=1515 January 1987 Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '86 下半期 Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: Second Half '86 https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19870115p.pdf#page=9 Game Machine [musement Press, Inc. 300 16 ja UK Electrocoin (London) Nemesis (Gradius) colspan="2" Konami Konami Scrolling shooter 1986 Top Ten Coin-Ops Sinclair User February 1987 59 96 https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-059/page/n94/mode/1up USA Play Meter Gauntlet colspan="2" Atari Games Atari Games Hack-and-slash December 1994 1986 https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-20-number-13-december-1994/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2020%2C%20Number%2013%20-%20December%201994/page/76 Play Meter 20 13 76 RePlay Hang-On colspan="2" Sega Sega Racing Top 20 of 1986 Top Score July–August 1987 Amusement Players Association 3 http://www.videoparadise-sanjose.com/ts-3.htm 1987 Japan Gamest / Game Machine Out Run colspan="2" rowspan="2" SegaSegaDriving 87' ゲーメスト大賞 87' Gamest Awards Gamest December 28, 1987 17 (February 1988) http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~dummy/gamest/magazine/gamest/v017.html 26–38 ja15 January 1988 Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '87 https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19880115p.pdf#page=11 Game Machine Amusement Press, Inc. 324 20 jaUSA Play MeterSegaSegaDrivingDecember 1994 1987 https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-20-number-13-december-1994/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2020%2C%20Number%2013%20-%20December%201994/page/78 Play Meter 20 13 78 1988 Japan Gamest / Game Machine After Burner colspan="2" Sega Sega Air combat 第２回ゲーメスト大賞 2nd Gamest Awards Gamest December 27, 1988 29 (February 1989) http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~dummy/gamest/magazine/gamest/v029.html 26–41 ja15 January 1989 Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '88 / "Game of the Year '88" By Game Machine https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19890115p.pdf#page=6 Game Machine Amusement Press, Inc. 348 10–1, 26 ja Hong Kong Bondeal RoboCop colspan="2" Data East Data East Action The World's Largest Arcade ACE 6 April 1989 20 (May 1989) 23 https://archive.org/details/ACE_Issue_20_1989-05_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n22/mode/1up UK Operation Wolf colspan="2" Taito Taito Light gun shooter Coin-Ops: SU Awards '88 Sinclair User 18 December 1988 82 (January 1989) 98–9 https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-082/page/n97 USA Play Meter Double Dragon colspan="2" Technōs Taito Beat 'em upDecember 1994 1988 https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-20-number-13-december-1994/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2020%2C%20Number%2013%20-%20December%201994/page/80 Play Meter 20 13 801989 Japan Dedicated cabinet Final Lap colspan="2" Namco Namco Racing 15 January 1990 Videos of The Year; "Tetris", "Chase H.Q." https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19900115p.pdf#page=14 Game Machine Amusement Press, Inc. 372 26 ja Conversion kit Tetris colspan="2" Sega Sega Puzzle December 27, 1989 第３回 ゲーメスト大賞 3rd Gamest Awards http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~dummy/gamest/magazine/gamest/v041.html Gamest ja 41 (February 1990) 52–79USA AMOA (dedicated) Double Dragon colspan="2" Technōs Taito Beat 'em upAMOA Jukebox, Games & Cigarette Vending Awards Winners Cash Box 1989-09-30 36 https://archive.org/details/cashbox53unse_10/page/36 Cash Box Pub. Co. AMOA (conversion kit) Capcom Bowling colspan="2" Strata Capcom SportsRePlay (dedicated)Super Off Road colspan="2" Leland Leland RacingJanuary 1990 Special Report: 1989's Best Videos and Pins https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-14-issue-no.-4-january-1990-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2014%2C%20Issue%20No.%204%20-%20January%201990/page/44 RePlay 15 4 44, 46, 4 RePlay (conversion kit) Ninja Gaiden colspan="2" Tecmo Tecmo Beat 'em up Best-selling home video games of the decade The following table lists the top 20 best-selling home video games of the 1980s. Note that video game sales numbers were not as widely reported during the 1980s, with the exception of titles published by Nintendo and Atari, Inc. + Best-selling home video games of the 1980s (as of 2015) No. Number Title Units sold Initial release date Platform(s) Genre Developer Publisher(s) Ref Reference(s) 1 Super Mario Bros. 40.24 million 1985 09 13 NES Platformer Nintendo R&D4 Nintendohttps://theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/13/games-gameculture Super Mario Bros: 25 Mario facts for the 25th anniversary Keith Stewart September 13, 2010 The Guardian March 14, 2018 live https://web.archive.org/web/20170825023929/https://theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/13/games-gameculture August 25, 2017 mdy-all 2 Tetris (Game Boy) 35 million 1989 6 14 Game Boy Puzzle Nintendo R&D1 Nintendo'Tetris' by the numbers http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2009/06/68024593/1 USA Today Saltzman, Marc June 12, 2009 June 13, 2009 3 Duck Hunt 28.31 million 1984 04 29 NES Light gun shooter Nintendo R&D1 Nintendohttp://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/04/the-best-video-games-to-come-out-every-year-since-the-atari-2600/duck-hunt 1984: Duck Hunt - The Best Selling Video Game Of Every Year Since 1977 Welch Hanuman Complex April 23, 2013 April 26, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170424174120/http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/04/the-best-video-games-to-come-out-every-year-since-the-atari-2600/duck-hunt April 24, 2017 live 4 Super Mario Land 18.14 million 1989 04 21 Game Boy Platformer Nintendo R&D1 Nintendohttp://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2015/09/30-best-selling-super-mario-games-of-all-time-on-the-plumbers-30th-birthday/ 30 Best-Selling Super Mario Games of All Time on the Plumber's 30th Birthday O'Malley James Gizmodo September 11, 2015 April 26, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170228130418/http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2015/09/30-best-selling-super-mario-games-of-all-time-on-the-plumbers-30th-birthday/ February 28, 2017 dead 5 Super Mario Bros. 3 17.28 million 1988 10 23 NES Platformer Nintendo EAD Nintendo 6 Donkey Kong 15.05 million 1982-06 G&W, Coleco, Atari, NES Platformer Nintendo R&D1 Coleco, Atari CorporationGame & Watch version sold 8 million.Epstein David David Epstein (journalist) Chapter 9: Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World 27 June 2019 Pan Macmillan 978-1-5098-4351-0 196 https://books.google.com/books?id=oEGCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT196 The Donkey Kong Game & Watch was released in 1982 and alone sold eight million units. ColecoVision version sold 2 million.McFerran Damien Feature: How ColecoVision Became the King of Kong https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2010/09/feature_how_colecovision_became_the_king_of_kong 2 April 2021 Nintendo Life 18 September 2010 Atari VCS version sold 4 million in 1982,Kitchen Garry E. Garry Kitchen Garry E. Kitchen Expert Report of Garry E. Kitchen March 5, 2010 United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio 2 https://www.muddlawoffices.com/cases/allisonvwise/ohio/msj/064-12%20Exhibit%20M.pdf#page=27 Designed & programmed Atari 2600 adaptation of hit arcade game Donkey Kong, 1982 wholesale revenues in excess of $100 million on 4 million units. and between 1987 and 1990.Vendel Curt May 28, 2009 Site News http://www.atarimuseum.com/whatsnew/2009-MAY-28.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20101206090952/http://www.atarimuseum.com/whatsnew/2009-MAY-28.html 2010-12-06 2021-11-27 Atari Museum Famicom version sold 840,000.http://www.nintendojofr.com/redaction/editoriaux/?id=aVAd Japan Sales September 26, 2006 Nintendojo https://web.archive.org/web/20080730022258/http://www.nintendojofr.com/redaction/editoriaux/?id=aVAd July 30, 2008 October 9, 2008 (Translation https://web.archive.org/web/20210630133150/https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A//web.archive.org/web/20080730022258/http%3A//www.nintendojofr.com/redaction/editoriaux/%3Fid%3DaVAd June 30, 2021 ) Atari 8-bit computer version sold . 7 Pac-Man 11.15 million 1982 VCS, Coleco, NES, PC Maze Namco Atari, Coleco, Namco, Thunder MountainPac-Man: Atari 2600 version (1982) 8,095,586 game cartridges (7,956,413 by 1983,Cartridge Sales Since 1980 Atari Corp. Via The Agony & The Ecstasy Once Upon Atari August 10, 2003 4 23 Scott West Productions between 1986 and 1990) Coleco tabletop version (1982) 1.5 million unitsColeco Mini-Arcades Go Gold Arcade Express August 15, 1982 1 1 http://www.digitpress.com/library/newsletters/arcadeexpress/arcade_express_v1n1.pdf February 3, 2012 4 November 8, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121108044413/http://www.digitpress.com/library/newsletters/arcadeexpress/arcade_express_v1n1.pdf live Pac-Man Nelsonic Game Watch (1982) 500,000+ unitsShea Tom Shrinking Pac-Man leads game-wristwatch market InfoWorld 20 December 1982 4 50 44–5 https://books.google.com/books?id=FTAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44 InfoWorld Media Group, Inc. 0199-6649 Family Computer (Famicom) version 480,000 cartridges in JapanGame Search (based on Famitsu data) https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search Game Data Library March 16, 2020 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190424035430/https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search April 24, 2019 March 1, 2020 Atari 5200 version cartridges (between 1986 and 1988) Atari XE computer version copies (between 1986 and 1990) Thunder Mountain's home computer budget release (1986) 500,000+ copiesWorley, Joyce Mega Hits: The Best of the Best Video Games & Computer Entertainment 11 December 1989 https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Computer_Entertainment_Issue_11_December_1989 130–132, 137, 138 8 Tetris (NES) 8 million 1989 11 NES Puzzle Nintendo R&D1 Nintendo Tetris: From Russia With Love https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074pz0 BBC Four Director/Producer: Magnus Temple; Executive Producer: Nick Southgate BBC BBC Four 2004 51:23 The real winners were Nintendo. To date, Nintendo dealers across the world have sold 8 million Tetris cartridges on the Nintendo Entertainment system. 9 Super Mario Bros. 2 7.46 million 1988 10 09 NES Platformer Nintendo EAD Nintendo 10 The Legend of Zelda 6.51 million 1986 02 21 NES Action-adventure Nintendo EAD Nintendohttp://www.the-magicbox.com/game032504.shtml March 25, 2004 March 25, 2004 The Magic Box April 1, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20051126100623/http://www.the-magicbox.com/game032504.shtml November 26, 2005 11 Space Invaders 6.09 million 1980 03 Atari VCS Shoot 'em up Taito Atari, Inc.1,318,655 in 1980. 2,964,137 in 1981. 1,373,033 in 1982. 435,353 in 1983. 12 The Last Ninja 2 5.5 million 1988 8 29 Computers Action-adventure System 3 ActivisionMark Cale interrogation Retro Gamer October 2005 18 56–57 (57) https://archive.org/details/Retro_Gamer_UK_18/page/n51 13 Pitfall! 5 million 1982 04 20 Multi-platform Platformer Activision ActivisionDawson Angela Pitfall Harry to Life for Activision Adweek 1998 4 https://books.google.com/books?id=NOsdAQAAMAAJ A/S/M Communications. The pit-hopping action game has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. 14 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 4.38 million 1987 01 14 NES Action role-playing Nintendo EAD Nintendohttp://www.rpgamer.com/news/japan/rp033104.html Xenogears vs. Tetris Parton Rob RPGamer March 31, 2004 April 6, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20130202170610/http://www.rpgamer.com/news/japan/rp033104.html February 2, 2013 dead 15 Excitebike 4.16 million 1984 11 30 NES Racing Nintendo R&D1 NintendoCESA Games White Papers Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association 16 Frogger 4.1 million 1982-08 Atari VCS, Computers Action Konami Parker Brothers, Sierra On-LineThe Atari VCS version by Parker Brothers sold 4 million cartridges in 1982.Ed English: 2600 (Frogger, Mr. Do!, Roc 'n Rope) https://www.digitpress.com/library/newsletters/digitalpress/dp52.pdf#page=7 19 April 2021 Digital Press 52 May–June 2003 7 Sierra's home computer version sold more than 100,000 copies in the United States by 1985.Petska-Juliussen Karen Juliussen Egil The Computer Industry Almanac 1990 1990 Brady 978-0-13-154122-1 New York 3.10–11 https://archive.org/details/computerindustry00kare/page/n265/mode/2up 17 Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? 4 million June 1, 1985 Multi-platform Educational Broderbund Broderbundhttps://books.google.com/books?id=vAsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA91 That's Edutainment Billboard May 1, 1995 107 19 91 0006-2510 Nielsen Business Media August 8, 2009 The Last Ninja 4 million 1987 Commodore 64 Action-adventure System 3 Activision Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4 million 1989-05-12 NES Action-platformer Konami Ultra GamesKent Steven L. Steven L. Kent June 16, 2010 The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond... The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World https://books.google.com/books?id=PTrcTeAqeaEC&pg=PT571 New York City, New York Crown Archetype 571 978-0761536437 April 22, 2017 Populous 4 million June 5, 1989 Multi-platform God game Bullfrog Productions Electronic Artshttp://www.lionhead.com/about.html About Lionhead Studios January 8, 2008 Lionhead Studios https://web.archive.org/web/20071211003352/http://www.lionhead.com/about.html December 11, 2007 Best-selling home systems of the decade The following table lists the top 20 best-selling home systems in the 1980s, including home video game consoles, handheld game consoles, handheld electronic games, and personal computers. + Best-selling home systems in the 1980s No. Number System(s) Manufacturer Type Generation Release Hardware salesSoftware sales Japan USA Europe Korea Worldwide As ofUSAAs of 1Famicom / NES NintendoConsoleThird198314,630,000小川 (Ogawa) 純生 (Sumio) 2010-12-14 テレビゲーム機の変遷 —ファミコン、スーパーファミコン、プレステ、プレステ2、Wiiまで— Recent Developments in Video Game Technology in Japan — Famicom, Super Famicom, Play Station, Play Station 2 and Wii — http://www.toyo.ac.jp/uploaded/attachment/3049.pdf 経営論集 (Keiei Ronshū) ja March 2011 77 1–17 (2) 0286-6439 https://web.archive.org/web/20150725185700/http://www.toyo.ac.jp/uploaded/attachment/3049.pdf 2015-07-25 2021-12-06 Toyo University Academic Information Repository (Toyo University)+Ramirez Anthony 1990-12-08 Waiting for the Zapping of Nintendo en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/08/business/waiting-for-the-zapping-of-nintendo.html 2021-12-09 0362-43311,000,000Europe: consoles contre micros Europe: consoles against microphones Tilt 23 to 24 fr20,000게임월드 1994 Game World ko36,450,0001989101,500,000Vogel Harold L. https://books.google.com/books?id=BfyFFCyRvX0C&pg=PA397 Entertainment Industry Economics: A Guide for Financial Analysis 2010-12-20 Cambridge University Press 978-1-139-49732-9 3971989 2Game & WatchNintendoHandheld 1980 +昔(1970年代）のテレビゲームは何台売れた？ How many old (1970s) video games sold? https://www.ne.jp/asahi/cvs/odyssey/hyperlink/setframe_dataroom_numbers1.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20140109231757/http://www.ne.jp/asahi/cvs/odyssey/hyperlink/setframe_dataroom_numbers1.html 2014-01-09 16 April 2021 Classic Videogame Station Odyssey jahttps://books.google.com/books?id=PmyxAAAAIAAJ Japan Company Handbook 1982 Toyo Keizai 729 In Aug. '82 term, sales of "Game & Watch" will increase from 4.6 million to 7 million units1982 3Atari 2600 (Atari VCS)AtariConsoleSecond1977 +6 March 1986 Where every home game turns out to be a winter 15 The Guardian https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18547690/the-guardian/ 3 October 2021Rubin Michael Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution 2006 Triad Publishing Company 978-0-937404-67-6 291-314 (293-4) Eighteen: A Hole in the Desert [1982–1983] https://www.gamasutra.com/features/20051221/Droidmaker.Ch18.pdf#page=91986 rowspan="10" rowspan="10" 4Commodore 64CommodoreComputer8-bit1982 13,700,000Reimer Jeremy 2005-12-15 Total share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures https://arstechnica.com/features/2005/12/total-share/ 2021-11-27 Ars Technica en-us Jeremy Reimer 2012-12-07 Total Share: Personal Computer Market Share 1975-2010 https://jeremyreimer.com/rockets-item.lsp?p=137 Jeremy Reimer1989 5IBM PCIBMComputer8/16-bit1981 6,952,600+3.575 million up until 1984. 1.4 million in 1985.Dixon Bradford N. May 1986 Pulse Train: Fine Times in Fort Worth https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/Documents/Magazines/80%20Micro/1986/80%20Micro%20-%208605%20-%20May%201986.pdf#page=23 80 Micro 76 21–2 1.229 million in 1988.The Bandito September 1989 Roomers: Number Crunching https://archive.org/details/amazing-computing-magazine-1989-09/page/n69/mode/2up Amazing Computing for the Commodore Amiga 4 9 67-70 (69-70) 748,600+ in 1989.19896ZX81 / ZX SpectrumSinclairComputer8-bit1981 5,000,000Mott Tony Videogaming: The Odyssey Edge Future plc Bath 80 76 January 2000 https://archive.org/details/EDGE.N080.2000.01/page/76/mode/2up1985 7Apple IIApple Inc.Computer8-bit1977 4,487,0001989 8NEC UltraLite / PC-88 / PC-98NECComputer8/16-bit19814,040,000See Market share of personal computer vendors Japan.+8 January 1990 Amid industry pessiminism, micro sales rose https://books.google.com/books?id=FMbci6pHoa0C&pg=PA34 Computerworld IDG Enterprise 24 2 34 0010-48414,251,000+19899Famicom Disk SystemNintendoConsole8-bit19864,000,000Sheff David https://archive.org/details/0966961706 Game Over: How Nintendo conquered the world 1994 Vintage Books 9780307800749 1st Vintage books New York 780180879 July 27, 2019 4,000,0001989 10MSXASCII Corp.Computer8-bit1983 4,000,000Watanabe Teresa 1990-06-10 Toward Creativity In Japan : 'Steve Jobs of Japan' Dispels Old Myths https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-10-fi-361-story.html 2021-12-12 Los Angeles Times en-US1989 11Sega Mark III/Master SystemSegaConsoleThird19851,440,000Tanaka Tatsuo http://www.stat.go.jp/english/info/meetings/iaos/pdf/tanaka.pdf#page=2 Network Externality and Necessary Software Statistics August 2001 Statistics Bureau of Japan 2+February 1987 Comparing the New Videogame Systems http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/newsletters/video_game_update/computer_entertainer_feb87.pdf Computer Entertainer 5 11 13March 1988 Las Vegas, un coup de joystick dans le sable Las Vegas, a joystick in the sand http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Tilt/tilt_numero052/TILT%20-%20n052%20-%20mars%201988%20-%20page018%20et%20019.jpg Tilt fr 52 18–23 (19)Holiday Gift Guide: Fantasy Games Remain Popular With Young Video Fans https://newspaperarchive.com/aiken-standard-dec-01-1988-p-21/ 8 December 2021 Aiken Standard 1 December 1988 21700,000130,0003,935,000+1989 12MacintoshApple Inc.Computer16-bit1984 3,502,0001989 13IntellivisionMattelConsoleSecond1979 3,000,000+Hayes Thomas C. 1984-02-04 Mattel Is Counting on Its Toys en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/04/business/mattel-is-counting-on-its-toys.html 2021-12-11 0362-43311983 14Coleco Mini-ArcadeColecoDedicated 1982 3,000,000January 30, 1983 More Mini-Arcades Coming From Coleco 1 2 Arcade Express 13 http://www.digitpress.com/library/newsletters/arcadeexpress/arcade_express_v1n13.pdf#page=2 3,000,0001982 15PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16NECConsole8/16-bit19872,350,000300,000Rothstein Edward 1990-04-26 Electronics Notebook; Adventures in Never-Never Land en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/26/garden/electronics-notebook-adventures-never-never-land-revenge-shinobi-ninja-without.html 2021-12-09 0362-4331 2,650,000+1989 colspan="2" rowspan="7" 16Game BoyNintendoHandheld8-bit19891,480,0001,000,000 2,500,0001991 Asiaweek https://books.google.com/books?id=hIMMAQAAMAAJ Asiaweek 2 Introduced in 1989, Game Boy sold 2.5 million units that year and 10 million in 1990.1989 17ColecoVisionColecoConsoleSecond1982 2,000,000McFerran Damien 18 September 2010 Feature: How ColecoVision Became the King of Kong Nintendo Life https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2010/09/feature_how_colecovision_became_the_king_of_kong 2 April 2021 2,000,000+198418Amstrad CPCAmstradComputer8-bit1984 2,000,000December 1989 Guerre Dans Le Salon War in the Living Room https://abandonware-magazines.org/affiche_mag.php?mag=48&num=2280&album=oui Science & Vie Micro 67 126–8 fr 2,000,000+198919Atari 8-bit computersAtariComputer8-bit1979 1,900,000198920AmigaCommodoreComputer16-bit1985 1,600,0001989 Hardware timeline The following gallery highlights hardware used to predominantly play games throughout the 1980s. Notes References Video games 1980s video games Category:Video games by decade