2016 Marks Anniversary For A Range of Retro Games
This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Nintendo 64 games console and a glut of retro games that will make you shiver when you realise how old they are. We hope it doesn’t make you feel too old as well.
Donkey Kong
Can you believe Donkey Kong is thirty-five years old? I guess you can if you acknowledge you are under 35. But if you’re older it’s hard isn’t it! Having hit the shelves in 1981, Donkey Kong has continued to hit the spot for three and half decades and is still going strong. Our favourite Gorilla has produced a wide series of games, spin-offs and has been the inspiration for many other video games since.
Legend of Zelda
First released in February 1986 on the NES games console, The Legend of Zelda, became a legend in her own right by teaching gamers there was more to video games than only moving left and right. The designers, Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka were able to do that by not giving the player a map to follow. The idea became a blueprint for dozens of games that do not include maps.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog was Sega’s response to Nintendo’s Super Mario which had gained worldwide recognition since its release in 1985. Sonic didn’t make an appearance until 1991, but it did make a bigger impact in a shorter space of time. The super hedgehog with attitude has since become Sega’s mascot and 25 years on is still flying the flag for the Sega Mega Drive Genesis.
Metroid
Metroid was first released three decades ago and when you look back over the history of video games, you can see a multitude of them were influenced by this NES superstar. Maybe you know the term “Metroid-vania.” To celebrate the 30th Anniversary, the bounty hunter Samus Aran made a re-appearance in more than half a decade this year in Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Crash Bandicoot
In the 1990’s it became a trend for video games manufacturers to develop a mascot. Sony’s attempt for the PlayStation was the cool Australian marsupial, Crash Bandicoot which hit the shelves in September 1996. A series of shoot-offs were released up until 2007, but a scaling down in Sony Entertainment has seen Crash Bandicoot crash. Until this year, when it was announced Bandicoot will be a playable character in a new game called, Skylanders: Imaginators.
Mortal Kombat
Originally released for the PlayStation in 1996, Mortal Kombat was the most gruesome and violent video arcade on the streets – and we loved it. It would inspire even more violent games and 20 years later the franchise is still rattling controllers.
Breakout
The oldest of the birthday boys this year is Breakout, first released for the Atari in 1976. The game was co-created by the founders of Apple, the two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak together with their pal, the gaming godfather, Nolan Bushnell. Breakout has influenced so may games in the last forty years, we’ve lost count.
What is favourite retro game over 20 years old? Leave a comment in the field below and let us know.
About the author
Zeeshan Mallick
Co-Founder of SuperRetroGamer.com
