Replay: The History of Video Games (65 page)

Running and gunning highlights:

• Commando
  (1985, Capcom, Tokuro Fujiwara, Coin-op, Japan): Vertically scrolling run-and-gun game that inspired the superior
  Ikari Warriors
  (1986, SNK, Coin-op, Japan), which offered a two-player mode and tanks to drive.
  
• The Killing Game Show / Fatal Rewind
  (1990, Psygnosis, Raising Hell Software, Amiga, UK): Metallic platforming shoot ’em up where the action can be rewound or fast forwarded.
  
• Turrican
  (1990, Rainbow Arts, Factor 5, Amiga, West Germany): Metroid-esque in its desire to let players roam. Boasted some great weapons, not the least the 360°-rotation lightning gun that burns through everything in its way.
  
• Gunstar Heroes
  (1993, Sega, Treasure, Megadrive, Japan): Raw fast-paced action. One of the greatest run-and-gun games along with:
  
• Metal Slug 3
  (2000, SNK, Neo Geo, Japan): Punchy action and great cartoony visuals.
  
• Alien Hominid
  (2002, The Behemoth, Online: Flash, USA): An internet sensation that introduced a new generation to run-and-gun games.
  

Zaxxon
(1982, Sega, Coin-op, Japan) applied isometric visuals to the shooter, but few followed its lead. The most notable are the impressive but tough
Viewpoint
(1992, SNK, Aicom, Coin-op, Japan) and the Gulf War-inspired
Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf
(1992, Electronic Arts, Mike Posehn, Megadrive, USA).

Others also fell outside the convenient vertical-horizontal divide:

• Raid on Bungeling Bay
  (1984, Brøderbund, Will Wright, Commodore 64, USA): A multi-directional helicopter-based race to destroy the enemy’s ever-growing defences and factories. Will Wright’s first game.
  
• Gauntlet
  (1985, Atari Games, Ed Logg, Coin-op, USA): Four-player fantasy fun. Also see the Bitmap Brothers’ steam punk reworking:
  The Chaos Engine
  (1993, Renegade, Bitmap Brothers, Amiga, UK)
  
• Space Harrier
  (1985, Sega, Yu Suzuki, Coin-op, Japan): Lurid colours, one-eyed mammoths, swooping Chinese dragons and giant mushrooms make this into-the-screen shooter a freaky ride.
  
• After Burner
  (1987, Sega, Yu Suzuki, Coin-op, Japan): Jet fighter air battles. Evolved into Suzuki’s head-spinning 360°-motion game:
  R-360 G-Loc Air Battle
  (1990, Sega, Yu Suzuki, Coin-op, Japan).
  
• Worms
  (1994, Ocean Software, Team 17, PC: MS-DOS [Xbox 360], UK): A wickedly funny update of the artillery games of the early 1980s that is as vital now as it was back in 1994.
  
• Max Payne
  (2001, Gathering of Developers, Remedy Entertainment, PC: Windows, Finland): Gritty noir third-person shooter that stood out for its ‘bullet time’ effect where players could slow time during the intense gun fights. Its equally good sequel:
  Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
  (2003, Rockstar Games, Remedy Entertainment, PC: Windows, Finland).
  

Ping-Pong & Pong

Ping-Pong
(1972, Magnavox, Ralph Baer & Bill Rusch, Magnavox Odyssey, USA): The first bat ’n‘ ball video game. Originally made in 1967 but had to wait five years to escape the workshop. Within a few months of its release there was:

• Pong
  (1972, Atari, Al Alcorn, Coin-op, USA): The moment the world woke up to video games.
  Pong
  clones dominated the 1970s:
  
• TV Pingame
  (1973, Chicago Coin, Coin-op, USA): The bastard child of
  Pong
  and pinball.
  
• Rebound
  (1974, Atari, Coin-op, USA):
  Pong
  reimagined as volleyball.
  
• Quadrapong
  (1974, Atari, Coin-op, USA): Four-player
  Pong
  .
  

Breakout
(1976, Atari, Coin-op, USA) revived the whole bat ’n‘ ball genre with its block-smashing action:

• Circus
  (1977, Exidy, Howell Ivy & Edward Valeau, Coin-op, USA): Balloon-popping take on
  Breakout
  that replaces the ball with circus acrobats on a seesaw.
  
• Arkanoid
  (1986, Taito, Akira Fujita, Coin-op, Japan):
  Breakout
  with power-ups. The best
  Breakout
  variant.
  
• Plump Pop
  (1987, Taito, Yoshihisa Nagata, Coin-op, Japan): Tooth-decayingly cute.
  
• Super Glove Ball
  (1990, Mattel, Rare & William Novak, NES, UK & USA): Power Glove-controlled 3D
  Breakout
  .
  
• Cosmic Smash
  (2001, Sega, Sega Rosso, Coin-op [Dreamcast], Japan): Retro sci-fi visuals, and drum and bass soundtrack bring
  Breakout
  into the 21st century.
  

Pinball & pachinko

Both have rich histories of their own, but in video game form:

• Pinball Construction Set
  (1983, BudgeCo, Bill Budget, Apple II, USA): D.I.Y. pinball.
  
• Dev’s Crush
  (1990, NEC, Compile, PC Engine, Japan) and
  Pinball Dreams
  (1992, 21st Century Entertainment, Digital Illusions, Amiga, Sweden): Video game pinball’s elite.
  
• Microsoft Pinball Arcade
  (1998, Microsoft, PC: Windows, USA): A playable tour through pinball history. Includes
  Spirit of ’76
  , the microprocessor-enhanced pinball table made by Dave Nutting Associates.
  
• Peggle
  (2007, PopCap Games, Brian Rothstein & Sukhbir Sidhu, PC: Windows, USA): A joyous fusion of pinball and pachinko that oozes puppyish charm.
  
• Sho Chiku Bai Pachinko
  (2009, Mission One, iPhone, Japan): Pachinko in your pocket.
  

Sports

American football

• Atari Football
  (1978, Atari, Coin-op, USA): The trackball-based original US football game.
  
• John Madden Football
  (1990, Electronic Arts, Park Place Productions, Megadrive, USA): The first great American football game.
  
• Madden NFL 09
  (2008, EA Sports, EA Tiburon, Xbox 360, USA)
  

Athletics

• Track & Field
  (1983, Konami, Coin-op, Japan)
  

Australian Rules Football

• AFL Premiership 2006
  (2006, Sony Computer Entertainment, IR Gurus, PlayStation 2, Australia)
  

Baseball

• World Series Major League Baseball
  (1983, Mattel, Don Daglow & Eddie Dombrower, Intellivision, USA): Started the embrace of TV presentation.
  
• Earl Weaver Baseball
  (1987, Electronic Arts, Don Daglow and Eddie Dombrower, Amiga, USA): Still one of the most exacting baseball sims.
  
• MLB 06: The Show
  (2005, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony San Diego, PlayStation 2, USA)
  
• Baseball Mogul 2007
  (2006, Enlight Software, Sports Mogul, PC: Windows, USA): For would-be baseball team executives.
  

Basketball

• NBA 2K10
  (2009, 2K Sports, Visual Concepts, PlayStation 3, USA): All the trappings of professional basketball.
  
• NBA Street Homecourt
  (2007, EA Sports Big, EA Canada, Xbox 360, Canada): Street-level basketball.
  

BMX

• Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2
  (2001, Acclaim, Z-Axis, PlayStation 2, USA)
  

Bowling

• Wii Sports
  (2006, Nintendo, Wii, Japan)
  

Boxing

• Punch Out!!
  (1984, Nintendo, Coin-op, Japan): Arcade boxing classic.
  
• Ready to Rumble Boxing
  (1999, Midway, Dreamcast, USA)
  
• Rocky
  (2002, Ubisoft, Rage, PlayStation 2, UK)
  

Cheerleading

• We Cheer
  (2008, Namco Bandai Games, Machatin & Land Ho, Wii, Japan): Pom-pom exercise.