Most Monumental Year in Video Games

[ManciGames]

We need something to fill the pages where the price guide used to go in Issue #3 of Manci Games. We are planning an article that discusses the monumental years in the history of gaming.

I thought the denizens of the DP Forums would also be interested in the results, so rather than to request people to send their answers to MG, please vote here. I think it's a cool question, and one that many folks would be interested in seeing the response to.

Now, vote on what you think the most interesting year in classic gaming was. Then, if you feel like it, post your reasons why in your response. Simple as that.

Please note, Although many great gaming related things happened prior to 1977, we are starting with the release of the 2600 as our point of origin. Excuse the long list of possible answers, but there's a lot of years since the 2600!

[RCM]

We need something to fill the pages where the price guide used to go in Issue #3 of Manci Games.

Is Manci Magazine coming back? If it is good luck.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[Lemmy Kilmister]

NES=1986. Nuff said.

[omnedon]

No NES without the 2600.

1977

[ManciGames]

We need something to fill the pages where the price guide used to go in Issue #3 of Manci Games.

Is Manci Magazine coming back? If it is good luck.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

In a way. There's another thread on DP that talks about it a little bit. Thanks for the well wishes!

By the way, do you guys consider 1985 or 1986 as the launch year for the NES? Wasn't it available in limited quantities in '85?

[Bronty-2]

No NES without the NES :P 1985

[Lemmy Kilmister]

No NES without the NES :P 1985

85 you say hun? My bad. :embarrassed:

[NintendoMan]

No NES without the 2600.

1977

True, but no videogames as we know them TODAY without the NES - 1985.

[atomicthumbs]

NES=1985. Nuff said.

Yeah true, no NES without the 2600... But what would have happened after the crash if the NES/FC never existed?

http://www.tootsie.com/image-sb/licks/howmany9.jpg

The world may never know.

[RCM]

In a way. There's another thread on DP that talks about it a little bit. Thanks for the well wishes!

Have a link to that thread?

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[ManciGames]

In a way. There's another thread on DP that talks about it a little bit. Thanks for the well wishes!

Have a link to that thread?

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

Sure thing, man. Here ya go:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=50788

[SoulBlazer]

I've always had a soft soft for 1990. You had the golden year of the NES, the Genesis starting to make a huge impact, a lot of great IBM PC and Commodore games, plus the TG-16 and other older systems.

1991 with the SNES was pretty good as well, as was 1987 and 1997.

Hell, I even thought last year was a good one for games. ;)

[Dr. Morbis]

I was going to vote 1985, but if you think about it that was videogamings darkest hour. Sure the NES was technically "released" but only in select test markets. It's not like we all had NES's in '85. It didn't go nationwide till '86 and didn't really start to catch fire until the Christmas season of '87.

It's all about the games man. So I picked 1987 for the following reasons:

-Legend of Zelda
-Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!
-Castlevania
-Metroid
-Mega Man

That's one way to bring back an industry (I hear some italian plumber also may have helped).

[Ernster]

1987 the year when the NES was released in Australia as well as the greatest game of all time....... Super Mario Bros 8-)

[Sylentwulf]

No question. The nes it was for me. Zelda and and SMB1.

[Gapporin]

No NES without the NES :P 1985

85 you say hun? My bad. :embarrassed:

Well, if you really want to be technical, the Famicom came out in 1983. So, yeah.

I'm going to hafta say 1980 on this. Things were just really starting to pick up. It was the golden age. New ideas for arcade games were shooting off left and right. Pac-Man had just been released. Atari could (and often did) do anything they wanted to. Ah, my kingdom for a time machine...

EDIT: And not just because of my avatar, either, ha ha. I didn't even notice that.

[imanerd0011]

I voted 1985. If it weren't for the NES and that year, we wouldn't be playing video games today.

[Ed Oscuro]

I voted 1989. GENESIS baby.

Duh, I don't know. I just saw waay to many 1985 votes ;D

Oh and folks, the year is 1983...or 1986. Remember?

[atomicthumbs]

Oh and folks, the year is 1983...or 1986. Remember?

Well, I knew 1983 for the Famly Computer. But I saw a few places list the NES debut in 1985 (like Achika's site (http://www.vidgame.net/NINTENDO/NINTENDO.html) and Nintendo's homepage (http://www.nintendo.com/search?query=nes&category=systems)). Though, I'd have to say that it made the biggest impact in 1986.

[Ed Oscuro]

1986 for Japan with the FDS and modern gaming as we know it today, or 1987 for the year we got all the FDS games shuffled onto cartridges :)

[Captain Wrong]

True, but no videogames as we know them TODAY without the NES - 1985.

But considering the way so many people on here bitch about videogames "as we know them TODAY", is that such a good thing?

Seriously though, I think the most interesting year would have to be 1984 and the crash. Honestly, I don't see what could be more interesting than exploring the mechanics behind a huge industry's complete collapse and the carnage left in it's wake. For my money, that's always a fascinating story and probably a year that has shaped this industry more than any other.

And yeah, what's so interesting about 1985?

[chrisbid]

1991, We get the SNES, Sega fires back with Sonic the Hedgehog, and some later NES classics like Tecmo Super Bowl. The 16 bit wars were the best days of gaming

[Nature Boy]

I think people are focusing too much on consoles. Where were the consoles without the arcades in the early goings?

My vote goes to 1980. Mostly because of Pac-Man, but in large part to the sheer number of great games that came out that year. Plus you have Adventure hitting the VCS (and the world's first Easter Egg). Plus you have the world's first 3rd party publisher, Activision. A *monumental* year for video games to say the least.

[Damon Plus]

1992 for me. Although the Nes was dying (and the 2600 too here!), the 16 bit war was at its peak. On that year many great games were released: Legend of Zelda: A link to the past, Super Mario Kart, Starfox, Street Fighter 2, Sonic 2...

[Jibbajaba]

I voted 1989. GENESIS baby.

Duh, I don't know. I just saw waay to many 1985 votes ;D

Oh and folks, the year is 1983...or 1986. Remember?

I picked 1989 for the same reason. GENNY!!!!! But in reality I agree that it should be the year the NES came out.

Chris

[Sniderman]

Hmmm... this is a tough call:

1971 - Computer Space hits the pool halls and bars, marking the beginning of the videogame era.
1972 - Magnavox Odyssey released - first home videogame system.
1977 - Atari 2600 released. Seen as the first home arcade "must have" (Pong notwithstanding)
1978 - Space Invaders released - the first videogame "megahit."


We could also discuss the Pac-Man explosion of the 1980s; the release of the NES, which re-started the faultering home arcade market; the beginnning of the 16-bit and 32-bit eras; the release of Dragon's Lair, etc. But, for my money, I'm gonna go with 1971 as where it allllllll started.

And a year you dooooooooon't have listed. :roll:

[max 330 mega]

1990, year of the Neo Geo, showed everyone else how much there hardware sucked. :-P

[NintendoMan]

True, but no videogames as we know them TODAY without the NES - 1985.

But considering the way so many people on here bitch about videogames "as we know them TODAY", is that such a good thing?

Seriously though, I think the most interesting year would have to be 1984 and the crash. Honestly, I don't see what could be more interesting than exploring the mechanics behind a huge industry's complete collapse and the carnage left in it's wake. For my money, that's always a fascinating story and probably a year that has shaped this industry more than any other.

And yeah, what's so interesting about 1985?

HAHA. Yeah, that's true. I meant more or less though who knows if we would even have videogames today in general if not for the NES.

1985 isn't AS interesting as '84, your right there, but it's more of a monumental year.

[tyranthraxus]

Man there are way too many blind NES fanboys on this site. How many of you had a NES in 1985, none! How many had even heard of the it? The
machine was test marketed, there was practically no video game magazines
left to report on these things and certainly no internet or other media
coverage. 1986 is the key year, more Atari 2600s were sold in 1985 than
any Nintendo product! While 1987 was one of the high marks for classic
NES games, 1986 was the year Mario broke out. I remember that
Christmas well, Mario was THE game to talk about at school and the NES
was by far the hot gift to get. It gave even the biggest loser instant
popularity, not even owning a complete set of Transformers could compare!

A question for the NES experts is what games were released in the test
market? Was SMB even available? As that really was the game that sold
the system. If it was available I can kinda see the argument for 85 but
if you're voting for an obscure test release you might as well go for
the 1983 Japanese release.

1980 being the year Pac Man was released is pretty major and I think
far more important than the VCS release or Space Invaders launch.
Since that was the year SI came home on the VCS and turned it into
the hottest console on the market.

But my vote is for 1984, over the course of Xmas 83 and a few months
into the year an entire industry was in ruins. Atari never
recovered, hundreds of companies failed, magazines folded and the
entire industry was dismissed as a fad. That same year home computers
had record sales. It is an impressive show of the power of consumers.
People lost faith in companies they had spent billions on and temporarily
closed the door on an industry.

[ManciGames]

We could also discuss the Pac-Man explosion of the 1980s; the release of the NES, which re-started the faultering home arcade market; the beginnning of the 16-bit and 32-bit eras; the release of Dragon's Lair, etc. But, for my money, I'm gonna go with 1971 as where it allllllll started.

And a year you dooooooooon't have listed. :roll:

So, that's a vote for "Other - 1971".

I tell ya, Sniderman... Always being the oddball. :) Didn't you read the intro?

[crazyjackcsa]

I'm going with a year that isn't listed.: 1998. Yeah I know it's very recent. And probably not the most monumental year for hardware. It was a Huge software year. Half life for the PC, The Saturn had it's last hurrah, with a game that has become legendary, Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shining Force 3. The N64 had 1080 and Ocarina of Time. On the Playstation, Metal Gear Solid and Gran Turismo. The dreamcast was coming.

It was a hell of a year.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

1972.

The year Ralph proved that people would shell out for games they could play at home. The year Nolan proved that people would shell out quarter after quarter in a bar or an arcade. Upon this, all else was built.

[NintendoMan]

Man there are way too many blind NES fanboys on this site. How many of you had a NES in 1985, none! How many had even heard of the it?

Because, '85 was when the NES WAS RELEASED HERE IN THE STATES. It's the NES's birthdate, so that's why '85 is so Monumental. Without that year, no NES!

[rxd]

Damn, I know I'm on the older end of the spectrum here but come on. NES, NES, NES, that's all I hear. I hate to break the news to you youngsters here but there actually were video games BEFORE the NES. I know it might seem like the dark ages to you but it's true. Not only that there were video game consoles BEFORE the NES too! And you know what? If the NES never came out something else would have. You all talk about the video game crash like it was the end of humanity. I hate to burst your bubble but I was older then than alot of you are now. You act like video games suddenly disappeared. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hell, most people didn't even have a clue that the industry crashed. We were still happily playing with our Atari's, Intellivisions, ColecoVisions, Vectrex's, ect. And we where still pumping tons of quarters into games at the video arcades and in bars. Video games were around long before anyone ever heard of Nintendo and they still be around long after Nintendo.

[j_eits]

What about 1976? The release of the Channel F, the first cartidge based system.

[atomicthumbs]

What about 1976? The release of the Channel F, the first cartidge based system.

Yeah... I have a Channel F and a bunch of games, and I like to pretend that they don't exist. Yeah, the system had interchangeable carts and multiple pong games built in, but the games just weren't very good. Yeah, back then, (I'm guessing since I wasn't even born yet) I'm sure it was the shiznat, but I just don't get anywhere near as much enjoyment out of it than I do with the VCS.

Though the system DOES look way cool, and easily has the neatest controllers ever.

[ManciGames]

What about 1976? The release of the Channel F, the first cartidge based system.

Just like the intro to this poll said, there were a lot of great things that happened before 1977 (as a few of you have noted already), but the focus of the article is about "the Atari era" and after.

If you think about it, home video games are really split into "pre-Atari" and "post-Atari." Now, that's not to take anything away from Ralph or Channel F, or anyone else. Of course those were all "monumental moments," they just aren't the focus of the poll or the subsequent article.

I'm sure that there will be some kind of "pre Atari" article at some point, but for now, we're looking at post-1977.

By the way, thank you to everyone who has posted responses and voted. This is good stuff!

[Sniderman]

If you think about it, home video games are really split into "pre-Atari" and "post-Atari." Now, that's not to take anything away from Ralph or Channel F, or anyone else. Of course those were all "monumental moments," they just aren't the focus of the poll or the subsequent article.

I'm sure that there will be some kind of "pre Atari" article at some point, but for now, we're looking at post-1977.

OK then. Not to be one of those "older fuddy-duddy types," but I suggest - with this being the focus - "Most Monumental Year in Video Games" is incorrect. May I offer:
"Most Monumental Year in Video Games - 1977 to present"?

We old timers feel that the founding of the videogame movement is much more monumental than anything that followed. The invention of the games. The first arcade game. The first at-home system. But if you ask for post-1977 stuff, our answers would've been different, of course. 8-)

[Captain Wrong]

Damn, I know I'm on the older end of the spectrum here but come on. NES, NES, NES, that's all I hear. I hate to break the news to you youngsters here but there actually were video games BEFORE the NES. I know it might seem like the dark ages to you but it's true. Not only that there were video game consoles BEFORE the NES too! And you know what? If the NES never came out something else would have.

Can I get a AMEN!!!

As for the crash, I'm well aware not everything dissapeared. Hell, I was much too busy playing Pooyan on my Apple ][c to notice videogames were out at the time. I do think it's an interesting story from the industry side of things. Yes, I know people didn't just abandon their consoles and whatnot, but it is kind of fascinating to look at how all the US Games and companies like that ditched a marken they'd oversaturated.

[Nature Boy]

Damn, I know I'm on the older end of the spectrum here but come on. NES, NES, NES, that's all I hear. I hate to break the news to you youngsters here but there actually were video games BEFORE the NES. I know it might seem like the dark ages to you but it's true. Not only that there were video game consoles BEFORE the NES too! And you know what? If the NES never came out something else would have.

First, let me add that I'm sick of the NES NES NES talk too. I've put in my two cents, and it's sticking with 1980 and Pac-Man et al.

However I have a problem with your argument. "Something else would have" isn't valid criticism. What's to stop you from using it to debunk any year?

"1980? Well, someone would've created a game as popular as Pac-Man eventually..."

It's the console that helped bring video games *back* and it deserves credit for that. Not the overwhelming credit it's getting, but credit nonetheless.


Hell, most people didn't even have a clue that the industry crashed. We were still happily playing with our Atari's, Intellivisions, ColecoVisions, Vectrex's, ect. And we where still pumping tons of quarters into games at the video arcades and in bars.

Of course this is absolutely true. I'd add that most of us here who were around during these times were too young to care much about the business side of things anyway. It's looking back, as adults, that makes the whole crash interesting.

[IntvGene]

I think that it's interesting to look at the responses in the poll (as I see it now). You see the easy answers are the releases of the systems, so lots of NES, Genesis, Atari release dates. But, those aren't the most interesting years to me. It's not like the 2600 or the NES (and let me add my x_x to the whole NES cult) came out of the sky and everyone worshipped the damn thing. It took time to develop, and in those development years I think you can find the real gold.

I voted for the early 80's.. when the arcades were hot and some massive classic games came out. That was the time for me.

[delafro]

I've got to stick with the NES, because it single-handedly brought the industry back from oblivion. Since then, there's been pretty much uninterrupted growth and success for games, up to today.I think how the NES saved the home industry cannot be overlooked. The fact that the 2600 died off in kind of its own separate period, without a successful connection to the post 1984-era, hurts its prospects.

Of course, in 10 years, there will probably be a bunch of PS junkies voting for 1995, and talking about how "games as we know them" were never the same after the PS took off with 3D, increased mainstreaming and complexity of games, etc.

Of course, there's some generational prejudice here that has to be taken into account, you're more likely to vote for what you played when you grew up.

[Barbarianoutkast85]

I picked 1992 because the 16bit era was well underway and kicking ass. And because Sonic 2 came out that november 92

[slip81]

I voted 1986 because like Testament I thought that's when the NES came out here, I'd like to retract and go for '85.

The NES may not be my favorite system, but back in '85 in brought videogames back from the dead with a fury that hasn't let up since. I'd say the other big year would be a toss up between '95 and 2000, the releases of Sony's consoles. 1990 was also a good year.

[ManciGames]

I think that it's interesting to look at the responses in the poll (as I see it now). You see the easy answers are the releases of the systems, so lots of NES, Genesis, Atari release dates. But, those aren't the most interesting years to me. It's not like the 2600 or the NES (and let me add my x_x to the whole NES cult) came out of the sky and everyone worshipped the damn thing. It took time to develop, and in those development years I think you can find the real gold.

I was about 9 years old when the crash happened. While I wasn't interested in "the business" per-se, I did think something strange was going on. I'm sure a lot of other kids did too.

I remember walking into a Kay-Bee and picking up a brand new Star Raiders (with touch pad) for five bucks. FIVE BUCKS! It was pretty obvious that *something* was up, but I didn't quite understand the ramifications of it.

Of course, the NES came out soon thereafter and pretty much saved the market. Yes, something else may have came out if the NES hadn't, but then again, maybe not. The Nintendo people marketed it perfectly. It was marketed as a "toy" in a time when "video games" were considered taboo. Do you think Atari (or even Sega) would have been smart enough to do that? I dunno. I just don't know...

[badinsults]

1991: Nintendo releases the Snes.

[IntvGene]

I was about 9 years old when the crash happened. While I wasn't interested in "the business" per-se, I did think something strange was going on. I'm sure a lot of other kids did too.

I remember walking into a Kay-Bee and picking up a brand new Star Raiders (with touch pad) for five bucks. FIVE BUCKS! It was pretty obvious that *something* was up, but I didn't quite understand the ramifications of it.

Of course, the NES came out soon thereafter and pretty much saved the market. Yes, something else may have came out if the NES hadn't, but then again, maybe not. The Nintendo people marketed it perfectly. It was marketed as a "toy" in a time when "video games" were considered taboo. Do you think Atari (or even Sega) would have been smart enough to do that? I dunno. I just don't know...

I think that the many view the NES as the savior. And, to me, that view grossly underestimates the accomplishments of the home computers at the time. I am one of those that didn't notice the crash. I was playing many innovative and classic games on the home computers at the time. And, I followed that right through the release of the NES, until about 1990.

How can you dismiss the oft-quoted machine that has "sold more than any other computer in history"? Follow that up with the Amiga and the Atari ST, and videogames never died in the view of many gamers. Sure, the NES contributed to the popularity of videogames, but the home computers kept spawned and perfected many genres, like RPGs, simulation games, RTS games, and even arguably FPS. Companies like EA, Lucasarts and Microprose were born from the home computer market, not the NES one.

The NES may have made games more accessible, but I argue that better game and more interesting game design should be attributed to the home computers.

[Aussie2B]

Damn, I know I'm on the older end of the spectrum here but come on. NES, NES, NES, that's all I hear. I hate to break the news to you youngsters here but there actually were video games BEFORE the NES. I know it might seem like the dark ages to you but it's true. Not only that there were video game consoles BEFORE the NES too! And you know what? If the NES never came out something else would have. You all talk about the video game crash like it was the end of humanity. I hate to burst your bubble but I was older then than alot of you are now. You act like video games suddenly disappeared. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hell, most people didn't even have a clue that the industry crashed. We were still happily playing with our Atari's, Intellivisions, ColecoVisions, Vectrex's, ect. And we where still pumping tons of quarters into games at the video arcades and in bars. Video games were around long before anyone ever heard of Nintendo and they still be around long after Nintendo.

Geez, you needn't be so bitter just because people aren't picking what you would. :/ Like it or not, but the NES WAS very significant. Not only did it revive the industry and proved that gaming wasn't just a fad and a profit could be made, but it also totally changed game design and the mentality behind it. In the days of Atari, Intellivision, ColecoVision, etc., there were a few Japanese hits (Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, etc.), but the market was still dominated by Western companies. All the hardware companies were Western and so were most games. That all changed with the NES. Most of the games were Japanese, and pretty much all the huge hits were. Nintendo brought their own colorful Japanese style of advertising and business to the industry. Game design changed too. Rather than mimic arcades and have many games repeat upon themselves and have no real end, the NES brought about games that had a clear beginning and end where every stage was a different experience. And of course, don't forget passwords and save features.

Also, I think it's laughable that you brush NES fans off as if they're little kids too dumb and inexperienced in games to know any better. Have you ever been to any other message board? Have you ever been around casual gamers? People who care about the NES are oddities and old farts compared to today's gamers. You're not talking to kids born in the 90s who grew up on N64 or PS2 here (not that there's even anything wrong with that as long as you're a cool, intelligent gamer who has respect for the classics, which I think is the case for all the NES fans in this topic).

Anyway, I'm going with '87. Perhaps I'm not answering the question of "Most Monumental Year in Video Games" correctly, but I'm picking '87 because that's when I first truly got into games and the quality of games just took off. Just look at how many big hits of today are sequels to series started in '87. Castlevania, Metroid, Mega Man, etc. You can't beat that.

[tyranthraxus]

Because, '85 was when the NES WAS RELEASED HERE IN THE STATES. It's the NES's birthdate, so that's why '85 is so Monumental. Without that year, no NES!

But my argument is that 1985 was not a year in which the NES had any
significant impact on video games in the US. There was no sales records,
no Christmas rush, nothing. I think its similar to way a band like say the
Beatles may have first performed in 1960 but it was a few years before
they hit it big.

1985 may be the history book begining but it was not the record
breaking season because so few people had even heard of it let
alone had the chance of buying one. 1986 was the national launch and
the year Super Mario became the biggest name in video games.

[NintendoMan]

Because, '85 was when the NES WAS RELEASED HERE IN THE STATES. It's the NES's birthdate, so that's why '85 is so Monumental. Without that year, no NES!

But my argument is that 1985 was not a year in which the NES had any
significant impact on video games in the US. There was no sales records,
no Christmas rush, nothing. I think its similar to way a band like say the
Beatles may have first performed in 1960 but it was a few years before
they hit it big.

1985 may be the history book begining but it was not the record
breaking season because so few people had even heard of it let
alone had the chance of buying one. 1986 was the national launch and
the year Super Mario became the biggest name in video games.

Ok, I get more of what you are saying.
Still though, to me, even though it might not of been the year that it "HIT BIG", it was still it's birthdate. When "IT" started!

[NintendoMan]

Man there are way too many blind NES fanboys on this site. How many of you had a NES in 1985, none! How many had even heard of the it? The
machine was test marketed, there was practically no video game magazines
left to report on these things and certainly no internet or other media
coverage. 1986 is the key year, more Atari 2600s were sold in 1985 than
any Nintendo product! While 1987 was one of the high marks for classic
NES games, 1986 was the year Mario broke out. I remember that
Christmas well, Mario was THE game to talk about at school and the NES
was by far the hot gift to get.

Hey, relax a little bit. Just because '85 might not be your most monumental year doesn't mean it can't be others. Yes, I realize that there were videogames before the NES. (I admit that I haven't played very much of those even to this day, the NES was my first system) But those years aren't as monumental to me as '85!!!!!!
:)

[Kid Ice]

I picked 1982, with 80 and 81 close behind. If you lived through those "video game mania years", you wouldn't ask why. Arcades were literally stuffed with great games. EVERYONE had an Atari, except for the poor saps that were stuck with O2 and Intellivision. Video games were all over the media, and '82 was the year of THE videogame movie, Tron. 82 was the fever pitch before the big crash.

I don't know why you would pick 1985. It was a good year to pick up cheap games, or copy a bunch of free ones for your C64. Otherwise, it was kind of a dead period, with the NES not picking up any real momentum until around '87. And the arcades sucked at that time.

[NintendoMan]

I don't know why you would pick 1985. It was a good year to pick up cheap games, or copy a bunch of free ones for your C64. Otherwise, it was kind of a dead period, with the NES not picking up any real momentum until around '87. And the arcades sucked at that time.

Well because this thread isn't just "The Best Sales or Best Games that Came out Year". A really good year in videogames doesn't make it monumental to me, or a year where they were most popular. How does that make it MONUMETAL????
I guess alot of people's definition on here of "MONUMENTAL" is alot different than others!

[Nature Boy]

I guess alot of people's definition on here of "MONUMENTAL" is alot different than others!

There's the key. Monumental should mean more than *one* significant event IMO. Too many of the 85ers shout "NES" and then never say anything else...

[Djfinny]

I think people are focusing too much on consoles. Where were the consoles without the arcades in the early goings?

My vote goes to 1980. Mostly because of Pac-Man, but in large part to the sheer number of great games that came out that year. Plus you have Adventure hitting the VCS (and the world's first Easter Egg). Plus you have the world's first 3rd party publisher, Activision. A *monumental* year for video games to say the least.

I'm in strong agreement - 1980 was the year. I'm telling you, Just Pac-man alone - was a cultural phenomenon. I believe that it lit the fire and awoke the video game industry. I have never seen quite anything like it in my life. Pac-man was EVERYWHERE, TV, radio, merchandising, ads. You could walk into a typical arcade and see 15 Pac-man's cabinets in a row, lines of waiting people (of ALL ages mind you) and quarters lined up on the cabinets.

[Kid Ice]

I don't know why you would pick 1985. It was a good year to pick up cheap games, or copy a bunch of free ones for your C64. Otherwise, it was kind of a dead period, with the NES not picking up any real momentum until around '87. And the arcades sucked at that time.

Well because this thread isn't just "The Best Sales or Best Games that Came out Year". A really good year in videogames doesn't make it monumental to me, or a year where they were most popular. How does that make it MONUMETAL????
I guess alot of people's definition on here of "MONUMENTAL" is alot different than others!

So by your definition monumental is NOT
-a year a lot of games were sold
-the year when games were the most popular
-the year when the best games came out

so what then, exactly, do you perceive "monumental" to mean?

[Jumpman Jr.]

you guys are all fools. LOL
1979: Mattel introduces the first 16-bit processor in a video game console.
- the intellivsion

either that or 1995: the Virtual Boy LOL

[Nature Boy]

you guys are all fools. LOL
1979: Mattel introduces the first 16-bit processor in a video game console.
- the intellivsion

Didn't they release the actual console to the public in 1980?

[SoulBlazer]

Like the NES, the Intelivision was test markted in late 1979 and released nationwide in 1980.

The NES was test markted in late 1985 and released nationwide in early 1986.

[chrisbid]

i agree with the person that made the point that in 1985 NOBODY owned an NES, nobody knew what an NES was, and Nintendo was just a company that made donkey kong and punchout in the arcade. to say that the whole year is the most significant in gaming history simply because the NES was test marketed is a gross overstatement.

the NES still wasn't on the radar in 1986, in fact the deluxe NES set at the time didn't even include Super Mario Bros, but came with Gyromite and Duck Hunt. I would say that 1987 was the watershed year for the NES, when the more affordable and better packaged Action Set came out bundled with the infamous SMB/Duck Hunt combo cart. The repackaged basic set came with the Official Nintendo Player's Guide, which was an amazing book for this sixth grader in 1987. I borrowed another kid's copy and read the thing over and over again instead of learning how to spell rhinoceros.


with all the nintendo fans out there, im surprised there arent more votes for 1991. I think the dueling uppercuts of the SNES and Sonic the Hedgehog showed the world that the gloves were off, and gamers got to enjoy a hell of a fight.

[Wavelflack]

I dunno. When was the game.com released?

[TheRedEye]

I still say 1994 was the height of gaming. Look at any release list.

EDIT: 1985 is a terrible year to write an article about. "Well, everything was dead, there was some unmemorable home computer stuff...oh, and in December, a small test market got the NES and like five games."

OOH, MONUMENTAL.

[NeoZeedeater]

With regards to gaming in 1985 I disagree that with the crowd that thinks the NES was the only new thing in town and with the people that think gaming was dead.

Arcade and computer video games were alive and well in 1985 -

Space Harrier, A Mind Forever Voyaging, Choplifter(Arcade), Winter Games, Summer Games II, Gradius, Way of the Exploding Fist, Hang On, Sega Ninja, Alternate Reality: The City, Rush'n Attack, Gribbly's Day Out, Dig Dug II, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Yie Ar Kung Fu, Kicker, The Bard's Tale, Gauntlet

Still, 1985 wouldn't be my pick as I think it's still a weaker than average year as much as I loved it. I can't decide between 1993, 1990, 1988, and 1982.

[NintendoMan]

I guess alot of people's definition on here of "MONUMENTAL" is alot different than others!

There's the key. Monumental should mean more than *one* significant event IMO. Too many of the 85ers shout "NES" and then never say anything else...

Well, it doesn't necassarily need to be more than *one* event, but I think the word monumental needs to be something that really sticks out or changed the way we do things.

[NintendoMan]

I don't know why you would pick 1985. It was a good year to pick up cheap games, or copy a bunch of free ones for your C64. Otherwise, it was kind of a dead period, with the NES not picking up any real momentum until around '87. And the arcades sucked at that time.

Well because this thread isn't just "The Best Sales or Best Games that Came out Year". A really good year in videogames doesn't make it monumental to me, or a year where they were most popular. How does that make it MONUMETAL????
I guess alot of people's definition on here of "MONUMENTAL" is alot different than others!

So by your definition monumental is NOT
-a year a lot of games were sold
-the year when games were the most popular
-the year when the best games came out

so what then, exactly, do you perceive "monumental" to mean?

Now your right about all the above being really big for a system or event, and definately something that matters and to be taken in and recognized! But, the word monumental TO ME, just means alittle more than a sales point of view or when games were really popular at that time. That's why I feel, even though it might not have really "hit the map" here in the states, either '85 or '86 (whatever you want to say was the birthdate), the birthdate of the NES, is my vote.
(I will say '85 is a soft spot in my heart not just of the NES, but a couple of my all time fav. movies were released then, as well as a couple of other events.)

[NintendoMan]

I still say 1994 was the height of gaming. Look at any release list.

EDIT: 1985 is a terrible year to write an article about. "Well, everything was dead, there was some unmemorable home computer stuff...oh, and in December, a small test market got the NES and like five games."

OOH, MONUMENTAL.

Ok, I could say the same thing though. WOW, lots of games for each system, ooh MONUMENTAL.

[Maddrox]

nes in 89.
Gotta luv gaming when your 3.

[tyranthraxus]

I'm in strong agreement - 1980 was the year. I'm telling you, Just Pac-man alone - was a cultural phenomenon. I believe that it lit the fire and awoke the video game industry. I have never seen quite anything like it in my life. Pac-man was EVERYWHERE, TV, radio, merchandising, ads. You could walk into a typical arcade and see 15 Pac-man's cabinets in a row, lines of waiting people (of ALL ages mind you) and quarters lined up on the cabinets.

Yeah! Pac-Mania was everywhere, I still have the Pac-man trading cards I
bought! Plus for Atari fans Tempest, Centipede and Missile Command
were out. And Space Invaders was released on the 2600 and became the
killer app for it.

1980 was a bigger year for video games than 77 but 1978's Space
Invaders was really the game that launched the industry into the main
stream.

[NintendoMan]

Yeah, I think it would have be so cool to be around (I was only like 1 or 2 then) when Pac-Mania was at it's height. Along with the packed out arcades!

[Ed Oscuro]

I still say 1994 was the height of gaming. Look at any release list.

EDIT: 1985 is a terrible year to write an article about. "Well, everything was dead, there was some unmemorable home computer stuff...oh, and in December, a small test market got the NES and like five games."

OOH, MONUMENTAL.

Ok, I could say the same thing though. WOW, lots of games for each system, ooh MONUMENTAL.
LOL

You missed that "argued logically" thing. But anyhow, if you were part of that test market, I'm happy for ya! :D

Oh, and I agree with RedEye - 1994 was definitely one of the better years in gaming.

For myself, I'd have to say that every new year is the best year - you've got all the classics to go through (very rarely do games disappear off the face of the earth!) and new stuff besides. That sounds simple-minded, but as I don't see any government bans on gaming coming soon and I'm pretty interested in games of the near and far future - yeah. We definitely need to get some of the good puzzle-type stuff back on consoles, though, not just time attack arrangement games.

[Nescollector]

I'm going with 1988. Soooo many great titles came out that year.
Blaster Master
Contra
SMB2
Iron Tank
Zelda II
Tons more I can't think of right now.