Popular Video Games Of The 1980’s

January 16th, 2015

Believe it or not, video games did actually exist 30 years ago. They weren’t nearly as cool as what gets put out today, but they were a lot of fun back in the day.

Even though there were a lot of good ones, here were some of the most popular video games of the 1980s:

Super Mario Bros

You can’t start any list of video games from the 80’s without recognizing the king of all games. Yes it came free with the OG Nintendo, and since millions of kids had an NES, almost every kid from the 80s had it or at least played it at their friend’s house.

Super Mario Bros circa 1985

You could argue that this video game really started the video game revolution and paved the way for generations to come.

The Legend Of Zelda

Another monster hit from the 1980s was “The Legend Of Zelda”. As Link you spent hours trying to save Princess Zelda and bring peace to Hyrule. If Super Mario Bros was Nintendo’s signature game, this game was definitely a close second.

Missile Command

This was probably the first video game I ever played, so it holds a near and dear place in my heart.

The idea is that there are missiles coming from the sky down to the earth to blow up your bases. Your job is to defend the bases by shooting missiles into the air to explode those that are incoming.

It starts out very easy, but it gets harder over time. Not only do more enemy missiles start coming at you, but they get faster and start traveling shorter distances.

Missle Command 1980

If you’ve never played this classic, give it a shot on your PC- you won’t regret it!

Mrs. Pac Man

Make no mistake- Pac Man was the original. But considering the great success of the arcade classic, its designers decided to broaden the market by making another game with Mrs. Pac Man chomping ghosts instead of her hubby.

Ms. Pac-Man 1982

The designers couldn’t have imagined how big this game would become, as it has now become one of the most popular games of all time. And no wonder- it requires you to use your brain just enough to keep you entertained, but you can also turn off 90% of it while eating ghosts, pieces of fruit and little white pebbles of… I dunno. Whatever it is Mrs. Pac Man eats.

Mega Man 2

Let’s face it- Mega Man isn’t what he used to be. But back in the day, he was THE Man. His ability to absorb the weapons from enemies he beat was pretty cool.

Mega Man 2 1988

Granted- the graphics and capabilities of the 1980s Mega Man games weren’t as good as they are in more recent titles, but they were still pretty darn fun.

Final Fantasy

Considering that this game kick-started one of the most successful RPG franchises in video game history, we absolutely had to throw this in here.

Even though you can’t really make decisions in these games, players love being able to immerse themselves in the land that is created for them. As they guide a few primary characters along, they come to have favorites, anticipate what lies ahead and enjoy getting stronger as the game goes on.

Need More?

There were more good ones that came in the 80s than just these. Metroid, Ant Attack, and Tetris are just a few.

If you’ve never played any of these games, try finding a good emulator for the PC and give them a shot. You won’t be disappointed, as these games are all fun- especially the first time you play them!