From the first time I picked up a Pong controller in the 1970s, I’ve loved video games. It’s hard for me to justify spending/wasting time on them now as a man in my 50s, but it’s still fun to go to the arcade & play some of the classics.
I’ve been quite fortunate to witness the evolution of the video game industry. From Pong to Atari, Nintendo to PlayStation, Pac Man to whatever the heck kids play in arcades now...the progress is pretty spectacular.
When I think about the Mount Rushmore of video games, the first three are pretty simple: Space Invaders, Pac Man, and Donkey Kong. Space Invaders was the first arcade game that appeared in pizza parlors, convenience stores, and other locales. Pac Man entered the pop culture zeitgeist and attracted so many female players that the game birthed a feminist-forward sequel, Ms. Pac Man. Without Donkey Kong, we would have no Mario...and without everyone’s favorite mustachioed plumber, we might not have the success of Nintendo.
So, what goes in the fourth spot?
I’m leaning toward Pitfall, a revolutionary home video cartridge for the Atari system. The first side-to-side scrolling game, it completely changed the way video games were played. Capitalizing on the success of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pitfall found its way into millions of American homes and remains a nostalgic favorite for many.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame announced its inductees today. I understand and agree with its choices, for the most part. Defender was the first game that featured complex controllers, separating the elite dorks from just regular nerds. GoldenEye was a must-have for the Nintendo crowd. Tamagotchi was groundbreaking. Quake? I don’t know jack crap about it.
I could make a strong argument for Frogger, as that game consumed so much of my allowance money. What do you think about the inductees?
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