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in today’s world of advanced graphics and high-end game systems, it’s amazing to think about the humble beginnings of video games. from having to write out code in basic to play text games, to old school 8-bit blobs of color and dinky sound, things have come far.
we’ve come together to provide a list of eleven of the influential titles, in no particular order, for old school games. make sure to vote in our poll and check out the links to some old school games. if your favorite game isn’t on the list, let it be known!
madden: from ambulances running over injured players to madden’s prolific “he thought there was a hole, but there wasn’t any hole,” comments in later versions, this ea release has been a staple part of many player's collections. though some complain that the series isn’t always inventive enough, it’s simple enough to pick up and enjoy which keeps it popular.
as madden would say “when people get bored, they aren’t having fun. boom! play some madden, it’s fun.”
donkey kong: this is the game that made nintendo popular in western markets. one of the first games pumped out by gaming legend shigeru miyamoto, donkey kong was a game that proved addictive to many people. 
what more could you want? a hero, a princess and a giant monkey chucking barrels is a tough act to beat.
duck hunt: give a shout if you think that dog was a prick. i still remember repeatedly trying to shoot the mutt as he laughed in my 4 year old face for missing a duck. the dog was a douche, likely made by japanese scientists to piss off children, but he made the game memorable.
the best thing about this game was getting to use the nintendo gun. apparently, if you held a magnifying glass in front of the gun, you’d hit every part of the tv screen and never miss. who’s going to test it out?
in the meantime, get your revenge on the dog and shoot some ducks here with a flash version of this memorable game.
street fighter ii: in a report from the *national institutes of video game research, it turns out that over 90% of teenage males liked playing with chun-li. the other 10% were in denial or “too busy to comment.” this game provided some of the most memorable sound effects accompanied with combination button codes, which produced special moves.
this title featured a group of eight fighters competing to be the best in the world and getting to fight special characters after the initial tournament. i’m still undecided if m. bison’s scissor kicks and gravity boots or sagat’s blocking and “tiger, uppercuts” were the cheapest moves in game. to see a case in point example, watch the video below to see what happens when bison’s cheap kicking is mixed with mario world.
for the record, the sonic boom clearly remains the most superior move on the game.
nba jam: “razzle-dazzle”, “boomshakalaka”, “he’s heating up”. you remember being stoked about games that actually had voice commentary, and this was one of the finest in its time. the best part of the game had to be the cheapness of the cpu. leads would amazingly go away as the computer could suddenly hit ridiculous shots and knock you around.
for some reason, scott skiles sticks out in my mind as the cheapest of the cheap.
pong: originally released in ’72, this game proved the ingredients for fun and relaxation didn’t need to involve more than a few friends, a cassette stereo blasting and some good “party supplies.” if you were lucky enough to own an apple iie, you’ll remember this fine gem as brick-out on a nice green and black screen.
the sims: revolutionizing the idea of playing “god” games, will wright’s the sims allowed users to control and customize the lives of animated characters. the game also offered a high degree of customization, allowing users to create new characters, house designs, game objects and behaviors. despite figures such as jack thompson disliking aspects of the game, it continues to remain an immensely popular title, barbie-doll nudity and all.
castle wolffenstein: this is the game that began the trend of making nazi’s fodder in video game titles. originally released in the early 80’s, this game required the player to use a combination of stealth, patience and timed shooting to progress in levels. this really set the mode for first-person shooter games.
super mario: the original release for snes, super mario world changed gaming by featuring a somewhat 3-d interface, ability to easily roll back through levels and a more detailed story line than had been seen in earlier systems.
though mario still had top billing in this game, everyone knows that luigi is what held the duo together with his superior fire ball throwing and jumping ability, as evidenced in super smash brothers.
zelda: gannon was a prick, full of ridiculous sorcery and magic(k)s that could be hard to beat. though my personal preference of the series is ocarina of time, each game in miyamoto’s series provided very solid game play and enjoyment.
each game of the series provided storyboarding and “level-ups” in items, which were used to defeat enemies and specialized bosses. this trend is now very popular throughout video games in many different systems.
i wonder how many people still think zelda is the little guy with the sword?
the oregon trail: who’s old enough to remember this one? when you think about it, this is a game that had it all. the shooting mode was perhaps the 1st first person shooter provided in a detailed story line. aside from floating down the river, the hunting was probably the coolest part of the game. add to that having to pace yourself along while rationing supplies, this game was pretty sweet. a customized version of the shooting part of the game is available; check it out.
“so many of the crew had died from syphilis, one has to wonder just how much fornication was going on behind those pixilated trees and buffalo skins?" -xxoozero, reflecting upon the hardships faced on the oregon trail.
*the national institutes of video games probably doesn’t exist.
