The beautiful simplicity of retro games, with their quirky electro sound effects, and just the right balance of primary colours against a monochrome background, renders them as popular as ever. They have a special ability to transport any player into a different and nostalgic time, and this is exactly why such a range of generations are completely hooked. Indeed, the retro gaming trend is set to continue well into 2020.
Of course, besides retro gaming, there are thousands upon thousands of brilliant games out there, from online gaming, gambling sites and video gaming. Bingo sites, in particular, have become increasingly popular in recent times, helping to introduce the classic game to a younger, new audience. The old, retro games just can’t be beaten though. They are true classics that nothing else can truly compare to, especially so if you were lucky enough to grow up playing them.
Pac-Man
Pac-Man is a signature retro game, that you will have heard of even if you haven’t played it. The maze arcade game was created by Namco back in 1980 and is based on a simple concept and easy to follow rules, making it a great for gamers of any level to play. Pac-Man, the little blob-like yellow character, wants to escape the room, but to do so he must munch all the Pac-Dots (little yellow dots), whilst simultaneously trying to avoid the monsters, known as Ghosts. In order to progress, Pac-Man needs to achieve a set skill level, and if he touches a Ghost, then one of his three lives are lost. Once the first room has been escaped, there are many other levels to the game, making it pretty addictive.
Tetris
This classic retro game is a tile-matching, puzzle video game, developed in Soviet Russia. The first playable version of the game was released in 1984 and has remained popular with players ever since. In the game, “tetriminoes” (different geometric pieces made up of cubes) descend from the top of the field (screen). As they descend, players must move the tetriminoes from the left to the right until they either touch the bottom of the field or land on a tetrimino that has already settled at the bottom of the screen. The purpose of the game is to create as many complete horizontal lines of pieces as possible, with the line disappearing once it has been completed. In most versions of the game, as you progress through the levels, the pieces begin to fall even quicker, giving you less and less time to think about where to try to place them.
Pong
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Pong is a retro table tennis game, involving simple two-dimensional graphics. It was released in 1972 as one of the first arcade video games. The player simply controls an in-game table tennis paddle, by moving it vertically across the left or right side of the screen. The player competes against another player, human or computer-generated, who controls the second paddle. The goal of the game is to reach eleven points before the opposition, with points being given when a player fails to return the ball.
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda was first released in 1986 and is an action-adventure video game, primarily developed by Nintendo. The game series has massively expanded since its first release and is one of Nintendo’s most noted and successful franchises. The game series revolves around an elf-like character, known as Link. He is typically tasked with the challenge of rescuing Princess Zelda and the sinister warlord turned demon, and ruler of the kingdom of Hyrule, Ganon, is his primary enemy and so the main antagonist of the game. There are various plots within the game series, but they typically involve the “Triforce”. The Legend of Zelda is a hugely popular game still today, and well worth trying out if you haven’t already played it.
Space Invaders
Space Invaders was an immediate commercial success following its release in 1978. By 1982, the game had a net profit of around $450 million, making it the best-selling video game of its time. As of 2016, the many versions of Space Invaders are estimated to have generated over $13 billion, an estimation which crowns it as the highest-grossing video game of all time. To play the game, the player controls a laser cannon, moving it horizontally across the bottom of the screen to aim and fire at the aliens descending the screen. The aim of the game is to defeat five rows of eleven aliens. As an alien is defeated, points are awarded to the player. As more aliens are defeated, their descent speeds up, meaning the game becomes increasingly difficult as the player progresses. There are a few more rules here and there, but overall Space Invaders’ gameplay is largely straightforward and easy to follow.
You should easily be able to find and play these awesome retro games online, and in most cases it is possible to download versions of them via the app store as well. The fact that some of these games are now nearing fifty years old, and still remain household names, just goes to show that they are really pretty special. Be sure to check them out in 2020 if you haven’t already.
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