Despite the internet rules by 90’s kids, the days of the 1980’s was the real period in which video games started to bloom, without impressive graphics and often through text-based systems, but even the forgotten of them were probably a lot more imaginative and creative than many products coming out today.
Below the Root (DOS, C-64)
A game about utopia, that had very little violence, according to the books by Zilpha Keatley Snyder it was based on. The player could assume the role of one of five characters with different abilities, a member of one of two races — the Kindar or the Erdling — and attempt to settle the existing differences between the two groups.
Montezuma’s Revenge
Montezuma’s Revenge was one of the first platform games: an action game combining treasure hunting, multiple rooms, and puzzle solving. The player controls a character called Panama Joe (a.k.a. Pedro), moving him from room to room in the labyrinthine underground of the 16th century Aztec temple of emperor Montezuma II, filled with enemies, obstacles, traps, and dangers. In short, some sort of Indiana Jones ripoff.
R.B.I. Baseball (NES)
Being the first console game ever to do so, RBI Baseball was licensed by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and used actual MLB player names, unlike other baseball video games of the late 1980s. It was not licensed byMajor League Baseball (MLB) itself, however, and thus did not use team nicknames or logos.
The Goonies II (NES)
In the Nintendo game based on the movie, the game’s story centers on Mikey. His friends, the Goonies, have been kidnapped by the Fratellis, an Italian family of small-time crooks and counterfeiters. Mikey must rescue all six of his friends and free a captured mermaid named Annie who did not appear in the film.
The Growing Pains Of Adrian Mole (C-64)
A very rare game, based on the novel by Sue Townsend, focusing on the worries and regrets of a teenage (supposed) intellectual. The goal of the Adrian Mole game is to make Adrian as popular as possible by making the correct choices so as to exert a positive impression on Mum, Dad, Pandora, Nigel, Bert and all the rest, which reminds me of another great “life” game from the 80’s, Alter-Ego.
Via: Buzzfeed
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
A text-based role playing game based on the famous Douglas Adams book, loosely mirroring a portion of the series’ plot, beginning with the impending destruction of Arthur Dent’s house and subsequent demolition of the Earth by Vogons. The ultimate goal of the game is mentioned by Zaphod in an offhand manner: finding the legendary lost planet of Magrathea.
Winter Games
A snow-and-ice themed follow-up to the highly successful Summer Games, Winter Games was released in 1985 for the Commodore 64 and later ported to several popular home computers and video game consoles of the 1980s. The game was presented as a virtual multi-sport carnival called the “Epyx Winter Games” (there was no official IOC licensing in place) with up to 8 players each choosing a country to represent, and then taking turns competing in various events to try for a medal – Alpine Skiing, Ski Jumping, Biathlon, Bobsled, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Luge, Freestyle Skating.
Wizards & Warriors (NES)
In the game, players control Kuros, the “Knight Warrior of the Books of Excalibur“, as he sets out in the Kingdom of Elrond to defeat the evil wizard Malkil, who holds the princess captive in Castle IronSpire, located deep within Elrond’s forests. During the game, players make their way through forests, tunnels, and caves, battling hordes of enemies and collecting treasure, magical items, and additional weaponry to get past the obstacles and hazards that lie in their path.
