5 Video Games From 1980 That Set The Tone For The Decade

The 1980s followed the lead of the arcade games from the ’70s that started everything, expanding the video game industry considerably. Many arcade games from the early ’80s defined the scene’s golden age, and that is particularly true of the year 1980. Beyond the arcade scene, home platforms also saw sizeable growth, including the proliferation of gaming computers and consoles like the Atari 2600 continuing to gain momentum. The ’80s saw our favorite medium revolutionized and advanced significantly, and the possibilities of innovation were apparent right from that special year of 1980.

Looking back, 1980 marked a major leap forward for the video game industry, with several games’ legacies hanging over the rest of the decade. Technologically and in terms of gameplay experiences, the decade kicked off with prominent titles that established popular trends. In an incredibly foundational period for the medium, it stands as an especially pivotal year in history. Here are five video games from 1980 that set the tone for the decade ahead.

Though “Donkey Kong” popularized platforming games in 1981, the year before saw the release of “Space Panic.” The player character moves through a multi-level stage connected by a system of ladders while being pursued by various aliens. Armed with a shovel, players dig holes for aliens to become trapped in, before knocking them out of the stage with that same shovel. In keeping with the sci-fi premise, players have a limited time to complete each level before their oxygen meter runs out.

“Space Panic” serves as a proto-platformer, with subsequent games like “Burger Time” and “Wrecking Crew” following its ladder-centric lead. The game doesn’t even have a jump mechanic, signaling how basic the genre and medium was at the time. This didn’t stop the 1980 title from finding commercial success in its native Japan through the following year. Helping set the stage for more sophisticated platformers to come, “Space Panic” provides a forgotten but influential experience.

The game with the biggest legacy of 1980 that is still thriving today is “Pac-Man,” with the franchise now worth billions. The game’s premise is timeless, with the rotund mascot, Pac-Man, navigating a maze while trying to eat all the dots strewn around it. At the same time, Pac-Man is pursued by a set of ghosts and can only temporarily fight back after consuming a Power Pellet. As the game progresses, the ghosts’ speed increases while players continue to build their high score across each subsequent maze.

“Pac-Man” led to multiple sequels, spin-offs, and ports across numerous home platforms, updated for every generation. The global success of Namco’s arcade game spawned countless retro video games that tried to copy “Pac-Man” in their own way. But “Pac-Man” and its 1982 sequel “Ms. Pac-Man” stood clearly in a league of their own above all of the imitators. Instilling Pac-Man fever in arcades around the globe, “Pac-Man” launched one of gaming’s most iconic franchises.

At first glance, there isn’t much that seems special about the Sun Electronics arcade game “Stratovox.” The game has players defending a group of astronauts from the UFOs flying overhead that are trying to abduct them. For every repelled UFO, the high score increases. The game ends once all astronauts on-screen have been abducted. However, what sets “Stratovox” apart from most arcade titles released in 1980 is its use of sound.

“Stratovox” is the first video game to utilize recorded dialogue, just beating the better known “Berzerk” to the landmark, with statements like “help me” and “good job” playing from the arcade cabinet. This helped the title stand out, compared to the usual electronic chatter filling up game centers. Other arcade games in 1980 would quickly follow suit but the trend started here, making the game feel like more than a sideways twist on “Space Invaders.” It would take several years for home consoles to employ recorded dialogue themselves, underscoring the innovative legacy of the arcade.

Maze shooters had existed in some form since the ’70s, but “Berzerk” featured several innovations that helped refine the overall experience. The game has players guide a green stick figure through a very simple top-down maze layout battling red robots. Also pursuing the player is an indestructible smiley face known as Evil Otto that’s capable of moving through the maze’s walls. After destroying all robots in each level, players go through the maze’s exit to advance to the next stage as they build their score.

“Berzerk” is a hit ’80s game that nobody seems to talk about anymore, despite its contemporary popularity and innovations. Predated by “Stratovox” by several months, “Berzerk” also features the use of recorded dialogue, providing Evil Otto with lines taunting players. The game was ported to several home platforms, including the three major Atari home consoles during the ’80s. A big step forward for maze shooters, “Berzerk” was a staple in the arcade scene in the decade’s early years.

The roots of modern first-person shooters can be traced all the way back to Atari’s war combat simulator “Battlezone.” Players control a tank from its cockpit as it navigates a battlefield illustrated using green-lined vector graphics simulating a 3D perspective. The player-piloted tanks are capable of looking left and right, moving forward, and firing the tank’s cannon straight ahead. As players progress through the game and build up their score, they face enemy tanks, missiles, and advanced battlestations across the battlefield.

All of those first-person shooters that you have to play before you die owe a foundational debt to “Battlezone.” The 360 degrees of lateral movement, the cockpit view, and faux 3D presentation all serve as precursors to subsequent titles like “Wolfenstein 3D.” The game also demonstrates what’s possible with vector-based graphics, something later experiences would capitalize on moving forward. A revolutionary gameplay experience that proved enormously influential on the medium, “Battlezone” is Atari’s most pivotal game from 1983.