Video games are one of the most significant industries that have profitably evolved over the years.
In the vintage era, gaming was just done for entertainment purposes, but now it has become a career option that is filled with robust opportunities.
If you look into the past in more depth, physicist William Higinbotham created the first video game in 1958, a simple tennis game called Tennis for Two. It was a hit at a Brookhaven National Laboratory open house.
In this article, we are going to take a closer look at some games that have made this sector popular and changed the perception of gaming in the eyes of the audience.
So, Let’s start this saga.
List of Top 10 Games That Changed Video Game History
1: Pong (1972):
In 1972, Pong marked a revolutionary moment in gaming. Its straightforward yet captivating gameplay ensured that young players were drawn to the screen. The game offered both single-player and multiplayer modes
Key Elements :
The instructions were simple. Both players had to bounce back the ball into the other player’s courtyard and not miss it.
With these simple instructions, it created a total craze back in the day.
This retro game was the cornerstone of the rising gaming industry empire.
2. Super Mario Bros. (1985):
Super Mario Bros. is a game that was produced by Nintendo in the early years of 1985 for their gaming consoles named Nintendo Entertainment Systems (NES). The first testing of this game was held in Japan, and later on, it was launched in the USA for their NES systems.
Key Elements:
It was the first game that was made for Nintendo consoles and was a commercial success.
This was the first game that had power-ups like size shifting and jumping coin-collect features.
More than 380 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the fifth-best selling video game series.
3. The Legend of Zelda (1986):
The Legend of Zelda was another popular game franchise made by Nintendo, which made its debut in the market in the year 1986. This game was made for Super Nintendo Entertainment Systems (SNES). It was designed by two legendary game developers, Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka.
Key Elements:
The first part of this game was set in the fantastical world named the Hyrule.
The main protagonist of this game is a little boy named Link, who is on a mission to collect eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom to rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon.
This was the first game that was developed for consoles in the game cartridge format.
4. Tetris (1984):
Tetris was a Russian game that was developed by the Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov in the year 1985. This game was programmed on Electronika 60 computers and later made its debut in the form of floppy discs. The license of this game was acquired by Microsoft, and it started spreading in various countries in Europe and the USA.
Key Elements:
In Tetris, players construct lines by dragging tetrominoes, which roll down onto the playing field.
The occupied lines break down and grant the player points, and the winner can proceed to fill the vacated spaces.
The game mechanics of Tetris have changed and modified according to the different systems it was released on.
5. Doom (1993)
Doom is an FPP (first-person perspective) shooter game that was published by ID Software and released on December 10, 1993, for DOS, and is the first installment of The Doom franchise. The dynamics of this game were crafted as 2.5D graphics, which was an epic-level phenomenon at that time.
Key Elements:
The main protagonist of this game was the space marine, who was later named Doom Guy.
The story of this game is so diverse that it starts from the Moons of Mars to literal hell.
The aim for you in this game is to fight an army of unheaded demons who are trying to invade Earth.
6. Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
GTA 3 is an action thriller and adventure game that was composed by Rockstar Games and DMA Designs in the year 2001. It was the third installment of the popular game series Grand Theft Auto.
Key Elements:
The landscape of this game was inspired by New York, and the name the designers chose was Liberty City.
Claude, a silent guy, is the main protagonist that you can play in the fantastical, outrageous city.
In 2001, It became the best-selling video game and was listed among the best-selling PlayStation 2 exclusives, with over 11.6 million copies sold
7. Half-Life 2 (2004):
This game was also an outstanding first-person shooter that Valve Corporation developed for Windows systems and published on the game service platform Steam.
Key elements:
The storyline of this game adds a physics-based gameplay mechanism that makes it unique in its genre.
Gordon Freeman, the main character of this universe, joins a rebel organization to liberate Earth from the Combine, a multidimensional alien empire.
By 2011, this game had sold an overall 12 million copies around all platforms.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Now, this is a modern adaptation of the Zelda series that was parented by Nintendo and was specially designed for new-gen Nintendo Switch consoles and Wii-U game decks. It was one of the most anticipated games of 2017 in the gaming industry.
Key elements:
This game is set in the end timeline of Zelda, where Link (the main character) is on a mission to save Princess Zelda.
The main villain of this universe is Calamity Ganon, who kidnaps the princess and aims to destroy the world.
Players can also explore the open world of Hyrule while they gather items and successfully finish challenges such as puzzles or side quests.
9. Minecraft (2011)
Only people living under the rocks are unaware of this game. Minecraft has ultimately revolutionized the sector of gaming and streaming. It was a game that was released in 2011 and became a favorite and most profitable by selling more than 300 million copies on various devices like PCs, consoles, phones, and tablets.
Key Elements:
Gamers can discover a procedurally generated, three-dimensional world with virtually infinite terrain made up of voxels.
You can also craft different types of architectural models that are made using a variety of tools that are available in the world.
They can also play multiplayer and compete against each other.
10. Elden Ring (2022)
This cinematic masterpiece was developed by FromSoftware. It was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, with world-building provided by American fantasy writer George R. R. Martin. This was made for advanced systems like PS4, PS5, and Xbox 360. The rights to international publication were acquired by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
Key elements:
The fantastical world of this game lets you customize your character to send you on a quest to repair the Elden Ring and then make you the Elden Lord.
The major six lands of this game can be roamed using the character’s steed torrent.
Players can use several types of weapons and magic spells, including non-direct engagement enabled by stealth mechanics.
Conclusion:
These 10 games are just a tiny portion of the numerous titles that have influenced the evolution of video games. They have expanded the limits of technology, narrative, and gameplay, inspiring countless developers and enchanting millions of players around the globe.
