Gaming History^^1970-2000

Pong
Pong is a table tennis–themed twitch arcade sports video game, featuring simple two-
dimensional graphics

When was is it released?

29 November 1972

Who released it?

Pong was released by the American game manufacturer Atari, one of the earliest video
games, Pong became wildly popular and helped launch the video game industry.

What was the inspiration, if there was one?

Bushnell played a version on a PDP-1 computer in 1964 while attending college. However,
Alcorn has claimed it was in direct response to Bushnell's viewing of the Magnavox
Odyssey's Tennis game.

Which Console?
The Magnavox Odyssey, known as the first console video game system

How popular was it?

The simplistic game might pale in comparison to the flashier, more complex titles popular
today, like Minecraft, Call of Duty or the Madden football franchise. But back when it was
released in 1972, Pong was a smash. In fact, it became the first video game on the market to
become a mass hit.

Speed Race
Speed Race is an arcade racing video game, released under the titles Racer and Wheels in
North America by distributor Midway Manufacturing.

When was it released?

June 1974

Who released it?

Taito, Nishikado

What was the inspiration, if there was one?

Nishikado looked to two older driving electro-mechanical games for inspiration: Kasco's Mini
Drive (1958) and Taito's 1970 rear-projection driving game Super Road 7, the latter in turn
similar to Kasco's Indy 500 (1968) and Chicago Coin's Speedway (1969).

Which Console?
Arcade
How popular was it?
The game was a worldwide commercial success. Speed Race was a hit in Japan,
establishing 100 yen per play as the standard for arcade games there, while in the United
States to become the best-selling arcade game of 1975. 

Ice Hockey
The play and mechanics of Ice Hockey are mostly like that of ice hockey in real life. The
objective for both team is to hit a black puck with a hockey stick that each player carries into
the opponent's goal. Teams are made up of five players including the goaltender, as
opposed to six in real life. 

When was it released?

21 January 1988

Who released it?

Hideki Konno

What was the inspiration, if there was one?

Excitement of real Ice Hockey

Which console?
Nintendo, original for the Famicom System

How popular was it?

Ice Hockey was rated the 142nd best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Power's
Top 200 Games list, listed it as number 94 on their 100 best console video games of all time,
remarking that it "has some of the most hilarious gameplay of any sports game ever, yet it
still requires a lot of skill to play and accurately represents the excitement of real hockey.

Alex the Kidd

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle is a side-scrolling platform game developed and published
by Sega for the Genesis. 
Origin: Alex Kidd in Miracle World, 1986

When was it released?

10 February 1989

Who released it?

Alex Kidd is a platform video game series developed by Sega, and starring the titular Alex Kidd.

What was the inspiration, if there was one?

Most games in the Alex Kidd series differ dramatically from one another, the sole exception
being Miracle World and its direct sequel, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle. While most
games in the series were still platform-based, the only elements that tied the series together
was the name and the title character. 
Which Console?
Sega Master System 1 and 2

How popular was it?

His popularity was at its peak when the first game - Alex Kidd in Miracle World - was
released in 1986. For a short while he served as an unofficial mascot for the Sega
Corporation; as most of you might know, he was later replaced by Sonic.

Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage is a beat them up game developed and published by Sega for the Genesis.
Player’s control one of three former police officers turned vigilantes who battle a crime
syndicate. 

When was it released?

2 August 1991

Who released it?

Director: Noriyoshi Ohba, Developer(s): Sega

What was the inspiration, if there was one?

Three games in the series were released between 1991 and 1994. The first entry, Streets of
Rage, introduced the four main characters, three young former police officers known as
Axel, Blaze and Adam and Mr. X, an evil mastermind. It is the only game in the series to
feature a Shinobi-style special attack that defeats all non-boss enemies on-screen.

Which Console?
Sega Genesis

How popular was it?

Streets of Rage was followed by two sequels, Streets of Rage 2 and Streets of Rage 3. There
were plans for two further sequels, one of which was developed by Core Design for the Sega
Saturn, but Sega pulled the Streets of Rage name during development after a disagreement
with Core about porting it to rival formats; the game was eventually released as Fighting
Force.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 1992 platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute (STI)
for the Sega Genesis. It follows Sonic as he attempts to stop Doctor Robotnik from stealing
the Chaos Emeralds to power his space station. Like the first Sonic the Hedgehog (1991).
Origin: Sonic the Hedgehog 1991

When was it released?

29 September 1992

Who released it?

Director: Masaharu Yoshii, Developer(s): Sega Technical Institute (STI)
What was the inspiration, if there was one?
No inspiration found!!

Which Console?
Sega Genesis Console, Classic Mini Console

How popular was it?

Sonic 2 was a major factor in keeping Sega competitive during the console wars of the
fourth generation of video game consoles in the early 1990s, and GameSpot described it as
the game that solidified Sonic as a major franchise. It boosted Genesis sales enough to
nearly equalize Sega with Nintendo and cemented Sonic as a video game mascot on par
with Nintendo's Mario.