9 Questions
What was the cause of the implosion of the video game market in North America in the 1980s?
A lack of quality in the games
Which console is credited with reviving the home console market?
Nintendo Entertainment System
Which handheld gaming device became the best-selling device for the next two decades after its release in the 1980s?
Game Boy
Which company ignited a console war with Nintendo in the 1980s?
Sega
Which of the following games was not released in the 1980s?
Grand Theft Auto
Which type of gaming device continued to thrive in the 1980s, especially with lower-cost machines such as the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum?
Home computers
Which of the following consoles was not released in the 1980s?
PlayStation
Which company was still dominating the American arcade market at the beginning of the 1980s?
Atari
Which type of gaming device became popular as gaming devices, with more memory and higher resolutions than consoles in the 1980s?
IBM PC compatibles
Study Notes
Video Game-Related Events in the 1980s
- The 1980s was a decade of highs and lows for the video game industry.
- The decade began with a boom in the arcade business with giants like Atari still dominating the American market.
- The rising influence of home computers and a lack of quality in the games led to an implosion of the video game market that nearly destroyed the industry in North America.
- Nintendo filled in the void with its Nintendo Entertainment System (NES, Famicom), reviving interest in consoles.
- Sega ignited a console war with Nintendo, and developers that had been affected by the crash experimented with the more advanced graphics of the PC.
- Nintendo released the Game Boy, which would become the best-selling handheld gaming device for the next two decades.
- Other consoles released in the decade included the Intellivision, TurboGrafx-16 (PC Engine), and Sega Genesis (Mega Drive).
- Notable games of the 1980s included Metroid, Elite, SimCity, Ninja Gaiden, Tetris, Pac-Man, Contra, Donkey Kong, and the first five Super Mario games.
- The video game bubble created during the golden age had burst by 1983, leading to the collapse of the entire video game industry.
- Home computer gaming continued to thrive, especially with lower-cost machines such as the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.
- IBM PC compatibles became popular as gaming devices, with more memory and higher resolutions than consoles.
- Nintendo is credited with reviving the home console market after releasing the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
Test your knowledge of video game history with our quiz on the major events of the 1980s. From the rise and fall of Atari to the console wars between Nintendo and Sega, this quiz covers the highs and lows of the industry during this pivotal decade. See if you can name the notable games released, including the first five Super Mario games, and identify the consoles that hit the market, such as the Intellivision and TurboGrafx-16. Take the quiz to see how
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