1980s Video Games Trivia Quiz

Answer: Puck Man

The very first release of the game "Pac-Man" was in 1980 by Namco. The character Pac-Man eats dots around a maze while being chased by ghosts. If he eats a power pellet he becomes invincible for a small amount of time. The game was released as "Puck-Man" in Japan but the name was changed when it was released internationally in order to prevent the arcade games from being vandalized.

There were fears the the letter 'P' would be changed to an 'F'.

Answer: Tetris

"Tetris" was created in 1984 by Alexey Pajitnov. In this game, pieces of varying shapes fall down and players move them so that full lines are completed. Once a full line is made, it disappears, making more space for block pieces to fall. When the entire space is filled up, the game ends. Every time a player passes a level the pieces fall more quickly making the game more challenging.

Answer: Frogger

In the video game "Frogger" players use a joystick to get a certain number of frogs safely home. Obstacles include crossing a road with speeding cars and crossing a river with alligators and logs. If a frog encounters a female frog, she can be carried for extra points. At the top of the screen are frog homes which is the destination the player is aiming for.

Answer: Ms. Pac-Man

This sequel to "Pac-Man" has the Ms. Pac-Man character eating dots and fleeing ghosts but has some differences from "Pac-Man". There are different sound effects and music, there is still fruit for extra points however it is randomly placed throughout the maze instead of hovering around the center.

When Ms. Pac-Man gets caught by a ghost, she 'swoons and falls' instead of folding in on herself.

Answer: Punch-Out!

"Punch-Out!" was released in 1984 and was followed by a sequel in the same year, called "Super Punch-Out!". It's a single player boxing game with characters such as Mr. Sandman, Glass Joe and Piston Hurricane. The player plays the challenger, a green haired boxer, who fights increasingly tougher opponents each time he wins a match. Players use a joystick and three buttons - a button each for left and right punches and a large central button that can be used for a knockout with an uppercut or right hook.

Answer: Centipede

"Centipede" is a shooter game in which players use a 'bug blaster' to shoot at an advancing centipede. Mushrooms are displayed throughout the screen and whenever the centipede touches a mushroom or the sides of the screen, it turns in the other direction and moves down the screen. Players can shoot at mushrooms as well as the centipede.

As the player progresses through the game, more mushrooms appear which help the centipede to travel down the screen quicker. The 1982 book "How to Win at Video Games" estimated that fifty percent of the player base for this game was female.

Answer: Mario Bros

In "Mario Bros", twin brothers Mario and Luigi investigate the sewers of New York City and knock over enemies that they encounter. In the 1983 version of the game, Mario and Luigi run and jump but can only jump on enemies to squash them if their backs are already turned. It was initially labelled as being the third game in the "Donkey Kong" series as Mario is a character in that game.

Answer: Donkey Kong

In this game, players move the Jumpman character up a screen toward a large gorilla named Donkey Kong who has a female character named Pauline captive. Jumpman must jump over obstacles and over gaps. Players get points for collecting objects, jumping over obstacles and destroying objects with the use of a hammer. Donkey Kong throws barrels at Jumpman as he climbs.

As Jumpman ascends up the construction site screen, the levels get more and more difficult. At the top, Jumpman needs to remove pieces of the platform so that Donkey Kong falls.

Answer: The Legend of Zelda

"The Legend of Zelda" has an elf-like character named Link who attempts to rescue Princess Zelda. The game is a combination of action, role-play and adventure as players navigate the fantasy land of Hyrule. Link needs to find items that will help him in his quest, with some of them being more challenging to find than others.

There is an overworld and underworld of dungeons and the game has six hundred separate scenes.

Answer: Pole Position

Players control a Formula One car and need to complete a time trial around a track in order to qualify for an F1 race. If a player qualifies, they play against computer controlled cars. "Pole Position" was the first game to feature a track based on a real-life racing circuit (the Fuji Racetrack in Japan).

It was also the first to include a qualifying lap. Players need to try to stay on the track and avoid hitting billboards and opponents while finishing as quickly as possible. The game is considered one of the most successful racing video games as there were numerous imitators and even a Saturday morning cartoon named after it.