Forgetting Classic Video Games' Names Quiz

Answer: Space Invaders

Of course, it was "Space Invaders". How could I forget that? I spent ages playing that game back in the early 1980s. I would sit for hours, trying to defeat the aliens by moving the joystick back and forth to make my shooter move horizontally on the bottom of the screen, and shooting my laser beam up to kill them off.

They only ever got faster, though. I don't remember ever actually winning a game before using up my three lives, but it's nice to know that I put so many hours into trying to master such an influential game.

It was, after all, one of the first video games on the market. My grandkids are going to love this one!

Answer: Lunar Lander

Ah, yes, it was "Lunar Lander"! It came out in 1979 while I was still in high school. The game had me trying to land a module on the moon. The module was always in the centre of the screen, and the moon landscape travelled below it. Points were awarded for successful landings, with more points given for more difficult landings. I'm glad I remembered this name.

It was a good game! I'm not sure if my grandkids will feel the same way, but now that I remember the name, I can get them to play it.

Answer: Asteroids

"Asteroids" was a great game! It was a real challenge. I was in the spacecraft on the screen, shooting at asteroids and other spaceships that flew by. I had to avoid getting hit by the space rocks. The spaceships would fire at me now and then too, so I always had to keep a lookout and try to avoid them.

This was another game that just kept getting faster and faster, with more asteroids and more spaceships, so it was impossible to win. Thanks for helping me to remember the name of this one. I think that the grandkids will enjoy this one.

They like blowing things up!

Answer: Pac-Man

Oh, right, it was "Pac-Man". How could I forget that one? It was a game that came out in 1980 and transfixed me with its mazes, and eating ghosts and power pellets. Who was I to know that all of my playing has led the "Pac-Man" franchise to make over $14 billion (USD)? "Ms. Pac-Man" was a sequel that came out in 1982. I played it too because it was basically the same as "Pac-Man", with me controlling the main character through a series of mazes, and avoiding some characters until I had the power to eat them. Oh, the "Pac-Man" games were so much fun! Thanks for helping me to retrieve the actual name from this broken brain of mine. I just know that my grandkids will love this one as much as I did back in the early '80s!

Answer: Centipede

Of course! "Centipede" was one of my favourites. I know I keep saying that, but I was such a fan of early video games! In this game, there was a centipede that started at the top of the screen. It had ten or twelve segments and I had to shoot each. There were a bunch of mushrooms on the field that could be cleared away with multiple shots. Each time a segment of the centipede or a mushroom was cleared away, I got points. If I shot the centipede in the middle, it split into two, forming a new centipede.

The centipede worked its way down toward me. As with most of the games at the time, it sped up as the game progressed. Even though it got tricky very quickly, I still loved to play it. Thanks for helping my brain remember the actual title of the game! I'm going to look it up and have it ready for my grandkids to play on their next visit.

Answer: Donkey Kong

I loved playing this game! For this one, I had to control a character named Jumpman as he climbed platforms and jumped over obstacles to get to the top. Once there, I had to try to rescue Mario's girlfriend Pauline from a mean ape named Donkey Kong. It was a really tricky game, but I used to play it for hours. Thanks for helping me remember it's name; my grandkids will enjoy this game too, I think.

Answer: Frogger

"Frogger" was the best! I know I keep saying that, but it was really great. At the beginning of the game, a frog appeared at the bottom of the screen, with a roadway in front of it. I had to guide the frog through traffic to cross to the other side of the road.

Then, I had to guide my frog across a river by jumping on things like turtles and logs that were floating by. I had to avoid getting hit by a car, or eaten by an alligator or other creature in the water. I spent a ton of time playing this! Thanks for helping me to remember its name so I can introduce it to my grandkids.

Answer: Burger Time

In this game, I played Peter Pepper, a chef who was making burgers by climbing ladders and walking on platforms to get ingredients like tomatoes, lettuce, and buns. I had to make sure to avoid my enemies Mr. Egg, Mr. Pickle, and Mr. Hot Dog. I could also get extra points if I crushed them with burger ingredients. Even though I worked in the burger "industry", I still loved to play this game in my off-time. I will be sure to introduce it to the grandkids!

Answer: Popeye

This is another game that I loved to play. Thanks for helping me to remember it! Here, I had to run around and pick up items that were dropped by Olive Oyl while avoiding the Sea Hag, Brutus and other dangerous things like bottles and vultures. My main goal was to destroy Brutus, and the easiest way to do that was with a can of spinach. Yum! Thanks for helping me to remember the name of this one. Maybe it will encourage my grandkids to eat their veggies if they play it too.

Answer: Dig Dug

This was a great game! I loved digging and following the mazes I made to kill the enemies. My enemies were Pookas and Fygars and could be killed by dropping rocks on them. I could also pump them up full of air until they exploded. I had to be careful, though. If I took too long to kill them off, they got faster and faster. My grandkids will like this one for the adrenaline rush, so thanks for helping my brain remember the name of this game.