Jumbled Video Games Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tetris

'Tetris' was developed by Alexey Pajitnov while he was employed by the Academy of Science of the USSR. Released in 1984, it is still available to play on phones, tablets and the like. The name of 'Tetris' came from two sources. The blocks are all tetrominoes, i.e. composed of four squares, while the ending comes from Alexey's favourite game of tennis. It may have a simple concept, but over 170 million copies of the game have been downloaded or bought since its introduction.

It was postulated that a never ending game of 'Tetris' might be possible, but when studied in a thesis by John Brzustowski, it was concluded that those dreaded 'S' and 'Z' shaped pieces would ruin the chances of a perpetual game if or when enough of them came consecutively.

Answer: Call of Duty

Set in World War II for the first three versions of the game, 'Call of Duty' has now moved into the modern world with 'Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare', 'Call of Duty: World at War' and other episodes of the game. 'Black Ops II' which was released in November 2012 is set in the future with the action taking place in the year 2025. Over 100 million copies of the game (all versions) have been sold by owners Activision, and over 1.6 billion (yes, 'B' for billion) hours have been spent playing 'Modern Warfare 3' online. That's just one version of the game. How many potential hours of fun and learning here on Funtrivia have been wasted playing shoot 'em ups? Just kidding! ;-)

Answer: The Legend of Zelda

The princess in the question is the eponymous Zelda. Princess Zelda is being held in a dungeon by Ganon. Her rescuer, Link, must battle his way through a maze of eight dungeons to discover a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom in each. Only after this has been accomplished can he enter the ninth dungeon to find Zelda. 'The Legend of Zelda' was released in North America in 1987 by Nintendo and the game and its sequels have been very successful, selling millions.

Answer: Diablo

'Diablo' sees the player go into action to defeat Diablo, the Lord of Terror who rules the Kingdom of Khanduras. The player must battle their way through sixteen dungeons with the ultimate aim being to conquer Diablo himself. A player can become one of three character classes while playing: Warrior; Rogue; and Sorcerer. Each character type has varying levels of ability when it comes to using the tools and spells within the game.

'Diablo' was released in 1996 by Blizzard Entertainment with 'Diablo: Hellfire', 'Diablo II' and 'Diablo III' being follow-ups.

Answer: Civilization

In 'Civilization' a player builds a city up from the ground in ancient times and sees it through until the present day. The civilizations gain in maturity and sophistication as the player wins military battles, builds certain structures or by other methods of expanding a town's area and population. Eventually a player may build an empire from the humble beginnings of a village.

Answer: Minesweeper

Developed for one player, 'Minesweeper' was developed in the 1960s. A game of logic, the player is required to detect mines without detonating any of them, using information gathered by clicking on adjacent squares in the grid. Click on one mine and the game is over.

Different versions of the game have appeared over time with slightly different rules or grid formations having triangular or hexagonal blocks rather than squares.

Answer: Wolfenstein

Set in the fictional town of Isenstadt in WWII, players in 'Wolfenstein' are required to explore the town from top to bottom to locate the Nachtsonne crystals. These crystals enable a person to fully activate the powers of a medallion stolen from a German general.

'Wolfenstein' was released in 2009 as one of a series of games developed by various companies. The original game was 'Castle Wolfenstein' released in 1981. Others in the series include 'Beyond Castle Wolfenstein' (1984), 'Wolfenstein 3D' (19920), 'Return to Castle Wolfenstein' (2001) and 'Wolfenstein: The New Order' released in 2014.

Answer: Tomb Raider

Dispelling the stereotypical notions of an archaeologist is Lara Croft, the English archaeologist in 'Tomb Raider' who travels the world seeking relics and antiquities. Her feminine figure is clad in shorts, boots, a sleeveless top and pistols on both hips as she fights people or creatures who are determined to see her fail in her mission.

Selling over forty million units, the 'Tomb Raider' series of games has seen the story develop into a movie, there are theme park riders with a 'Tomb Raider' theme, and comic books about Lara's adventures.

Answer: The Sims

Published by Electronic Arts, 'The Sims' is about virtual people created by the player, living their lives as directed by the player. The characters live in a customisable house bought with Simoleans, the game's currency. Characters watch television, go to school, pay bills and even have fights with their friends or spouses.

There is no real objective with the game i.e. there's no race to the finish or point scoring, but characters can suffer from set backs just as in real life, e.g. failing exams. Death can even come to a character who may later haunt the house. Released in 2000, 'The Sims' has seen expansion packs released which allows the characters develop more fully into autonomous beings.

Answer: Grand Theft Auto

The player in 'Grand Theft Auto' becomes a criminal in a large city. Completing tasks such as bank robberies and assassinations will earn a player points and they will move on to more difficult tasks which earn yet more points and the opportunity to advance to more complex missions. Released in 1997, 'Grand Theft Auto' is contemporaneously set in three cities: Liberty City (based on NYC), Vice City (based on Miami) and San Andreas which is based on the Southern California and Nevada region. Further editions of the game have taken place in London in the 1960s, and in the original cities but with only one city in each subsequent game.

The 'Grand Theft Auto' series has sold over 125 million units taking into the upper echelons of video game sales.