Top Video Games of the 1970s Quiz | Video Games Mixture

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This game requires absolutely no introduction anywhere in the civilized world. The premise of this 1972 game, was to control a table-tennis paddle and hit a ball while playing with a CPU character who tries to hit it back to you. First man to eleven points won. What was the name of this bouncy game?

Answer: Pong

"Pong", originally made by Atari, was a massively successful game, released in 1972. Although the premise of the game was to simply hit a digital ball back and forth, the general public accepted the game. Very few original reviews of the game exist today, but without question, the inventive programming of Nolan Bushnell led the way into the future of gaming.

2. Another one of the classic games, released in the 70s, was this game about a triangular shaped space-craft, trying to navigate through space, inhabited by a multitude of floating rocks. What blast of a game was this?

Answer: Asteroids

Once again, Atari had hit the mark with "Asteroids", released in 1979. It was another simple game, especially by today's standards. It ran a basic vector graphics system, which made the objects, such as the ships and asteroids, appear as lines. It did however, include multiplayer, and a free-space to fly around in. Definitely one of the top 10 games of the 1970s.

3. This 'smash' of a game was released in 1976 and bared several similarities to a table tennis game released in the same decade. The idea was similar, except it didn't include an opponent to play against. The purpose of this game, was to destroy colored blocks, by bouncing a ball at them, using a paddle. What game was this?

Answer: Breakout

"Breakout" was another one of the hugely successful games, released by Atari in the 1970s. Its premise was to clear colored blocks off of a set grid. Once that was accomplished, the map would clear, and the player progressed to the next level, where the ball became quicker. The game included multiplayer and a fun, although simple, single player mode.

4. Yet another game, made by Atari, was this game, where the premise was to land a lunar module onto a flat surface on a rocky planet. What gravitationally challenged game was this?

Answer: Lunar Lander

The player of "Lunar Lander", must press a button to control the burners of a spacecraft while, trying to locate a flat surface to land on. The size and depth of the surface contributed to a final score, given after landing on each spot, on the map. While doing that, the player also had to watch out for the fuel meter, which could run out if the burners were on for too long.

5. Another space game, popular of the decade, was released by the Taito corporation in 1978. The premise of it was to shoot aliens that were slowly scrolling down the screen to the player. What extra-terrestrial game was this?

Answer: Space Invaders

The purpose of the game, was to be like a shooting gallery game, similar to those at carnivals. To twist up the style, however, the developers, at Taito, decided to make the player play as a moveable gun turret that shoots at the invaders, coming from another world. To add to the excitement, the aliens occasionally shot back at the player.

6. This game, released in 1979 in Japan, was about a circular creature that had to traverse a symmetrical maze while eating pellets. Four ghosts also threatened the progress of the player. What game was this?

Answer: Pac-Man

The original "Pac-Man" was first called "Puck-Man". The developers had to change it since teens at the local arcades would change the title to something profane. The character of "Pac-Man" was designed after a pizza, with a slice missing. Although a disaster, in terms of its playability on the Atari 2600, it still had solid sales and helped the 8-bit era revolutionize the game.

7. Back in 1976, a programmer named Will Crowther decided to make a video game that didn't include anything about sports or space. Little did he know that he created the first ever console adventure game. The player controlled a cross-shaped character that had to traverse through a series of caves while looking for a secret chalice. What game was this?

Answer: Adventure

The design of the caves in "Adventure" were modelled after the Mammoth Cave System in Kentucky. Using the technical knowledge of programming available, at the time, the developers at Atari faithfully created a large map to traverse. Although the original version of the game was a text-adventure, an incarnation by the same company was later released as the first true adventure game.

8. This game, happened to become one of the first ever dungeon RPG's ever made. Featuring fictional monsters like dragons, magic, and the ability to interact with other characters, the game required the player to earn experience and embark on a large quest. Which 1974 game is this?

Answer: Dungeons and Dragons

"Dungeons and Dragons" was not only a single player campaign, it had a networked system of players who could help the player on their quest. Although the original "Dungeons and Dragons" is rather archaic to today's standards, it still remains of the most well known RPG's ever.

It's references in popculture are far too numerous to list and it's fan-base is almost as large as a small country.

9. As one of the few clones to Taito's 1978 hit game this game, by Namco, forced the player to shoot aliens in space. Several aspects that seperate the Namco game apart from the Taito one include dive-bombing enemies and a space environment. What game was this?

Answer: Galaxian

"Galaxian" is one of the few clone games released in the 1970s, that happened to be a very hot seller. All the player had to do was shoot at aliens, but its quality, and unpredictable enemies shot the game to the top. The graphics were also pretty well made, especially for its time.

It is one of the top collected video games, as well as one of the top 100 games, according to the "Killer List of Videogames".

10. Another one of the top games of the 1970s, was this racing game, released in 1973. The purpose of it was to race another person, while avoiding asteroids and other space obstacles. What racing game is this?

Answer: Space Race

The game included multiplayer action that forced the player unto a time limit. The player's goal was to reach the top of the vertical track, while avoiding asteroids. If the player happened to be hit, they'd be beamed back to the bottom of the map. Although this game, was overlooked next to other hits of the 1970s, its clever style, and determination more than gave it reason to make it onto my list.

Happy playing!

Source: Author Bruce007

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor kyleisalive before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Top Video Games of the 1970s Trivia Quiz

Although the 1980s truly revolutionized the gaming industry, it would still be nothing, had it not been for the original and entertaining games released in its early years: the 1970s. Hopefully the quiz takes you back to the golden days.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>