Click and compare - it's in your hands:

R-Type (1987) sent you into deep space with a tiny ship, a huge gun, and approximately no sympathy whatsoever.

R-Type

1987 • Amiga • Amstrad • Arcade +1 more

Pixel8Games 80% Users -

In arcades, everyone can hear you scream

Super Mario Bros began with a plumber, a mushroom, and a simple goal, then quietly redefined platform gaming forever.

Super Mario Bros.

1985 • NES

Pixel8Games 93% Users -

One plumber. Endless legacy.

Maniac Mansion (1987) invited you to pick a trio of teenagers and trespass into the Edison household, where every room hid a gag, a trap, or a way to accidentally doom your friends.

Maniac Mansion

1987 • Amiga • Apple II • Atari ST +3 more

Pixel8Games 79% Users -

Break in, think

Gauntlet (1985), by Atari Games, cheerfully tossed players into a neon-soaked fantasy dungeon where health drained faster than loose change in an arcade pocket.

Gauntlet

1985 • Amstrad • Apple II • Arcade +2 more

Pixel8Games 77% Users 100%

Eat the food. Survive the dungeon.

Rolling Thunder (1986) dropped players into a stylish spy thriller where trench coats were sharp, enemies were ruthless, and bullets were strictly rationed.

Rolling Thunder

1986 • Amiga • Amstrad • Arcade +2 more

Pixel8Games 83% Users -

Cool under fire

Entering a martial arts tournament at the height of the genre's mid-80s popularity, The Way of the Exploding Fist draws clear inspiration from Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do, reinforced by its digitised kiai sample and visual nods.

The Way of the Exploding Fist

1985 • Amstrad • BBC • Commodore 64 +1 more

Pixel8Games 81% Users -

Participate in this morning's edification

Pole Position (1982) didn’t just ask you to race - it demanded you qualify first, instantly setting it apart from its coin-hungry rivals.

Pole Position

1982 • Arcade

Pixel8Games 71% Users -

Qualify or quit

Rise of the Triad (1994/95) took the Wolfenstein-style corridor shooter, chugged a can of soda, then started doing backflips.

Rise of the Triad

1994 • PC

Pixel8Games 86% Users -

Ludicrous gibs!

Doom started as a quiet Mars assignment and immediately escalated into shotguns, demons, and a full-blown trip to Hell.

Doom

1993 • PC • PS1 • SNES

Pixel8Games 94% Users -

One hell of a blast.

Duke Nukem 3D (1996) swaggered into the shooter scene chewing bubblegum and kicking ass.

Duke Nukem 3D

1996 • Mega Drive • PC

Pixel8Games 91% Users -

No manners. No mercy.

F/A-18 Interceptor (1988) strapped you into an F/A-18 Hornet, pointed you towards San Francisco Bay, and trusted you not to decorate the Golden Gate Bridge with expensive wreckage.

F/A-18 Interceptor

1988 • Amiga

Pixel8Games 83% Users -

Writing cheques your body can't cash

The 7th Guest (1993) lured you into Henry Stauf's creaky mansion with shiny CD-ROM swagger and smirking FMV ghosts.

The 7th Guest

1993 • PC

Pixel8Games 89% Users -

Puzzles, phantoms, bad decisions

Metal Gear Solid (1998) smuggled blockbuster drama into your PS1 memory card, then told you to stop shooting and start sneaking.

Metal Gear Solid

1998 • PS1

Pixel8Games 92% Users -

Stealth with swagger

Gryzor (1987) strapped a machine gun to your thumbs and dared you to run right, shoot everything, and still look cool doing it.

Gryzor (aka Contra)

1987 • Amstrad • Arcade • Commodore 64 +1 more

Pixel8Games 83% Users -

Run. Gun. Regret.

Impossible Mission (1984) politely greeted players with an ominous “Stay awhile… stay forever!” before immediately trying to kill them.

Impossible Mission

1984 • Amiga • Amstrad • Commodore 64

Pixel8Games 90% Users -

Stay a while. Stay forever!

Get Dexter (aka Crafton & Xunk) dropped you into a glossy isometric sci-fi maze where an android and his tiny sidekick had to blag, dodge and gadget their way to an all-important code.

Get Dexter

1986 • Amstrad

Pixel8Games 82% Users -

Crack the code, survive

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