The Classic Arcade and Console Era (1972-1989) - Enjoying the Action Platform Genre Today
Need more action platformers in your life? Here's a list of the essentials as well as others I didn't cover!
Action platform games became one of the most popular genres of the 1980s and produced some true classics that are still being played today. Nintendo absolutely dominated this genre, and without a doubt, the most famous of them all are Nintendo’s smash-hit 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong and 1985 console-seller Super Mario Bros., while the greatest of them is probably 1989’s Super Mario Bros. 3. It’s because of the enduring popularity of these games that the platformer genre remains strong today.
The games we’re not going to cover (because they have been so extensively covered by gaming media) are the following notable or essential titles:
Space Panic (1980) – Universal’s climbing puzzle platformer predates Donkey Kong and Apple Panic by a year and Lode Runner by three. It was overshadowed by all of them, though it in turn overshadowed its own obvious inspiration, Heiankyo Alien. The premise is that you navigate different platforms and dig holes to trap aliens so you can knock them offscreen with a shovel. Universal released a follow-up in 1982 called Mr. Do’s Castle.
Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Donkey Kong 3 (1981, 1982 and 1983) – The original Donkey Kong is such a well-known game it feels pointless to even summarize it – as the carpenter Mario (née Jumpman), you ascend construction sites to rescue Pauline from an angry ape. Nintendo’s follow-up, Donkey Kong Jr., is a far more creative game since it involves navigating a series of climbable ropes and vines to rescue your father from an evil, whip-wielding Mario. The third game is absolutely bonkers, pitting Donkey Kong against an exterminator named Stanley who’s just trying to get rid of an insect infestation that threatens to destroy a greenhouse’s flowers.
Frogger (1981) – Konami’s popular street-crossing game was published by Sega/Gremlin in the early years, was a major success despite being considered a “women and kids’ game.” The premise of helping a frog to cross lanes of traffic and then a moving maze of logs, alligators and turtles so he can reach a safe spot in his home was instantly accessible and the game was just challenging enough to keep players coming back for more.
Popeye (1982) – This was the game Shigeru Miyamoto wanted to make before he created Donkey Kong, and every bit of love that went into it shows. The great character art, wonderful music and varied stage scenarios make for a memorable game. Popeye was already pretty much past his prime as a pop culture character once this game debuted (and the 1980 dud of a live action film starring Robin Williams as Popeye didn’t help things), but this game endures as one of the all-time greats of Nintendo’s early output, and it helped them course-correct after their own dud of a launch with 1981’s Sky Skipper.
Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle (1982) – One of the golden oldies of the ColecoVision library, mainly due to its impressive graphics. It’s a very easy game designed for young children, but still quite impressive considering its vintage. The Atari 2600 version is more abstract graphically and rather floaty, but still quite competent.
Congo Bongo (a.k.a. Tip Top) (1983) – Sega’s take on Donkey Kong shifts the perspective to an isometric angle, and the result is a game that looks far more sophisticated despite only coming out two years later. The game’s four stages repeat endlessly but make good use of different animals and mechanics to keep things varied.
Mario Bros. (1983) – After Mario’s adventures battling and then enslaving Donkey Kong, Mario and his brother Luigi got a chance to pick up some work as plumbers in this odd single screen-clearing platform game that also introduced the early form of the Koopa Troopa turtles. Whether you play as a team or competitively, it’s a lot of fun, and Super Mario Bros. 3 ensured it’d never be forgotten by including it as a battle mode minigame.
Pac-Land (1984) – While you’d assume a scrolling platformer based on the Hanna Barbera Pac-Man cartoon show would have been produced by an American development team, this one’s all Namco. It’s also amazingly influential as the first popular scrolling platformer, prompting Nintendo to follow suit with Super Mario Bros. a year later.
Bubble Bobble (1986) – Taito’s first major hit since Space Invaders set a new standard for single screen platform games starring two boys named Bobby and Bubby who are turned into Bubble Dragons and forced to endure 100 stages to rescue their girlfriends (and, if you can complete the secret ending, their family too!). You can see the roots of this game in 1983’s Chack’n Pop and 1985’s The Fairyland Story, but once it came together, it became the foundation of a long-running series with multiple continuities and spin-offs.
Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. – The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3 (1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988) – What more needs to be said about Nintendo’s flagship series for the NES? They are some of the greatest video games of all time, and if you somehow haven’t played them, you ought to.
Wonder Boy and Adventure Island (1986) – Who would have ever guessed that a simple scrolling action game from Sega would result in both the Monster Land and Adventure Island games? The original is a fun and challenging scrolling game that has wonderful graphics and all sorts of secrets, plus a catchy soundtrack that will burn itself into your brain. Hudson Soft’s Adventure Island was a reskinned home console clone, and it continued the platform series mechanics in its 1991 and sequels while Wonder Boy crossed over into the action adventure genre.
Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars, Alex Kidd BMX Trial, Alex Kidd: High-Tech World, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (1986-1989) – Sega’s Alex Kidd series has a reputation for being a poor imitation of the series starring Nintendo’s famous plumbers, but that’s not quite fair – the first game started development as a Dragon Ball tie-in and then evolved into its own thing before it was released. The problem is that Sega kept changing the mechanics for each sequel, never giving Alex a chance to develop a distinct personality. Sega gave up pushing Alex as a mascot after his 1990 stint in Shinobi World (arguably his best game). I personally don’t find any of Alex’s adventures fun, nor did they have much of an obvious influence on the genre since every game is so different from the last. As such, I don’t recommend them as anything more than a curiosity. I have to imagine that in some parallel universe, the Wonder Boy games are considered Sega’s true flagship series and Alex Kidd is all but forgotten.
Bonk's Adventure (a.k.a. PC-Genjin and PC-Kid, FC-Kid, GB-Kid and BC-Kid) (1989) – The bald caveman Bonk is considered the TurboGrafx-16 mascot in North America, but in Japan, he appeared on multiple consoles, in the arcade and even on the Amiga under a variety of names that were mostly puns – North Americans got the name that was a little more on the nose… erm, noggin. The original game is absolutely brilliant and definitely worth playing for its accessible mechanics and wonderful graphics as Bonk tries to rescue Princess Za from the tyrannical Tyrannosaurus King Drool. The sequels are also tons of fun.
Mickey Mousecapade (a.k.a. Mickey Mouse: Adventures in Wonderland) (1987) – While the game was developed by Hudson Soft and even published by Hudson in Japan, it was North American publisher Capcom who got a lot of the credit for the release of this middling Mickey Mouse-themed platformer by following it up with a slew of far better Disney games for the NES. It was Sega who’d ultimately take Mickey Mouse to the next level on consoles with its Castle of Illusion series starting in 1990.
Disney’s DuckTales (1989) – One of Capcom’s biggest console hits of the 1980s tied into the popular Disney Afternoon cartoon based on Carl Barks’s classic Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck adventure comics. For something designed for children, DuckTales is actually a tremendously difficult game due to its reliance on an odd pogo stick mechanic that’s not directly mapped to a button. While the game’s regarded as a classic today with one of the greatest soundtracks of any NES release, it’s old school to a fault, and even its modern 2013 remake by WayForward Technologies is challenging to play today. The 1993 follow-up game, DuckTales 2, offered more of the same gameplay, though its music wasn’t quite as memorable. Both were also ported to the Game Boy quite successfully.
If you haven’t played these games, you ought to.
Games that Will Be Featured in the Book
Some other titles that will appear in my upcoming book include:
Kangaroo (1982) – A Donkey Kong-style game from Sun Electronics where you hop and punch your way to your Joey as a mama kangaroo while avoiding apple-throwing monkeys. It’s a simple but fun game that’s surprisingly strong in its rather abstract Atari 2600 version.
Frankenstein’s Monster (1983) - A strange Atari 2600 combination of Donkey Kong and Pitfall! from Data Age where you bring a monster to life with lightning! It’s a surprisingly good execution of a concept that seems like it wouldn’t be that much fun, and I really do recommend it.
Teddy Boy (a.k.a. Teddy Boy Blues) (1985) - An action platformer from Sega based on a pop song, with pop singer Yoko Ishino as a bonus stage character. It’s a charming little platformer with great graphics and decent execution on its scrolling maze platformer concept.
Games You Might Want To Try
A few other titles that I opted not to feature in detail, but which are worth checking out, include:
Bagman and Super Bagman (1982 and 1984) – An intriguing platform climber arcade game from French developer Valadon. You play as a prisoner who has to grab bags of gold from mineshafts and get them to your wheelbarrow up top while guards chase you. One of the neater aspects of the game is that it takes place across multiple screens. The sequel, Super Bagman, is even better.
Beauty and the Beast (1982) – Imagic’s obvious copycat of Donkey Kong isn’t terribly original in concept, but it makes up for it excellent execution. As Bashful Buford, you scale a building to rescue Tiny Mabel from Horrible Hank. It’s still considered one of the Intellivision’s best original games.
Mr. Do!’s Castle (1982) – A remake of Universal’s Space Panic starring the clown mascot Mr. Do. The game was originally called Knights Versus Unicorns during development, but Mr. Do was added in before release to help the game’s recognizability.
Monster Bash (1982) – A Space Panic-style platformer by Steve Hanawa and Sega/Gremlin where you, as 10-year-old Little Red, enter mansions haunted by Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster and have to vanquish them by powering up your sword with candles and then firing bolts of electricity. The action then shifts to a top-down view for a graveyard battle with that classic movie monster… Chameleon Man? The graphics, sound and theme make this one worth checking out. (Not to be confused with the Williams pinball machine or the 1993 DOS shareware game from Apogee.)
Zoo Keeper (1982) – The animals are loose, and Zeke the Zookeeper needs to lock them back in their cages by building brick walls around them. He also has to rescue his girlfriend, Zelda, from marauding monkeys. This Taito platformer is quite odd mechanically due to the way you run along the outside of a rectangular brick wall to build it, but it has a lot of charm.
Arabian (1983) – An arcade single screen platformer from SunSoft loosely based on four 1001 Arabian Nights stories. As the prince, you progress through each stage to rescue a princess which you spell the word “ARABIAN” with magic jars.
Frostbite (a.k.a. The Arctic Adventures of Frostbite Bailey) (1983) – An isometric Atari 2600 game from Activision where you jump across rows of floating ice blocks and tag them to build an igloo near the top of the screen. The gameplay’s reminiscent of Frogger, but far more abstract.
The Glob and Super Glob (a.k.a. Beastie Feastie) (1983) – A charismatic arcade series from Cardinal Amusements and EPOS Corporation where you play as a hopping blue slime trying to clear floors of their food while you ride up and down in elevators and avoid alligators, frogs, monkeys and rabbits. The cute graphics and high-speed action make this one worth a look.
Keystone Kapers (1983) – A cops and robbers muti-lane chase game for the Atari 2600 where you play as Officer Keystone Kelly trying to catch the crook Harry Hooligan in a mall. You run, jump and dodge as Harry tosses things at you and try to trap him before he can reach the top floor.
Pressure Cooker (1983) – Sort of like a combination of BurgerTime and Diner Dash, Activision’s Pressure Cooker is an Atari 2600 game where you fill orders for different types of hamburgers. It’s executed in a very original way and was amazingly different for its time, but the gameplay doesn’t hold up quite as well today.
Q*Bert’s Qubes (1983) – Q*Bert was a big hit because of its neat theme and cool graphics, but the sequel game, also by Mylstar Electronics, is amazingly obscure. The game provides you with a playing field of floating cubes that rotate and it’s up to you to change the colors on all visible sides to match a predetermined pattern. You only advance if you create a specified number of straight lines with your cleared cubes. It’s a neat idea in theory, but a difficult game to master in execution. The 1985 home versions did little to revitalize interest or awareness in this game despite being decent ports.
Roc ’N Rope (1983) – A platform jumper from Konami where you attempt to climb up cliffs and reach a legendary phoenix (not a Roc, as the title suggests!) while avoiding cavemen and dinosaurs. You’re equipped with pepper spray and a rope gun that allows you to shoot diagonal climbing lines at cliffs above you. It’s a neat game, but very tough.
Ben Bero Beh (1984) – A Japan-only arcade game from Taito where you are a superhero who puts out fires that seem to have minds of their own. As you progress down the floors of the building to save your perpetually trapped girlfriend, you have to watch out for sneaky creatures who slow your progress.
Bomb Jack and Mighty Bomb Jack (1984 and 1986) – A screen-clearing platformer series from Tecmo with an Egyptian theme where you collect red bombs to progress. The original has static screens, but the sequel includes scrolling levels.
Chack’n Pop (1984) – An early Japan-only Taito platformer in which you play as the yellow Chack’n and rescue hearts while you avoid enemies called Monstas or drop smoke grenades to destroy them. While it’s often compared to its spiritual sequel Bubble Bobble, Chack’n Pop is unique because it allows you to walk along floors or ceilings in each maze-like cave.
Pandora’s Palace (1984) – An odd ancient Grecian-themed platform jumping game from Interlogic and Konami where you descend levels by climbing down platforms and leaping over moving platforms, springy girders and ascending enemies.
Wily Tower (a.k.a. Atomic Boy) (1984) – A unique platform puzzler from Irem where you are trying to shut down a satellite in space by turning off power circuits. (The North American version, released by Memetron, says you’re trying to shut down the “Krueger K master computer before it makes a cosmic camel parking lot out of Earth.”) Over five vertically-scrolling stages, you climb conduits, avoid sparks and robots, and ensure the evil machine is shut down for good.
The FairyLand Story (1985) – A sweet arcade platformer from Taito that is something of a predecessor to Bubble Bobble, with many stages to clear by eliminating enemies. This one stars a cute witch who turns equally cute foes into cupcakes.
Ice Climber (1984) – I don’t think anyone really loves Ice Climber, but it’s one of those games that Nintendo seems to have a strong affection for judging by how often it’s been ported and what a mainstay the characters Popo and Nana have been in the Super Smash Bros. games. If you’re going to try it, I recommend the arcade edition, Vs. Ice Climber, as the superior experience.
Metro-Cross (1985) – An isometric arcade sidescroller from Namco where you run through a five-lane obstacle course, leaping over rolling soda cans and hurdles, avoiding green slowdown tiles, dodging rolling red cubes and occasionally skateboarding across the screen. The main track, repeated on each level, is quite catchy.
Ghost House (1986) – A Sega Master System scrolling screen platformer that’s sort of like a mixture between Sega’s Monster Bash and Namco’s Mappy with a little bit of Castlevania thrown in for good measure. As the pointy-earned vampire hunter Mick, your job is to go into Count Dracula’s mansion and retrieve your family’s jewels.
Solomon's Key (1986) – A puzzle platformer where you can create or destroy blocks with a magic wand. Your goal on each screen is to make it to the exit, but you can also explore the screen for hidden treasures before the timer runs out. It’s a challenging and strategic game that’s fairly unique within the genre. I prefer the arcade original (upon which many ports are based), but the NES is probably the best-known version of the game.
Angel Kids (1988) - A dual-stick trampoline game from EXA Planning and Sega where you bounce a little green-haired girl higher and higher. The cute character and enemy graphics are complemented by some amusing backgrounds, including a giant green beanstalk, a skyscraper guarded a gigantic giraffe, the launch site for a rocket bound for space, a lighthouse, a terribly long industrial smokestack and finally, the body of a giant wrestler who’s wearing nothing more than red boots and briefs.
Bonze Adventure (1988) – An extremely Japanese action platformer from Taito that’s steeped in cultural mythology. You play as Buddhist priest Bonze Kackremboh and attempt to set the underworld right by battling yokai with giant bubbles and restoring sanity to Emma the King. Your mileage may vary on your enjoyment of the theme (it’s definitely not my thing), but the boss battle at the end is worth the effort.
Hard Head (1988) – A Korean arcade game by SunA Electronics that’s like a fusion between Bubble Bobble and Super Mario Bros. which is easy to dismiss because its graphics are really, really ugly and you play as a bald man in red overalls with nothing on underneath. But if you can look past the presentation, there’s a neat game here – one where you return home to your girlfriend and an increasing number of (adopted?) children after every round and where you also rewarded at the end with this message: “Congratulation. You fighted very well. Though Hardhead is defeated in this game while coming here I am acquainted with you. I will not forget you forever.” Awww.
Buster Bros. (a.k.a. Pang or Pumping World) (1989) – An unusual platform screen clearing game from Mitchell Corporation where you pop balloons with harpoons you launch up into the air. It’s based on the earlier 1983 MSX title Balloon World by Hudson Soft. Surprisingly, this concept had enough legs to produce several sequels.
Don Doko Don (1989) –A cutesy Taito platformer in the vein of Bubble Bobble where you play as two old dwarves named Bob and Jim, each of whom wields a mallet used to knock enemies out so they can be thrown at others and generate fruit you pick up. The game’s broken up into five sets of ten stages, each with a boss at the end. But, true to Taito fashion, there are secret levels you can complete to unlock five more sets of stages that take you to the true ending. It’s a charming co-operative game that’s well worth playing.
Psycho Fox (1989) –A Sega Master System platform adventure that feels like a predecessor to Sonic the Hedgehog if it were crossed with Super Mario Bros. 3, though it’s not nearly as accessible or polished as either game. The biggest feature is the ability to transform into a tiger, hippopotamus or monkey, each with a special ability. In fox form, you can punch enemies, and in all forms, you can also throw your friend, Birdfly, as a boomerang. The graphics are distinctive and the music is memorable. I just wish the game were easier – it’s insanely tough!
As Our Series Continues…
It’s time to move on to console and arcade gaming in the 1970s and 80s, and we’re going to cover it all with an exploration into hundreds more games you’ve probably never played but definitely ought to check out. Come for amazingly great early 1980s games like Warlords, Super Locomotive, Shark! Shark!, Acrobatic Dog-Fight, Mysterious Stones: Dr. John’s Adventure and Intrepid and stick around for mid-to-late 1980s greats like Peter Pack-Rat, Penguin-kun Wars, Momoko 120%, UFO Robot Dangar, Wonder Momo, Raimais, Last Alert, The Legend of Valkyrie and the arcade version of Twin Eagle: Revenge Joe’s Brother, complete with a rockin’ soundtrack with wonderfully inscrutable lyrics.
If you’ve never heard of any of those games, you’re in for a treat as we explore them one by one. And If those games are all old hat to you, don’t worry; they’re just the tip of the iceberg for what we’ll be discussing!
If you missed my series on the hundreds of 1980s PC games you probably never played, you can find the entire archive at https://greatestgames.substack.com.
Anything I don’t share here will be in my upcoming book, tentatively titled The Greatest Games You (Probably) Never Played Vol. 2. Subscribe to this newsletter so you won’t miss it!
'I just wish the game were easier – it’s insanely tough!' - This could apply to mosy 80s platformers!