Rise of the Giants

Ahh the 80s... Probably the most ground-breaking periods in video game history. Not only did it see the focus in genre innovation it also saw the birth of some of the most influential franchises.

In the early 80s popularity for arcades were rising all around, Namco's Pac-Man which was released on the 22 May 1980 became one of the most popular and now one of the most recognised game characters. Another popular arcade game was Donkey Kong which was released a year later. 

At that time we 2nd Gen consoles and computers such as the Atari 2600 and the Commodore 64. All was fine and dandy, as the consoles had a pretty strong library of games, then came along... The 1983 Crash!! The year marked the end end of the 2nd gen and the NA dominance in the industry as many companies faced bankruptcy. Many liked to blame the crash on poorly designed games, such as the abomination known as E.T the Extra-Terrestrial on the Atari 2600.

You will hate this once you try it...

While the NA side was struggling to get back on its two feet, Japan saw the opportunity to take the role as industry leader. In 1985 Nintendo released the Famicom, or as we know it: the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). This new 8-bit console came bundled with the game Super Mario Bros. and was an international success. With the NES being the dominant console it encouraged the development on several new games, some of which will then rise to form incredibly successful franchises. Just to name a few, in case if you can't think of any: The Legend of Zelda, Rockman/Megaman, Metroid, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and many many more...