Hobbies And Interests
Pong
"Pong" essentially created the stand-up arcade game industry. It was released by the newly minted Atari corporation in 1972 and was a simple version of ping pong. Players control pixelated bars on the screen, which act as paddles. A smaller cluster of pixels serves as a ball, bouncing back and forth between the paddles. If the player can't block the "ball" before it gets past his "paddle" and send it back to the second player's "paddle," he loses a point.
Space Invaders
Inspired by the success of Pong, Atari began releasing more games during the 1970s. Its breakout hit was "Space Invaders" in 1978. It quickly moved outside the traditional video arcade and stand-up consoles could be found in restaurants and similar mainstream locales. The player controls a pixelated cannon which moves back and forth across the bottom of the screen. A series of bunkers sit above him, providing protection from the rows of space aliens slowly moving down the screen. The player tries to shoot the aliens while they throw bombs in an effort to breach his defenses. The fewer aliens left on the screen, the faster the remaining aliens advance. The player needs to shoot them all down before they either reach him or drop bombs on him.
Pac-Man
"Pac-Man" arrived in 1980, marking a departure from earlier video games that focused on spaceships and outer space combat. It features a circular yellow character named Pac-Man, which the player moves through a maze full of dots. As he moves, the Pac-Man gobbles up the dots and scores points. He needs to avoid the four jelly-fish-like creatures that roam the maze trying to eat him. Four larger dots appear in the maze. When Pac-Man eats them, his enemies turn into blue ghosts for a short period of time and he can devour them. The game became a craze after it was released -- spawning sequels, merchandising tie-ins and a Saturday morning cartoon -- and today stands as an icon of America in the 1980s.
Donkey Kong
"Donkey Kong" was developed by the Nintendo gaming company in 1981, an effort that made the company one of the most recognized video game producers in the world. It was a "platform" game, allowing the characters to jump from suspended platforms. The titular ape grabs a helpless maiden and carries her high into a building under construction. The player controls a little man in blue and red with a handlebar mustache: climbing the girders of the building while the ape throws barrels at him. The man can either jump over the barrels or smash them with a mallet available for grabbing. Donkey Kong proved to be a huge hit and spawned a continuing series of sequels and spin-offs. The game's hero -- Mario -- became one of the company's most recognized figures.