There has been substantial growth and changes across every medium of entertainment, but the world of video games is considerably different than where it was several decades ago. The advancements in technology that have catapulted forward each new gaming generation are truly incredible in comparison to the nostalgic 8-bit days of retro gaming.
Many old video games have become vital stepping stones for the development of the industry, but there are even more odd entries that are emblematic of the decade in which they were released. There’s still a lot of affection for the 1980s and while it was an important decade for gaming, there are also a wealth of video games with completely ridiculous names that embrace the excess of the ‘80s.
10 Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja Is Glorious ‘80s Beat-Em-Up Chaos
The 1980s are full of side scroller beat-’em-up titles, especially those that started out as arcade releases. Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja— often referred to simply as Bad Dudes— is a Data East title that doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel. The President needs to be rescued from a ninja kidnapping and it’s a game that’s much more famous for its heightened title and it’s upcoming cutscene than its gameplay.
It’s not very different from Streets of Rage, Double Dragon, or other beat-’em-up titles of the era, but it’s become a cult classic over time.
9 Communist Mutants From Space Applies A Deeply ‘80s Storyline To A Space Shooter
Due to the technical limitations of video games during the ‘80s there are many games that have fantastic titles and stunning box art, only to feature simplistic gameplay that barely resembles what’s advertised. Communist Mutants from Space is a wildly fun title and it features an alien invasion that’s prompted by irradiated vodka.
Despite this innovation, the game is basically just a copy of Galaxian or any other Space Invaders type retro shooter that’s set in space. The game was released for the Atari 2600 and makes use of the Supercharger accessory, but it's still an archaic experience.
8 Zak McKracken & The Alien Mindbenders Is A Quirky Point-And-Click Epic
The point-and-click adventure genre dominating the late 1980s and 1990s and Lucasfilm Games were responsible for some of the most ambitious and cutting edge entries in the genre. Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders came out in 1988 and effectively represents how far storytelling in video games had come at the time.
The game's title is a play on National Enquirer-like tabloid headlines since the game chronicles the increasingly grandiose exploits of a tabloid reporter. Zak McKracken goes all the way to Mars and back and it’s an incredibly comprehensive game for the time.
7 Hacker II: The Doomsday Papers Is Full Of ‘80s Paranoia & Tech Terror
Hacker II: The Doomsday Papers hit platforms like the Amiga, Apple II, and Commodore 64 and it's a title that feels deeply immersed in its time period. Hacker II is concerned with the United States' security and that hackers who control robots are the ultimate tool to gain supremacy.
Hacker II: The Doomsday Papers incorporates a complex user interface where four monitors need to be watched at once while the player both hacks and infiltrates their surroundings. It's a very tense experience, which is only amplified with how the puzzle and strategy title doesn't allow any saving.
6 NukeWar Represents The Residual Nuclear Panic Of The Decade
Many of the video games from the early 1980s barely seem like they contain enough content to qualify as a glorified demo at this point. 1980 marks the release of NukeWar for the Apple II, Commodore 64, and Atari 8-bit consoles. NukeWar's name, packaging, and story all promise a thrilling encounter that occurs during a volatile thermonuclear war, but naturally the game itself is quite basic.
NukeWar is largely text-based, with the additional uses of sprites, and it's not that dissimilar from other strategy titles like Battleship, yet it has a considerably more evocative name.
5 The Human Adventure Explores The Wonders Of Biology
It's quite impressive how video games during the early '80s could largely be written and programmed by a single person and provide much more personalized adventures. William F. Denman, Jr.'s The Human Adventure is an Apple II release from 1980 that basically riffs on sci-fi movies like Fantastic Voyage where scientists shrink down to explore the inner workings of the human body.
The Human Adventure is controlled through single-word commands and it can’t possibly replicate the type of journey that it promises, but its name represents the '80s' fascination with human anatomy.
4 Leather Goddesses Of Phobos Is A Hysterical Homage To Sci-Fi Serials
One of the growing trends in 1980s video games is for lewd and humorous sensibilities to take over point-and-click adventure titles. Leather Goddesses of Phobos is a loving tribute to both sci-fi serials and iconic texts like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but with a playful sense of debauchery.
Despite its aged humor, Leather Goddesses of Phobos is actually funny and it impressively showcases 75 different locations across multiple planets. The title is such a bold tribute to the '80s— but its '90s sequel, Gas Pump Girls Meet the Pulsating Inconvenience from Planet X!— is even more unrepentant with its influences.
3 Deathmaze 5000 Challenges The Player To Find Their Way To Freedom
1980's Deathmaze 5000 for the TRS-80 and Apple II is the definition of a video game that draws people in through an alluring title. Deathmaze 5000 is highly evocative of the hyperbolized '80s, but this game is a simple survival maze title that's not unlike other games like Labyrinth.
In first-person perspective, players must navigate their way through the massive maze before they starve to death or meet their ends courtesy of monsters. Deathmaze 5000 is incredibly rudimentary in its design, but it's still a title that can take up hours of someone's time without them ever reaching the exit.
2 The Amazing Adventures Of Mr. F. Lea Boosts Average Gameplay With A Wild Title
Any child gamer that was around in 1982 wouldn't be able to refuse the allure of the arcade game, The Amazing Adventures of Mr. F. Lea. It's a silly name that's accompanied with bright artwork that makes it seem as if this flea character could turn into the next big mascot. In reality, Mr. F. Lea is no different from something like Frogger or Donkey Kong.
Players need to traverse from the canines on one side of the screen to another while they avoid obstacles. It didn't replace Frogger, but it's a solid competitor with a much better name.
1 K-Razy Shoot-Out Doesn’t Lack In The Excessive ‘80s Charm
There are now tons of variety in video games and developers will get called out when they clearly rip off another title. However, the early 1980s were a time where clones of successful releases were enough to win over audiences. Accordingly, the Atari 8-bit's K-Razy Shoot-Out from 1981 isn't very different from arcade shooter Berzerk, but it has the more unabashedly '80s name out of the two releases.
K-Razy Shoot-Out's box art also has a delicious 1980s aesthetic that pits spacemen against renegade robots, while the actual gameplay leaves a lot more to be desired.