One of my absolute favorite parts of my personal gaming history is when I discovered the world of PC games. I’m talking about MS-DOS titles, well before Windows was a thing. Before the days of in-app purchases and constant software updates gaming was simple, and perhaps most important of all, it was pure fun.
Today, I worry that gaming is more about pushing loot boxes and software updates, making playing more of a chore than anything else. This is why I want to walk down memory lane and look at five of the earliest computer games and another five that are truly meaningful to me. Warning: there will be at least one Star Wars title included. If that offends you, so be it!
Spacewar!
You can’t have any conversation about computer games without talking about Spacewar! Developed in 1962 at MIT, the game originally ran on a PDP-1 computer that was essentially the size of a car. It’s widely considered to be the first computer game in history.
The Oregon Trail
How can you talk about a love for early computer games without talking about the Oregon Trail? I know I wasn’t the only one who loved naming my travel companions after my family, only to watch them die of dysentery.
Zork
Written by MIT students in 1977, Zork was one of the first computer games to really showcase a sense of humor. The game’s popularity stems from its portability to multiple computer formats and its creation of Infocom, a highly influential early game studio.
MUD1
Better known as a Multi-User Dungeon, MUD 1 was a 1978 game release with many firsts. This text-based game was so important for being one of the first to use an internet connection to play with others nationwide.
Pong
Okay, so Pong isn’t a computer game, but its importance in giving rise to the gaming world cannot be understated. Without Pong, it’s questionable whether or not computer games would have taken off in the way they did.
Wolfenstein 3D
Before Doom, Wolfenstein 3D may become the most influential first-person shooter game ever. I was hooked when I first fired this game up on a computer. I’ll forever be grateful to id Software for helping me waste hours of my life on this game.
SimCity
I’m more partial to RollerCoaster Tycoon these days, but SimCity being released in 1989 was a watershed moment in my life. The sheer amount of time I spent building up as big of a city as possible, only to destroy it and then do it all over again. Oh, the memories.
Age of Empires
There is no question I’m a sucker for real-time strategy games. It’s arguably my favorite genre ever. Between Age of Empires and Command and Conquer, I used to skip hanging out with friends to sit and play these games for 48 hours on weekends.
TIE Fighter
My absolute favorite computer game, something about TIE Fighter just resonates with me. As a Mac user, it’s the only game that makes me regret having a Mac, as I can’t play games like I can on Windows. But oh boy, the graphics, the cheats, and the TIE Fighters!
Police Quest
If a point-and-click game makes me think of 1980s gaming, it’s Police Quest. While many thought Kings Quest was better, Police Quest was so much fun. My brother and I worked for months to beat this game, then played it all over again.
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