Happy National Video Game Day!
National Video Game Day celebrates the incredible journey of gaming, from its earliest days to today’s blockbuster titles.
The story begins in the 1970s with Pong, a simple yet revolutionary tennis-style game that launched a billion-dollar industry. By the late ’70s and early ’80s, arcades came alive with Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong. These brightly lit cabinets and their 8-bit sounds created the first gaming community spaces.
As consoles and PCs gained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, video games expanded into homes. Complex storytelling and immersive mechanics emerged, and the World Video Game Hall of Fame now honors titles that left a lasting mark.
Here are some of the most widely recognized games of each decade (from Wikipedia’s “List of video games considered the best”):
- 1970s: Pong (1972), Space Invaders (1978), Asteroids (1979)
- 1980s: Pac-Man (1980), Donkey Kong (1981), Super Mario Bros. (1985), Tetris (1984/85), Madden Football (1988)
- 1990s: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991), Super Mario 64 (1996), Final Fantasy VII (1997), GoldenEye 007 (1997)
- 2000s: Half-Life 2 (2004), World of Warcraft (2004), Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004), The Sims (2000), Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
- 2010s: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011), Minecraft (2011), The Last of Us (2013), Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
- 2020s (so far): Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020), Elden Ring (2022)
From quarters in arcades to cinematic, online multiplayer experiences like Call of Duty, gaming has grown into a cultural touchstone that bridges generations.
National Video Game Day reminds us not only of the fun but also of the innovation and creativity that define the medium.
Doug O’Brien
