It was in the 1970s and ‘80s that video arcade games, such as Space Invaders and Asteroids, and primitive home computer games, like Pong, first arrived on the scene and became huge instant hits.
Fast forward 40 years, and for a generation of young people (and for some oldies too), gaming is an essential and integral part of day-to-day living. The Xbox, Wii, PlayStation and the rest are here to stay and, indeed, set to become ever more sophisticated as technology forges ahead in the coming years.
Video games are an intrinsic part of our culture and as popular as music and films, with gaming manufacturers such as Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft some of the multinational commercial giants of the day. And now, according to a report in the Daily Star, FIFA, Mario Kart, and Super Mario World have topped a list of the 40 greatest video games of all time.
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Nearly 20% of the 2,000 people who were polled voted for the annual FIFA game as their all-time gaming favourite. But many old-time games feature on the top-40 list too, including Space Invaders - the Japanese-made favourite which first appeared in Newcastle arcades at the turn of the 1980s. Other iconic retro games on the list include Pac-Man, first released in 1980, and Donkey Kong, which came out a year later. Indeed many games featured on the list are over 30 years old., proving gamers like a bit of nostalgia too.
A spokesman for Lottoland.co.uk which commissioned the survey said: “There are some timeless classics on the list, and a lot of them are still being playing by people to this day. With so many new games coming out all the time – and with brilliant graphics to boot – it’s amazing to see that what we actually all want are the pixelated, cult classics that we grew up on. And it’s no different here – from Space Invaders to Street Fighter, our games are inspired by the best of the best. Who needs Tomb Raider when you’ve got Tetris?”
As for the favourite gaming console on the market, PlayStation came out on top, with its consoles making up four of the top five, alongside the Nintendo Wii. The Xbox 360 came eighth, behind the Sega MegaDrive and Nintendo Switch.
The Lottoland spokesman added: “Technology will continue to grow and advance as the years go by, but there will always be room for video games that have stood the test of time. We have a wide selection of classics available to choose from to take you right back to the heady days of the 16-bit era.”
The top 40 Greatest Video Games of All Time, as voted by gaming fans:
- FIFA
- Mario Kart
- Super Mario World
- Grand Theft Auto
- Pac-Man
- Call of Duty
- Tetris
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- The Sims
- Space Invaders
- Tomb Raider
- Minecraft
- Donkey Kong
- Wii Sports
- Football Manager
- Pokémon
- Assassin’s Creed
- Street Fighter
- Crash Bandicoot
- Legend of Zelda
- Sim City
- Red Dead Redemption
- Guitar Hero
- Mortal Combat
- Resident Evil
- God of War
- Final Fantasy
- Fortnite
- Tekken
- Animal Crossing
- Need for Speed
- The Witcher
- The Last of Us
- Doom
- GoldenEye
- World of Warcraft
- Halo
- Fallout
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
- Mega Man
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