Playing Video Games : Top 20 Best Old School Games (8-bit) of 80's & 90's

Did you know that when Google made a doodle featuring a fully-playable version of Pac-Man on its homepage to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the game there was approximately a loss of $120,000,000 to businesses across the world. Large businesses from across the world reported loss of productivity on that day because many workers played that game on office hours.

I'm sure you were also lot in to games in your childhood days. The sound (often very loud) when it started felt exciting. Those times when you indulged in it for hours, after and before school. Competed with your friends that you are better than them. Those were indeed good times.

In our place that was a time when small make-shift video-game parlors came-up with those large arcade machines. Each game or rather about 3 minutes of play costed around one rupee. There were specially minted coins which the guy at these parlors gave us in exchange of a rupee. Often times they earned handsomely as every other child out there played on an average for five rupees.

Now the good news is that we don't have to spend money on these. They are all available online for free. Play as much as you want them. Now I'm not big on playing games, especially the new generation ones. But I was in my younger days. And sure you also were. So, keep everything aside and refresh some old memories.

Here comes the list of top twenty best old games.

1| 1942

This comprises of 32 stages where you have to destroy planes of the enemy and move forward. The enemy planes will also shoot on you, so keep on pressing the trigger to shoot all of them. Also a series of non-harming planes comes here and there, if you shoot all of them then you'll get sort of power to increase your shooting.

As you keep on conquering different levels you'll see that you get different and exciting powers to keep you interested in playing further.

2| Adventure Island

Keep on eating the fruits along the way to increase your stamina. Eating fruits that are along the way is very important as the life of your player depends directly on it. The sound and the graphics are nice. Apart from moving forward and eating fruits you'll have to save yourself from different animals such as snail, crow, even frogs and also from fire and falling in the sea.

This is fun and will keep you interested for many hours.

3| Alladin

This one is newest of all of them in the list. But this one was also launched in the 90's. I couldn't find an online version where you can play it. But I got a downloadable .exe file which is where the link will lead you to. Download and extract the file and conquer the adventures of Alladin along with Genie and Abu.

Though I played it for many times but I wasn't able to go beyond level six. This is tough.

4| Battle City

Simple yet addicting. In this, you have to destroy the tanks of the enemy and guard your base from getting destroyed. It has more than 30 stages, of course it gets harder as you proceed.

At first this will be harder. At least it was for me; as evidently seen in the below screenshot.

5| Bomberman

Comical and funny short man of yours will be placing bombs in various places to kill all the insects and also will have to search for a door which leads to the next level. Be careful in placing bombs as there are also chances that you'll bomb yourself and lose a life. Also each stage has a hidden power which ranges from the ability to place more than one bomb, or the power to remote-control the bomb and even one for passing through the walls.

It has fifty stages after which it returns back to stage one.

6| Circus Charlie

The game has six levels. You have to operate the clown and make it pass through each of them showing different skills like a clown does. This one is simple and after playing for a few hours you'll be able to complete all the levels.

The first four stages are very simple and the fifth and sixth one is a bit tough where you'll ride a horse and swing on trapeze, respectively.

7| Contra

Now this is very famous. It had many versions. The old classic one had nine stages. There are three life that you can utilize to complete all the stages. We also used a cheat from which that increased the count of life from three to thirty. I myself now don't believe in using cheat codes. It takes away the fun.

Just to check I searched the cheats and they don't work.

8| Diddy's Kong Quest

I spent hours playing this one along with Alladin. This requires utmost attention and a slight mistake will lead to end. Both the games (this one and Alladin) came in as bundled in one of the earlier cassette type instrument which when inserted in a video-game machine could be played by connecting to the Television.

The link will lead to a external site where you can either download it or play the online version of it.

9| Galaxian and Galaga

Galaxian was launched in 1979 and was very successful. Galaga was released as a sequel to Galaxian. Required the player to control a spaceship and shoot down enemies coming from other directions.

From both the versions I still like to older one than its successor.

10| Kung Fu Remix

The gameplay required the player to beat others and move forward along the bridge. It has five stages and each level is completed by killing the boss of the stage. The first stage boss is the one with uses a stick, the second one uses a boomerang, third one is a fat boxer, fourth one is a sorcerer, and the last one is a karate champion.

I loved this one because I completed all the levels with ease. In our part of the world it was known as Spartan.

11| Mario Brothers

You have to hit each and every creature by first hitting the horizontal bars and then by pushing them in the water. Once you kill all the animals the level is completed and you move on to the next level. There is also a bonus stage where many points can be scored by collecting coins.

The graphics is good but becomes repetitive after some hours of play.

12| Pac-Man

One of the most played classic games of all time. Though I didn't played much of it in my childhood as I find this one one-sided without any excitement. It is one such which can be played if you get little time in between other chores.

Now this along with Solitaire fills most of my "playing hours" in office.

13| Pooyan

Pooyan is a fun game which will keep you busy for hours. It requires you to be fast enough to catch-up or rather to blow oppositions balloon which makes them fall in the sea. If you fail to blow their balloons they will line at the stairs and try to eat you. Also they will throw bombs at you from which you'll have to save yourself.

Simply a great concept.

14| Popeye

Now most of us know about Popeye and have played it. And have enjoyed the cartoon as well. It requires to make Popeye collect different items at different levels. First one is to collect 24 hearts, next is musical notes and so on and at the same time avoid Brutus and all other dangers.

Go eat the spinach and save Olive.

15| Road Fighter

The simplest of the lot which only had the option to make the car to move to the left and right with an accelerator control. It has five stages with different tracks. The car racer has to quickly make it to the finish line before he/she runs out of fuel. In the way we also get to see tricolor vehicles which are nothing but fuel cars which when bumped in to it increased the fuel level.

Possibly this would have been the first game that you ever played.

16| Super Street Fighter

Another popular one for you. My favorite character from this is Chun Li, the one with "legs on fire", literally. Each of the character had some special powers which can be invoked when pressed a sequence of buttons.

Off to conquer this one! Again.

17| Super Mario

I felt proud in front of my friends since I was the one who played this one at ease. I completed all the eight worlds of it by spending lots of money on those coin-op machines. No regrets. Also there is a chance to gain infinite number of 1up's (lives) in the third and at the seventh stage by pressing the duck on the stairs in the first sub-world of each of them.

Still this one is great. Go save the Princess!

18| Teenage Mutant Ninja Tournament

This one is much similar like the Street Fighter but with greater clarity in graphics and different characters. It also had a two player version but that can't be played online; only single player or competing with the CPU is playable. Also there comes a flying object which dropped rounded balls which when picked can be used as a weapon.

My favorite is Shred, and yours?

19| Tetris

It's one of the most popular games of the 90's. And still liked by many people. Ideal when your are travelling for long hours. I'm sure there is an android version of it. Go check it out if you want to play this one while commuting.

The link does not lead you to the classic version but to a website which has many newer versions.

20| Tiny Toon Adventures

Based on the cartoon series by the same name. This was the first game based on the animated TV series. There are six worlds which has to be conquered with three sub-levels in each of them.

Three cheers for the makers of this one.

21| Ice Climber

You have searched and read so far you deserve a bonus. Ice climber is the bonus for you. You might have played this in your childhood, so then go right in and experience the same joy you experienced in your school days.

Also, scroll a bit to look for more suggestions from around the internet. Links to other great resources to find your favorites in the below section.

I would love to get your comments and if the game you most liked is not mentioned in this list then please do make a comment (if I know I will try to provide a link from where you can play it), it would be highly appreciated and also other people who are looking for it may come know about it.

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