For the time,Saboteurcontained some great ideas, courtesy of programmer Clive Townsend.
There were stealth elements, too, which were practically unknown at the time.
The sun cast shadows on the games title planet, which shift with its orbit.
The result was another action adventure masterpiece.
As an expansion of Reidys ownSkool Daze,released a year earlier,Back To Skoolwas technically superb.
As an interactive, quintessentially British comedy, it was top of its class.
There were mini-games involving mazes and the disembodied heads of politicians.
There was a murder to solve, and an atmosphere we can only describe as 8-bit David Lynch.
Widely regarded as the first life simulator, it introduced players to the tiny characters lurking inside their computers.
Michael Cranfords seminal dungeon crawler is one of those games that is still talked about in reverential tones today.
Seemingly overnight, Remember, dont shoot food!
became a ubiquitous refrain in arcades the world over.
Welcome to the fantasy zone.
In its decade-long existence, Japanese studio Toaplan emerged as the master of the 2D shooter.
The teams highlights includedSlap Fight, Tatsujin, Hellfire, Fire Shark, Zero Wingand the barking-madBatsugun.
Although not the first up-the-screen shooter,Commandowas arguably the most influential.
The best of these includedIkari Warriors, Cal.
IfCommandowas difficult, thenGhosts N Goblinswas downright nightmarish.
The two player mode offered hours of fun, too.
IfThe Way Of The Exploding Fistevoked the serious side of martial arts, KonamisYie Ar Kung-Fuwas its cartoony antidote.
The world was ready for something new.
First appearing in arcades in July 1985,Hang-Onwas a masterful amalgam of programming and hardware design.
As it turned out, they would.
BothHang-OnandSpace Harrier(released in October 1985) were arcade hits all over the world.
While Commodore and Atari were ushering in the 16-bit computer era, Nintendo made its dramatic debut in America.
