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The 24 Greatest 8-Bit Games Ever Made

• By McKinley Noble
• June 16, 2009 10:19 AM PST
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Our PlayStations, Wiis and Xbox 360s may be our bread and butter, but we still love those classic games that never seem to go away. After much yelling, threats and name-calling among the staff, GamePro's finally counting down the top 24 titles of the 8-Bit generation. Let's get old-school and party like we're drinking Classic Coke and voting for Ronald Regan!

Technology has come so far for gamers, it's sometimes easy to forget where it all started. For the longest time, you could only play Punch-Out during lunch period in pizza shacks and arcades, and that was only if you had some quarters to rub together. Now, all it takes is some gizmo work with your iPod or handheld system to put the hurt on Mike Tyson while you're in the bathroom. Thank Xenu for good technology, because we here at GamePro have problems with letting go, especially when it comes to these 8-Bit classics.

#24: Space Invaders

Retro Recap: Space Invaders was the first killer app in video game history, and the sole reason anyone ever bought the Atari 2600.

8-Bit Background: First powered with an 8-bit Intel 8080 processor in 1978.

There isn't a gamer alive who doesn't recognize the Space Invaders' trademark alien. This game probably rates as one of the most referenced titles as well, from being a central story element in Seinfeld and Futurama episodes to the logo of events like Video Games Live. Current versions of Space Invaders give you cheap tools like power ups and extra shields, but the original 8-bit version equips you with nothing more than your guts and a sole single-shot cannon. Sure, getting the high score on your local arcade cabinet won't help you fend off actual aliens, but it's a good way to improve the hand-eye coordination.

#23: Frogger

Retro Recap: Frogger is still a classic for many gamers, which is a credit to taking something as simple as roadkill and turning it into a cult phenomenon.

8-Bit Background: The original arcade cabinet was crafted with a Zilog Z80 8-bit microprocessor in 1981.

Frogger was one of those games that had a ridiculous amount of ways to get a game over. It wasn't just the trucks and cars that could kill you, but otters, alligators, snakes, and even the in-game clock were all conspiring against the player. Of course, one of Frogger's most famous moments must be the Seinfeld episode in which George Costanza's last ditch effort to save his high-score in Frogger leads to one of the most awesome minutes in TV comedy.

#22: Tetris

Retro Recap: Tetris remains arguably the most popular puzzle game ever, thanks in no small part to Nintendo's NES and Game Boy versions of the addictive Russian mind game.

8-Bit Background: Built using an Elektronika (Russian made, of course) 60 computer @ 8 KB in 1985.

Yes, the Russians did eventually invade American and Japan, but the weapon was called "Tetris". Filling an empty well with differently shaped pieces to a catchy beat was easy, but when Tetris revved up the music the gameplay quickly got frantic, challenging the quickest of reflexes. Now, Tetris is a household word (and thanks to the DS remake, still a bestseller), with people even using their furniture to live up to the task of correctly packing up space.

#21: Space Harrier 3-D

Retro Recap: On the Sega Master System, Space Harrier 3-D was the first game to try third-dimension gaming on a home console.

8-Bit Background: Released in 1988 with a 3-D glasses accessory on the Sega Master System.

Nintendo may have been king in the 80s, but the competition got stiff in the later years of the decade. As the seed for later Sega/Nintendo wars, the Sega Master System was one of those 8-Bit consoles that could produce an insane amount of color quality under the right programming. Space Harrier was already a technological feat, but its successor upped the ante with 3-D shine and super-detailed FM sound (but it's still in dire need of sequels).

#20: Phantasy Star

Retro Recap: As Sega's answer to Squaresoft's titanic hit Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star is one of the oldest RPG franchises that's still soldiering on.

8-Bit Background: Released for Japan via the Sega Master System in 1987, then followed up with a U.S. launch in 1988 (selling for a whopping $70 to $80).

Phantasy Star can be considered the "Metroid" of Japanese role-playing games, since it was one of the first games to star a female lead, avenger Alis Landale. It also used the popular "fake 3-D" style of graphics in the game's many, many underground dungeons, which looked distinctly futuristic compared to other games in the genre. It's no wonder the game cost so damn much -- a ton of power was being packed into that tiny 8-bit cartridge.

#19: Donkey Kong

Retro Recap: Built to support an ailing little company called Nintendo, Donkey Kong is one of the several pillars that solidified designer Shigeru Miyamoto's iron-tight grip on the video game world.

8-Bit Background: The original Donkey Kong arcade machine was built using a Zilog Z80 microprocessor, and was later ported to everything from ColecoVision to the Famicon.

Donkey Kong is famously remembered as the first appearance of the man who would later become Nintendo's iconic mascot, Jumpman (later renamed Mario). At a demanding 22 levels of barrel jumping, purse collecting, and ladder climbing, it was a tall order to rescue damsel-in-distress Pauline from the clutches of the game's titular crazy ape. Donkey Kong was the origin of everything that Nintendo became famous for, including a small spin-off franchise of games called the Mario Bros. series.

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