For as long as home computers have been around Sci Fi Games have been created. Dating back to the first arcades and consoles developers have cited certain games as the moment when they decided their future careers. Here we overview some games that were the most inspirational.
Space Invaders was the first arcade game to become internationally successful. Developed in Japan and released in 1978 in an era when science fiction movies were dominating cinema. It was such a huge success that additional 100 yen coins had to be minted. Space Invaders was the first successful two-dimensional fixed shooter game. The pixelated alien spacecraft image remains a popular pop culture icon.
The space trading game Elite was the most popular and addictive simulation game for early home computers. It combined a basic trading game with wireframe combat, which was at that time a new concept. A second version of the game was released for more powerful 16-bit computers later in the decade and there are plans to re-visit the franchise.
Elite was the game that made the BBC and Acorn computers famous. During the early 1980s these computers were primarily used as teaching computers however this game was so hugely popular that many people purchased them just to play it. It also inspired many younger users to consider software development as a career so it could be said it inspired a generation. More recently the the lead designer, David Braben, called for changes in education to inspire a new generation of developers.
Sports simulation was also very popular and was taken into the future by Speedball. With inspiration from both handball and ice hockey it instantly got the thumbs up from sports fans. It combined fast action, power ups, and, of course, elements of skill and luck. The game was as inspirational as it was successful and new versions continue to be made.
Another popular science fiction gaming genre was first person shooters. Quake gained a huge amount of popularity but that was by its successor Half Life, the most successful game of its type in the era. Using a greatly enhanced version of the same engine. The central character was Gordon Freeman, a scientist with poor time keeping ability at the Black Mesa research facility. A huge explosion knocks him unconscious, he comes around to find the facility infested with hostile aliens.
Sid Meier's Civilization series was brought into the future with Alpha Centauri. Using the same engine it added a science fiction twist to the classic series. As with Civilization it's based around idealistically different settlements, this time on an alien world. Each faction makes friends and enemies with their rivals until one is dominant. Short videos are played as breaks in the game, some of the quotes are memorable enough to be used in films just often enough for fans of the game to notice them. Since the late nineties it has become the standard for strategy games.
As long as there have been home computers and arcades there have been Sci Fi Games. As a genre they have been amongst the most popular and the most inspirational for generations of developers. Every time a great new game is invented another generation is inspired.
Space Invaders was the first arcade game to become internationally successful. Developed in Japan and released in 1978 in an era when science fiction movies were dominating cinema. It was such a huge success that additional 100 yen coins had to be minted. Space Invaders was the first successful two-dimensional fixed shooter game. The pixelated alien spacecraft image remains a popular pop culture icon.
The space trading game Elite was the most popular and addictive simulation game for early home computers. It combined a basic trading game with wireframe combat, which was at that time a new concept. A second version of the game was released for more powerful 16-bit computers later in the decade and there are plans to re-visit the franchise.
Elite was the game that made the BBC and Acorn computers famous. During the early 1980s these computers were primarily used as teaching computers however this game was so hugely popular that many people purchased them just to play it. It also inspired many younger users to consider software development as a career so it could be said it inspired a generation. More recently the the lead designer, David Braben, called for changes in education to inspire a new generation of developers.
Sports simulation was also very popular and was taken into the future by Speedball. With inspiration from both handball and ice hockey it instantly got the thumbs up from sports fans. It combined fast action, power ups, and, of course, elements of skill and luck. The game was as inspirational as it was successful and new versions continue to be made.
Another popular science fiction gaming genre was first person shooters. Quake gained a huge amount of popularity but that was by its successor Half Life, the most successful game of its type in the era. Using a greatly enhanced version of the same engine. The central character was Gordon Freeman, a scientist with poor time keeping ability at the Black Mesa research facility. A huge explosion knocks him unconscious, he comes around to find the facility infested with hostile aliens.
Sid Meier's Civilization series was brought into the future with Alpha Centauri. Using the same engine it added a science fiction twist to the classic series. As with Civilization it's based around idealistically different settlements, this time on an alien world. Each faction makes friends and enemies with their rivals until one is dominant. Short videos are played as breaks in the game, some of the quotes are memorable enough to be used in films just often enough for fans of the game to notice them. Since the late nineties it has become the standard for strategy games.
As long as there have been home computers and arcades there have been Sci Fi Games. As a genre they have been amongst the most popular and the most inspirational for generations of developers. Every time a great new game is invented another generation is inspired.
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