Evolution of Video Games

An Interactive Exhibit

What's your favorite game?

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What's your favorite video game? Probably impossible to choose. We made it easier for you by splitting them up into five categories. Which is your favorite from each?

Era 1 games were the start of video games. The major consoles were Atari VCS, ColecoVision, and Mattel Intellivision.

ERA 1: START! (1970S - EARLY 1980S)

PacMan (1980) Space Invaders (1980)
Pitfall (1982) Donkey Kong (1982)

Era 2 brought the prevalence of 8-bit graphics. The major consoles were Commodore 64, NES, and the Sega Master System.

ERA 2: 8-BIT (1983-1989)

Legend of Zelda (1986) Mega Man 2 (1988)
Super Mario Bros 3 (1988) Metroid (1986)

8-bit exploded in popularity during Era 3. The major consoles were Sega Genesis and the Super NES.

ERA 3: BIT WARS! (1989-1994)

Star Fox (1993) Sim City (1989)
Earthworm Jim (1994) Phantasy Star 4 (1993)

Era 4 saw not only a change in graphic styles - from 8-bit to polygons - but also from console to computer. The major consoles were Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, Sega Saturn, and the Sony PlayStation. The major operating system was Windows DOS.

ERA 4: TRANSITION (1995-2002)

Tomb Raider (1998) Final Fantasy VII (1997)
Diable II (2000) Fallout (1997)

We're currently in Era 5. Where will we go from here? The major consoles are XBOX and XBOX 360, Sony PlayStation 2 and 3, Gamecube, and Wii. The major operating systems are Windows platforms.

ERA 5: NEXT GENERATION (2003-CURRENT)

Fable (2004) Minecraft (2009)
Halo 2 (2004) Bioshock (2007)