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Video Game Explosion

We rate every game in the world

Three hundred and forty-seven. That’s the number of home video games in existence. And we know of 52 more games due to be released in the nextfew months. It seems like just afew years ago, our video game libraries were complete if we had Space Invaders, Asteroids and Missile Command. This Christmas, with 22 companies producing software, there will be more games than you can shake ajoystick at. That's the good news. The bad news is you can't buy them all. At $30 a pop, a complete video game collection would set you back $8,675. Unless you own stock in one of the major video game companies, you can forget that idea. If you're a games fan, you've got some choices to make and we can help. We’ve rated every game that we know exists on a scale from A to F (just like a report card)—A is for excellent and F is for less-than-excellent. This should make your decision just a bit easier.

legend
S=Space  AF=Adventure/Fantasy
M=Maze  G=Gambling
A=Action  E=Educational
SP=Sports  D=Driving
=Game Type
=Graphics
=Playability (including challenge,
difficulty and interest level)
ACTIVISION
BARNSTORMINGAAB
BOXINGSPCB
BRIDGESPDB
CHECKERSSPCC+
CHOPPER COMMANDAAB-
DRAGSTERDAB
FISHING DERBYSPAB
FREEWAYABB
GRAND PRIXDAA
ICE HOCKEYSPAA
KABOOMAAA
LASER BLASTSBC
MEGAMANIASBB+
PITFALLAFAA
SKIINGSPBA-
STAMPEDESPBA
STAR MASTERSAA
TENNISSPAA
 
 
APOLLO
LOST LUGGAGEAAB
RAQUETBALLSPBB
SHARK ATTACKMBB
SKEET SHOOTSPCC
SPACE CAVERNSBB+
SPACECHASESB-C
 
 
ASTROCADE
AMAZING MAZEMBB+
ASTRO BATTLESAA
ARTILLERY DUELABB
ASTROCADE PINBALLAAA
BASEBALL/HOCKEY/TENNISSPBB
BIORHYTHMEBB+
BLACKJACK/POKERGCC
BRICKYARD/CLOWNSABB
CONAN THE BARBARIANAFBC
COSMIC RAIDERSSAB
CREATIVE CRAYONEAA
DOGPATCHABB+
FOOTBALLSPBA-
GALACTIC INVASIONSAA
GRAND PRIXDBB+
THE INCREDIBLE WIZARDAFAA
LETTER MATCHEBB+
MUSIC MAKEREBA
PIRATE’S CHASEABB-
RED BARONABB+
SEA WOLFABB
SOCCERSPBB
SPACE FORTRESSSAB+
SOLAR CONQUERORSBB+
SPEED MATHEBB
STAR BATTLESBC
ZZZAP/DODGEMDBB-
BOWLINGSPBC
BASICEAA
 
 
ATARI
BRAIN GAMESEBA
BREAKOUTAAA
ADVENTUREAFAA-
AIR-SEA BATTLEABB
ASTEROIDSSBA
BACKGAMMONSPBA-
BASIC PROGRAMMINGEBB
BASKETBALLSPBA
BERZERKABA
BOWLINGSPBC
CANYON BOMBERABB
CASINOGBA-
CIRCUS ATARIAAB-
CODEBREAKEREBB+
CONCENTRATIONECB
DEFENDERSAA
DODGE ‘EMMBB-
FOOTBALLSPCD
GOLFSPCD
HANGMANEBB+
HAUNTED HOUSEAFBA-
HOME RUNSPCD
HUMAN CANNONBALLACC
INDY 500DBC+
MATH GRAN PRIXECB
MAZE CRAZEMBA-
MISSILE COMMANDSAA+
NIGHT DRIVERDBA-
OTHELLOABB+
OUTLAWACC
PAC-MANMCB-
PELE’S SOCCERSPBB-
SKY DIVERABC
SLOT RACERSABC-
SPACE INVADERSSAA
SPACE WARSBC
STREET RACERDBB
SUPER BREAKOUTAAB+
SUPERMANAFAA-
SURROUNDABB+
3-D TIC TAC TOEABB
VIDEO CHECKERSSPBB
VIDEO CHESSSPBA
VIDEO OLYMPICSABB+
VIDEO PINDALLABA-
WARLORDSAAA
YAR’S REVENGESAA
FLAG CAPTUREEBC
FUN W /NUMBERSECC
EARTHWORLDAFAA
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARKAFCC
BASEBALLSPB-B-
VOLLEYBALLSPB-B-
FROG PONDAB-C-
DEMONS TO DIAMONDSABC
GALAXIANS (5200)SAA
STAR RAIDERS (5200)SAA
CENTIPEDE (5200)AAA
 
 
CBS
WIZARD OF WORABB
GORFSBB+
 
 
COLECO
CARNIVALAAA
COSMIC AVENGERSAA
DONKEY KONGAA+A
FIDELITY'S CHESSSPAB+
FIDELITY'S HORSE RACINGSPAB
HEAD TO HEAD BASEBALLSPBB+
HEAD TO HEAD FOOTBALLSPBB+
KEN USTON'S BLACKJACK/POKERGAA-
LADY BUGMAB+
MOUSETRAPMAA
MR. TURTLEAAB
RIP CORDSAA
SIDE TRAKMAB
SKIINGSPBB
SMURF EDUCATIONAL GAMEEBB
SMURF RESCUE GAMEEAB
SPACE FURYSBA
SPECTARMAB
TUNNELS AND TROLLSAFBB
TURBODAA
VENTUREAFAA
ZAXXONSAA
 
 
COMMAVID
COSMIC SWARMSCB
ROOM OF DOOMACB
 
 
DATA AGE
ENCOUNTER AT L-5SB-B+
WARPLOCKSCC+
SSSNAKEACB-
AIRLOCKSCB-
BUGSACB-
 
 
FOX
WORM WAR IABB
BEANY BOPPERABB
FAST EDDIEAAB-
DEADLY DUCKAAB
TURMOILAAA
 
 
IMAGIC
ATLANTISSBB
COSMIC ARKSBA
DEMON ATTACKSAA
FIRE FIGHTERABC
MICRO SURGEONAFAA
RIDDLE OF THE SPHINXAFBC
STAR VOYAGERSBA
SWORDS AND SERPENTSAFBA
TRICK SHOTSPAB
BEAUTY AND THE BEASTAAB
 
 
MATTEL
ABPA BACKGAMMONSPAB+
ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONSAFAA
ARMOR BATTLEAAA-
ASTROSMASHSAB
AUTO RACINGDBA-
BOXINGSPAB
CHECKERSSPBB
FROG BOGABC
HORSE RACINGSPAC
ROULETTEGAB+
LOCK ‘N CHASEABB-
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLSPAA+
MATH FUNEAB+
NASL SOCCERSPAA-
NBA BASKETBALLSPAA-
NFL FOOTBALLSPAA
NHL HOCKEYSPAA
NIGHT STALKERAAB
PBA BOWLINGSPAC
PBA GOLFSPAA+
REVERSIABB
ROYAL DEALERGAB+
SEA BATTLEAAA
SNAFUMAB
SPACE ARMADASBC
SPACE BATTLESAB
STAR STRIKESAB-
SUB HUNTAAB+
TENNISSPAB
TRIPLE ACTIONABB
TRON DEADLY DISCSABB
TRON MAZE-A-TRONABB
SKIINGSPAB
UTOPIAAFBA
WORD FUNEAA
SPACE HAWKSB+B-
USCF CHESSSPA-B-
SPACE SPARTANSSA-B+
B-17 BOMBERAAB+
BOMB SQUADAAB+
TRON SOLAR SAILORAAB-
ASTROBLAST (M)SBB
SPACE ATTACK (M)SAA
 
 
ODYSSEY
ALPINE SKIINGSPBC
ARMORED ENCOUNTERACB
BASEBALLSPBB
BASKETBALLSPBB
BLOCKOUTABA-
BOWLINGSPCD
CASINO SLOT MACHINEGBB
COMPUTER GOLFSPCD
COMPUTER INTROEBB
CONQUEST OF THE WORLDABA-
COSMIC CONFLICTSAA
ELECTRONIC TABLE SOCCERSPBA
FOOTBALLSPBB
HELICOPTER RESCUEAFBC
HOCKEY/SOCCERSPCC
INVADERS FROM HYPERSPACESAB
ALIEN INVADERS PLUSSAB
K.C.'S KRAZY CHASEMAA
LAS VEGAS BLACKJACKGBB
MATCHMAKEREBB
MATH-A-MAGICECA
MONKEYSHINESMBA
PACHINKOABB+
PICK AXE PETEABB
POCKET BILLIARDSSPCC
THE QUEST FOR THE RINGSAFBA
SHOWDOWN IN 2100ACB-
TAKE THE MONEY AND RUNABB+
THUNDERDALLABC
UFOSBC
VOLLEYBALLSPCD
WAR OF NERVESABA-
WALL ST. FORTUNE HUNTAFBA
DYNASTYSPBA
KEYBOARD CREATIONSEAA
SPEEDWAYA
FREEDOM FIGHTERSAA-A-
TYPE N TELLEBB-
K.C. MUNCHKINAAA-
NIMBLE NUMBERS NEDEAA
I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBERGBB
 
 
PARKER
EMPIRE STRIKES BACKSAA
FROGGERAAA
 
 
SPECTRAVISION
PLANET PATROLSAA
GANGSTER ALLEYABC
TAPEWORMACB-
NEXARSAA+
 
 
STAR PATH (Formerly Arcadia)
COMMIE MUTANTS FROM SPACESAB+
PHASER PATROLSAA
FIREBALLABB
SUICIDE MISSIONAFBC
LABYRINTHMAA
 
 
TELESYS
FAST FOODAAB
COCO NUTSABC+
COSMIC CREEPSSAB
 
 
TIGERVISION
JAWBREAKERACC
KING KONGABB
THRESHOLDABB
 
 
ULTRAVISION
KARATESPCC-
CONDOR ATTACKSPCB
 
 
U.S. GAMES
SPACE JOCKEYSB+B+
SNEAK N PEEKEBB
WORD ZAPPEREAA
COMMANDO RAIDAAA
TOWERING INFERNOAB+B+
 
 
VECTREX
ARMOR ATTACKAAB-
SPACE WARSSAA
STAR HAWKSAA
RIP-OFFSAB
SOLAR QUESTSAA
SCRAMBLESBA
BERZERKABA
STAR TREKSAA
BLITZAAB
CLEAN SWEEPSAB
HYPERCHASESAA
COSMIC CHASMSAA
MINE STORMSBA
 
 
ZIRCON
TIC-TAC-TOEEBA
HOCKEYSPC-C+
DESERT FOXAB-C+
VIDEO BLACKJACKGB-C+
SPITFIREAB-C+
SPACE WARSC+C+
MATH QUIZ #1 & #2ECC
MIND READER/NIMEC-A-
DRAG STRIPDB-B+
MAZEMB-B+
BACKGAMMONSPC+C+
BASEBALLSPC+B
TORPEDO ALLEYACB+
SONAR SEARCHAC+A-
MEMORY MATCHECC
DODGE ‘ITAC+B+
PINBALL CHALLENGEAC+A-
HANGMANEC+A-
VIDEO WHIZBALLAC-A-
BOWLINGSPCC+
SLOT MACHINEGAB-
GALACTIC SPACE WARSSC+B-
PRO-FOOTBALLSPC-B-
CASINO ROYALEGB-C
ALIEN INVASIONSCC
TENNISSPC-C

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