10 Iconic Games That Shaped Gen X’s Childhood

‘Generation X’ refers to people born from the mid-1960s to the early-1980s. Even the oldest members of this generation were still young when video games were slowly becoming a staple.

Neither the oldest nor youngest Gen Xers witnessed the very beginning of video games, but they at least got to see video games evolving throughout their childhoods. Many Gen Xers will fondly recall playing childhood staples like The Oregon Trail and coming-of-age favorites like Mortal Kombat.

Pong Was Made Before Gen X Could Drink

Pong was far from the first arcade video game, but it was the first one that made a true cultural impact. It is a sports-like game based on table tennis, with two players controlling digital paddles and trying to score in the opponent’s goal.

The oldest Gen Xers may faintly remember seeing a Pong cabinet during family outings, such as eating out. Alternatively, they may remember seeing Pong in movies like Silent Movie, which may be their frame of reference when it comes to the seminal—and still addictive—game.

Maniac Mansion Allowed Gen X to Cook Hamsters

Image via LucasArts

Maniac Mansion is a graphical adventure game that has the mad scientist Dr. Fred Edison attempting to turn college student Sandy Pantz into a monster. Dave, Sandy’s boyfriend, and his friends must stop Dr. Edison from doing so before it is too late.

Maniac Mansion is as crazy as the game’s premise makes it out to be, which made it a perfect adventure game that younger Gen Xers played in their youth. Players might have played the game as intended, or gone completely off the rails and microwave a pet hamster.

Maniac Mansion

Systems

Released

October 5, 1987

Developer(s)

LucasArts

Publisher(s)

LucasArts

Lemmings Deeply Irritated Gen X

Image via Psygnosis

Lemmings is a puzzle and strategy game that sees the titular creatures mindlessly walk to their doom. The player must assign tasks to guide them to safety; the tasks include building, bashing, climbing and even exploding.

Many Gen Xers, especially those from Europe, are likely to recall how precise they had to be when assigning jobs to these creatures. Few have forgotten the hours of frustration just to get one lemming across a crevice.

Lemmings

Systems

Released

January 1, 1991

ESRB

t

Developer(s)

Rockstar North

Publisher(s)

Psygnosis

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer

Space Invaders Is a Gen X Arcade Favorite

Image via Atari, Inc.

Space Invaders is a shoot ’em up in which waves of aliens descend on a human-controlled base; they use powerful projectiles to destroy parts of the base to make their invasion easier. The player must shoot them back before they reach it.

Upon its release, Space Invaders was a hit in the arcades; it ended up being a bigger hit on the Atari 2600 and other video game consoles of the day. The game was everywhere, and older Gen Xers are fortunate enough to have seen the game in its infancy.

Space Invaders

Systems

Released

April 1, 1978

ESRB

e

Developer(s)

Taito

Publisher(s)

Taito, Midway Games, Atari

Franchise

Space Invaders

Doom Is Gen X’s Chosen FPS

Image via id Software

Doom is an FPS game that starts out with the so-called Doomguy navigating his way through a hell-infested military base on Mars. He soon has to traverse through Hell itself in order to take on the nefarious forces that are bent on invading Earth, including a powerful Cyberdemon.

With its rock-infused soundtrack and hypermasculine tone, Doom has unsurprisingly become a favorite for Gen Xers of all ages. This is especially the case for younger Gen Xers who were likely in high school or still in middle school when it was released.

Doom (1993)

Systems

Released

December 10, 1993

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

Developer(s)

id Software

Publisher(s)

id Software

Engine

Doom engine

The Oregon Trail Is a Gen X School Favorite

Image via MECC

The Oregon Trail is a strategy game that has the player and their party traveling from Missouri to Oregon in order to start anew. Over the course of their journey, the player has to manage their party’s resources and be sure each member of the party is healthy.

The Oregon Trail is one of those games that transcends generations, but Gen X had the honor of actually playing the game in their schools’ early computer labs. Aspects of The Oregon Trail still resonate among the generation, especially regarding dysentery.

The Oregon Trail

Systems

Released

1985

ESRB

e

Developer(s)

MECC

Publisher(s)

MECC

Pac-Man Gave Gen X a Fever

Image via Namco

Pac-Man is a maze game that has the player control the titular Pac-Man. The yellow spherical character has to navigate around a maze and eat every last pellet. All the while, players must be wary of the ghosts that are constantly on Pac-Man’s tail.

Pac-Man is widely considered to be a seminal video game that helped popularize the medium. It should come as no surprise then that Gen X, especially the generation’s older members, would have fond memories of trying to beat the high score set by someone else.

Pac-Man

Released

July, 1980

ESRB

e

Developer(s)

Namco

Publisher(s)

Namco, Midway Games

Engine

Unreal Engine

Gen X Fell for Pitfall!

Image via Activision

Pitfall! is a seminal platformer that has Pitfall Harry wandering around a jungle. His goal is to collect as much treasure as possible before the 20-minute timer runs out. Over the course of the game, the player must avoid all sorts of hazards, both animal and natural.

Pitfall! was one of the first popular third-party games on any home console, and it came to define the Atari 2600. Unsurprisingly, this has led to the game being fondly remembered by Gen X, with many of them being able to recall how precise they had to be with some of the game’s platforms.

Pitfall!

Released

January 1, 1982

ESRB

t

Developer(s)

Activision

Publisher(s)

Activision

Mortal Kombat Tested Gen X’s Might

Image via Midway

Mortal Kombat is a fighting game that sees a legion of quirky yet fierce fighters taking on one another. These characters, from Johnny Cage to Liu Kang, will do anything to achieve victory, including incinerating each other and literally ripping each other’s throats out.

Mortal Kombat was the perfect coming-of-age game for Gen X, with its dark humor and gratuitous violence suiting the increasingly edgy generation well. Additionally, the game helped make Gen X the largest demographic for the fighting game genre.

Super Mario Bros. Shaped Gen X’s Perceptions of Gaming

Image via Nintendo

Super Mario Bros. is a platforming title that defined the whole Super Mario series. The plot itself has been recycled through the rest of the franchise, with Mario having to travel across the Mushroom Kingdom in order to save Princess Peach from the captivity of the evil King Bowser.

If any game defined Gen X’s view of gaming, it was Super Mario Bros. The NES’s success helped cement Super Mario Bros.’s i. Such success has long been reflected by Gen X’s many tributes to the game.

Super Mario Bros.

Released

November 17, 1985

ESRB

E For Everyone

Developer(s)

Nintendo R&D4

Franchise

Super Mario