1981 Games Collection
1981: The Arcade Revolution Begins
1981 marked a pivotal year in gaming history as arcade cabinets dominated the scene and laid foundations for future genres. Our retro platform authentically preserves these pioneering titles through precise emulation of original hardware.
- Galaga perfected the fixed shooter formula
- Frogger became a cultural phenomenon with its simple yet challenging gameplay
- Tempest pioneered vector graphics and tube shooter gameplay
- Castle Wolfenstein (Apple II) created stealth action foundations
- Temple of Apshai (TRS-80) pioneered dungeon crawling RPGs
- Introduction of diagonal joystick movement
- Early experiments with artificial intelligence in enemies
- Authentic CRT scanline and curvature simulation
- Original arcade dip switch settings customization
- Competitive online leaderboards for classic high scores
- Save states for marathon gaming sessions
Relive the year that shaped gaming's DNA!
1981 marked a pivotal year in gaming history as arcade cabinets dominated the scene and laid foundations for future genres. Our retro platform authentically preserves these pioneering titles through precise emulation of original hardware.
Arcade Icons Born
- Donkey Kong introduced Mario (as Jumpman) and platforming mechanics- Galaga perfected the fixed shooter formula
- Frogger became a cultural phenomenon with its simple yet challenging gameplay
- Tempest pioneered vector graphics and tube shooter gameplay
Home Computer Dawn
- Ultima I on Apple II established computer RPG conventions- Castle Wolfenstein (Apple II) created stealth action foundations
- Temple of Apshai (TRS-80) pioneered dungeon crawling RPGs
Technological Milestones
- First use of parallax scrolling in arcade games- Introduction of diagonal joystick movement
- Early experiments with artificial intelligence in enemies
Enhanced Features
Our platform offers:- Authentic CRT scanline and curvature simulation
- Original arcade dip switch settings customization
- Competitive online leaderboards for classic high scores
- Save states for marathon gaming sessions
Relive the year that shaped gaming's DNA!
Showing 2 games from 1981
JUMP BUG
1981
PlatformerSeries: Jump Bug
JUMP BUG is a pioneering 1981 platform shooter where players control a bouncing car across scrolling cityscapes and jungles. Notable for its gravity-defying jumps, multi-plane scrolling, and being one of the first games to feature parallax backgrounds.
DONKEY KONG
1981
PlatformerSeries: Donkey Kong
DONKEY KONG is Nintendo's 1981 arcade classic that introduced Mario (originally Jumpman) and established the platformer genre. Players climb ladders and jump over barrels to rescue Pauline from the giant ape Donkey Kong across four iconic stages.