12 Fun Facts About Classic Video Games

12 fun and unusual facts about classic video games

1. Mario first appeared in Donkey Kong in 1981 and was originally called Jumpman.
2. In that game, Donkey Kong escaped and kidnapped Pauline.
3. Mario began as a carpenter before later becoming gaming’s best-known plumber.
4. The popularity of Mario Bros. reportedly coincided with more babies being named Mario.
5. Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney founded Atari with a very small initial investment.
6. Bushnell also founded the pizza and entertainment business Chuck E. Cheese.
7. Bowser was originally imagined as an ox before becoming the character players know today.
8. Space Invaders speeds up as aliens disappear because the original hardware has fewer objects left to draw.
9. The PlayStation 2’s shape has often been compared with Atari’s Falcon 030 Microbox.
10. Atari’s E.T. is regularly described as one of the worst video games ever released.
11. Unsold E.T. cartridges really were buried in New Mexico and later excavated.
12. Some recovered cartridges eventually became valuable collectors’ items.

Classic game history is full of strange stories. Explore Arcade Geeks machines to bring those games back into your own space.