Category: Gaming

These days, you can simply download a video game to your mobile phone, computer or console and start playing right away and guides on how to play and beat the game are readily available before release. In the early days of video games, though, all of the secrets were reserved only for physical guides that you had to buy in addition to the game. Because of this, there were a lot of retro games that sold like hotcakes in the days before the internet.

There were also plenty of games that were simply addicting in nature as you tried to beat your personal high score or set a new standard amongst your friends. There’s a nice blend of both categories in the highest-selling games of all time. Here are the five that were released before 2000 that sold the most copies and had seemingly everybody in the world playing them.

Super Mario Bros. 

In 1985 Nintendo released the Super Mario Bros game in Japan for the Famicom (Family Computer), following the success of the Mario Bros arcade game released two years prior. Soon after, it was introduced in the US for the NES system for a short period of time. 

It remains one of the most successful video game franchises to this day. Most are familiar with the Super Mario Bros merchandise, toys, cartoon, and the movie adaptation set to be released in the Spring of 2023. 

Pac-Man

Pac-Man, previously called “Pukkuman” and “Puck Man” in Japan and Europe, is a hugely popular arcade game released by Namco in July of 1980. It was released worldwide later that same year by Midway Manufacturing. 

Many remakes and sequels have been made over the years, with Ms. Pac-Man having the greatest impact. Developers recognized the appeal of Pac-Man amongst their female players and decided it was time to welcome a sassy and cute new character. Both Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man ended up being two of the highest-earning arcade games of all time in North America. 

Tetris

One of the most simple, yet endlessly entertaining video games is the retro classic, Tetris. Russian-born Alexey Pajitnov engineered this colorful puzzle game in 1984, but it wasn’t released in Europe and North America until 1987 and 1988. Tetris became one of the best-selling video games of all time over the years. 

Also providing surprising benefits as well. One benefit discovered by researcher Richard Haier shows that playing Tetris can improve brain function over time, in areas such as critical thinking. A separate study also found the usefulness of playing Tetris in treating older children suffering from lazy eyes, due to the game’s ability to keep the player focused and correct the lazy eye. 

Super Mario World

Super Mario World is the fourth addition to the Super Mario Bros. video game series. The game was developed by Nintendo and released in Japan in 1990, later released in Australia and North America in 1991 and 1992.  Unlike the previous three Super Mario Bros. games, the fourth was released for the SNES, the successor of the NES. 

An excellent addition to the series was everyone’s favorite dinosaur-like cutie, Yoshi. Nintendo had plans to incorporate Yoshi into previous Super Mario Bros. games, but were unable with the hardware limitations. The game received extremely high praise and ended up the best-selling videogame of its time. 

Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue

There are an astounding amount of Pokémon games available to play, with more being introduced on an almost yearly basis. The best selling and retro fan favorite is the first of the Pokémon games, Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue. Red and Green were first released for the Gameboy in Japan in 1996 under the name “Pocket Monsters”. 

Later released in Australia and North America in 1998 and Europe in 1999. Blue was released internationally a few years later in 1999. Through the years, they remain the highest earning Pokémon games of all time, showing you can’t beat the classics. 

Video games were once seen as a niche hobby that some thought would be a passing fad but instead blossomed into one of the biggest industries in the world. Between console, mobile, and PC gaming, the video game industry now records around $200 billion in revenue each year. There are particular franchises that we can credit with video games becoming a staple of society.

What were the games that really set the tone? We’ve come up with five that changed the world, not based on gameplay, but on the impact that they had. These games had millions glued to their televisions or heading to the arcade, showing that video games should be taken seriously.

Super Mario Bros. 

The “Super Mario Bros.” franchise is one of the most successful and widely known throughout the world, continuing to provide Nintendo lovers with endless entertainment. The creation of the “Super Mario Bros.” game for the NES came after its predecessor and the first game of the series, Mario Bros, an arcade game released in Japan in 1983. 

Super Mario Bros and the NES console played important roles in reviving the video game industry after the video game crash in 1983. It also made way for other 16-bit games, like “Super Metroid”, “Street Fighter ll”, and “Sonic the Hedgehog”. 

Wolfenstein 3D

The third installment of the “Wolfenstein” video game series, “Wolfenstein 3D” has been dubbed the “grandfather of 3D shooters”. It was developed by id Software and later released in 1992 by Apogee Software and Formgen for PC. “Wolfenstein 3D” opened the door for future First Person Shooters and introduced action-packed and violent gameplay to the world of video games. 

It quickly became the best-selling game in 1992 and saw over a quarter million copies sold within the three years following. There was no other game like it on the market. It helped lead the way to the development of games like “Call of Duty”, “Doom”, and “GoldenEye 007”. 

Pong

One of the first arcade games, “Pong” was released in 1972 after Allan Alcorn developed the game as a training task given to him by Atari’s co-founder Nolan Bushnell. The founders of Atari enjoyed Alcorn’s creation so much, they began production of the simple, yet exciting ping-pong-style video game. 

The release of “Pong” sent players into a frenzy and it became an instant hit, leading to the release of Home Pong by Atari, sold exclusively through Sears. Many credit that move by Atari to be the first successful move in welcoming the era of home video game consoles. 

Grand Theft Auto

The first game of the series, “Grand Theft Auto” was released in 1997 for the PC and PlayStation and in 1999 for the Gameboy Color. The extremely popular action/RP game was surrounded by controversy even before it had been released due to the violent subject matter and the concern of parents over an increase of violence in video games over the years. 

The game still launched and went on to become a hit amongst players and went on to be one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. In fact, “Grand Theft Auto V” has generated over $6 billion in revenue for Rockstar. 

Space Invaders

In 1978, Japanese developer Tomohiro Nishikado came up with the idea for “Space Invaders” after seeing that other arcade shooting games were taking off in the west. In “Space Invaders”, you play as a spaceship shooting at lines of UFOs that are slowly (at first) dropping down bit by bit until they’re all gone.

“Space Invaders” operated on a scoring system, and the appeal across both North America and Japan made the game a contest amongst friends. As a result, there were quarters being pumped into machines at all hours of the day, resulting in billions of dollars in revenue. Because of “Space Invaders”, arcade-style video games were taken seriously as a good business model for manufacturers.

Akinator’s database is unparalleled as he seems to know just about every notable person or character in the world. From minor characters in obscure animated shows all the way up to the leaders of every nation, Akinator will likely know who pops into your mind. There are certain names and categories that pop up the most on Akinator, with these being the most played in the world’s most popular version of “20 Questions”.

Akinator Himself

A lot of people will try to fool Akinator by using him as the answer to his questions. However, Akinator is able to figure out the ruse rather quickly and can guess that he’s the subject within a few questions. Naturally, the being that knows everything about itself will be able to figure things out.

Non-Answers

Among the most common guesses are the ones that are nothing at all. There are millions of people that just continue to click ‘no’ just to see what happens. The answer will be “The One About Whom Nothing Is Known,” which isn’t a cop-out answer since there’s a person trying to break the game anyway. Three of the top 11 guesses of all-time on Akinator aren’t anything that exists.

Presidents

If you were to ask a random person on the street to name the first person that pops into their head, there’s a good chance that they name the President of the United States. For this reason, people that play Akinator for the first time are likely to use the current US President as their answer. Names like Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and all the rest are among the most common Akinator guesses.

Cartoon Characters

The demographic for Akinator tends to skew on the younger side, and cartoon characters are commonly brought up because of this. Out of all of the cartoon characters that Akinator guesses, Spongebob Squarepants is the most common. Mickey Mouse, Homer Simpson, and superheroes like Spider-Man and Batman are also characters that Akinator runs into frequently each day.

Video Game Characters

Cartoon and video game characters sort of go hand in hand, and the younger Akinator players love to see if he can guess their favorite gaming characters. Among the more popular results for video game characters are Pikachu (Pokemon), Master Chief (Halo), Sonic the Hedgehog, and Kratos (God of War).

YouTubers

To continue the trend of younger people playing Akinator, most of the top responses in a given country will be a YouTube personality. PewDiePie is one of the most frequent on an international basis while other YouTubers like J10B100, Luccas Neto, and Kouki are popular guesses in countries like Italy and China. Almost every YouTuber that has at least a couple of thousand subscribers is in Akinator’s database of knowledge.

Athletes

Akinator is played around the world instead of just in North America, so it’s no surprise to see that there’s a long list of soccer stars that dominate the sports guesses. Soccer stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are far ahead of the pack in Akinator guesses, while other stars like Kylian Mbappe and Son Heung-min are among the top, as well. In terms of American athletes, Tiger Woods is the top response.

Controversial Figures

There’s a certain edginess that comes with the youth of the world, so of course, there’s going to be a slew of controversial people that Akinator will have to guess. Some of these include a certain leader of Germany during the early 20th century and a known terrorist that was slain during the Barack Obama administration by Seal Team 6. 

Singers and Actors

Though not as high on the list as some of the others, the top 100 guesses for Akinator include a lot of singers and actors. Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber top the list of musical acts, while actors like Brad Pitt and Arnold Schwarzenegger are the first actors to come to mind for a lot of people. What might be surprising is that Jackson and Bieber are the only two from these categories that are in the top 25 overall.

Sure, we all know the likes of Nintendo classics like the Super Mario or Legend of Zelda series that are blockbusters for the video game company, but not every good game has to sell millions of copies. 

While the Mario franchise along with Pokemon and Zelda make up a massive chunk of the 20 highest-selling Switch games in the console’s history, there are some other gems that you may have missed, including a familiar blue face. If you want to try out some awesome games that could have slipped by you while also not breaking the bank, try out these five Nintendo Switch games.

Lego Worlds

Released for the Switch in September of 2017, “Lego Worlds” might be a game you missed in the flurry of popular Lego game releases throughout the years. Traveler’s Tales first developed the game. 1-2 players, locally or online, can create their own customizable world made up of Lego bricks and other fun additions. 

You can unlock creatures in the game, some of which can be used as transportation and for attacking. Speaking of transportation, there’s also an array of vehicles you can use to explore and admire the Lego world around you. 

Killer Queen Black

“Killer Queen Black”, inspired by the “Killer Queen” arcade game, is a platform strategy game released for the Switch in October 2019 after making its debut back in 2013. Up to eight players can join the fun locally, or online. 

Players can choose to be the Queen and focus on protecting their hive, or play as workers that rank up to soldiers while collecting berries and dodging enemies. KQB has developed quite the underground following over the years, becoming a cult classic.

Disney Classic Games Collection

“The Disney Classic Games Collection” was released on the Switch in November of 2021.  Although recently released, Disney lovers may have missed this old-school gem. It features retro games that Disney fans will love. Players can indulge in the 16-bit console versions of fan-favorite “Aladdin” games and classic” Lion King” and “Jungle Book” games. 

You can also jam out to full soundtracks from each of the movies while you do so. Whether you’ve already played through them back in the day and want to experience the nostalgia these games bring, or trying them out for the first time, it’s sure to be a hit for adults and kids alike.  

Sonic Forces

Developed by Sega and released for the Switch in November of 2017, “Sonic Forces” is one of the many Sonic games available on the console, so it’s possible you may have missed it. The action and adventure-based platform game was developed in honor of the “Sonic The Hedgehog” franchise’s 25th anniversary.

Your goal is to defeat the mischievous Doctor Eggman, who alongside his new partner “Infinite”, has destroyed most of Earth. You can play the levels in classic side-scrolling mode, modern mode, and a mode in which players are able to create and fight enemies with their very own personalized avatars. 

Night In The Woods

Developed by Infinite Fall studios and released on the Switch in February 2018, “Night In The Woods” is an underrated piece of work you could have easily skimmed over. The game is based on the 2011 British horror film “A Night In The Woods”, written and directed by Richard Parry. Infinite Fall crowd-funded the project and received over 400% of its original goal.

The story follows a college-aged girl named Mae, who suffers from dissociative episodes and, for that reason, comes back to her hometown to seek familiarity and comfort. Mae meets with old friends and discovers one had recently gone missing. Mae and her friends decide to search for their lost friend after Mae witnesses the kidnapping of another townsperson by a cloaked individual, who she assumes is a ghost. Critics gave high praise for the game’s soundtrack, story, and stunning art. 

Back in 2004, developers David Baszucki and Erik Cassel had a plan for an MMO that would allow players to create their own games and worlds, calling it “Roblox”. The game was released two years later, and though it didn’t have a lot of traction at first, would slowly develop into one of the world’s most popular games, especially among children.

Since the 2010s saw the release of “Roblox” on mobile devices, there has been an explosion in popularity and creativity from those that make their own games within “Roblox”. There are countless games to pick from that really show off how creative you can get with “Roblox”, with these five that you might have missed truly setting the standard.

Welcome to Bloxburg

Welcome to Bloxburg is a popular “Roblox” game developed by user Coeptus, where you can design and build a virtual home, chill with friends, and work a variety of jobs. A player can choose to start off with a prebuilt home or create their own on their 30 x 30 plot of land. 

Homes aren’t the only thing you can build on your land. You can build a farm, a restaurant, a hotel, or a small village. A player can pay for access to a larger plot of land and the ability to create multiple stories in their home. 

MeepCity

Over ten billion players have visited MeepCity, making it one of the most popular “Roblox” games. User AlexNewtron created this casual MMO-style game, similar to and inspired by games like Club Penguin and Toontown. Its main purpose is to serve as a social hangout platform, although players have homes they can personalize by going to some of the shops in the city. 

Using the city’s currency of coins, you can make a visit to the home improvement shop, where you can change the interior or exterior design of your home. There’s a toy shop where you can purchase tons of fun items. There’s also a furniture store you’ll find plenty of cool items for your rooms, party supplies, outdoor decor, and more.  

Theme Park Tycoon 2

Theme Park Tycoon 2, developed by user Den_S, is a game where players can create their own amusement parks, food vendors, and more for other players to visit and enjoy. There are five different types of rides offered in the game like roller coasters, water rides, transportation rides, intense rides, and some less intense rides. 

Players can customize the rides to their liking on their own plot of land. Neighboring players within the server can visit your amusement park and rate their experience, earning your achievements and access to special items to adorn your park with. 

Work at a Pizza Place

Work at a Pizza Place, developed by users Dued1 and RBXZach, is another highly popular “Roblox” game that has accumulated over four billion visits. In the game, you work as an employee at a pizza place, choosing from jobs like cook, cashier, pizza boxer, delivery person, supplier, and manager. 

Working as a team, you and your fellow employees make and serve guests their food, earning you coins. With those, you can buy items to fill your virtual home with while on break. 

Build a Boat for Treasure

Created and developed by Chillz Studios, Build a Boat for Treasure is a game where you do just that. You and other players can work as a team to build a vessel and sail it across the ocean with the goal of reaching an island where you’ll find a treasure chest full of goodies. 

You can unlock quests, earn badges, and collect gold blocks if you survive the trek through the roaring waters and dangerous obstacles leading to the treasure. 

“Flappy Bird” was the game that caught everyone’s attention for a brief period of time, only to be stripped away from the masses without any warning. It was a simple concept, really. You tap your phone screen to temporarily elevate the tiny yellow bird without letting him hit the multitude of pipes or the ground below while the game keeps track of how far you made it without hitting an obstacle.

Millions of people were competing with their friends to see who could get the highest “Flappy Bird” score, and it was the game that almost everybody had on their smartphone during that golden age of apps in the early to mid-2010s. Unfortunately, “Flappy Bird” left just about as quickly as it came. So what happened? Let’s look at the story of “Flappy Bird” and its elusive creator.

The Creator

“Flappy Bird” wasn’t created by a large publisher that has cornered the mobile gaming market, but rather by one man. Dong Nguyen grew up in the Vietnamese village of Van Phuc, and took an interest in video games at a young age, particularly the “Super Mario Bros.” franchise. Nguyen had been working on developing games for a few years but found some of them to be too complicated for public consumption.

Nguyen took one of the characters that were to be used in a previous game, a bird named Faby, and plugged him into the game where all you have to do is tap anywhere on the screen. One tap makes Faby increase in height slightly and temporarily as the player attempts to traverse between pipes without hitting the ground.

Skyrocketing Popularity

The simplicity of “Flappy Bird” made it an instant hit. The game was released in May 2013, and within months was the top mobile game in the world. By the end of the year, there were 50 million “Flappy Bird” downloads. People were trying to break their own high scores while sending screenshots of their scores to everyone they knew, hoping to have the highest “Flappy Bird” score amongst their friends and family.

Clones

Just like with any popular mobile game, there are always a series of knockoffs that make their way to the App Store and Google Play. It seemed like every day, there were dozens of

 “Flappy Birds” clones that made their way into stores only to be taken down. Of course, there were also plenty of developers that said that “Flappy Bird” was the clone, but nothing came from the claims that Nguyen took his ideas from anybody else.

Flying Away

While still at the height of its popularity, millions of people woke up on February 20, 2014, only to find that Flappy Bird was no longer available in app stores. Many thought it was a mistake at first, but it turned out that “Flappy Bird” was gone for good. The only ways to try out “Flappy Bird” afterward were via the arcade game or the Amazon Fire TV version of the app as all others were removed permanently.

Where Did Nguyen Go?

So why did Nguyen decide to rip the game from app stores while it was pulling in tens of thousands per day? According to Nguyen, he said that people were becoming addicted to the game. “‘Flappy Bird’ was designed to play in a few minutes when you’re relaxed,” he said. “But it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem. To solve that problem, it’s best to take down ‘Flappy Bird’. It’s gone forever.”

News outlets couldn’t stop talking about “Flappy Bird”, but Nguyen didn’t want to see the success of his own game. “It is something I never want,” Nguyen said of the popularity. “Please give me peace.” On the positive side, Nguyen did feel more confident in his game development abilities as a result of “Flappy Bird”. 

Nguyen has been almost radio silent since “Flappy Bird” was taken away from stores. His small gaming development company, dotgears, has created other games including “BOOP”, “Swing Copters”, and “Ninja Spinki Challengers. However, nothing has seen quite the success of “Flappy Bird”.

Long before the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck set the standard for high-powered portable gaming, Sony had been doing it for years, first with the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and then with the PlayStation Vita. The PS Vita was introduced in 2011 with a price tag of $250 and was meant to compete with Nintendo’s 3DS. 

Though the PS Vita didn’t sell well in North America, the system took off in Japan and had a lifespan that lasted for nearly a decade. During that time, more than 1,700 games were released, but which ones were the best? Here are the five best games for the PS Vita.

5. Tearaway

One of the rare games released only for the PS Vita, “Tearaway” was a gorgeous game by Media Molecule that took the world of papercraft and brought it to life. “Tearaway” used the touch panel on the back of the PS Vita to make it a unique experience for players, which in turn created some amazing visuals.

“Tearaway” was a very family-friendly game that was beloved by critics. The game won several awards for its design, including Edge Magazine’s 2013 award. At the BAFTA Video Game Awards the following year, “Tearaway” was nominated for several awards, winning Best Family Game, Best Mobile/Handheld Game, and Best Artistic Achievement.

4. Gravity Rush

Originally intended to be on the PlayStation 3 as “Gravite”, “Gravity Rush” was then repurposed to be one of the cornerstones of the PS Vita upon its release in early 2012. A game that gives the player a lot of freedom, “Gravity Rush” allows you to utilize the PS VIta’s handheld capabilities to alter the in-game world to advance.

When released, critics were pretty torn on “Gravity Rush” with some calling it mediocre while others called it an instant classic. As time has gone on, “Gravity Rush” has become more beloved to become one of the best PS Vita games during its run.

3. Rayman Origins

By the time 2011 and the PS Vita came around, Rayman was already an established character in video games. Making a game for the handheld system was a safe bet for Sony, though “Rayman Origins” would also release on several other consoles including the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. The platformer didn’t lose any quality on the handheld version, marking another great entry in the Rayman series.

“Rayman Origins” was what fans of the series had been hoping for when the game was released, and critics agreed that it didn’t disappoint. While the Nintendo 3DS version lost some features that didn’t make it a fan favorite, the PS Vita version was just about perfect, receiving a 9.5 out of 10 score from IGN.

2. Spelunky

A game that was originally created for Microsoft Windows, “Spelunky” was released on both standalone and handheld consoles in 2012, four years after it was initially made. The roguelike platformer by Mossmouth, LLC became an instant cult classic for a lot of fans across all platforms. The PSVita version wasn’t any different than the other consoles, meaning that no quality was lost in the shrink-down from consoles.

An easy game for players to pick up and easily get enthralled with, “Spelunky” is an addictive romp that many consider being one of the best indie games ever. Many critics have called it their personal favorite game, including Eurogamer giving the game a perfect 10/10 score.

1. Persona 4 Golden

Considered one of the best games that Sony systems have ever had, “Persona 4” was originally released in 2008 on the PlayStation 2 and received new versions throughout the life of the game. Among them was “Persona 4 Golden”, which was originally meant to be on the PSP, but would’ve needed to be stripped down from its console version. With the release of the PS Vita, though, players were able to get the full experience of “Persona 4”.

“Persona 4 Golden” received rave reviews almost entirely across the board, including its highest ratings coming from the PS Vita version. “Persona 4 Golden” sold 1 million copies, making it among the best-selling portable games of all time.

At this point, almost everyone in the world knows what Sudoku is. Many of us sit down each day with our Sudoku book or pull up one of our many apps to see if we can knock out a puzzle or two (or maybe a dozen). There have been quite a few attempts at matching the popularity of Sudoku or trying to find a variant that catches on. Not many have been successful, though, save for one.

That’s where Killer Sudoku comes in. This game sounds terrifying on the surface level. After all, “killer” is right in the name. You may be surprised, though, as a lot of Killer Sudoku puzzles are actually easier than the standard Sudoku puzzles on the easy difficulty. Let’s take a look at Killer Sudoku, including where it came from and how to play.

History

Sudoku had been around for ages by the time the 1990s came around. There were even variants by that point, including Killer Sudoku. It wasn’t until the mid-2000s that Killer Sudoku was introduced outside of Japan, though, just as the original version of the game was starting to gain traction in the west. 

The name implies, well, almost nothing. Killer Sudoku was originally called samunamupure in Japan, which translated simply into “sum number place.” It does a much better job of explaining what the game is about compared to Killer Sudoku. The game itself was the creation of Tetsuya Nishio, a Sudoku master who wanted to offer up a new challenge.

“This new variation will be a dreadful challenge to you,” Nishio said. “Do not get too addicted. We can make these puzzles so difficult that it would take a champion six hours to complete one.” 

Structure

If you’re looking at Killer Sudoku in black and white, it may not seem so bad. The familiar 9×9 grid is there and separated into smaller 3×3 sections. What sets Killer Sudoku apart, though? Well, new boxes are added to the mix in the form of different colors. Not only that but there’s a small number in the corner of some of the boxes. The sum of the numbers within these colored “cages” must add up to that number.

There’s another variation of Killer Sudoku called ‘Killer X’ that takes things one step further by making it so that one of the diagonal lines contains one number each, as well. When first introduced, Killer Sudoku was extremely confusing for a lot of people, and the rules had to be explained by The Times in England after many spent weeks doing the puzzles wrong.

How to Win

It takes a lot of mathematical know-how and a ton of patience to figure out how to beat a Killer Sudoku puzzle. Experts say that you should start off with the cages to get the right sum and pick the cages that have the highest and lowest numbers. Once you solve those, figuring out the rest of the 3×3 box should be much easier.

There’s also another strategy that should be familiar to Sudoku players called the “Rule of 45.” The numbers in all of the houses on a Killer Sudoku puzzle should add up to 45. This can be much trickier with the cages that need to have a sum of their own. Experts will argue over which method is best for trying to solve the puzzle, but it’s up to the comfort of the player.

Summary

Just like the regular version of the game, Killer Sudoku has a lot of difficulty levels. The easiest level is the best starting spot for any player, even for those that haven’t played regular Sudoku. It’s a great introduction to the game, and when the cages are removed, players will find the standard version easier to figure out. As for the harder levels of Killer Sudoku, well, as Nishio says, it’s a “dreadful challenge.”

In 2007, Valve released a bundle that would change gaming forever called “The Orange Box”. Much of the fanfare was directed toward the release of “Half-Life 2” being released on the Xbox 360 for the first time, as well as the “Episode 2” expansion that hadn’t been released before. “Team Fortress 2” also enthralled many, as it was the sequel to an already-successful multiplayer game.

Then, there was an unknown puzzle game included with “The Orange Box” called “Portal”. While many played it after beating “Half-Life 2”, it has become perhaps the most iconic game of the bunch. It’s still being referenced today and spawned a popular sequel. So what gave “Portal” so much staying power? Here are five reasons we still love it to this day.

5. The Physics

Most people hadn’t seen the type of physics “Portal” could offer until its release. Valve had hired students from the DigiPen Institute of Technology after they made a similar indie game called “Narbacular Drop”. The concept was then developed into “Portal”, which essentially became the best tech demo in video game history. To test out the mechanics of the game, the developers actually used a 2-D engine to see if it was possible.

4. The Portal Gun Itself

There are some iconic weapons and tools in video game history and the Portal Gun joined that pantheon almost immediately after the game was released. Not only does it have a neat aesthetic with its white shell and claw-like texture, but it shoots portals. 

Ever since “Portal” was released, many have been making their own replicas of the Portal Gun through various forms that range from paper mache to 3-D printing. The protagonist, Chell, doesn’t speak at all during the game but carries a big Portal Gun.

3. The End Credits

“Portal” ends pretty abruptly for those that are playing it for the first time. After you defeat the final stage, the game ends with a brief cutscene and then goes straight to the credits, making you wonder how such a short amount of time has passed.

Then, the end credits start to ramp up. The victor is treated to a song called “Still Alive” which became one of the most famous in gaming history. Lines like “But there’s no sense crying over every mistake, you just keep on trying till you run out of cake” really resonated with players. This, of course, led to the everlasting meme about the cake being a lie. The end credits also set up well for the sequel that would be released in 2011, while “Still Alive” was even given the “Rock Band” treatment.

2. The Broad Appeal

While most games are for a very specific demographic, that’s not the case for “Portal”. Because of its humor that appeals to all ages and the fact that it’s a fun physics-based puzzle game, everyone from small children to the elderly has tried out “Portal” at least once. 

Another aspect of “Portal” that most people seemed to love was the game’s length. Players can knock out the entire thing in one sitting without much problem, while still feeling like they got their money’s worth. Of course, nobody plays “Portal” just once thanks to its replayability factor.

1. GLaDOS

Of course, you can’t mention “Portal” without talking about the antagonist from the first game, GLaDOS. Voiced by Ellen McLain, GLaDOS was the perfect foil for our quiet protagonist throughout the game. At first, this AI seems sweet and instructional but develops more personality over time to the point where you can’t wait to take her down. 

Still, it was a bit sad to see her go at the conclusion of the first game (though she thankfully returned) because we missed her hilarious quips. It’s not easy to give a scientific robot a wide range of personalities, but the Valve team did just that.

In more than 120 countries, millions of people play Scrabble in varying forms every day. Whether it’s the classic board game version or on the Scrabble GO app, there’s no wrong way to play Scrabble. But how did this word game come to be, and what made it a cultural phenomenon that has lasted generations the same way as Monopoly or Connect Four? Let’s take a look at the history of the world’s favorite word game.

It didn’t take a team of people to come up with Scrabble, but rather the work of one unemployed man. New York native Alfred Mosher Butts was working as an architect during the 1930s and went he lost his job, decided to set out and make a board game. After realizing that there wasn’t a word game that involved some luck, as they were all skill-based only at the time.

Because of this, Butts came up with a board that featured bonus points for having good timing, introducing the double/triple word and letter spaces. Butts achieved perfection on his first try in terms of how the game was played (including avoiding too many plural words). The one thing that Butts couldn’t get right on the first try, though, was the name.

Scrabble was originally known as Criss-Cross Words, and even that wasn’t the first game that Butts came up with. Before Criss-Cross Words/Scrabble, Butts came up with a game called Lexiko. Lexiko took some more elements from other board games of the time and made just one board at a time upon request.

It was in 1938 that customers found out the Butts was no longer making Lexiko, and was working on Criss-Cross Words. After going back to the likes of Milton Bradley and Parker Bros to pitch his newest game, Butts was turned down once again. Finally, Butts got in touch with James Brunot, an entrepreneur who found the game fascinating.

The prototype for the board was there, and Brunot only made some minor tweaks before coming up with the finalized version of Scrabble with its now-famous name. At first, Scrabble was losing money for Brunot after his acquisition, but Brunot stayed true to his investment and kept plugging away until word of mouth started to make Scrabble a popular game nationwide.

In 1952, just three years after Scrabble had been released to the public, the game was in such high demand that Brunot had to enlist the help of a larger distributor to get the game into as many households as possible. Stores were also clamoring to have Scrabble on their shelves before Christmastime, including the likes of retail giant Macy’s.

Throughout the 1950s, millions of Scrabble sets had sold, and by the time the 1970s came around, it was an iconic name in board games. Businesswoman Harriet T. Righter acquired the trademark for Scrabble, which she retained until her death in 1982. Two years later, Coleco (known for its video game dealings), got the trademark, but then soon folded. Since then, Hasbro has owned the Scrabble trademark.

Over the course of Scrabble’s life, there have been some changes to the rules, but most of them have been minor. This includes determining who goes first, as well as the challenge system. The thing that has changed the most with Scrabble is the dictionary. Originally, Scrabble players used a standard English dictionary, but now there are multiple dictionaries dedicated to Scrabble alone. This includes the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, which was first published in 1978 and has had multiple editions ever since.

To this day, more than one million Scrabble boards are sold each year in North America alone. All in all, there have been well over 100 million boards to come off the shelves, showing that Scrabble is one of the titans of the board game industry.