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I am curious about really early home computer games. Could you identify any games that fit these criteria?

1. Game must have been released on a home computer (game consoles (were there any back then?) count, but mainframes and other computers one wouldn't typically see in a home do not).
2. Game's release date (on said home computer) must pre-date Akalabeth (according to gog.com, January 1, 1980).
3. It is preferred if there is a way to play such versions on a modern computer (emulation is OK here, provided said emulator actually exists)
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dtgreene: It seems this topic didn't appear on the topic list for some reason. Any idea why?
Forum bug
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dtgreene: I am curious about really early home computer games. Could you identify any games that fit these criteria?

1. Game must have been released on a home computer (game consoles (were there any back then?) count, but mainframes and other computers one wouldn't typically see in a home do not).
2. Game's release date (on said home computer) must pre-date Akalabeth (according to gog.com, January 1, 1980).
3. It is preferred if there is a way to play such versions on a modern computer (emulation is OK here, provided said emulator actually exists)
Why do you want only pre-1980 games? That is a major restriction.

Try this list for example, selecting games from 1979 or earlier:

http://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/full,3/

So I guess systems like Apple II, Commodore PET, VIC-20, Texas Instruments TI-99/4A, Atari VCS, even CP/M machines if you count them as also as home computers (hey, some people did have CP/M machines too at homes, e.g. I played Catchum and Ladder quite a lot on one...) etc. had at least some games which are 1979 or older. I think at least all those systems that I listed have working emulators.
I had a great Apple// emulator for a while but apart from 'Wings of Fury' the games just weren't that much fun anymore.
Colossal Cave Adventure definitely should be here, it's one of the most influential games to have existed - it's essentially the grandfather of all adventure games. Although, it would have to be freeware, and I very much doubt that Gog cares enough to release it.

Also, I would take what Gog lists as release dates with a grain of salt. if you see something listed as being released on January 1st of any year, it's more likely to be because of a shitty database than a game actually being released on New Year's Day...
I'd love to play a bunch of the public domain games I played back in the mid-80s (but I think they were from the mid+late 70s for the most part, definitely before Akalabeth.)

I regret throwing away our Leading Edge home computer (1985 model, no HD, just two 5.25" drives, 1 to boot from, 1 to load programs from.)
Well, GoG has at least some games from the 80s, like the Ultima games, or Starflight.
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Maxvorstadt: Well, GoG has at least some games from the 80s, like the Ultima games, or Starflight.
Not to slight GOG at all, but you can play a lot of old DOS games from the internet archive in your own Web browser.
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Maxvorstadt: Well, GoG has at least some games from the 80s, like the Ultima games, or Starflight.
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JDelekto: Not to slight GOG at all, but you can play a lot of old DOS games from the internet archive in your own Web browser.
I want to own them, but out of curiosity:
Which archive?
Post edited June 25, 2016 by Maxvorstadt
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JDelekto: Not to slight GOG at all, but you can play a lot of old DOS games from the internet archive in your own Web browser.
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Maxvorstadt: I want to own them, but out of curiosity:
Which archive?
The Internet Archive Software Library
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Maxvorstadt: I want to own them, but out of curiosity:
Which archive?
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JDelekto: The Internet Archive Software Library
Oy, interesting. Bookmarked!
when i was little boy and didn't have PC yet i had 2 HCs - home computers. one was HC 1989 i think and other HC 2000. but 2000 doesn't mean it was made in year 2k ok? it just name :( i had a game lode runner or load runner idk. and HC 1989 didn't even had a floppy drive so i played the game from music tape. those were some fuckfull times :-/
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Maxvorstadt: Well, GoG has at least some games from the 80s, like the Ultima games, or Starflight.
Yeah, but (s)he wanted games released before January 1980. So basically games released in the 70s, as there weren't probably much of home computers etc. in the 60s or during the World Wars I-II.
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Maxvorstadt: Well, GoG has at least some games from the 80s, like the Ultima games, or Starflight.
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timppu: Yeah, but (s)he wanted games released before January 1980. So basically games released in the 70s, as there weren't probably much of home computers etc. in the 60s or during the World Wars I-II.
I grew up playing a Magnavox Odyssey II in the 70's and they had some really imaginative games back then for the canvas of televisions they had to work with. One of my later favorites was Take the Money and Run.