With the development of the first Super calculators and computers in the mid-20th century, the door opened to great knowledge, and new entertainment opportunities came. In 1952, Alexander S. Douglas created “OXO,” an electronic adaptation to the famous cat game that worked on the EDSAC calculator, setting a precedent for one of the most lucrative industries of all time.
A decade later, in 1961, MIT students Steve Russell, Martin Graetz, and Alan Kotok created “Spacewar!”, a monochromatic game in which two human-driven ships had to face each other in space. This is considered the first game in Computer History. Over the next few years, more complicated projects such as “Adventure” (1976) were presented in which the hero was guided by text commands, and thanks to the 1983 video game crisis, the world of Computer Entertainment began to gain a large number of fans. The power of computers in the 80’s had arrived titles increasingly complex as “The Bard’s Tale (1985)” and “Pool of Radiance” (1988). A few decades ago computer games came to provide a new level of fun, initially with graphics of one color or simulating a cartoon and more recently with images that are hard to tell if they are fantasy or reality. Throughout history there have been titles that by their quality have redefined the concept of how a computer game should be and have laid the groundwork for what will come in the future, with this in mind, we present you some of the most memorable titles in the industry, considered by many fans as the best in the history of computer games.
- Prince of Persia (1989)
It was 1989, and computer games were in a fierce struggle against Japanese consoles. It was at this time that Jordan Mechner was inspired by The “Thousand and One Nights” and “Indiana Jones and The Lost Ark Hunters” to create a game in which the protagonist had to defeat various enemies through several dungeons to rescue a princess in captivity.
Its innovative gameplay and graphics made “Prince of Persia” one of the best games of the year, or rather, the whole story.
- Warcraft (1994)
Real-time strategy games (RTS) are a favorite for PC gamers, as they require great mental agility to make the right decisions.
In 1994, Blizzard Entertainment released the title that catapulted them into the industry:” Warcraft: Orcs & Humans.” Throughout the game, the reasons for the rivalry between orcs and humans are discovered. To finish the game, you will have to collect resources, create your army, and execute your best strategy.
- The Need for Speed (1994)
With a phrase from the 1986 film “Top Gun “was how” Need for Speed” was born, a franchise whose proposal is simple; racing cars competing on various tracks and stages around the world, pursued by the police.
The first title of the saga had a robust simulation that placed it above all the race games of the time and that still today, more than two decades later, continues to surprise us.
- StarCraft (1998)
“Warcraft” managers used the same game engine to create, in 1998, “Starcraft” and take us to the year 2499, when overpopulation of the planet forces humans to look for a new place in the Milky Way to live. This is how they dive into this odyssey with the Protoss, a technologically advanced race, and the Zerg evolved parasitic insects from space. Since its launch, “StarCraft” has become a global phenomenon, especially in South Korea, where it is considered a sport in which professional players and teams participate in televised matches and win sponsorship from major companies.
- Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (1999)
At the height of the RTS games, the developer Ensemble Studios created a title that recreated the great battles that took place in Europe, Africa, and Asia from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.
While in “Age of Empires” you must create a civilization from a group of hunters, in this second installment of the saga, “Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings,” set in the Middle Ages, you must lead a European army to consolidate an empire. The integrity of the story and its gameplay made this title one of the favorites.
- Half-Life 2 (2004)
After an alien has conquered the world, Gordon Freeman must gather a group of brave humans to fight the extraterrestrial forces and free the Earth with the help of strange weapons. La gameplay and history of this title turned him into a cult shooter almost immediately, and critics praised him for his advanced physics, animation, sound, Artificial intelligence, graphics, and narrative. In 2012, it was named the game of the decade at the Spike Video Game Awards.
- World of Warcraft (2004)
With a franchise ranked among the best in computer game history, Blizzard Entertainment decided to leave the RTS and release “World of Warcraft,” a massive online multiplayer role-playing video game (MMORPG) in which each player could get to know the world of “Warcraft” in-depth, with personalized characters. The spectacular graphics and a game mode more fresh and light, compared to other MMORPG’s, place as the game with the most significant number of users: around 100 million accounts created.