1987 in video games

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Overview of the events of 1987 in video games

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1987 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Dragon Quest II, Final Lap, and Zelda II, along with new titles such as After Burner, Contra, Double Dragon, Final Fantasy, Mega Man, Metal Gear, Operation Wolf, Phantasy Star, Shinobi, Street Fighter and The Last Ninja. The Legend of Zelda was also introduced outside of Japan.

The year's highest-grossing arcade game worldwide was Sega's Out Run. The year's best‑selling home system was the Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom) for the fourth year in a row. The best-selling 1987 home video game release in Japan was Dragon Quest II: Akuryō no Kamigami, while the year's best-selling home video games in Western markets were The Legend of Zelda in the United States and Out Run in the United Kingdom.

## Financial performance

[edit]

### Highest-grossing arcade games

[edit]

The year's highest-grossing arcade game worldwide was Sega's Out Run.

#### Japan

[edit]

The following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1987 in Japan, according to the annual Gamest and Game Machine charts.

Rank  | Gamest[1] | Game Machine[2]

|
|

Title  | Cabinet | Points  | Title  | Cabinet | Points
1  | Out Run | Large | 33  | Out Run | Deluxe | 3734
2  | R-Type | Table | 26  | Arkanoid | Table | 3118
3  | After Burner | Large  | 20  | Hi Sho Zame (Flying Shark)  | Table  | 2434
4  | 1943: The Battle of Midway | Table  | 12  | Major League | Table  | 2285
5  | Double Dragon | Table  | 10  | World Cup (Tehkan World Cup) | Table  | 2210
6  | Darius | Large | 8  | Bubble Bobble | Table  | 2041
7  | Dragon Spirit | Table  | 7  | Super Hang-On | Ride-on | 1901
8  | Hi Sho Zame (Flying Shark)
Yokai Dochuki | Table  | 5  | Double Dragon | Table  | 1890
9  | Table  | 5  | 1943: The Battle of Midway | Table  | 1778
10  | Super Hang-On | Large  | 4  | Side Pocket | Table  | 1744

#### United Kingdom

[edit]

In the United Kingdom, Out Run was the most successful arcade game of the year.[3][4] The following titles were the top-grossing games on the monthly arcade charts in 1987.

Month  | Title  | Manufacturer  | Genre  | Ref

|
|
|
|

February  | Out Run | Sega | Racing | [5][6]
March
April  | Bubble Bobble | Taito | Platformer | [7]
May
June
July  | Double Dragon | Taito  | Beat 'em up | [8]
August  | [9]
September  | After Burner | Sega  | Combat flight sim | [10]
October  | Operation Wolf | Taito  | Light gun shooter | [11]
November  | 1942 | Capcom | Scrolling shooter | [12]
December  | Operation Wolf | Taito  | Light gun shooter  | [13]
1987  | Out Run | Sega  | Racing  | [3][4]

#### United States

[edit]

In the United States, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade video games of 1987.

Rank  | Play Meter | AMOA[14][15]

|
|

Dedicated cabinet | Conversion kit
1  | Out Run[16] | Out Run | Arkanoid
2  | Un­known  | Contra,
Double Dragon,
Rolling Thunder | Ikari Warriors,
Rastan,
Top Gunner,
World Series

5  | Un­known  | Un­known

The following titles were the top-grossing games on the monthly RePlay arcade charts in 1987.

Month  | Upright cabinet | Software kit | Ref

|
|
|

January  | Out Run | Gauntlet II | [17]
February  | Championship Sprint | [18]

### Best-selling home systems

[edit]

Rank  | System(s)  | Manufacturer  | Type  | Generation  | Sales

|
|
|
|
|

Japan | USA | EU | Worldwide
1  | Nintendo Entertainment System / Famicom | Nintendo | Console | 8-bit | 1,780,000[19] | 3,000,000[20] | 300,000[21] | 5,080,000+
2  | Commodore 64 (C64)  | Commodore | Computer | 8-bit | —  | —  | —  | 1,500,000[22]
3  | Sega Mark III / Master System | Sega | Console  | 8-bit  | 280,000[23] | 500,000[21] | 155,000[21] | 935,000
4  | IBM PS/2 (Model 30 / 50)  | IBM | Computer  | 16-bit | —  | Un­known  | Un­known  | 658,000[24]
5  | PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16)  | NEC | Console  | 16-bit | 600,000[19] | —  | —  | 600,000
6  | Mac | Apple Inc. | Computer  | 16-bit  | —  | —  | —  | 550,000[22]
7  | NEC PC-88 / PC-98 | NEC  | Computer  | 8-bit / 16-bit  | 540,000[25][26] | Un­known  | Un­known  | 540,000+
8  | Apple II | Apple Inc.  | Computer  | 8-bit  | —  | —  | —  | 500,000[22]
9  | Atari ST | Atari Corp. | Computer  | 16-bit  | —  | —  | —  | 400,000[22]
10  | MSX | ASCII. | Computer  | 8-bit  | 340,000[27] | Un­known  | Un­known  | 340,000+

### Best-selling home video games

[edit]

#### Japan

[edit]

In Japan, according to Famicom Tsūshin (Famitsu) magazine, the following titles were the top ten best-selling 1987 releases, including later sales up until mid-1989.[28]

Rank  | Title  | Developer  | Publisher  | Genre  | Platform  | Sales

|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Dragon Quest II: Akuryō no Kamigami | Chunsoft | Enix | RPG | Famicom | 2,400,000[29]
2  | Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium '87 | Namco | Namco | Sports | Famicom  | < 1,300,000[30]
3  | Moero!! Pro Yakyū (Bases Loaded)  | TOSE | Jaleco | Sports  | Famicom  | < 1,000,000[31]
4  | Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (The Adventure of Link)  | Nintendo R&D4 | Nintendo | Action RPG | Famicom Disk System | Un­known
5  | Family Computer Golf: Japan Course | Nintendo R&D2 | Nintendo  | Sports | Famicom  | < 740,000[31]
6  | Saint Seiya: Ōgon Densetsu | Bandai | Bandai | Action RPG  | Famicom  | Un­known
7  | Momotarō Densetsu (Momotarō Legend)  | Hudson Soft | Hudson Soft | RPG
8  | Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School | Squaresoft | Nintendo  | Dating sim | Famicom Disk System
9  | Sanma no Meitantei (Great Detective Sanma)  | Namco  | Namco  | Adventure | Famicom
10  | Famicom Mukashibanashi: Shin Onigashima | Nintendo R&D4  | Nintendo  | Adventure  | Famicom Disk System

The following titles were the best-selling home video games on the Japan game charts published by Famicom Tsūshin (Famitsu) and Family Computer Magazine (Famimaga) in 1987.

Chart  | Week 1  | Week 2  | Week 3  | Week 4  | Ref

|
|
|
|
|

January | Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium (Famicom)[32] | Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (Famicom Disk System)  | [33]
February | Dragon Quest II (Famicom)  | Family Computer Golf: Japan Course (FC)  | Un­known  | [34]
March | Un­known  | Un­known  | Un­known  | Un­known  |
April | Sanma no Meitantei (Famicom)  | Argus no Senshi (Famicom)  | Family Jockey (Famicom)  | [35][36]
May | Kinnikuman 2 (FDS)[36] | Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium (Famicom)[33] | Yūshi no Monshō (FDS)  | [37]
June | Bug-tte Honey (Famicom)[37] | Family Boxing (Famicom)[33] | Un­known  |
July | Un­known  | Un­known  | Un­known  | Un­known  |
August | Un­known  | Un­known  | Saint Seiya: Ōgon Densetsu (Famicom)  | Dracula II: Noroi no Fūin (FC)  | [38]
September | Shin Onigashima (Famicom Disk System)  | Un­known  | Un­known  | [38][33]
October | Un­known  | Un­known  | Side Pocket (Famicom)  | Momotaro Densetsu (FC)  | [39]
November | Famicom Grand Prix: F-1 Race (FDS)  | Un­known  | Un­known  | Un­known
December | Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium '87 (Famicom)[33] | Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School (Famicom Disk System)[40] |

#### United Kingdom and United States

[edit]

In the United States, The Legend of Zelda was the best-selling home video game of 1987,[41] becoming the first third-generation video game (non-bundled) to cross a million US sales that year,[20] followed by Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!![42] In the United Kingdom, Out Run was the best-selling home video game of 1987,[43] with its 8-bit home computer ports becoming the fastest-selling games in the UK up until then.[44]

The following titles were the top-selling home video games on the monthly charts in the United Kingdom and United States during 1987.

Month  | United Kingdom  | United States

|
|

All formats  | ZX Spectrum | Sales  | Title  | Platform  | Sales  | Ref
January | Gauntlet[45] | Olli & Lissa[46] | Un­known  | Un­known  | Un­known  | Un­known  |
February | Un­known  | Leader Board[47] |
March | Un­known  | Feud[48][49] |
April |
May | Un­known  | BMX Simulator[50] |
June | Un­known  | Milk Race[8] |
July | Un­known  | Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior[9] | Un­known  | The Legend of Zelda | NES | Un­known  | [51]
August | Un­known  | Exolon[10] | Un­known  | Un­known  | [52]
September | Renegade[53] | Renegade[11][54] | Un­known  | Un­known  | [55]
October | Un­known  | Un­known  | Un­known  | [56]
November | Un­known  | Game Set and Match[13] | Un­known  | Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! | NES  | Un­known  | [57]
December | Out Run[58][59] | 250,000+[60] | Un­known  | [61]
1987  | Out Run[43] | 350,000[62] | The Legend of Zelda | NES  | 1,000,000+[20] | [41]

## Top-rated games

[edit]

### Major awards

[edit]

Award  | Gamest Awards
(Japan, December 1987)[63] | 2nd Famitsu Best Hit Game Awards
(Japan, February 1988)[64] | 2nd Famimaga Game Awards
(Japan, February 1988)[65] | 5th Golden Joystick Awards
(United Kingdom, March 1988)[66]

|
|
|
|

Arcade | Console | Famicom | Computer
Game of the Year  | Darius | Dragon Quest II (Famicom)  | Out Run
Critics' Choice Awards  | —  | Tsuppari Ōzumō (Famicom)
Zombie Hunter (Famicom)
Shin Onigashima (Famicom Disk System)
Family Computer Golf (Famicom Disk System)
Bubble Bobble (Famicom)
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei (Famicom)  | —  | —
Best Game Design  | —  | Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School (FDS)  | —  | —
Best Playability  | —  | —  | Dragon Quest II | —
Best Story  | —  | Dragon Quest II (Yuji Horii)  | —  | —
Best Graphics  | After Burner | Faxanadu (Famicom)  | —  | —
Best 3D Game  | —  | Highway Star (Rad Racer) | —  | —
Best Speech Synthesis  | Genpei Tōma Den | —  | —  | —
Best Music / Sound  | Darius | Momotaro Densetsu / Exciting Billiards | Dragon Quest II | —
Best Character / Character Design  | Athena Asamiya (Psycho Soldier)  | Momotaro Densetsu (Famicom)  | Dragon Quest II | —
Best Developer / Software House  | Sega | —  | —  | U.S. Gold
Best Programmer  | —  | —  | —  | Jon Ritman
Best Ports  | —  | Wizardry / Salamander | —  | —
Best Original Game / Originality  | —  | —  | Dragon Quest II | Nebulus
Most Popular Game / Long Seller  | Out Run | Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium (R.B.I. Baseball)  | —  | —
Arcade Game of the Year  | —  | —  | —  | Out Run
Best Action Game  | —  | Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (Famicom)  | Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (FDS)  | —
Best Shooter  | —  | Fantasy Zone (Famicom)  | Salamander | —
Best Adventure Game  | —  | Hokkaidō Rensa Satsujin: Okhotsk ni Kiyu (FC)  | Shin Onigashima (FDS)  | The Guild of Thieves
Best RPG  | —  | Dragon Quest II (Famicom)  | Dragon Quest II | —
Best Action RPG  | —  | Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (FDS)  | —  | —
Best Sports Game  | —  | Mike Tyson's Punch-Out! (Famicom)  | Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium | —
Best Puzzle Game  | —  | Shanghai | —  | —
Best Simulation / Strategy Game  | —  | SD Gundam World Gachapon Senshi (Famicom)  | —  | Vulcan
Best Leisure / Casual Games  | —  | Mezase Pachi Pro: Pachio-kun / Side Pocket | —  | —
Best Board Game  | —  | Tetsudou Ou (Famicom)  | —  | —
Best Mahjong Game  | —  | Professional Mahjong Gokū | —  | —

### Famitsu Platinum Hall of Fame

[edit]

The following 1987 video game releases entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.[67]

Title  | Platform  | Score (out of 40)  | Developer  | Publisher  | Genre

|
|
|
|
|

Dragon Quest II: Akuryō no Kamigami (Dragon Warrior II)  | Family Computer (Famicom)  | 38  | Chunsoft | Enix | RPG
Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link)  | Famicom Disk System | 36  | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | Action RPG

## Business

[edit]

* New companies: Acclaim, Apogee, The Bitmap Brothers, Empire Interactive, GameTek, Maxis, Natsume Co., Ltd.
* Defunct: Electric Transit, English Software, Muse
* Electronic Arts acquires Batteries Included.
* Atari Games establishes the Tengen division for porting their games to home systems.
* Nintendo of America, Inc. v. Blockbuster Entertainment lawsuit: Nintendo sues Blockbuster for photocopying complete NES manuals for its rental games. Nintendo wins the suit, and Blockbuster includes original manuals with its rentals.
* SSI President Joel Billings acquires the license to the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game, setting the stage for the Gold Box line of D&D games.

## Notable releases

[edit]

### Arcade

[edit]

* February 20 – Konami releases Contra
* July 1 – Irem releases scrolling shooter R-Type.
* July – Technōs Japan releases Double Dragon to arcades, distributed internationally by Taito.
* August 30 – Capcom releases Street Fighter, the first game of the series.
* Taito releases Rastan and Operation Wolf.
* Namco releases Wonder Momo, which is their last 8-bit game, Yokai Dochuki, which is their first 16-bit game, Dragon Spirit, Blazer, Quester, Pac-Mania, Galaga '88 and Final Lap.
* Atari Games releases RoadBlasters, Xybots, and APB.

### Home

[edit]

* January 14 – Nintendo releases Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for the Famicom Disk System in Japan only. The game would go unreleased in America for nearly two years afterwards.
* February 12 – Infocom releases Bureaucracy from author Douglas Adams.
* May 1 – Konami releases Castlevania in North America.
* June 21 – Nihon Falcom releases Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished for the PC-8801 in Japan only. The game's director is Masaya Hashimoto, and it is the first game in the long running Ys series.
* June – Codemasters release Dizzy – The Ultimate Cartoon Adventure
* July 1 – Nintendo releases Kid Icarus in North America.
* July 5 – the Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards adventure is released by Sierra Entertainment.
* July 13 – Konami releases Metal Gear for the MSX2 home computer platform in Japan and Europe.
* August 15 – Nintendo releases Metroid in North America.
* August 22 – Nintendo releases The Legend of Zelda in America and Europe, a year after being available in Japan.
* August 28 – Konami releases Castlevania II: Simon's Quest in Japan, the second Castlevania title released for the NES/Famicom.
* October – Nintendo releases Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! for NES/Famicom.
* October – LucasArts releases Maniac Mansion, the first game to use the SCUMM engine, innovating the point-and-click interface for the adventure game genre.
* November 14 – Sierra On-Line releases Space Quest II: Vohaul's Revenge, the second game in the Space Quest series.
* December 17 – Capcom releases the first Mega Man game in the long-standing series for the NES/Famicom.
* December 18 – Square's Hironobu Sakaguchi releases Final Fantasy for the Famicom in Japan. Originally intended to be the company's last release, the game's success resulted in a prolific series. It was released in the US 3 years later.
* December 20 – Sega releases Phantasy Star on the Master System, featuring a female protagonist.
* FTL Games releases Dungeon Master for the Atari ST.
* Sierra On-Line releases Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel, the first game in the Police Quest series.
* MIDI Maze for the Atari ST is a first person shooter allowing up to 16 computers to be networked via the built-in MIDI ports for deathmatch-style fights.
* Incentive Software releases Driller, a first person game using 3D filled polygons.
* Ocean Software releases Head Over Heels, an isometric arcade adventure, for several 8-bit home computers.
* MicroProse releases Sid Meier's Pirates!, the first game from Meier with his name in the title.
* System 3 releases The Last Ninja.
* Accolade releases Test Drive.

### Hardware

[edit]

PC Engine

* March 28 – Sharp releases the X68000 in Japan.

* April – IBM launches the PS/2 line of computers which introduces VGA graphics and 3.5 inch floppy disk drives to PCs.
* September – Master System released in Europe.
* October 30 – NEC releases the PC-Engine console in Japan, starting the fourth generation.
* Acorn releases the Acorn Archimedes 32-bit home computer, which brought the game Zarch (later known on other platforms as Virus) to prominence.
* Commodore releases the lower-cost Amiga 500 which became a significant gaming machine, particularly in Europe, and becomes the best-selling model.
* Atari Corporation releases the XE Game System, or Atari XEGS, a repackaged 65XE computer which is the last in the Atari 8-bit computer series.
* Master System is released in Japan.
* AdLib sets a de facto standard for PC audio with its Yamaha YM3812-based sound card.
* Namco develops the Namco System 1 arcade system board, followed later in the year by the Namco System 2.
* The IBM PCjr is discontinued after three years.

## See also

[edit]

* 1987 in games

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "87' ゲーメスト大賞 〜 ベストインカム" [87' Gamest Awards – Best Income]. Gamest (in Japanese). Vol. 17 (February 1988). December 28, 1987. pp. 25-38 (36-7). alternate url
2. ^ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '87" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 324\. Amusement Press, Inc. January 15, 1988. p. 20.
3. ^ a b Prisco, Jacopo (September 18, 2021). "How Out Run changed video games forever". Wired UK. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
4. ^ a b "Burn Rubber". Computer and Video Games. No. 75 (January 1988). December 15, 1987. pp. 50–1.
5. ^ "Top Ten Coin-Ops of the Month". Computer and Video Games. No. 66 (April 1987). March 1987. p. 92.
6. ^ "Arcade Action". Computer and Video Games. No. 67 (May 1987). April 1987. p. 93.
7. ^ "Arcade Action". Computer and Video Games. No. 70 (August 1987). July 15, 1987. p. 112.
8. ^ a b "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 21 (September 1987). August 1987. pp. 34–5.
9. ^ a b "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 22 (October 1987). September 10, 1987. pp. 66–7.
10. ^ a b "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 23 (November 1987). October 12, 1987. pp. 72–3.
11. ^ a b "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 24 (December 1987). November 1987. pp. 38–9.
12. ^ "Arcade Action: The Top Ten". Computer and Video Games. No. 75 (January 1988). December 15, 1987. p. 151.
13. ^ a b "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 26 (February 1988). January 1988. pp. 22–3.
14. ^ "Nominees Announced For AMOA's JB, Games, & Vending Promo Awards" (PDF). Cash Box. October 3, 1987. p. 37.
15. ^ Compasio, Camille (November 14, 1987). "Around The Route". Cash Box. Cash Box Pub. Co. p. 32.
16. ^ "1987". Play Meter. Vol. 20, no. 13\. December 1994. p. 78.
17. ^ "米国「リプレイ」誌 ザ•プレイヤーズ •チョイス 1987年1月号から" [US "RePlay" Magazine: The Players Choice - From the January 1987 Issue] (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 300\. Amusement Press, Inc. January 15, 1987. p. 17.
18. ^ "Coin-Op Top Ten". Top Score. Amusement Players Association. Winter 1987.
19. ^ a b 小川 (Ogawa), 純生 (Sumio) (December 14, 2010). "テレビゲーム機の変遷 —ファミコン、スーパーファミコン、プレステ、プレステ2、Wiiまで—" [Recent Developments in Video Game Technology in Japan — Famicom, Super Famicom, Play Station, Play Station 2 and Wii —] (PDF). 経営論集 (Keiei Ronshū) (in Japanese) (77) (published March 2011): 1-17 (2). ISSN 0286-6439. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2021 – via Toyo University Academic Information Repository (Toyo University).
20. ^ a b c Lindner, Richard (1990). Video Games: Past, Present and Future; An Industry Overview. United States: Nintendo of America.
21. ^ a b c "Las Vegas, un coup de joystick dans le sable" [Las Vegas, a joystick in the sand]. Tilt (in French). No. 52\. March 1988. pp. 18-23 (19).
22. ^ a b c d Reimer, Jeremy (December 15, 2005). "Total share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
* Jeremy Reimer (December 7, 2012). "Total Share: Personal Computer Market Share 1975-2010". Jeremy Reimer.
23. ^ Tanaka, Tatsuo (August 2001). Network Externality and Necessary Software Statistics (PDF). Statistics Bureau of Japan. p. 2.
24. ^ Personal Computing. October 1988. p. 219.
25. ^ Methe, David; Mitchell, Will; Miyabe, Junichiro; Toyama, Ryoko (January 1998). "Overcoming a Standard Bearer: Challenges to NEC's Personal Computer in Japan". Research Papers in Economics (RePEc): 35 – via ResearchGate.
26. ^ Japan Electronics Almanac. Dempa Publications. 1990. p. 145\. "The domestic shipment value of personal computers in fiscal 1988 totaled ¥649 billion (up 23 percent over fiscal 1987); the domestic shipment volume was 1,375,000 (up 14 percent over 1987). The value of domestic shipments has recorded annual growth. Conversely, the volume of domestic shipments of personal computers stabilized at the 1,200,000-nit mark for four years beginning in fiscal 1984. However, this volume began to increase rapidly in fiscal 1988."
27. ^ Japan Electronics Almanac. Dempa Publications. 1990. p. 146\. "The volume of domestic shipments of the MSX remained at the 150,000 mark, for a marked decline of 56 percent from 1987."
28. ^ "総合TOP50" [Total Top 50]. ファミコン通信 〜 '89全ソフトカタログ [Famicom Tsūshin: '89 All Software Catalog]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). September 15, 1989. p. 78.
29. ^ Fujii, Daiji (June 10, 2005). "The Birth of "Final Fantasy": Square Corporation". 岡山大学経済学会雑誌 (Okayama Economic Review). 37 (1). Okayama University: 63–88 (82). ISSN 0386-3069 – via Okayama University Scientific Achievement Repository.
30. ^ "Japan Platinum Game Chart". The Magic Box. Archived from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
31. ^ a b "Game Search". Game Data Library. Famitsu. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
32. ^ "ファミコン通信 TOP 30: 1月23日" [Famicom Tsūshin Top 30: January 23]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1987, no. 3\. February 6, 1987. pp. 8–9.
33. ^ a b c d e "1987 Weekly". Game Data Library. Famitsu. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
34. ^ "2/9～2/15 — 2/16～2/22". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. March 20, 1987. pp. 132–3.
35. ^ "4/6～4/12 — 4/13～4/19". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. May 15, 1987. pp. 136–8.
36. ^ a b "4/20～4/26 — 4/27～5/3". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. June 5, 1987. pp. 138–9.
37. ^ a b "5/25～5/31 — 6/1～6/7". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. July 3, 1987. pp. 172–3.
38. ^ a b "8/24～8/30 — 8/31～9/6". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. October 2, 1987. p. 122.
39. ^ "10/26～11/1 — 11/2～11/8". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. December 4, 1987. p. 180.
40. ^ "ファミコン通信 TOP 30: 2月5日" [Famicom Tsūshin Top 30: February 5]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1988, no. 4\. February 19, 1988. pp. 12–7.
41. ^ a b "Count Down Hot 100: USA Hot 10!". Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). No. 226\. April 16, 1993. p. 83.
42. ^ Gellene, Denise (June 13, 1988). "The Joystick Lives: New Technology, Better Marketing Give Video Games a Second Life". The Los Angeles Times. p. 57. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
43. ^ a b "OutRun". Computer and Video Games (80). EMAP: 30–1\. June 1988. ISSN 0261-3697.
44. ^ "Out Run". Crash. No. 49\. Newsfield. February 1988. pp. 22–23 (22). ISSN 0954-8661.
45. ^ "Top 20". Your Computer. April 1987. p. 30.
46. ^ "Top Ten Games". Your Sinclair. No. 16\. May 1987. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
47. ^ "Top Ten Games". Your Sinclair. No. 17\. May 1987. Archived from the original on October 26, 2000. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
48. ^ "Top Ten Games". Your Sinclair. No. 18\. June 1987. Archived from the original on December 7, 2000. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
49. ^ "Top Ten Games". Your Sinclair. No. 19 (July 1987). June 1987. Archived from the original on October 26, 2000. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
50. ^ "Top Ten Games". Your Sinclair. No. 20 (August 1987). July 1987. p. 17.
51. ^ "Top Ten Videogames" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 6, no. 5\. August 1987. p. 1.
52. ^ "Top Ten Videogames" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 6, no. 6\. September 1987. p. 1.
53. ^ "CVG Birthday Shout". Computer and Video Games. No. 180 (November 1996). October 9, 1996. pp. 8–9.
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## External links

[edit]

* Video Game, Released between 1987-01-01 and 1987-12-31 (IMDb)

History of video games

* v
* t
* e

Chronology of video games

Early history|

* 1947–1972

1970s|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979

1980s|

* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989

1990s|

* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999

2000s|

* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009

2010s|

* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019

2020s|

* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025
* In development

* v
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Video game history by platform

By platform|

* Early mainframe games
* History of arcade video games
* Golden age
* Timeline
* History of video game consoles
* Crash of 1983
* Console war
* History of mobile games

By console generation|

* First (1972–1980)
* Second (1976–1992)
* Third (1983–2003)
* Fourth (1987–2003)
* Fifth (1993–2005)
* Sixth (1998–2013)
* Seventh (2005–2017)
* Eighth (2012–)
* Ninth (2020–)

* v
* t
* e

Video game genres

* List of video game genres

Action|

| Platformer|

* Endless runner
* Platform fighter

|

Shooter|

* Arena
* First-person
* Hero
* Light gun
* Shoot 'em up
* Bullet hell
* Rail
* Twin-stick
* Tactical
* Third-person

Survival|

* Battle royale
* Survival horror

Other|

* Beat 'em up
* Hack and slash
* Fighting
* Platform fighter
* Maze
* Pac-Man clone
* Snake
* Stealth

Action-adventure|

* Grand Theft Auto clone
* Metroidvania

Adventure|

* Escape room
* Graphic adventure
* Interactive fiction
* Interactive film
* Visual novel
* Walking sim

Digital tabletop|

* Deck-building
* Roguelike deck-building
* Digital collectible card

Puzzle|

* Hidden object
* Sokoban
* Tile-matching

Role-playing|

* Action role-playing
* Looter shooter
* Soulslike
* Dungeon crawl
* MMORPG
* Monster-taming
* Roguelike
* Roguelike deck-building
* Tactical role-playing
* Turn-based role-playing

Simulation|

| Life|

* Dating
* Farming
* God
* Social
* Virtual pet

|

CMS|

* Business
* City-building
* Government

Sports|

* Fishing
* Racing
* Kart racing
* Sim racing

Vehicle|

* Flight simulation
* Combat
* Lunar Lander
* Space
* Submarine simulator
* Train simulator
* Vehicular combat

Other|

* Falling-sand
* Immersive sim

Strategy|

* 4X
* Auto battler
* MOBA
* Real-time strategy
* Time management
* Real-time tactics
* Tactical role-playing
* Tower defense
* Turn-based strategy
* Turn-based tactics
* Artillery
* Wargame
* Grand strategy

Other genres|

* Cozy
* Fitness
* Horror
* Survival horror
* Incremental
* Music
* Rhythm
* Non-game
* Party
* Photography
* Programming
* Typing

Related concepts|

| Themes|

* Advergame
* Bishōjo
* Christian
* Comedy
* Educational
* Girls
* Licensed
* Otome
* Sexual
* Eroge
* Nonviolent
* Personalized
* Sci-fi
* Serious
* Art
* Climate change
* News

|

Player modes|

* Multiplayer
* Co-op
* PVP
* Single-player

Production|

* AAA
* Indie
* Doujin soft
* Fan game

Design|

* Casual
* Hypercasual
* Emergent gameplay
* FMV
* Gacha
* Kaizo
* Masocore
* Nonlinear gameplay
* Open world
* Sandbox
* Side-scrolling
* Twitch gameplay
* Vertically scrolling

Other|

* Minigame
* Toys-to-life
* Video game clone
* Video game modding
* Video game remake

* v
* t
* e

Video games by country

Africa|

* Ghana
* Kenya
* Nigeria
* South Africa

Americas|

* Latin America
* Brazil
* Colombia
* Canada
* United States

Asia|

* Bangladesh
* China
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Japan
* North Korea
* South Korea
* Malaysia
* Philippines
* Russia
* Taiwan
* Thailand
* Turkey

Europe|

* Belgium
* Czech Republic
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Ireland
* Italy
* Lithuania
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Poland
* Russia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom

Oceania|

* Australia
* New Zealand

*[v]: View this template
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*[e]: Edit this template
*[Ref]: Reference