Bringing the games home: the console revolution

The migration of gaming from the arcade to the lounge-room caused a huge sensation during the early 80s, although it wasn’t until the middle of the decade that the movement stabilised and began to grow into the billion dollar industry we know it as today.

Octopus (Nintendo Game & Watch, 1981)

Octopus was one of the thoroughbreds in the Game & Watch stable and certainly for me, one of the most addictive. Created by game designer Gunpei Yokoi for Nintendo, this game was released as part of the widescreen series, being slightly wider than the previous ‘silver’ and ‘gold’ editions.

Donkey Kong (Nintendo Game & Watch, 1982)



Donkey Kong was the most prized Nintendo Game & Watch in my collection that consisted of Octopus, Fire Attack and Parachute. What set it apart from the others was that it was one of the first dual-screen Game & Watch titles (and one of the earliest multi-screen portables).