1983 in video gaming

1983 was the year when the American home gaming market began to crash (see North American video game crash of 1983), with more game systems and games than the market could support, and quality control from the console companies being absent. In Japan, the Nintendo Famicom would make its debut.

Business

• The US arcade game market's revenues drop to $6.4 billion in 1983 (equivalent to $15.2 billion in 2022).

Notable Releases

Games

Arcade

• March: Bally Midway releases Journey, the first game with digitized sprites.
• May: SEGA releases Astron Belt, the first laserdisc video game, which uses pre-rendered, computer-animated film footage as backdrops, overlaid with sprite graphics.
• May: Atari brings Star Wars to the arcades in the form of a 3D vector graphics simulation of the movie's attack on the Death Star sequence and featuring digitized samples of voices from the movie.
• June: Data East releases Bega's Battle, one of the first video games to use cel-animated video instead of computer generated graphics. It was also the first game to use full motion video cut scenes.
• June: Cinematronics releases Dragon's Lair, one of the first video games to use cel-animated video instead of computer generated graphics.
• December: Libble Rabble is released by Namco. It runs on the Namco Libble Rabble hardware, Namco's second arcade system board to use a 16-bit processor.

Computer

• Nihon Falcom released Panorama Toh (Panorama Island), an early action role-playing game for the PC-88. It was developed by Yoshio Kiya, who would go on to create the Dragon Slayer and Brandish series of action RPGs.
• Mike J. Henry released Benji's Space Rescue, an action science-fiction game for the Commodore 64.
• ASCII released the Sharp X1 computer game Bokosuka Wars, an early tactical RPG.

Console Hardware

• Nintendo
  • Family Computer (released outside Japan as the Nintendo Entertainment System)

Key Events

• Nintendo
  • Koopa Troopas made their first appearance in the Mario series.

Video game releases

Name	Release Date	Category	Region(s)	Platform(s)
10-Yard Fight	1983	Video Game	International	Arcade
3D Crazy Coaster	1983	Video Game	North America	Vectrex
3D Narrow Escape	1983	Video Game	North America	Vectrex
3D Time Trek	1983	Video Game	United Kingdom	Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Commodore 16, Commodore Plus/4, Commodore VIC-20
A.D. 2083	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Action Force	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Air Battle	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Alpha Beam with Ernie	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
AnimAction	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Antarctic Adventure	1983	Video Game	North America	ColecoVision
Arabian	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Art Master	1983	Video Game	North America	Vectrex
Artillery Duel	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, ColecoVision
Astérix (1983)	1983	Video Game	Europe	Atari 2600
Astron Belt	May, 1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Atic Atac	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Atlantis	1983	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Atlantis	1983	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Aztarac	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Bank Heist	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Baseball (1983)	December 7, 1983	Video Game	Japan	Family Computer
Battlezone	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
BC's Quest for Tires	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Beamrider	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, Intellivision, ColecoVision
Beany Bopper	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Benji's Space Rescue	1983	Video Game	United Kingdom	Commodore 64
Big Bird's Egg Catch	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Bio-Attack	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Birdie King 2	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Blaster	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Blobbers	1983	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Blockade Runner	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision
Blue Max	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Blue Print	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, Atari 5200
Boing	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Bokosuka Wars	1983	Video Game	Japan	Sharp XI
Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, ColecoVision
Bump 'n' Jump	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, Intellivision, ColecoVision
Bumper Bash	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Burgertime	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, Intellivision
Burning Desire	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Busy Police	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Buzz Bombers	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Cabbage Patch Kids: Adventures in the Park	1983	Video Game	North America	ColecoVision
Cakewalk	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Catch the Ball/Noughts and Crosses	1983	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Centipede	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision, ColecoVision
Chack'n Pop	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Champion Base Ball	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Chase the Chuck Wagon	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Chez Maxime	1983	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
China Syndrome	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Chuck Norris Superkicks	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, ColecoVision
Cliff Hanger	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Cloak & Dagger	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade, Atari 5200
Clowns	1983	Video Game	International	Commodore 64
Condor Attack	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Congo Bongo	1983	Video Game	Japan	Arcade
Cookie Monster Munch	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Cosmic Chasm	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Cosmic Corridor	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Crackpots	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Crash Dive	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Cross Force	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Crossbow (1983)	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Crystal Castles	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Cube Quest	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Deep Scan	1983	Video Game	International	Atari 2600
Defender	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivsion, ColecoVision
Demolition Herby	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Demon Attack	1983	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Demon Attack	1983	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Demon Attack	1983	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Dice Puzzle	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Dig Dug	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Digger	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Discs of TRON	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Dolphin	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Domino Man	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Donkey Kong	June 1, 1983	Video Game	International	Atari 8-bit
Donkey Kong	July 15, 1983	Video Game	Japan	Family Computer
Donkey Kong Jr.	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision, ColecoVision
Donkey Kong Jr.	July 15, 1983	Video Game	Japan	Famicom
Donkey Kong Jr. Math	December 12, 1983	Video Game	Japan	Family Computer
Dracula (1983)	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Dragon's Lair	June 19, 1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Dragonfire	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, Intellivision, ColecoVision
Electronic Table Soccer	1983	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Elevator Action	1983	Video Game	International	Arcade
Enduro	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Evolution	1983	Video Game	North America	ColecoVision
Exciting Soccer	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Exerion	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Fathom	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, Intellivision, ColecoVision
Final Approach	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Flash Gordon	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Food Fight	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Frankenstein's Monster	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Frantic Freddy	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Frogger	1983	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Frogger	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, Atari 5200, ColecoVision
Front Line	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, ColecoVision
Frostbite	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Galaxian	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, ColecoVision
Gangster Alley	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Gas Hog	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Gateway to Apshai	1983	Video Game	North America	ColecoVision
Gauntlet (1983)	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Ghost Manor	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
GI Joe: Cobra Strike	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Gigolo	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Glacier Patrol	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Glib	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Granny's Garden	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Gravitar	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Great Escape	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Guzzler	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Gyruss	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Halloween	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Happy Trails	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Harbor Escape	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Heads Up	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Helicopter Rescue	1983	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
High Way Race	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Hoccer	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Hunchback	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Ice Trek	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision
James Bond 007	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Journey	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Joust	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Jr. Pac-Man	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Jumpman Junior	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Jungle Fever	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Jungle Hunt	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, ColecoVision
Juno First	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
K.C. Munchkin	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
K.C.'s Krazy Chase	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Kangaroo	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Karate	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Keystone Kapers	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Killer Bees	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Kool-Aid Man	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision, Atari 2600
Krull	September, 1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Kung Fu Superkicks	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Lady Bug	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision
Laser Gates	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Laser Volley	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Lode Runner	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
London Blitz	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
M.A.C.H. 3	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Major Havoc	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Malagai	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Mangia	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Mario Bros.	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade, Atari 2600
Marvin's Maze	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Master Builder	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Masters of the Universe: The Power Of He-Man	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Mega Force	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Mega Zone	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Melody Blaster	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Melody Master	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Mind Strike	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Miner 2049er II	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Minestorm	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Mogul Maniac	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Montezuma's Revenge	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Moon Patrol	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Moonsweeper	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Moria	1983	Video Game	International	OpenVMS
Morse	1983	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Motocross (Intellivision)	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
MotoRace USA	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Mountain King	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Mr. Basic Meets Bits n Bytes	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Mr. Do!	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Mr. Do!'s Castle	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Ms. Pac-Man	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 5200
N-Sub	1983	Video Game	Europe	Sega SG-1000, Sega SC-3000
N-Sub	1983	Video Game	Japan	Sega SG-1000, Sega SC-3000
Neutron Star	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Nightmare (Magnavox Odyssey 2)	1983	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
No Escape	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Norseman	1983	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Nova Blast	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision
Obelix	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Ocean City Defender	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Oscar's Trash Race	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Out of Control	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Pac & Pal	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Pac-Man	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision
Pengo	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, Atari 5200
Pepsi Invaders	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Phozon	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Picnic	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Piece o' Cake	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Pinball (1984)	1983	Video Game	International	Arcade
Pinball (Intellivision)	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Plaque Attack	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Polar Rescue	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Pole Position	1983	Video Game	North America	Vectrex
Pole Position II	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Ponpoko	January, 1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Popeye	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, Intellivision
Popeye	1983	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Power Lords	1983	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Power Lords	1983	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Pressure Cooker	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Professor Pac-Man	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Q*Bert	1983	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Q*Bert	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Intellivision, ColecoVision, Commodore 64
Q*Bert	1983	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Q*Bert's Qubes	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Quadrun	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Quest for Quintana Roo	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Quick Step	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Raft Rider	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Reach for the Stars	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Real Sports Soccer	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Real Sports Tennis	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Revenge of the Beefsteak Tomatoes	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
River Raid	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivison
Robin Hood	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Robot Tank	March 24, 1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Route 16	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Rubik's Cube	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Safecracker	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Scooby Doo's Maze Chase	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision
Scuba Diver	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Seamonster	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Seaquest	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Secret of the Pharaohs	1983	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Senjyo	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Shuttle Orbiter	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Sir Lancelot	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Sky Skipper	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Smurfs Save the Day	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Snoopy and the Red Baron	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Solar Fox	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Solar Storm	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Sorcerer	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Sorcerer's Apprentice	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Space Shuttle	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Space Tunnel	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Space War (Atari)	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Space Warp	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Spacemaster X-7	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Spelunker	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Spider Fighter	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Spiderdroid	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Spike’s Peak	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Spitfire Attack	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Spy Hunter (1983)	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Squish 'Em	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari, Commodore 64
Star Castle	1983	Video Game	North America	Vectrex
Star Fox (1983)	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Star Raiders	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 5200
Star Trek 6.8	1983	Video Game	North America	Commodore PET
Star Trek 64	1983	Video Game	North America	Commodore 64
Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Star Wars	July, 1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Star Wars: Jedi Arena	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Death Star Battle	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Star Wars: The Arcade Game	1983	Video Game	North America	Arcade
Stinger	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Stonkers	1983	Video Game	United Kingdom	ZXSpectrum
Strawberry Shortcake: Musical Matchups	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Stronghold (1983)	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Stuntman	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
SubRoc-3D	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Subterranea	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Super Bee	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Super Cobra	1983	Video Game	Europe	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Super Cobra	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Super Doubles Tennis	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Super Rider	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Survival Run	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Swordquest: Fireworld	February, 1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Swordquest: Waterworld	February, 1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Swords & Serpents	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision
Tag Team Wrestling	1983	Video Game	International	Undefined
Tapper	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Task Force	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Taz	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Texas Chainsaw Massacre	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
The Activision Decathlon	March 18, 1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, ColecoVision
The Dreadnaught Factor	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision
The Glob	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
The Great Wall Street Fortune Hunt	1983	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey 2
The Heist	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
The Mousing Cat	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
The Quest for the Rings	1983	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey 2
Thunderground	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Time Pilot	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Tooth Protectors	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Trans American Rally	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Trek Adventure	1983	Video Game	North America	Commodore 64
Tropical Trouble	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision
Truckin	1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision
Tunnel Runner	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600
Turbo	April 4, 1983	Video Game	North America	Intellivision
Turtles	1983	Video Game	North America	Magnavox Odyssey²
Turtles	1983	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey²
Tutankham	1983	Video Game	North America	Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Intellivision
TX-1	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
UFO	1983	Video Game	Brazil	Magnavox Odyssey²
UFO	1983	Video Game	Japan	Magnavox Odyssey²
Up'n Down	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Vastar	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Video Jogger	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Video Reflex	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Wacko	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Wall Ball	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Wall Defender	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
War Room	1983	Video Game	North America	ColecoVision
White Water	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
World Series Major League Baseball	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Worm Whomper	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
X-Man	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined
Z-Tack	1983	Video Game	Undefined	Undefined

Hardware releases

Name	Release Date	Category	Region(s)
Family Computer	July 15, 1983	Home Console	Japan
Family Computer Controller	July 15, 1983	Peripheral, Controller	Japan
MSX	1983	Home Computer	International
Nintendo Entertainment System	July 15, 1983	Home Console	Japan
SG-1000	July 15, 1983	Console	Japan