Codex Gamicus
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Events[]

Notable releases[]

  • Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific Carmen Sandiego series
  • Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. on September 13, 1985. Before the year was over Super Mario Bros. became the highest selling game of the year, selling 10 million copies, then eventually selling 40 million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time until 2008.
  • Namco releases Dig Dug II, Metro-Cross, Baraduke, Motos, Battle City (video game), and Sky Kid.
  • Alexey Pajitnov creates the Tetris video game in the USSR. Nintendo released its most popular versions (for the NES and Game Boy) in 1989.
  • Atari Games releases Gauntlet (by Ed Logg), the first dungeon crawl arcade game.
  • Ghosts 'n Goblins by Tokuro Fujiwara (Capcom, arcade), one of the most popular arcade games of the year, spawned a series of later games
  • Adventure Construction Set by Stuart Smith and Racing Destruction Set by Rick Koenig are both released by Electronic Arts and become hits, following on the success of 1982's Pinball Construction Set by Bill Budge.
  • Elite Systems UK releases Roller Coaster, a platformer in the mould of the previous year's best seller, Jet Set Willy. Roller Coaster was the first game to ever simulate fairground rides.
  • Bubble Bus software release the popular arcade adventure Starquake for several 8-bit computers. In later years, it is ported to 16-bit platforms.
  • Pete Cooke's ambitious, sprawling science-fiction game Tau Ceti is published in the United Kingdom.
  • The Learning Company releases the first commercial version of The Oregon Trail on the Apple II.

Hardware[]

  • Atari releases the 520ST personal computer
  • Commodore releases the Amiga personal computer
  • INTV Corp. releases the INTV III home console
  • Telegames releases the Dina home console, a ColecoVision clone
  • Nintendo does a limited test release of the NES video game console in the United States and the Robotic Operating Buddy (ROB) robot and video game for the NES home console
  • SEGA's SG-1000 Mark III released in Japan

Business[]

  • New companies: Titus Interactive, Code Masters, Westwood Studios, Inc., Square Co., Ltd., Bethesda Softworks, Inc.
  • Edu-Ware closes; David Mullich and several other laid-off employees form Electric Transit, which becomes the first company to join Electronic Arts' new affiliated publisher program.
  • Defunct companies: RDI Systems

Video game releases[]

Name Release Date Category Region(s) Platform(s)
10-Yard Fight October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
10-Yard Fight August 30, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
4-D Warriors 1985 Video Game North America Arcade
A View to A Kill: The Computer Game 1985 Video Game Europe Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MSX, ZX Spectrum
A View to A Kill: The Computer Game 1985 Video Game North America Commodore 64
A View to A Kill: The Computer Game 1985 Video Game Japan MSX
Adventure Construction Set 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Alcazar: The Forgotten Fortress 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Alpha Mission 1985 Video Game International Arcade
Alternate Reality: The City 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Angel Kids 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Arm Wrestling 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Balance of Power February, 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Balloon Fight January 22, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
Ballyhoo December 15, 1985 Video Game North America Undefined
Baraduke 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Baseball (1983) October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Battle City September 9, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
Bokosuka Wars 1985 Video Game Japan PC-98, FM-7
Bomberman December 19, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
Buggy Boy 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Burgertime November 27, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1985) 1985 Video Game North America ZX Spectrum
Chubby Cherub December 26, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
City Connection 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
City Connection September 27, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
Clu Clu Land October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Commando 1985 Video Game International Arcade
Cosmic Commuter 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Dig Dug II 1985 Video Game International Arcade
Donkey Kong Jr. Math October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Duck Hunt October 15, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Elevator Action July 28, 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Excitebike October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Exed exes 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Fantasy Zone 1985 Video Game North America Arcade
Field Combat July 9, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
Finalizer 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Flashgal 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Formation Z 1985 Video Game Europe MSX
Formation Z 1985 Video Game Japan MSX
Gauntlet (1985) 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Ghostbusters 1985 Video Game North America Apple II, Atari 2600
Ghosts 'n Goblins 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Golf (1985) October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Gradius September, 1985 Video Game Europe Arcade
Gradius 1985 Video Game North America Arcade
Gradius May 29, 1985 Video Game Japan Arcade
Grobda September, 1985 Video Game North America Arcade
Gun.Smoke 1985 Video Game International Arcade
Gun.Smoke November, 1985 Video Game North America Arcade
Gyromite October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Gyromite August 13, 1985 Video Game Japan Famicom
Hang-On 1985 Video Game Europe Master System
Hang-On July, 1985 Video Game Japan Arcade
Hardball! 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Hogan's Alley October 18, 1985 Video Game United States Nintendo Entertainment System
Hogan's Alley March, 1985 Video Game Japan Arcade
Hydlide 1985 Video Game Europe MSX2
Hydlide May, 1985 Video Game Japan Fujitsu FM-7
I'm Sorry 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
I, Robot 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Ice Climber October, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Ice Climber January 30, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
Ikki November 27, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
Impossible Mission 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom August, 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
James Bond 007: A View to a Kill 1985 Video Game North America Microsoft Windows, Apple II
Karate Champ October 12, 1985 Video Game North America Apple II, Commodore 64
Karate Champ 1985 Video Game Europe Commodore 64
Karateka 1985 Video Game North America Commodore 64
Konami GT 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Konami's Ping Pong 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Kung-Fu Master October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Kung-Fu Master 1985 Video Game Japan MSX
Lot Lot December 21, 1985 Video Game Japan Undefined
Mach Rider October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Mach Rider November 21, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
Mat Mania 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Metro-Cross 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Microsoft Reversi July 30, 1985 Video Game North America Microsoft Windows
My Hero 1985 Video Game North America Arcade
Ninja Princess 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Penguin Wars 1985 Video Game International Arcade
Penguin Wars 1985 Video Game Japan MSX
Pinball (1984) October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Pinball Action 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Poly Play 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Road Blaster 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Route-16 Turbo October 4, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
Rush'n Attack 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Sarge 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Scooter Shooter 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Section Z 1985 Video Game International Arcade
SEGA Ninja 1985 Video Game Japan Arcade
Shanghai Kid 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Shao-Lin's Road April, 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Sky Kid December 1, 1985 Video Game Japan Arcade
Space Harrier October, 1985 Video Game International Arcade
Spelunker December 6, 1985 Video Game Japan Undefined
Stack-Up October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Stack-Up July 26, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
Star Force 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Star Trek Evolution 1985 Video Game North America Commodore 64
Star Trek: The Kobayashi Alternative 1985 Video Game North America Mac OS, Apple II Plus, Apple IIe, Apple IIc, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, PC/XT, PC AT, PCjr, IBM PC
Super Mario Bros. 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Bros. September 13, 1985 Video Game Japan Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Punch-Out 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Teddy Boy Blues 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Tennis (NES) October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
The Fairyland Story July, 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
The Legend of Kage October, 1985 Video Game Japan Arcade
Thexder 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Tiger Heli July 23, 1985 Video Game Japan Undefined
Tiger Heli October, 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Time Gal 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
TREK 1985 Video Game North America MS-DOS
Trivia Master 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
TwinBee March 5, 1985 Video Game Japan Arcade
Warp & Warp July 12, 1985 Video Game Japan Family Computer
Wild Gunman October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Will: The Death Trap II September, 1985 Video Game Undefined Undefined
Wrecking Crew October 18, 1985 Video Game North America Nintendo Entertainment System
Yie Ar Kung-Fu January, 1985 Video Game International Arcade


Hardware releases[]

Name Release Date Category Region(s)
MSX2 1985 Home Computer International
Nintendo Entertainment System October 18, 1985 Home Console North America
SG-1000 Mark III October 20, 1985 Console Japan
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