Editing Timeline of arcade video game history (section)

==Golden age (1978-1986)==
{{See also|Golden age of arcade video games|List of best-selling video games#Arcade|l2=List of best-selling arcade games}}

;1978

* [[Taito Corporation|Taito]] releases ''[[Space Invaders]]'', the first [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]] arcade video game,<ref>{{Citation|author=Chris Kohler|year=2005|title=Power-up: how Japanese video games gave the world an extra life|page=18|publisher=[[BradyGames]]|isbn=0-7440-0424-1|url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=auMTAQAAIAAJ|accessdate=2011-03-27}}</ref> responsible for starting the [[golden age of video arcade games]]. It also sets the template for the [[shoot 'em up]] genre,<ref name="1UP-50">{{Cite web|title=Essential 50: Space Invaders|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-space-invaders|accessdate=2011-03-26}}</ref> and influences nearly every [[shooter game]] released since then.<ref name="1UP-10things">{{Cite web| url = http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3168373| title = Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Space Invaders| publisher = [[1UP.com]]| author = Edwards, Benj| accessdate = 2008-07-11}}</ref>

;1979

* [[Atari]] releases ''[[Lunar Lander]]'' and ''[[Asteroids (video game)|Asteroids]]'', a major hit in the [[United States]] and Atari's best selling game of all time.<ref name="atarisite">{{Cite web|url=http://www.atari.com/games/atari_classics |title=Mobile Games |publisher=Atari |date= |accessdate=2013-02-28}}</ref>
* [[Namco]] releases ''[[Galaxian]]'', which is in [[RGB]] colour.<ref>{{MOTG|7885|Galaxian}}</ref>

;1980

* Atari releases ''[[Battlezone]]'', a [[first-person shooter]] tank combat game.
* Namco releases ''[[Pac-Man]]'', its biggest-selling game. One of the most influential games, it had the first gaming [[mascot]] [[Character (arts)|character]], established the [[List of maze chase games|maze chase]] genre, opened gaming to female audiences,<ref>[http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3122102 The Essential 50 - Pac-Man], [[1UP.com|1UP]]</ref> and introduced [[power-up]]s<ref>[http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3151392 Playing With Power: Great Ideas That Have Changed Gaming Forever], [[1UP.com|1UP]]</ref> and [[cutscene]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-2|title=Gaming's most important evolutions|publisher=}}</ref>
* [[Data East]] releases [[DECO Cassette System]], the first standardized [[Arcade system board|arcade platform]], for which many games were made.
* [[Williams Electronics]] release ''[[Defender]]'', a more challenging shoot-em-up space game with control configuration of five buttons and a joystick.

;1981

* Atari release ''[[Tempest]]'', the first color vector arcade game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.andysarcade.de/tempest.html|title=Tempest (Atari 1980)|publisher=Andy's Arcade|accessdate=2015-12-07}}</ref>
* [[Nintendo]] releases ''[[Donkey Kong]]'', which was one of the first [[platform game]]s. It was also the game that introduced [[Mario]] (named simply "Jumpman" at the time) to the video game world.
* [[Namco]] releases ''[[Galaga]]'', sequel to Galaxian.
* [[Konami]] releases ''[[Scramble]]'', the first side-scrolling shooter with forced scrolling and multiple distinct levels.<ref name="lecture">[http://www.cse.ucsc.edu/classes/cmps080k/Winter07/lectures/shmups.pdf Game Genres: Shmups], Professor Jim Whitehead, January 29, 2007, Accessed June 17, 2008</ref>
* Konami releases ''[[Frogger]]'', a popular arcade [[action game]].

;1982

* [[Williams Electronics]] releases ''[[Joust]]''.
* Namco releases ''[[Pole Position]]'', one of the most popular racing games of all time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=pole-position-cockpit-model&page=detail&id=21234 |title=pole position [cockpit model&#93; [coin-op&#93; arcade video game, namco, ltd. (1982) |publisher=Arcade-history.com |date=2012-07-24 |accessdate=2013-02-28}}</ref> This is also Namco's first game to feature a 16-bit CPU making it the first 16-bit video game.

;1983

* [[Midway Games|Bally Midway]] releases ''[[Journey (1983)|Journey]]'', the first game with digitized sprites.
* ''[[Astron Belt]]'', the first [[laserdisc video game]], is released by SEGA.
* ''[[Dragon's Lair]]'', the first video game to use cel-animated video instead of computer generated graphics was advertised as the first truly 3D video game and as the meeting point of video games and animated films.
* Atari brings ''[[Star Wars (1983)|Star Wars]]'' to the arcades in the form of a 3D vector graphics simulation of [[Star Wars (film)|the movie's]] attack on the [[Death Star]] sequence and featuring digitized samples of voices from the movie.

;1984

* ''[[Marble Madness]]'' and ''[[Paperboy]]'' are released by [[Atari Games]].

;1985

* ''[[Gauntlet]]'' is released by [[Atari Games]]
* ''[[Gradius]]'' (''Nemesis'' in some countries) is released by [[Konami]].
* ''[[Space Harrier]]'' is released by [[SEGA]]
* ''[[Vs. Super Mario Bros.]]'', the arcade version of [[Super Mario Bros.]] originally on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] ([[Family Computer]] in Japan), is released into arcades.
* ''[[Tehkan World Cup]]'', the father of soccer games with an above view of the field, is released by [[Tehkan]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=10057 |title=Tehkan World Cup - Videogame by Tehkan |publisher=Arcade-museum.com |date= |accessdate=2013-02-28}}</ref> who also release its stablemate, ''[[Gridiron Fight]]''.
* ''Air Race'' was also planned to be released by Atari in 1985. Due to the high cost of the hardware, the game also was cancelled. If released, it would have been the first arcade racing game to use 3D polygon graphics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=air-race&page=detail&id=35309|title=Air Race pcb by Atari, Inc. (1985)|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvYLCsmNKfE|title=Atari 1985 Air Race unreleased arcade game|first=|last=ScottithGames|date=22 December 2011|publisher=|via=YouTube}}</ref>
*''[[Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back]]'' is released and became Atari's last major vector-based arcade game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=deBFx7QAwsQC&pg=PA668&lpg=PA668&dq=Empire%20strikes%20back,%20atari's%20last%20vector%20game&source=bl&ots=IPxv4p2XZe&sig=GFb5-VA68zf81IhqMDDbxQBqrIA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=g5oiUrLxOo6lsASruIHADQ&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Empire%20strikes%20back,%20atari's%20last%20vector%20game&f=false|title=Encyclopedia of Video Games: M-Z|date=1 January 2012|publisher=ABC-CLIO|via=Google Books}}</ref>

;1986
* Taito releases ''[[Bubble Bobble]]''.
* SEGA releases ''[[Out Run]]''.
* ''[[Chiller]]'' by Exidy is released and is an early example of blood and gore.<ref>{{Cite web|author=nathaaan90 |url=http://listverse.com/2010/05/11/15-firsts-in-video-game-history/ |title=15 Firsts In Video Game History |publisher=Listverse |date=2010-05-11 |accessdate=2013-02-28}}</ref>
*Top Gunner by Exidy is released and is the last commercial arcade video game to use vector-based(wireframe) graphics.
* Turbo Kourier is released by the Vivid Group and is the first coin-operated Virtual Reality arcade video game to use 3D Polygon Graphics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.siggraph.org/s95/S95_V1/ENTRTAIN/MANDALA/MTK.HTL|title=Mandala Turbo Kourier Module|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=turbo-kourier&page=detail&id=29907|title=Turbo Kourier pcb by Vivid Group (1986)|publisher=}}</ref>