Top 3 Best Games 1973. reviews: Wumpus, Lemonade Stand, Lunar Lander

All list top 37 games.

Top 3. Wumpus (Altair 8800, Apple II, Commodore PET/CBM, HP Programmable Calculator, Intel 8080, KIM-1, Mainframe, Sol-20, TRS-80, Wang 2200)

This is a text-based, turn-based adventure where the player needs to kill a monster named Wumpus, located in one of 20 rooms. Each room has one entrance and two exits (three paths in total). All rooms are numbered, and this is indicated during the game.

Wumpus may not stay in one place and sometimes reacts to the player's actions. For example, when you find him before shooting, he will either move away or kill you.

The game features two bottomless pits and two caves with super-bats that transport you to a random cave. Pits kill you.

Since Wumpus reacts to light, you navigate by scent and wind, and information about neighboring caves is provided: drafts from pits, the monster's smell, or the presence of bats.

To kill the monster, you have five curved arrows that can change direction and even return like a boomerang. When shooting, you specify the cave and distance (up to 5 caves). If the arrow misses Wumpus, he may change his position. You need to track him down or rely on luck.

Many consider the game a precursor to the survival horror genre, although not everyone agrees.

Top 4-6 Best Games 1973. reviews: Reverse, Hurkle, Matches

All list top 37 games.

Reverse (Commodore PET/CBM, Intel 8008, Intel 8080, KIM-1, Mainframe, TRS-80, Zilog Z80)

You are given a list of 9 numbers in random order. You need to perform several manipulations to arrange them in ascending order from 1 to 9. To do this, you choose how many numbers on the left will be reversed. 

For example, if you have the sequence 234516789, and you say 4, the first four numbers are reversed, making the sequence 543216789. Then you say 5, and the first five on the left are reversed, resulting in the sequence 123456789. The goal of the game is to achieve this in as few moves as possible.

Top 7-10 Best Games 1973. reviews: Snark, Acey Deucy, The Game of Chomp, Hexapawn

All list top 37 games.

Snark (Intel 8080, Mainframe, Sol-20, Zilog Z80)

This game is a variation of the previous game, Mugwump, where you need to find a creature on a 10x10 grid. However, there are some differences. Firstly, you only need to find one creature, not four. Secondly, you specify not coordinates from two directions but a single coordinate, either inside or outside a specified circle.

Top 11-14 best Games 1973. reviews: French Fur Trader, Warfish, Bullseye, Mugwump

All list top 37 games

French Fur Trader (Commodore PET/CBM, Mainframe, Sol-20)

This is a text-based trading simulation set in 1776 in North America. Players must try to earn money by trading furs in three different forts located close to each other. Money is spent on purchasing supplies for the next year. The game concludes when the player runs out of goods for trading.

Top 15-19 best Games 1973. reviews: Trek73, Awari, Life II, Pizza, Pong Doubles

All list top 37 games.

Trek73 (DOS, Mainframe)

This game is based on the "Star Trek" TV series but is not a remake of the well-known earlier game by Mike Mayfield. It is less strategic and more action-oriented. Unlike its predecessor, it lacks a galactic map or starbases. The game is controlled through text commands.

Top 20-23 best Games 1973. reviews: Basketball, Interplanetary Voyage, W.I.N., Brain Wave

All list top 37 games.

This section features games from a very unconventional console—the first gaming console in history. It had almost no graphics of its own, consisting literally of a few pixels. The primary graphics were on a plastic overlay with a drawing attached to the screen, held in place by the static electricity of old televisions. These televisions were cathode-ray, not liquid crystal, as they are today. The package also included a paper manual, tokens, cards, playing dice, etc., depending on the game.

Basketball (Odyssey)

In this game, the action mainly takes place near a vertical line on the left side of the screen. The player who catches the ball must keep their pixel bouncing off this line and aim it at the opponent's red dot (the basket) at the right moment. The opponent stands behind, trying to interfere.

 After a scored basket, the winner starts from their penalty area, and the one who missed starts from the center. If the shooting player misses, the ball passes to the other player, and they start dribbling from their half. The winner is the first to reach 24 points, with a required two-point advantage.

Top 24-27 best Games 1973. reviews: 101 BASIC Computer Games, Laser Clay Shooting System, Slalom, Drag

All list top 37 games.

101 BASIC Computer Games (Mainframe)

Most of the games developed for free using the BASIC language were added here. While these games did not always stand out in terms of quality, their format inspired many future developers.

Top 28-33 best Games 1973. reviews: Computer Space Ball, Ace, Paddle-Ball, Pro Tennis, TV Table Tennis, Winner

All list top 37 games.

In this video, I will talk about arcade exclusives that were officially never ported anywhere else.

Computer Space Ball (Arcade)

It is a spin-off of the well-known game Computer Space, which was the first commercially sold game. This is one of the first Pong clones on arcade machines.

Top best 34-37 Games of 1973. reviews: Empire I, Empire II and Empire III, Chief, Board of Directors

All list top 37 games.

Empire I

The first part significantly differed from the subsequent ones, which would be less strategic. This year, as I will discuss in the next section, the second part was released. The third part will be released next year, and the fourth in 1976.

This game claims the role of the first multiplayer online game with Maze War. But most likely, it was indeed the first.

Top 3 best games in 1972. reviews: Table Tennis, Kingdom, Pong

 Here are the top 3 games.

The complete List of the Top 37 Games.

Rank 3: Table Tennis (Odyssey)

Undoubtedly the best game on this platform this year. This assertion holds true when compared to previous Odyssey games. Yes, it bears a striking resemblance to Atari's Pong. Though not as good, it was released earlier in the spring, overshadowing its competitor in the fall. In this game, players take turns serving five times each. The winner is the first to reach 21 points with a 2-point difference, meaning, for example, 25:24 is not enough; it must be 26:24. Players keep score themselves or involve a third party.

Top 8 Games of 1972. reviews: Roulette, Haunted House, States, Bagels

Here are games ranked from 5th to 8th place.

The complete List of the Top 37 Games.

These games are played on a very unconventional console, the very first gaming console in history. It had almost no graphics of its own, consisting of just a few pixels. The primary graphics were on a plastic overlay with a drawn image that attached to the screen and stuck there due to the static electricity of old televisions. The old televisions used cathode-ray tubes, unlike the modern liquid crystal displays. The package also included a paper manual, chips, cards, dice, and more, depending on the game.

Roulette (Odyssey)

In this game, you use various items besides the screen. First, there's an overlay on the screen, and then there's the tabletop part of the game, chips, and paper money.

Top 11 Games of 1972. reviews: Submarine, Ski, Simon Says, Cat and Mouse

Here are the top 8-11 games.

The complete List of the Top 37 Games.

Here, there will be games from a very unconventional console. The first gaming console in history. After all, it had almost no graphics of its own, which consisted of just a few pixels. The main graphics were a plastic overlay with a drawn picture that was attached to the screen and held there by the static electricity of old televisions.

 Old televisions were cathode ray, not liquid crystal, like today. The package also included a paper instruction manual, chips, cards, dice, and so on, depending on the game.

Submarine (Odyssey)

Two players can play here. The first player tries to travel from the start to the end, while the other player tries to hit them with a torpedo. You need to complete 3 ships to finish. The count is kept of how many times torpedoes were fired before successfully hitting. Then the players switch roles, and the winner is the one with fewer hits.

Top 15 Best Games of 1972. reviews: Tennis, Analogic, Hockey, Football

Top 12-15 Games

List of the Top 37 Games.

Here, you will find games from a highly unconventional console. The very first gaming console in history. After all, it had almost no graphics of its own, consisting of just a few pixels. The primary graphics were on a plastic overlay with an image that you attached to the screen and kept in place using the static electricity of old televisions. 

Those old TVs used cathode-ray tubes, not liquid crystal displays like today. The package also included a paper instruction manual, chips, cards, dice, and so on, depending on the game.

Tennis (Odyssey).

The game is quite simple, especially when compared to some others on this platform. Each player occupies their half and tries to keep the ball (pixel) from going out of their part of the field. To win a game, you need to win four times on your serve with a minimum of a two-point difference. Players play a minimum of 6 games (if it's 6-0) and a maximum of 13 games (in case of 7-6). In other words, it follows the classic rules of tennis.

Top 25 Best Games of 1972. reviews: Shootout, Shooting Gallery, Prehistoric Safari, Dogfight, Percepts, Invasion, Fun Zoo

 

Top 19 - 25 Games.

List of the Top 37 Games.

Here are games from a very unconventional console. The first gaming console in history. After all, it had almost no graphics of its own, consisting of just a few pixels. The main graphics were a plastic film with a drawn picture that was attached to the screen and held there by the static electricity of old televisions. Old TVs were cathode-ray, not liquid crystal, as they are now. The package also included a paper manual, chips, cards, dice, and so on, depending on the game.

Shootout (Odyssey).

In this game, you need to use a gaming accessory - a light gun. You play as a sheriff who is hunting the Dalton gang. The first pixel bandit appears from the upper left, then moves to the right, down, and at the end, down to the right near the horses. If your shot is accurate, the pixel disappears. Each kill is worth one point.

 At the end, there will be a tally. Interestingly, when the pixels appear, your partner, according to the instructions, is recommended to shout, "You'll never catch me, sheriff." Apparently for ambiance, just don't scare the neighbors, or they'll call the police.

Top 30 Best Games of 1972, reviews: Baseball (Odyssey) Handball (Odyssey), Volleyball (Odyssey), Soccer (Odyssey), Wipeout (Odyssey)

Games 26-30.

List of the Top 37 Games.

Here, you will find games from a very unconventional console. The first gaming console in history. It had almost no graphics of its own, consisting of just a few pixels. The primary graphics were plastic overlays with drawings that you attached to the screen using static electricity from old TVs. Those old TVs used cathode-ray tubes, not liquid crystal displays like today's. The package also included a paper instruction manual, chips, cards, dice, and more, depending on the game.

Baseball (Odyssey).

In this game, you use real dice and a table of average results. There's a comprehensive paper instruction manual, and you need to get quite immersed in it. You then fill out player cards based on the range of average results and the number rolled on the dice. The higher the number on the dice, the better your result within the range. 

Different players have different ranges; some are stronger, some weaker. A weak player might roll a higher number on the dice and compensate for their lower range compared to a stronger player. This way, the results clash with each card drawn, and the advantage of one card over the other makes it easier to play with pixels in the active game. Thus, the outcome depends on both luck and your skills. You record the results on a separate piece of paper yourself.

Top 37 video games in 1972. reviews: Moonwar, Dogfight, Battle Plan, Desert Fox, STTRK, Graf - Spee, Golf 2

Top 31-37.

List Top 37 games.

I'll start with intriguing games from 1972 that were not released on consoles but were available on platforms like arcade, PLATO, and mainframe. There is no graphical information or even screenshots for these games, so please bear with me for now.

Moonwar.

It's quite challenging to describe this game without an image, as it might give the impression that the game was released in the 2000s, based solely on the description. Take a look for yourselves.

The game was available on university terminals and was a multiplayer shooter. Players were equipped with lasers, and they had to shoot in a mountainous landscape. This meant that you had to take the terrain into account.

Using your sharp eye, you had to estimate distances and angles for the laser beam's movement. The beam could bounce off walls, allowing you to eliminate opponents from behind cover.

The game displayed a complete list of players, and they could choose whom to challenge to a duel.