Computer Game Evolution

Why are arcade joysticks so tiny? Who let Peter Molyneux into the industry? Both answers are somehow related to a game where robots call the player "chicken."

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More action, more adventure, a 3D engine, a physics engine and a whole lot of other great ideas are arriving year by year.

Action-adventuring comes to busy city streets and schools, heaven and hell, Wonderland and Scotland. Also, Nintendo makes an OK game.

Fidel Castro and Sylvester Stallone return for another round, joined by Aztecs, wizards, keys, and an unhealthy but adorable number of bats.

You never know for certain what you're going to get. Sometimes, it's a box of grenades. Sometimes, Santa gives you a gun arm to take down Albert Einstein. Sometimes, a nuclear power plant melts down.

It's the longest episode so far for two reasons: weaponised boobs, and Margaret Thatcher.

Will jumping be mastered? Will it ever work in a way that satisfies players? Do players even know what they want? Can Mario beat Goku?

Apes on vines, frogs on lily pads, cats on cheese, and plumbers on ice – everybody wants to jump, but for now it is still optional.

A dung beetle, a comet, and a Buddhist counsellor walk into a bar and order a scrolling shooter.

Your most influential game is not always your best one.