Video Games Released in 1983

1983 in Review:

1983 was a tumultuous year for the video game industry, marked by the aftermath of the video game crash and the emergence of new technologies and gaming trends. Here are some key events that took place:

1. The video game crash: The video game crash reached its peak in 1983, with many video game companies going bankrupt and the market for video games shrinking dramatically. This was due to several factors, including oversaturation of the market, poor quality games, and competition from personal computers.
2. The NES: Despite the crash, Nintendo released the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in Japan in 1983. The console would later be released in the US in 1985 and would revitalize the video game industry.
3. Dragon’s Lair: “Dragon’s Lair” was released in 1983 and was one of the first video games to use full-motion video. The game was a critical and commercial success and helped to pave the way for more cinematic games in the future.
4. Star Wars: “Star Wars” continued to be a major force in the video game industry in 1983, with games like “Star Wars: The Arcade Game” and “Jedi Arena” becoming popular in arcades.
5. Atari’s decline: Atari, which had been one of the biggest players in the video game industry in the late 1970s and early 1980s, saw its fortunes decline in 1983. The company struggled to compete with newer consoles and games and eventually filed for bankruptcy.
6. The rise of personal computers: Personal computers continued to gain popularity in 1983, with games like “Infocom’s Deadline” and “Sierra’s King’s Quest” demonstrating the potential of the platform for gaming.

Overall, 1983 was a year of significant change and upheaval in the video game industry, with the fallout from the video game crash impacting many companies, but also with new technologies and trends pointing the way forward.

Video Games Released in 1983:

Here is our enormous collection of video games released in 1983 and detailed information on each. As always, new games are added to this collection regularly.

Click on a game listing to find out much more about it.