Electronic Arts Original Retro Vintage Video Games

If you wanted to collect the original Fab Five games that Electronic Arts published in their early years what games would you collect?  Well at Retro Gaming of Denver we have the research to help you finish off your collection.  Who is Electronic Arts you ask? Electronic Arts (EA) is a leading video game publisher that has been in the gaming industry for over 40 years. Making some of the most popular games ever published.  The company was founded in May 1982 by Trip Hawkins, a former Apple employee, with the vision to create and publish interactive entertainment software for everyone.  

Over the years, EA has published a plethora of video games that have become classics in the industry.  Their most popular games include the Battlefield Series, the Sims Series and the Fifa Series.  In this article, we will take a look at the first five games that EA published, their impact on the gaming industry, and how they helped shape EA's future.

Hard Hat Mack (1983)

Hard Hat Mack was EA's first published game, released in 1983 for the Apple II and Commodore 64 computers. The game was a platformer where the player controlled a construction worker named Mack, who had to navigate through a construction site while avoiding obstacles and enemies.

Hard Hat Mack was an instant hit and helped establish EA as a major player in the video game industry. The game's success also led to EA publishing more platformers in the future, such as the popular game series, The Sims.

Pinball Construction Set (1983)

The Pinball Construction Set was EA's second published game, also released in 1983 for the Apple II and Atari 800 computers. The game allowed players to design and create their own pinball tables using a set of pre-made components.

The Pinball Construction Set was a revolutionary game, it was one of the first games that allowed players to create and share their own content. As a game I played in the 80’s it had endless content as you played through other players pinball machines. 

M.U.L.E. (1983)

M.U.L.E. was EA's third published game, released in 1983 for the Atari 800 and Commodore 64 computers. The game was a multiplayer strategy game where players had to compete for resources on a distant planet.

M.U.L.E. was truly unique, the artwork and game play were not like any other game I had played.  Part board game and part strategy game it was ahead of it’s time. M.U.L.E. was one of the first multiplayer games that allowed players to compete against each other in real-time. 

One-on-One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird (1983)

One-on-One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird was EA's fourth published game, released in 1983 for the Apple II and Commodore 64 computers. Now here was a game that I put serious time on.  Hours of game time with numerous arguments as to who would be Larry Bird or Dr. J.  The game was a basketball simulation that allowed players to control either Dr. J or Larry Bird in a one-on-one game. My Larry Bird fad away jump shot was a killer.  Dr. J allowed you to just dominate with dunk shots.  

One-on-One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird was a huge success and led to so many sports games like John Maden Football.  This game is a corner stone for all sports games to come The game's success also led to EA signing licensing agreements with other major sports leagues, such as the NFL and FIFA, to create officially licensed sports games.

Archon: The Light and the Dark (1984)

Archon: The Light and the Dark was EA's fifth published game, released in 1984 for the Apple II and Commodore 64 computers. The game was a strategy game that combined elements of chess and action games.  A game I played for hours with friends.  Each of the pieces had special powers representing light or dark.  

Archon: The Light and the Dark was one of the first games that combined multiple genres to create a unique gaming experience. The game's success helped establish EA as a publisher of innovative games that pushed the boundaries of what was possible in the gaming industry.

So I challenge all of the Retro Game collectors out there to collect as many of the Fab Five as you can.  They are worth playing even today.  EA's first five published games were all groundbreaking in their own ways and helped establish EA as a major player in the video game industry. These games set the foundation for EA's future success and paved the way for the many classic games that the company would publish in the years to come.  So congratulations EA on turning 41 years old and still giving us gaming fun.