Glossary of Classic Gaming Terms - A to Z
A
- Atari 2600: A popular home video game console released in 1977.
- Adventure: A text-based adventure game developed for the Atari 2600 in 1979.
- Arcade: A place where people can play video games using arcade machines.
- Avatar: A character that represents the player in a video game.
B
- Bit: A basic unit of digital information in computing and digital communications, often used to describe the resolution of an image or the color depth of a display.
- Boss: A powerful enemy at the end of a level or game.
- Button mashing: The act of pressing buttons rapidly and repeatedly in a video game, often used to try and gain an advantage or achieve a specific result.
C
- Classic Gaming: A term used to describe video games and consoles that were popular in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
- Console: A video game system designed to be used with a television or monitor.
- CPU: The central processing unit of a computer or game console.
D
- Debug mode: A feature in some video games that allows developers to test the game and fix bugs.
- Demo: A shortened version of a video game that is released to showcase the game's features and gameplay.
- Difficulty level: The level of difficulty of a video game, usually determined by the skill and experience of the player.
E
- Emulator: A program that allows a computer to run software designed for a different platform or operating system, such as classic gaming consoles.
- Expansion pack: Additional content for a video game that is released after the initial release.
- Extraterrestrial: A term used to describe aliens or creatures from other planets that appear in video games.
F
- First-person shooter: A type of video game where the player experiences the game from a first-person perspective and uses guns or other weapons to shoot enemies.
- Flippers: The two buttons on a pinball machine that control the flippers and are used to hit the ball.
- Final Boss: The last and most difficult boss in a video game.
G
- Game Genie
- A cheating device that allowed players to modify the code of their favorite games, enabling cheats, level skipping, and other cheats.
- Gameplay
- The interactive experience of playing a game, including mechanics, controls, and objectives.
- Gamepad
- The handheld controller used to play games, typically featuring buttons, joysticks, and directional pads.
- Graphics
- The visual elements of a game, including sprites, backgrounds, animations, and effects.
- GUI
- Graphical User Interface, a visual way of interacting with a game, using icons, menus, and windows.
- GunCon
- A light gun peripheral used to shoot targets on the screen, popularized by the PlayStation game Time Crisis.
H
- Hitbox
- The invisible area of a game character that determines whether it can be hit by an attack or obstacle.
- Homebrew
- A game or application created by amateur or independent developers, often using unofficial tools or hardware.
- HUD
- Heads-Up Display, the graphical interface that displays information such as health, score, and inventory.
I
- Inventory
- A list of items that a player can collect and use in a game, such as weapons, power-ups, or keys.
- Isometric view
- A 2.5D perspective that simulates three-dimensional space using a flat, angled view.
J
- Joystick
- A control stick used to move a character or object in a game, typically featuring one or more buttons.
K
- Kart racing
- A subgenre of racing games featuring cartoonish characters and vehicles, inspired by the Mario Kart series.
- Konami Code
- A famous cheat code that originated in the NES game Contra, entered by pressing Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A.