List of fictional primates in video games
Table:
Character	Species	Origin	Platform ( s )	Notes

Agent 9	Monkey	Spyro : Year of the Dragon	PlayStation	A space monkey introduced as a brief playable character , who was trapped by the Sorceress . He has a laser and can eliminate rhynocs with ease

AiAi	Monkey	Super Monkey Ball	GameCube	Encased in transparent ball

Andross	Star Fox	SNES	The archenemy of the Star Fox team

Andrew Oikonny	Star Fox 64	Nintendo 64	The nephew of Andross , and a member of Star Wolf , the rivals of the Star Fox team

Conga the Gorilla	Gorilla	Banjo-Kazooie	N64 · Xbox Live Arcade	A giant gorilla who first appears in Mumbo 's Mountain

Diddy Kong	Tailed-Chimpanzee	Donkey Kong Country	SNES · GBC · GBA · Wii	Donkey King 's sidekick

Dixie Kong	Chimpanzee	Donkey Kong Country 2 : Diddy 's Kong Quest	SNES · GBA · Wii	Diddy Kong 's girlfriend

Donkey Kong	Ape	Donkey Kong	Arcade · Atari 2600 · Amstrad CPC · Apple II · Atari 7800 · Atari 8-bit · C64 · ColecoVision · GBA · Intellivision · MSX , NES · 3DS · MS-DOS · TI-99/4A · TRS-80 · VIC-20 · Wii · ZX Spectrum

Donkey Kong Jr	Gorilla	Donkey Kong Jr	Arcade · Atari 2600 · Atari 7800 · Atari 8-bit · ColecoVision · GBA · Intellivision · NES · 3DS · Wii	Donkey Kong 's son

Gorilla	Gorilla	Gekido	PlayStation · Game Boy Color	An unlockable character

Specter	Monkey	Ape Escape	PlayStation · PlayStation Portable	Rules over lesser apes known as Piposaru

Ukiki	Monkey	Super Mario 64	Nintendo 64	Steals Mario 's hat

Winston	Gorilla	Overwatch	PC · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One	A Gorilla with superior intelligence

Wukong	Monkey	League of Legends	PC	A playable champion inspired by Sun Wukong , the main character in the Chinese epic Journey to the West

Wukong	Monkey	Warframe	PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , PC	A robotic Warframe inspired by Sun Wukong , the main character in the Chinese epic Journey to the West

Toki	Geeshergam	Toki : Going Ape Split	Arcade	A human that is transformed into an enchanted ape who must battle hordes of enemies to save a princess

Looking at the tabular data and the passages listed below.

Give the answer to the question: In what game did the genetically engineered gorilla that was part of a larger group of genetically engineered gorillas that was used by the in-universe Horizon Lunar Colony to test the effects of prolonged habitation in space originate ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

Monkey is a common name that may refer to groups or species of mammals , in part , the simians of infraorder Simiiformes . The term is applied descriptively to groups of primates , such as families of New World monkeys and Old World monkeys . Many monkey species are tree-dwelling ( arboreal ) , although there are species that live primarily on the ground , such as baboons . Most species are also active during the day ( diurnal ) . Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent , especially the Old World monkeys of Catarrhini . Simians and tarsiers emerged within haplorrhines some 60 million years ago . New World monkeys and catarrhine monkeys emerged within the simians some 35 million years ago . Old World monkeys and Hominoidea emerged within the catarrhine monkeys some 25 million years ago . Extinct basal simians such as Aegyptopithecus or Parapithecus [ 35-32 million years ago ] , eosimiidea and sometimes even the Catarrhini group are also considered monkeys by primatologists . Lemurs , lorises , and galagos are not monkeys ; instead they are strepsirrhine primates . Like monkeys , tarsiers are haplorhine primates ; however , they are also not monkeys . Apes emerged within monkeys as sister of the Cercopithecidae in the Catarrhini , so cladistically they are monkeys as well .
Spyro : Year of the Dragon is a 2000 platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation . Year of the Dragon is the third installment in the Spyro series . The game was the last Spyro game Insomniac developed ; their next title would be Ratchet & Clank for the PlayStation 2 . It was released in North America and for PAL regions in October and November 2000 , respectively , but unlike the other two games , it was not given a Japanese release . Named after the animal of the Chinese zodiac , which was the symbol at the time of the game 's release , Year of the Dragon follows the titular purple dragon Spyro as he travels to the Forgotten Worlds after 150 magical dragon eggs are stolen from the land of the dragons by an evil sorceress . Players travel across thirty different worlds gathering gems and eggs . Year of the Dragon introduced new characters and minigames to the series , as well as offering improved graphics and music . Upon release , the game sold more than two million units in the United States and received critical acclaim . Reviewers noted the game built on the successful formula of its predecessors by adding new activities and expansive environments . Year of the Dragon was followed by the multiplatform title Spyro : Enter the Dragonfly , and was later re-released under the Greatest Hits label , and remastered as part of the Spyro Reignited Trilogy in 2018 .
The PlayStation [ a ] ( officially abbreviated as PS and commonly known as the PS1 or its codename PSX ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment . It was first released on 3 December 1994 in Japan , on 9 September 1995 in North America , on 29 September 1995 in Europe , and on 15 November 1995 in Australia , and was the first of the PlayStation lineup of video game consoles . As a fifth generation console , the PlayStation primarily competed with the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn . The PlayStation was the first computer entertainment platform to ship over 100 million units , which it had reached nine years after its initial launch . In July 2000 , a redesigned , slim version called the PS one was released , replacing the original grey console and named appropriately to avoid confusion with its successor , the PlayStation 2 . The PlayStation 2 , which is backwards compatible with the PlayStation 's DualShock controller and games , was announced in 1999 and launched in 2000 . The last PS one units were sold in late 2006 to early 2007 shortly after it was officially discontinued , for a total of 102 million units shipped since its launch eleven years earlier . Games for the PlayStation continued to sell until Sony ceased production of both the PlayStation and PlayStation games on 23 March 2006 - over eleven years after it had been released , and less than a year before the debut of the PlayStation 3 . On 19 September 2018 , Sony unveiled the PlayStation Classic to mark the 24th anniversary of the original console . The new console is a miniature recreation of the original PlayStation , preloaded with 20 titles released on the original console , and was released on 3 December 2018 , the exact date the console was released in Japan in 1994 .
Super Monkey Ball [ a ] is a 2001 platform party video game developed by Amusement Vision and published by Sega . The game debuted in Japan at the 2001 Amusement Operators Union trade show as Monkey Ball , [ b ] an arcade cabinet running on Sega 's NAOMI hardware and controlled with a distinctive banana-shaped analog stick . Due to the failure of Sega 's Dreamcast home console and the company 's subsequent restructuring , an enhanced port dubbed Super Monkey Ball was released as a launch title for the GameCube in late 2001 , garnering interest as Sega 's first game published for a Nintendo home console . Conceived by Amusement Vision head Toshihiro Nagoshi , Super Monkey Ball involves guiding a transparent ball containing one of four monkeys - AiAi , MeeMee , Baby , and GonGon - across a series of maze-like platforms . The player must reach the goal without falling off or letting the timer reach zero to advance to the next stage . There are also several multiplayer modes : independent minigames as well as extensions of the main single-player game . Super Monkey Ball received highly positive reviews from critics , who praised the simplicity and subtle depth of its control scheme as well as the new multiplayer modes not present in its arcade counterpart , although some felt its presentation was lacking . The game was commercially successful and remained one of Sega 's best-sellers in the United States for much of 2002 , eventually spawning a direct sequel , Super Monkey Ball 2 , and an entire Super Monkey Ball franchise .
The Nintendo GameCube [ b ] [ c ] ( commonly abbreviated as GameCube ) is a home video game console released by Nintendo in Japan and North America in 2001 and in the PAL territories in 2002 . The sixth-generation console is the successor to the Nintendo 64 . It competed with Sony 's PlayStation 2 and Microsoft 's original Xbox . The GameCube is the first Nintendo console to use optical discs as its primary storage medium . The discs are in the miniDVD format and the system was not designed to play full-sized DVDs or audio CDs , unlike its competitors , and focused on gaming instead . The console supports limited online gaming for a small number of games via a GameCube broadband or modem adapter and can connect to a Game Boy Advance with a link cable , which allows players to access exclusive in-game features using the handheld as a second screen and controller . The GameCube uses composite video cables to display games on the television ; however , there are differences in the two GameCube models . The models produced before May 2004 also have the ability to use digital component AV cables and progressive scan and a second serial port . The nameplate on the top of the console with the words Nintendo GameCube can be removed . This model is known as DOL-001 . The previously mentioned features were removed in GameCube consoles produced between 2004-2007 ; the later model was known as DOL-101 . The newer model has updated firmware that disables Action Replay cheats and cheat codes ( a newer version was developed to circumvent this ) and the disc-reading laser was improved in many ways , though it is not as durable .
This is a list of characters from the Star Fox series of video games , listed in order of introduction . According to programmer Dylan Cuthbert , several names of animals were used in the names of the characters whenever the development team believed they , for those characters , [ sounded ] good .
Star Fox , [ a ] released as Starwing in Europe , is a 1993 rail shooter video game co-developed by Nintendo EAD and Argonaut Software and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System ( SNES ) . The first game in the Star Fox series , Star Fox follows Fox McCloud and the rest of the Star Fox team defending their homeworld of Corneria against the attacking forces of Andross . It ultimately sold over 4 million copies . Star Fox was Nintendo 's second 3D game after the release of X for the Game Boy in 1992 . However , it was Nintendo 's first game to use polygonal graphics . It accomplished this by being the first ever game to use the Super FX graphics acceleration coprocessor powered GSU-1 . The complex display of three-dimensional models with polygons was still new and uncommon in console video games , and the game was praised as a result . It was rebooted as Star Fox 64 on the Nintendo 64 in 1997 , which itself was remade as Star Fox 64 3D on the Nintendo 3DS in 2011 and reimagined as Star Fox Zero on the Wii U in 2016 . Nintendo re-released Star Fox worldwide in September 2017 as part of the Super NES Classic Edition , along with its previously unreleased sequel Star Fox 2 . In September 2019 , Star Fox was made available on the Nintendo Switch exclusively for subscribers of the Nintendo Switch Online service , along with 19 other SNES games .
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System ( SNES ) , [ b ] also known as the Super NES [ c ] or Super Nintendo , [ d ] is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea , [ citation needed ] 1991 in North America , 1992 in Europe and Australasia ( Oceania ) , and 1993 in South America . In Japan , the system is called the Super Famicom ( SFC ) . [ e ] In South Korea , it is known as the Super Comboy [ f ] and was distributed by Hyundai Electronics . The system was released in Brazil on August 30 , 1993 , by Playtronic . Although each version is essentially the same , several forms of regional lockout prevent the different cartridges from being compatible with one another . The SNES is Nintendo 's second programmable home console , following the Nintendo Entertainment System ( NES ) . The console introduced advanced graphics and sound capabilities compared with other systems at the time . The system was designed to accommodate the ongoing development of a variety of enhancement chips integrated in game cartridges to be competitive into the next generation . The SNES was a global success , becoming the best-selling console of the 16-bit era after launching relatively late and facing intense competition from Sega 's Genesis console in North America and Europe . Overlapping the NES 's 61.9 million unit sales , the SNES remained popular well into the 32-bit era , with 49.1 million units sold worldwide by the time it was discontinued in 2003 . It continues to be popular among collectors and retro gamers , with new homebrew games and Nintendo 's emulated rereleases , such as on the Virtual Console , the Super NES Classic Edition , and Nintendo Switch Online .
This is a list of characters from the Star Fox series of video games , listed in order of introduction . According to programmer Dylan Cuthbert , several names of animals were used in the names of the characters whenever the development team believed they , for those characters , [ sounded ] good .
Star Fox 64 , [ a ] known in the PAL region as Lylat Wars , is a 3D scrolling shooter game themed around aircraft combat for the Nintendo 64 video game console . It is a reboot of the original Star Fox , and the only game in the Star Fox series to be released on the Nintendo 64 . An autostereoscopic remake , titled Star Fox 64 3D , was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011 . Star Fox 64 was the first Nintendo 64 game to have included support for the Rumble Pak , with which it initially came bundled . The game has sold over 4 million copies since its release , making it one of the best-selling games on the system . The game received critical acclaim for its precise controls , multiplayer modes , voice acting and use of multiple gameplay paths . It has been deemed by many critics and gamers to be one of the greatest video games of all time .
The Nintendo 64 [ a ] ( officially abbreviated as N64 , hardware model number pre-term : NUS , stylized as NINTENDO64 ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo . Named for its 64-bit central processing unit , it was released in June 1996 in Japan , September 1996 in North America , and March 1997 in Europe and Australia . It was the last major home console to use the cartridge as its primary storage format until the Nintendo Switch in 2017 . The Nintendo 64 was discontinued in mid 2002 following the launch of its successor , the GameCube , in 2001 . Codenamed Project Reality , the Nintendo 64 design was mostly complete by mid-1995 , but its launch was delayed until 1996 , when Time named it Machine of the Year . It was launched with three games : Super Mario 64 , Pilotwings 64 ( worldwide ) and Saikyō Habu Shōgi ( exclusive to Japan ) . As part of the fifth generation of gaming , the system competed primarily with the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn . The suggested retail price at its United States launch was US $ 199.99 , and 32.93 million units were sold worldwide . In 2015 , IGN named it the ninth-greatest video game console of all time .
Banjo-Kazooie is a platform video game developed by Rare and originally released for the Nintendo 64 console in 1998 . It is the first game in the Banjo-Kazooie series and follows the story of a bear , Banjo , and a bird , Kazooie , as they try to stop the plans of the witch Gruntilda , who intends to steal the beauty of Banjo 's younger sister , Tooty , for herself . The game features nine nonlinear worlds where the player must use Banjo and Kazooie 's wide range of abilities to gather items and progress through the story . It features challenges such as solving puzzles , jumping over obstacles , collecting items , and defeating opponents . Originally conceived as an adventure game named Dream for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System , Banjo-Kazooie was designed to appeal to players of all ages in a similar vein to Walt Disney Animation Studios films . The game was a critical and commercial success , selling nearly two million copies in the United States . It was praised for its detailed graphics , dynamic soundtrack , and intricate level design . In 1999 , it received two awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences : Console Action Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Art/Graphics . The game was remastered for the Xbox 360 in 2008 and included in the Rare Replay video game compilation for the Xbox One in 2015 . A sequel , Banjo-Tooie , was released in 2000 .
Gorillas are ground-dwelling , predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Sub-Saharan Africa . The genus Gorilla is divided into two species : the eastern gorillas and the western gorillas ( both critically endangered ) , and either four or five subspecies . They are the largest living primates . The DNA of gorillas is highly similar to that of humans , from 95 to 99% depending on what is included , and they are the next closest living relatives to humans after the chimpanzees and bonobos . Gorillas ' natural habitats cover tropical or subtropical forests in Sub-Saharan Africa . Although their range covers a small percentage of Sub-Saharan Africa , gorillas cover a wide range of elevations . The mountain gorilla inhabits the Albertine Rift montane cloud forests of the Virunga Volcanoes , ranging in altitude from 2,200 to 4,300 metres ( 7,200 to 14,100 ft ) . Lowland gorillas live in dense forests and lowland swamps and marshes as low as sea level , with western lowland gorillas living in Central West African countries and eastern lowland gorillas living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo near its border with Rwanda .
Xbox Live Arcade ( XBLA ) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store , Microsoft 's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360 . It focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers . Titles range from classic console and arcade video games , to new games designed from the ground up for the service . Games available through the XBLA service range from $ 5-20 in price , and as of October 2016 , there have been 719 Xbox Live Arcade titles released for the Xbox 360 . Prior to the Xbox 360 , Xbox Live Arcade was the name for an online distribution network on the original Xbox , which was replaced by the Xbox Live Marketplace .
Diddy Kong ( Japanese : ディディーコング , Hepburn : Didī Kongu ) is a fictional character who appears in games belonging to the Donkey Kong and Mario video game franchises , debuting in the 1994 Donkey Kong series game , Donkey Kong Country . He is a young monkey who lives on Donkey Kong Island in the Kongo Jungle , and is identified by his red hat with the Nintendo logo on it , and his red shirt with stars on it . Diddy Kong is Donkey Kong 's sidekick , best friend , and is described as his nephew wannabe in the Donkey Kong 64 manual . He has a girlfriend named Dixie Kong . He was originally created by Donkey Kong Country developer Rare as an updated version of Donkey Kong Jr. , but he was renamed , due to Nintendo 's response . Diddy Kong has made some appearances in the Donkey Kong series , appearing in every Donkey Kong Country game and Donkey Kong Land game , notably as the lead character in Donkey Kong Country 2 : Diddy 's Kong Quest with his girlfriend , Dixie Kong , as his sidekick . He received a spin-off called Diddy Kong Racing , and more recently appeared as co-star to Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country : Tropical Freeze . Through his relationship with Donkey Kong , Diddy Kong has become a prominent character in the Mario franchise . He has also become a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series . Outside video games , Diddy Kong appeared in the TV show Donkey Kong Country , where he is played by Andrew Sabiston . Since appearing in Donkey Kong Country , Diddy has received mostly positive reception , one strong enough to create a fan following , resulting in Diddy getting his own spin-off . He has been featured in several pieces of merchandise , including plush toys , candies , and two Amiibo figures .
Donkey Kong Country [ α ] is a 1994 platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System , as part of the Donkey Kong franchise created by Shigeru Miyamoto . The game centers on the duo of Donkey Kong and his nephew Diddy Kong , who are on a quest to recover their stolen banana hoard from King K. Rool and his henchmen Kremlings . Development began shortly after Rare founders , brothers Tim and Chris Stamper , ran experiments with a Silicon Graphics ( SGI ) workstation to render 3D sprites . Nintendo became interested in Rare 's work and acquired 49% of the company , leading to the production of a game for the SNES using Alias and SGI technology . The Stamper brothers expressed interest in creating a standalone Donkey Kong game and assembled a team of 12 developers to work on the game over 18 months . Donkey Kong Country is the first Donkey Kong game that was not produced or directed by the franchise 's creator Shigeru Miyamoto , though he was involved with the project . Following an aggressive marketing campaign , Donkey Kong Country received critical acclaim and sold more than nine million copies worldwide , making it the third best-selling SNES game and has been cited as one of the greatest video games of all time . It was ported to the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance consoles , and was made available for Nintendo 's Virtual Console . Donkey Kong Country is the first game in the Donkey Kong Country series and was followed by two sequels on the SNES : Donkey Kong Country 2 : Diddy 's Kong Quest in 1995 , and Donkey Kong Country 3 : Dixie Kong 's Double Trouble ! in 1996 . In 2017 , the game was released as a part of the Super NES Classic Edition .
The Game Boy Color [ a ] ( commonly abbreviated as GBC ) is a handheld game console manufactured by Nintendo , which was released in Japan on October 21 , 1998 , and later released in November of the same year to international markets . It is the successor to the original Game Boy and is part of the Game Boy family . The GBC features a color screen rather than monochrome , but it is not backlit . It is slightly thicker and taller and features a slightly smaller screen than the Game Boy Pocket , its immediate predecessor in the Game Boy line . As with the original Game Boy , it has a custom 8-bit processor made by Sharp that is considered a hybrid between the Intel 8080 and the Zilog Z80 . The spelling of the system 's name , Game Boy Color , remains consistent throughout the world , with its American English spelling of color . The Game Boy Color is part of the fifth generation of video game consoles . The GBC 's primary competitors in Japan were the grayscale 16-bit handhelds , Neo Geo Pocket and the WonderSwan , though the Game Boy Color outsold them by a wide margin . SNK and Bandai countered with the Neo Geo Pocket Color and the Wonderswan Color , respectively , but this did little to change Nintendo 's sales dominance . With Sega discontinuing the Game Gear in 1997 , the Game Boy Color 's only competitor in the United States was its predecessor , the Game Boy , until the short-lived Neo Geo Pocket Color was released in August 1999 . The Game Boy and the Game Boy Color combined have sold 118.69 million units worldwide making it the third-best-selling system of all time , It was discontinued on March 23 , 2003 , shortly after the release of the Game Boy Advance SP . Its best-selling game was Pokémon Gold and Silver , which shipped 23 million units worldwide .
The Game Boy Advance [ a ] ( commonly abbreviated as GBA ) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed , manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color . It was released in Japan on March 21 , 2001 , in North America on June 11 , 2001 , in Australia and Europe on June 22 , 2001 , and in mainland China on June 8 , 2004 as iQue Game Boy Advance . The GBA is part of the sixth generation of video game consoles . The original model did not have an illuminated screen ; Nintendo addressed that with the release of a redesigned model with a frontlit screen , the Game Boy Advance SP , in 2003 . A newer revision of the aforementioned redesign was released in 2005 , which included a backlit screen . The final redesign , the Game Boy Micro , was released in 2005 . As of June 30 , 2010 , the Game Boy Advance series has sold 81.51 million units worldwide . Its successor , the Nintendo DS , was released in November 2004 and is also compatible with Game Boy Advance software .
Virtual Console ( バーチャルコンソール , Bācharu Konsōru ) , also abbreviated as VC , is a line of downloadable video games ( mostly unaltered ) for Nintendo 's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console . The Virtual Console lineup consists of titles originally released on past home and handheld consoles . These titles are run in their original forms through software emulation ( excluding GBA titles on 3DS ) , and can be purchased from the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo eShop for between 500 and 1200 Wii Points ( Wii ) , US $ 2.99 and US $ 6.99 ( 3DS ) and US $ 4.99 and US $ 9.99 ( Wii U ) depending on system , rarity , and/or demand . Virtual Console 's library of past games currently consists of titles originating from the Nintendo Entertainment System , Super NES , Game Boy , Game Boy Color , Nintendo 64 , Game Boy Advance , and Nintendo DS , as well as Sega 's Master System and Genesis/Mega Drive , NEC 's TurboGrafx-16 , and SNK 's Neo Geo AES . The service for the Wii also included games for platforms that were known only in select regions , such as the Commodore 64 ( Europe and North America ) and MSX ( Japan ) , as well as Virtual Console Arcade , which allowed players to download video arcade games . Virtual Console titles have been downloaded over ten million times . The sale of past games through the Virtual Console is one of Nintendo 's reasons for opposing software piracy of old console games .
A list of notable fictional characters from Nintendo 's Donkey Kong video game franchise . This list only recognizes characters who have appeared multiple times - including in remakes and cameo appearances in other games .
The chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ) , also known as the common chimpanzee , robust chimpanzee , or simply chimp , is a species of great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa . It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies . The chimpanzee and the closely related bonobo ( sometimes called the pygmy chimpanzee ) are classified in the genus Pan . Evidence from fossils and DNA sequencing shows that Pan is a sister taxon to the human lineage and is humans ' closest living relative . The chimpanzee is covered in coarse black hair , but has a bare face , fingers , toes , palms of the hands , and soles of the feet . It is larger and more robust than the bonobo , weighing 40-60 kg ( 88-132 lb ) for males and 27-50 kg ( 60-110 lb ) for females and standing 100 to 140 cm ( 3.3 to 4.6 ft ) . Its gestation period is eight months . The infant is weaned at about three years old , but usually maintains a close relationship with its mother for several years more . The chimpanzee lives in groups that range in size from 15 to 150 members , although individuals travel and forage in much smaller groups during the day . The species lives in a strict male-dominated hierarchy , where disputes are generally settled without the need for violence . Nearly all chimpanzee populations have been recorded using tools , modifying sticks , rocks , grass and leaves and using them for hunting and acquiring honey , termites , ants , nuts and water . The species has also been found creating sharpened sticks to spear small mammals .
Donkey Kong Country 2 : Diddy 's Kong Quest is a platform video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System ( SNES ) . It was released on 21 November 1995 in North America , and in December 1995 in Europe and Japan . It is the second installment of the Donkey Kong Country series and serves as a direct sequel to Donkey Kong Country . It was re-released for the Game Boy Advance ( GBA ) in 2004 . The game was made available for download on the Wii 's Virtual Console in 2007 , and the Wii U 's Virtual Console in 2015 . It was followed by a sequel , Donkey Kong Country 3 : Dixie Kong 's Double Trouble ! , in 1996 . The story revolves around Diddy Kong and his girlfriend , Dixie Kong , who try to rescue Donkey Kong after he is abducted by King K. Rool . The game is set on Crocodile Isle , with eight worlds of varying environments , totaling 52 levels . The game utilises the same Silicon Graphics ( SGI ) technology from the original , which features the use of pre-rendered 3D imagery . Diddy 's Kong Quest received critical acclaim , being widely regarded as one of the greatest 2D platformers ever made . Praise was directed at its graphics , gameplay , and soundtrack . It was the second best-selling game of 1995 , the sixth best-selling game on the SNES , and the highest selling SNES title to not be packaged with the system .
Donkey Kong or DK is a fictional character who appears in games belonging to the Donkey Kong and Mario video game franchises . He is a gorilla and Mario 's friendly rival . A popular character , DK has appeared in many video games , along with his friend Diddy Kong . Donkey Kong appeared as Mario 's first opponent in the game bearing the ape 's name , Nintendo 's popular 1981 arcade game , Donkey Kong . Since then he has starred in his own series of games , starting with sequels of the arcade game and , later , 1994 's Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System ( SNES ) . He remains an important character in the Mario series , such as the Mario Kart games . DK debuted at the same time as Mario , and he still appears with the plumber on occasion , appearing as a playable character in the Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. series , and is the primary antagonist in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong games that started in 2004 .
Donkey Kong [ b ] is an arcade game released by Nintendo in 1981 . An early example of the platform game genre , the gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main character across a series of platforms while dodging and jumping over obstacles . In the game , Mario ( originally named Mr. Video and then Jumpman ) must rescue a damsel in distress named Pauline ( originally named Lady ) , from a giant ape named Donkey Kong . The hero and ape later became two of Nintendo 's most popular and recognizable characters . Donkey Kong is one of the most important games from the golden age of arcade video games as well as one of the most popular and greatest arcade games of all time . The game was the latest in a series of efforts by Nintendo to break into the North American market . Hiroshi Yamauchi , Nintendo 's president at the time , assigned the project to a first-time video game designer named Shigeru Miyamoto . Drawing from a wide range of inspirations , including Popeye , Beauty and the Beast , and King Kong , Miyamoto developed the scenario and designed the game alongside Nintendo 's chief engineer , Gunpei Yokoi . The two men broke new ground by using graphics as a means of characterization , including cutscenes to advance the game 's plot and integrating multiple stages into the gameplay . Although Nintendo 's American staff was initially apprehensive , Donkey Kong succeeded commercially and critically in North America and Japan . Nintendo licensed the game to Coleco , who developed home console versions for numerous platforms . Other companies cloned Nintendo 's hit and avoided royalties altogether .
An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants , bars and amusement arcades . Most arcade games are video games , pinball machines , electro-mechanical games , redemption games or merchandisers . While exact dates are debated , the golden age of arcade video games is usually defined as a period beginning sometime in the late 1970s and ending sometime in the mid-1980s . Excluding a brief resurgence in the early 1990s , the arcade industry subsequently declined in the Western hemisphere as competing home video game consoles such as the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox increased in their graphics and game-play capability and decreased in cost . The Eastern Hemisphere retains a strong arcade industry .
The Atari 2600 , originally branded as the Atari Video Computer System or Atari VCS for short until November 1982 , is a home video game console from Atari , Inc . Released on September 11 , 1977 , it is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on ROM cartridges ( a format first used with the Fairchild Channel F in 1976 ) instead of dedicated hardware with games physically built into the unit . The 2600 was bundled with two joystick controllers , a conjoined pair of paddle controllers , and a game cartridge : initially Combat , and later Pac-Man . The Atari VCS launched with nine simple , low-resolution games in 2 KiB cartridges . The system found its killer app with its version of Taito 's Space Invaders in 1980 and became widely successful , leading to the creation of Activision and other third-party game developers as well as competition from home console manufacturers Mattel and Coleco . By the end of its primary lifecycle in 1983-84 , games for the 2600 were using more than four times the ROM of the launch titles with significantly more advanced visuals and gameplay than the system was designed for , such as Pitfall ! and its scrolling sequel Pitfall II : Lost Caverns . Atari invested heavily in two games for the 2600 , Pac-Man and E.T . the Extra-Terrestrial , that became commercial failures and contributed to the video game crash of 1983 which ended the market relevance of the 2600 . Warner sold off the home console division of Atari to Commodore CEO Jack Tramiel . In 1986 , the new Atari Corporation under Tramiel released a lower-cost version of the 2600 and the backwards-compatible Atari 7800 , but these were not enough to turn things around , and ultimately it was Nintendo that led the recovery of the industry . Atari finally ended production of the Atari 2600 on January 1 , 1992 .
The Amstrad CPC ( short for Colour Personal Computer ) is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990 . It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum , where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom , France , Spain , and the German-speaking parts of Europe . The series spawned a total of six distinct models : The CPC464 , CPC664 , and CPC6128 were highly successful competitors in the European home computer market . The later 464plus and 6128plus , intended to prolong the system 's lifecycle with hardware updates , were considerably less successful , as was the attempt to repackage the plus hardware into a game console as the GX4000 . The CPC models ' hardware is based on the Zilog Z80A CPU , complemented with either 64 or 128 KB of RAM . Their computer-in-a-keyboard design prominently features an integrated storage device , either a compact cassette deck or 3 inch floppy disk drive . The main units were only sold bundled with either a colour , green-screen or monochrome monitor that doubles as the main unit 's power supply . Additionally , a wide range of first and third party hardware extensions such as external disk drives , printers , and memory extensions , was available . The CPC series was pitched against other home computers primarily used to play video games and enjoyed a strong supply of game software . The comparatively low price for a complete computer system with dedicated monitor , its high resolution monochrome text and graphic capabilities and the possibility to run CP/M software also rendered the system attractive for business users , which was reflected by a wide selection of application software . During its lifetime , the CPC series sold approximately three million units .
The Apple II ( stylized as apple ] [ ) is an 8-bit home computer and one of the world 's first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products , designed primarily by Steve Wozniak ( Steve Jobs oversaw the development of the Apple II 's foam-molded plastic case and Rod Holt developed the switching power supply ) . It was introduced by Jobs and Wozniak at the 1977 West Coast Computer Faire and was the first consumer product sold by Apple Computer , Inc . It is the first model in a series of computers which were produced until Apple IIe production ceased in November 1993 . The Apple II marks Apple 's first launch of a personal computer aimed at a consumer market - branded toward American households rather than businessmen or computer hobbyists .
The Atari 7800 ProSystem , or simply the Atari 7800 , is a home video game console officially released by the Atari Corporation in 1986 . It is almost fully backward-compatible with the Atari 2600 , the first console to have backward compatibility without the use of additional modules . It was considered affordable at a price of US $ 140 ( equivalent to $ 327 in 2019 ) . The 7800 has significantly improved graphics hardware over the 2600 , but uses the same audio chip . It also shipped with a different model of joystick from the 2600-standard CX40 . The 1986 launch is sometimes referred to as a re-release or relaunch because the Atari 7800 had originally been announced on May 21 , 1984 , to replace Atari Inc. 's Atari 5200 , but a general release was shelved due to the sale of the company .
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced by Atari , Inc. in 1979 and manufactured until 1992 . All of the machines in the family are technically similar and differ primarily in packaging . They are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU running at 1.79 MHz , [ a ] and were the first home computers designed with custom co-processor chips . This architecture enabled graphics and sound capabilities more advanced than most contemporary machines , and gaming on the platform was a major draw . The first-person space combat simulator Star Raiders is considered the platform 's killer app . The systems launched with a series of plug and play peripherals that used the Atari SIO serial bus system , an early analog of USB . [ b ] To meet stringent FCC requirements , much of the circuitry of the original machines is enclosed in a cast aluminum block , which made them physically robust but expensive to produce . The 400 and 800 were replaced by the XL series in 1983 , then-after the company was sold and reestablished as Atari Corporation-the XE models in 1985 . The XL and XE are lighter in construction and less expensive to build , while also having Atari BASIC built-in and reducing the number of joystick ports from 4 to 2 . The 130XE , released in 1985 , increased the memory to 128K of bank-switched RAM . The Atari 8-bit computer line sold two million units during its major production run between late 1979 and mid-1985 . They were not only sold through dedicated computer retailers , but department stores such as Sears , using an in-store demo to attract customers .
The Commodore 64 , also known as the C64 or the CBM 64 , is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International ( first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show , in Las Vegas , January 7-10 , 1982 ) . It has been listed in the Guinness World Records as the highest-selling single computer model of all time , with independent estimates placing the number sold between 10 and 17 million units . Volume production started in early 1982 , marketing in August for US $ 595 ( equivalent to $ 1,576 in 2019 ) . Preceded by the Commodore VIC-20 and Commodore PET , the C64 took its name from its 64 kilobytes ( 65,536 bytes ) of RAM . With support for multicolor sprites and a custom chip for waveform generation , the C64 could create superior visuals and audio compared to systems without such custom hardware . The C64 dominated the low-end computer market for most of the 1980s . For a substantial period ( 1983-1986 ) , the C64 had between 30% and 40% share of the US market and two million units sold per year , outselling IBM PC compatibles , Apple computers , and the Atari 8-bit family of computers . Sam Tramiel , a later Atari president and the son of Commodore 's founder , said in a 1989 interview , When I was at Commodore we were building 400,000 C64s a month for a couple of years . In the UK market , the C64 faced competition from the BBC Micro and the ZX Spectrum , but the C64 was still one of the two most popular computers in the UK . Part of the Commodore 64 's success was its sale in regular retail stores instead of only electronics or computer hobbyist specialty stores . Commodore produced many of its parts in-house to control costs , including custom integrated circuit chips from MOS Technology . It has been compared to the Ford Model T automobile for its role in bringing a new technology to middle-class households via creative and affordable mass-production .
The ColecoVision is Coleco Industries ' second-generation home video-game console that was released in August 1982 . The ColecoVision offered a closer experience to more powerful arcade game systems , compared to competitors such as the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200 , along with the means to expand the system 's basic hardware . The initial catalog of twelve games included Nintendo 's Donkey Kong as the pack-in cartridge , Sega 's Zaxxon , and some lesser known arcade titles that found a larger audience on the console , such as Lady Bug , Cosmic Avenger , and Venture . Approximately 145 titles in total were published as ROM cartridges for the system between 1982 and 1984 . Coleco released a series of hardware add-ons and special controllers to expand the capabilities of the console . The ColecoVision was discontinued in 1985 when Coleco withdrew from the video game market .
The Intellivision is a home video game console released by Mattel Electronics in 1979 . The name Intellivision is a portmanteau of intelligent television . Development of the console began in 1977 , the same year as the introduction of its main competitor , the Atari 2600 . In 1984 Mattel sold their video game assets to a former Mattel Electronics executive and investors that would become INTV Corporation . Games development started in 1978 and continued until 1990 when the Intellivision was discontinued . From 1980 to 1983 over 3 million Intellivision units were sold . In 2009 , video game website IGN named the Intellivision the No . 14 greatest video game console of all time . It remained Mattel 's only video game console until the release of the HyperScan in 2006 .
MSX is a standardized home computer architecture , announced by Microsoft and ASCII on June 16 , 1983 . It was conceived and marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi , then vice-president at Microsoft and director at ASCII Corporation . Nishi conceived the project as an attempt to create unified standards among various home computing system manufacturers of the period , in the same fashion as the VHS standard for home video tape machines . MSX systems were popular in Japan and several other countries . It is difficult to determine how many MSX computers were sold worldwide , but eventually 5 million MSX-based units were sold in Japan alone . Despite Microsoft 's involvement , few MSX-based machines were released in the United States . Before the great success of Nintendo 's Family Computer , MSX was the platform for which major Japanese game studios such as Konami and Hudson Soft produced video games . The Metal Gear series , for example , was first written for MSX hardware .
The Nintendo Entertainment System ( NES ) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced , released , and marketed by Nintendo . It is a remodelled export version of the company 's Family Computer [ a ] ( FC ) platform in Japan , commonly known as the Famicom [ b ] , which was launched on July 15 , 1983 . The NES was launched in a test market of New York City on October 18 , 1985 , followed by Los Angeles as a second test market in February 1986 , followed by Chicago and San Francisco , then other top 12 American markets , followed by a full launch across North America and some countries in Europe in September 1986 , followed by Australia and other countries in Europe in 1987 . Brazil saw only unlicensed clones until the official local release in 1993 . The console 's South Korean release was packaged as the Hyundai Comboy [ c ] and distributed by Hyundai Electronics ( now SK Hynix ) . As one of the best-selling gaming consoles of its time , the NES helped revitalize the US video game industry following the video game crash of 1983 . With the NES , Nintendo introduced a now-standard business model of licensing third-party developers , authorizing them to produce and distribute games for Nintendo 's platform . It had been preceded by Nintendo 's first home video game console , the Color TV-Game , and was succeeded by the Super Nintendo Entertainment System ( SNES ) .
The Nintendo 3DS [ a ] is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo . It is capable of displaying stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or additional accessories . Nintendo announced the console in March 2010 and officially unveiled it at E3 2010 on June 15 . The console succeeds the Nintendo DS , featuring backward compatibility with older Nintendo DS video games . Its primary competitor was Sony 's PlayStation Vita . The handheld offers new features such as the StreetPass and SpotPass tag modes , powered by Nintendo Network ; augmented reality , using its 3D cameras ; and Virtual Console , which allows owners to download and play games originally released on older video game systems . It is also pre-loaded with various applications including an online distribution store called Nintendo eShop ; a social networking service called Miiverse ( shut down in 2017 ) ; an Internet Browser ; the Netflix , Hulu Plus and YouTube streaming video services ; Nintendo Video ; a messaging application called Swapnote ( known as Nintendo Letter Box in Europe and Australia ) ; and Mii Maker . The Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan on February 26 , 2011 , and worldwide beginning in March 2011 . Less than six months later on July 28 , 2011 , Nintendo announced a significant price reduction from US $ 249 to US $ 169 amid disappointing launch sales . The company offered ten free Nintendo Entertainment System games and ten free Game Boy Advance games from the Nintendo eShop to consumers who bought the system at the original launch price . This strategy was considered a major success , and the console went on to become one of Nintendo 's most successful handheld consoles in the first two years of its release . As of December 31 , 2019 [ update ] , the Nintendo 3DS family of systems combined have sold 75.71 million units .
A self-booting disk , sometimes shortened to self-booter or booter , is a floppy disk for home or personal computers that loads directly into a standalone application when the system is turned on , bypassing the standard operating system . This was common in the late 1970s to early 1990s , with video games being the type of application most commonly distributed using this technique . The term PC booter is also used , primarily in reference to self-booting software for IBM PC compatibles . The term PC booter was not contemporary to when self-booting games were being released and was introduced later .
The Texas Instruments TI-99/4A is a home computer released in June 1981 in the United States . It is an enhanced version of the less successful TI-99/4 which was released in late 1979 . The TI-99/4 and TI-99/4A are the first 16-bit home computers , using the Texas Instruments TMS9900 16-bit CPU . Both models include hardware support for sprites , using TI 's own chips , and multi-channel sound , making them some of the first home computers to include such custom coprocessors , alongside the Atari 8-bit family also introduced in 1979 . The TI-99/4A remained mostly the same as its predecessor , with the major changes being a full-travel keyboard to replace the calculator-style keys , an improved graphics chip with support for bitmap modes , and a cleaner method of adding expansion cards . The price was also half of the original model . Texas Instruments supported the 4A with a line of peripherals , including a speech synthesizer , and a Peripheral Expansion System box to contain hardware add-ons . While the TI-99/4A 's specifications look impressive on paper , architectural issues keep it from reaching the performance it appears capable of . The system failed to catch on with third party developers , with the majority of games and other software created and sold by TI . A price war with Commodore 's VIC-20 resulted in 99-4/A prices dropping below US $ 100 . Despite the increased user base created from selling large numbers of systems and peripherals at heavy discounts , after a US $ 330 million loss in the third quarter of 1983 Texas Instruments announced the discontinuation of the TI-99/4A in October of 1983 , and stopped production in March of 1984 .
The TRS-80 Micro Computer System ( TRS-80 , later renamed the Model I to distinguish it from successors ) is a desktop microcomputer launched in 1977 and sold by Tandy Corporation through their RadioShack stores . The name is an abbreviation of Tandy/RadioShack , Z80 microprocessor . It is one of the earliest mass-produced and mass-marketed retail home computers . The TRS-80 has a full-stroke QWERTY keyboard , the Zilog Z80 processor ( rather than the more common Intel 8080 ) , 4 KB DRAM standard memory ( when many 8-bit computers shipped with only 1 KB RAM ) , small size and desk footprint , floating-point BASIC language interpreter in ROM , 64-character per line video monitor , and a starting price of US $ 600 ( equivalent to US $ 2500 in 2019 ) . A cassette tape drive for program storage was included in the original base package , but it proved slow and fiddly in practice . While the software environment was stable and capable , the fiddly program load/save process combined with keyboard bounce issues and a troublesome expansion interface contributed to the Model I 's widespread reputation as something fun to tinker with for computer enthusiasts , but not well suited to serious use . As with many small computers of the era , it lacked full support for the ASCII character set , e.g . no lowercase letters , which also hampered business adoption . An extensive line of upgrades and add-on hardware peripherals for the TRS-80 was developed and marketed by Tandy/RadioShack . The basic system can be expanded with up to 48 KB of RAM ( in 16 KB increments ) , and up to four floppy disk drives and/or hard disk drives . Tandy/RadioShack provided full-service support including upgrade , repair , and training services in their thousands of stores worldwide . By 1979 , the TRS-80 had the largest selection of software in the microcomputer market .
The VIC-20 ( in Germany , VC-20 , in Japan , VIC-1001 ) is an 8-bit home computer that was sold by Commodore Business Machines . The VIC-20 was announced in 1980 , roughly three years after Commodore 's first personal computer , the PET . The VIC-20 was the first computer of any description to sell one million units . It was described as one of the first anti-spectatorial , non-esoteric computers by design.no longer relegated to hobbyist/enthusiasts or those with money , the computer Commodore developed was the computer of the future . The VIC-20 was called VC-20 in Germany because the pronunciation of VIC with a German accent sounds like a German expletive . The term VC was marketed as though it was an abbreviation of VolksComputer ( people 's computer , similar to Volkswagen and Volksempfänger ) .
The ZX Spectrum ( UK : /zɛd ɛks/ ) is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research . Referred to during development as the ZX81 Colour and ZX82 , it was launched as the ZX Spectrum by Sinclair to highlight the machine 's colour display , compared with the black and white display of its predecessor , the ZX81 . The Spectrum was released as eight different models , ranging from the entry level with 16 KB RAM released in 1982 to the ZX Spectrum +3 with 128 KB RAM and built in floppy disk drive in 1987 ; together they sold over 5 million units worldwide ( not counting clones ) . The Spectrum was among the first mainstream-audience home computers in the UK , similar in significance to the Commodore 64 in the US . The introduction of the ZX Spectrum led to a boom in companies producing software and hardware for the machine , the effects of which are still seen . Some credit it as the machine which launched the UK IT industry . Licensing deals and clones followed , and earned Clive Sinclair a knighthood for services to British industry . The Commodore 64 , Dragon 32 , Oric-1 , Oric Atmos , BBC Micro and later the Amstrad CPC range were rivals to the Spectrum in the UK market during the early 1980s . While the machine was officially discontinued in 1992 , new software titles continue to be released - over 40 were released in 2019 .
A list of notable fictional characters from Nintendo 's Donkey Kong video game franchise . This list only recognizes characters who have appeared multiple times - including in remakes and cameo appearances in other games .
Donkey Kong II : Donkey Kong Jr. [ a ] is a 1982 platform game that was released by Nintendo . It is the sequel to Donkey Kong , which featured Mario as the hero and Donkey Kong Junior 's father as the villain ; the roles are reversed here . It first appeared in arcades , and , over the course of the 1980s , was released for a variety of home platforms . The game 's title is written out as Donkey Kong Junior in the North American arcade version and various ports to non-Nintendo systems . The game was principally designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and one of his coworkers . Miyamoto also created the graphics for the title along with Yoshio Sakamoto . As with its predecessor , the music for the game was composed by Yukio Kaneoka .
Gekido ( released as Gekido : Urban Fighters in PAL regions ) is a beat 'em up video game for the PlayStation console , created by Italian studio NAPS Team . The game uses a fast paced beat 'em up system , with many bosses and a colorful design in terms of graphics . The game features the music of Fatboy Slim and Apartment 26 . Marvel comic book artist Joe Madureira also contributed . Versions of Gekido were also planned for the Game Boy Color and N-Gage but were never released . NAPS team released the prototype of the Game Boy Color game on February 13 , 2017· It was later followed by a GBA sequel called Gekido Advance : Kintaro 's Revenge , which was re-released for the Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , and Microsoft Windows in 2018 . A second sequel had been announced , entitled Gekido : The Dark Angel for the PlayStation Portable but was cancelled .
Ape Escape [ a ] is a series of video games developed primarily by SCE Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment , starting with Ape Escape for PlayStation in 1999 . The series often incorporates ape-related humour , unique gameplay , and a wide variety of pop culture references ; it is also notable for being the first game to make the DualShock or Dual Analog controller mandatory .
Ape Escape [ a ] is a platform video game , developed by SCE Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment . It was released for the PlayStation in May 1999 in North America , and June 1999 in Japan . The first in the Ape Escape series , the game tells the story of an ape named Specter who gains enhanced intelligence and a malevolent streak through the use of an experimental helmet . Specter produces an army of apes , which he sends through time in an attempt to rewrite history . Spike , the player character , sets out to capture the apes with the aid of special gadgets . Ape Escape is played from a third-person perspective . Players use a variety of gadgets to pursue and capture the apes , traversing across several environments . The game 's controls are heavily centred around the analog sticks , being the first game to require the use of the PlayStation 's DualShock . Development of Ape Escape lasted over two years , and was generally focused on adapting to the use of the controller , which was a significant challenge for the development team . Ape Escape was met with critical acclaim from critics , with praise particularly directed at the innovative use of the dual analog controls , as well as the graphics and music ; the voice acting received minor criticism . The game is widely considered to be one of the greatest on the PlayStation console , and received several re-releases . The game also spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs , beginning with Ape Escape 2 in 2001 .
The PlayStation Portable [ a ] ( PSP ) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment . It was first released in Japan on December 12 , 2004 , in North America on March 24 , 2005 , and in PAL regions on September 1 , 2005 , and is the first handheld installment in the PlayStation line of consoles . As a seventh generation console , the PSP primarily competed with the Nintendo DS . Development of the PSP was announced during E3 2003 , and the console was unveiled at a Sony press conference on May 11 , 2004 . The system was the most powerful portable console when it was introduced , and was the first real competitor of Nintendo 's handheld consoles after many challengers , such as SNK 's Neo Geo Pocket and Nokia 's N-Gage , had failed . The PSP 's advanced graphics capabilities made it a popular mobile entertainment device , which could connect to the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 consoles , computers running Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh software , other PSP systems , and the Internet . The PSP is the only handheld console to use an optical disc format - Universal Media Disc ( UMD ) - as its primary storage medium . The PSP was received positively by critics , and sold over 80 million units during its ten-year lifetime . Several models of the console were released , before the PSP line was succeeded by the PlayStation Vita , released in Japan in 2011 and worldwide a year later . The Vita has backward compatibility with PSP games that were released on the PlayStation Network through the PlayStation Store , which became the main method of purchasing PSP games after Sony shut down access to the store from the PSP on March 31 , 2016 . Hardware shipments of the PSP ended worldwide in 2014 ; production of UMDs ended when the last Japanese factory producing them closed in late 2016 .
Super Mario 64 [ a ] is a 1996 platform video game for the Nintendo 64 and the first in the Super Mario series to feature three-dimensional ( 3D ) gameplay . As Mario , the player explores Princess Peach 's castle and must rescue her from Bowser . Super Mario 64 features open-world playability , degrees of freedom through all three axes in space , and relatively large areas which are composed primarily of true 3D polygons as opposed to only two-dimensional ( 2D ) sprites . It emphasizes exploration within vast worlds , which require the player to complete various missions in addition to the occasional linear obstacle courses ( as in traditional platform games ) . It preserves many gameplay elements and characters of earlier Mario games as well as the visual style . Producer/director and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto conceived a 3D Mario game during the production of Star Fox ( 1993 ) . Super Mario 64 's development , handled by Nintendo EAD , lasted approximately three years ; one was spent on designing while the next two on direct work . The visuals were created using the Nichimen N-World toolkit and Miyamoto aimed to include more details than earlier games . The score was composed by Koji Kondo . A multiplayer mode featuring Luigi as a playable character was planned but cut . Along with Pilotwings 64 , Super Mario 64 was one of the launch games for Nintendo 64 . Nintendo released it in Japan on June 23 , 1996 , and later in North America , Europe , and Australia .
Winston is a player character appearing in the 2016 video game Overwatch , a Blizzard Entertainment developed first-person shooter and its related media . Winston is one of the more prominent characters used by Blizzard in Overwatch media outside of the video game ; the character made an appearance in the game 's cinematic trailer and is the focus of an animated short released by Blizzard . The character is a genetically engineered gorilla that was part of a larger group of genetically engineered gorillas that was used by the in-universe Horizon Lunar Colony to test the effects of prolonged habitation in space .
Overwatch is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment . Described as a hero shooter , Overwatch assigns players into two teams of six , with each player selecting from a roster of over 30 characters , known as heroes , each with a unique style of play that is divided into three general roles that fit their purpose . Players on a team work together to secure and defend control points on a map or escort a payload across the map in a limited amount of time . Players gain cosmetic rewards that do not affect gameplay , such as character skins and victory poses , as they play the game . The game was initially launched with only casual play , but a competitive ranked mode , various 'arcade ' game modes , and a player-customizable server browser were added after release . Additionally , Blizzard has added new characters , maps , and game modes post-release , all free of charge , with the only additional cost to players being optional loot boxes to earn cosmetic items . It was released for PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , and Windows in May 2016 , and Nintendo Switch in October 2019 . Overwatch is Blizzard 's fourth major franchise and came about following the 2014 cancellation of the ambitious massively multiplayer online role-playing game Titan . A portion of the Titan team came up with the concept of Overwatch , based on the success of team-based first-person shooters like Team Fortress 2 and the popularity of multiplayer online battle arena games , creating a hero-based shooter that emphasized teamwork . Some elements of Overwatch borrow assets and concepts from the canceled Titan project . After establishing the narrative of an optimistic near-future Earth setting after a global crisis , the developers aimed to create a diverse cast of heroes that spanned genders and ethnicities as part of this setting . Significant time is spent adjusting the balance of the characters , making sure that new players would still be able to have fun while skilled players would present each other with a challenge .
A PC game , also known as a computer game or personal computer game , is a type of video game played on a personal computer rather than a video game console or arcade machine . Its defining characteristics include : more diverse and user-determined gaming hardware and software ; and generally greater capacity in input , processing , video and audio output . The uncoordinated nature of the PC game market , and now its lack of physical media , make precisely assessing its size difficult . Home computer games became popular following the video game crash of 1983 , leading to the era of the bedroom coder . In the 1990s , PC games lost mass-market traction to console games , before enjoying a resurgence in the mid-2000s through digital distribution . Newzoo reports that the PC gaming sector is the third-largest category ( and estimated in decline ) across all platforms as of 2016 [ update ] , with the console sector second-largest , and mobile/smartphone gaming sector biggest . 2.2 billion video gamers generate US $ 101.1 billion in revenue , excluding hardware costs . Digital game revenues will account for $ 94.4 billion or 87% of the global market . Mobile is the most lucrative segment , with smartphone and tablet gaming growing 19% year on year to $ 46.1 billion , claiming 42% of the market . In 2020 , mobile gaming will represent just more than half of the total games market . [ . ] China expected to generate $ 27.5 billion , or one-quarter of all revenues in 2017 .
The PlayStation 4 ( officially abbreviated as PS4 ) is an eighth-generation home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment . Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013 , it was launched on November 15 in North America , November 29 in Europe , South America and Australia , and on February 22 , 2014 , in Japan . It competes with Microsoft 's Xbox One and Nintendo 's Wii U and Switch . Moving away from the more complex Cell microarchitecture of its predecessor , the console features an AMD Accelerated Processing Unit ( APU ) built upon the x86-64 architecture , which can theoretically peak at 1.84 teraflops ; AMD stated that it was the most powerful APU it had developed to date . The PlayStation 4 places an increased emphasis on social interaction and integration with other devices and services , including the ability to play games off-console on PlayStation Vita and other supported devices ( Remote Play ) , the ability to stream gameplay online or to friends , with them controlling gameplay remotely ( Share Play ) . The console 's controller was also redesigned and improved over the PlayStation 3 , with improved buttons and analog sticks , and an integrated touchpad among other changes . The console also supports HDR10 High-dynamic-range video and playback of 4K resolution multimedia . The PlayStation 4 was released to critical acclaim , with critics praising Sony for acknowledging its consumers ' needs , embracing independent game development , and for not imposing the restrictive digital rights management schemes like those originally announced by Microsoft for the Xbox One . Critics and third-party studios also praised the capabilities of the PlayStation 4 in comparison to its competitors ; developers described the performance difference between the console and Xbox One as significant and obvious . Heightened demand also helped Sony top global console sales . By the end of September 2019 , over 102 million PlayStation 4 consoles had been shipped worldwide , surpassing lifetime sales of the PlayStation 3 . On September 7 , 2016 , Sony unveiled the PlayStation 4 Slim , a smaller version of the console ; and a high-end version called the PlayStation 4 Pro , which features an upgraded GPU and a higher CPU clock rate to support enhanced performance and 4K resolution in supported games .
The Xbox One is an eighth-generation home video game console developed by Microsoft . Announced in May 2013 , it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox series of video game consoles . It was first released in North America , parts of Europe , Australia , and South America in November 2013 , and in Japan , China , and other European countries in September 2014 . It is the first Xbox game console to be released in China , specifically in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone . Microsoft marketed the device as an all-in-one entertainment system , hence the name 'Xbox One ' . The Xbox One mainly competes against Sony 's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 's Wii U and Switch . Moving away from its predecessor 's PowerPC-based architecture , the Xbox One marks a shift back to the x86 architecture used in the original Xbox ; it features an AMD Accelerated Processing Unit ( APU ) built around the x86-64 instruction set . Xbox One 's controller was redesigned over the Xbox 360 's , with a redesigned body , D-pad , and triggers capable of delivering directional haptic feedback . The console places an increased emphasis on cloud computing , as well as social networking features , and the ability to record and share video clips or screenshots from gameplay , or live-stream directly to streaming services such as Mixer and Twitch . Games can also be played off-console via a local area network on supported Windows 10 devices . The console can play Blu-ray Disc , and overlay live television programming from an existing set-top box or a digital tuner for digital terrestrial television with an enhanced program guide . The console optionally included a redesigned Kinect sensor , marketed as the Kinect 2.0 , providing improved motion tracking and voice recognition .
League of Legends ( LoL ) is a multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games for Microsoft Windows and macOS . Inspired by the Warcraft III : The Frozen Throne mod Defense of the Ancients , the game follows a freemium model and is supported by microtransactions . In League of Legends , players assume the role of a champion with unique abilities and battle against a team of other player- or computer-controlled champions . The goal is usually to destroy the opposing team 's Nexus , a structure that lies at the heart of a base protected by defensive structures , although other distinct game modes exist as well with varying objectives , rules , and maps . Each League of Legends match is discrete , with all champions starting off relatively weak but increasing in strength by accumulating items and experience over the course of the game . Champions span a variety of roles and blend a variety of fantasy tropes , such as sword and sorcery , steampunk , and Lovecraftian horror . Although the discrete nature of each match prohibits an overarching narrative in-game , the various champions make up a large and ever-evolving fictional universe developed by Riot Games through short stories , comics , cinematics , and books . Riot Games was founded by Brandon Ryze Beck and Marc Tryndamere Merill , former business students and roommates at the University of Southern California , in Los Angeles in September of 2006 . Citing a dissatisfaction with their post-college careers and the business practices of contemporary video game developers , they decided to create their own company dedicated to making free-to-play games that constantly evolved and developed through player feedback . Beck and Merill recruited Defense of the Ancients veteran Steve Guinsoo Feak , as well as several other experienced developers , to help them build and refine the game that would later become League of Legends . Development , originally under the name Onslaught , was difficult , owing to technical limitations and Beck and Merill 's conflicting visions with many publishers at the time . They eventually partnered with Chinese conglomerate Tencent , which now fully owns the game and a majority share of the company 's stock .
A personal computer ( PC ) is a multi-purpose computer whose size , capabilities , and price make it feasible for individual use . Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user , rather than by a computer expert or technician . Unlike large costly minicomputers and mainframes , time-sharing by many people at the same time is not used with personal computers . Institutional or corporate computer owners in the 1960s had to write their own programs to do any useful work with the machines . While personal computer users may develop their own applications , usually these systems run commercial software , free-of-charge software ( freeware ) , which is most often proprietary , or free and open-source software , which is provided in ready-to-run , or binary , form . Software for personal computers is typically developed and distributed independently from the hardware or operating system manufacturers . Many personal computer users no longer need to write their own programs to make any use of a personal computer , although end-user programming is still feasible . This contrasts with mobile systems , where software is often only available through a manufacturer-supported channel , and end-user program development may be discouraged by lack of support by the manufacturer . Since the early 1990s , Microsoft operating systems and Intel hardware dominated much of the personal computer market , first with MS-DOS and then with Microsoft Windows . Alternatives to Microsoft 's Windows operating systems occupy a minority share of the industry . These include Apple 's macOS and free and open-source Unix-like operating systems . The advent of personal computers and the concurrent Digital Revolution have significantly affected the lives of people in all countries .
The Monkey King , known as Sun Wukong in Chinese , is a legendary figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West ( 西游记/西遊記 ) and many later stories and adaptations . The Monkey King 's origins predate the novel and can be traced back to the Song dynasty . In the novel , he is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices . After rebelling against heaven and being imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha , he later accompanies the monk Tang Sanzang on a journey to retrieve Buddhist sutras from the West ( India ) where Buddha and his followers reside . The Monkey King possesses immense strength ; he is able to support the pressing weight of two celestial mountains on his shoulders while running with the speed of a meteor . He is also extremely fast , able to travel 108,000 li ( 54,000 kilometres ( 34,000 mi ) ) in one somersault . Sun also knows the 72 Earthly transformations , which allow him to transform into various animals and objects . Sun Wukong is a skilled fighter , capable of defeating the best warriors of heaven . His hair possesses magical properties , capable of summoning clones of the Monkey King himself , and/or into various weapons , animals , and other objects . He has demonstrated partial weather manipulation abilities as well , and can stop people in place with fixing magic .
Journey to the West ( Chinese : 西遊記 ; pinyin : Xī Yóu Jì ) is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en . It is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature . Arthur Waley 's popular abridged translation , Monkey , is well known in English-speaking countries . The novel is an extended account of the legendary pilgrimage of the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang who traveled to the Western Regions , that is , Central Asia and India , to obtain Buddhist sacred texts ( sūtras ) and returned after many trials and much suffering . It retains the broad outline of Xuanzang 's own account , Great Tang Records on the Western Regions , but the Ming dynasty novel adds elements from folk tales and the author 's invention , that is , that Gautama Buddha gave this task to the monk ( referred to as Tang Sanzang in the novel ) and provided him with three protectors who agree to help him as an atonement for their sins . These disciples are Sun Wukong , Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing , together with a dragon prince who acts as Tang Sanzang 's steed , a white horse . Journey to the West has strong roots in Chinese folk religion , Chinese mythology , Confucianist , Taoist and Buddhist philosophy , and the pantheon of Taoist immortals and Buddhist bodhisattvas are still reflective of some Chinese religious attitudes today . Enduringly popular , the tale is at once a comic adventure story , a humorous satire of Chinese bureaucracy , a spring of spiritual insight , and an extended allegory in which the group of pilgrims journeys towards enlightenment by the power and virtue of cooperation .
Warframe is a free-to-play action role playing third-person shooter multiplayer online game developed and published by Digital Extremes . Originally released for Windows personal computers in March 2013 following a beta period , it was ported to the PlayStation 4 in November 2013 , the Xbox One in September 2014 , and the Nintendo Switch in November 2018 . In Warframe , players control members of the Tenno , a race of ancient warriors who have awoken from centuries of cryosleep far into Earth 's future to find themselves at war in the planetary system with different factions . The Tenno use their powered Warframes along with a variety of weapons and abilities to complete missions . While many of the game 's missions use procedurally-generated levels , newer updates have included large open world areas similar to other massively multiplayer online games as well as some story-specific missions with fixed level design . The game includes elements of shooting and melee games , parkour , and role-playing to allow players to advance their Tenno with improved gear . The game includes both player versus environment and player versus player elements . It is supported by microtransactions , which lets players purchase in-game items using real money , but also offers the option to earn them at no cost through grinding . The concepts for Warframe originated in 2000 , when Digital Extremes began work on a new game titled Dark Sector . At the time , the company had been successful in supporting other developers and publishers , and wanted to develop their own game in-house . The game suffered several delays and was eventually released in 2008 , having used some of the initial framework but far different from the original plan . By 2012 , in the wake of the success of free-to-play games , the developers took their earlier Dark Sector ideas and art assets and incorporated them into a new project , their self-published Warframe .
Toki [ a ] is a 1989 shoot 'em up platformer arcade game , or a run and gun developed and published in Japan by TAD Corporation and published in North America by Fabtek . It was designed by Akira Sakuma and features elements of tongue-in-cheek humor combined with the action . The player takes control of an enchanted ape who must battle hordes of jungle monsters with energy balls from his mouth . The ultimate goal is to destroy the evil wizard who cast a spell on the title protagonist ; thereby transforming him from an ape back into a human , and rescuing the kidnapped princess . The game was ported to several video game consoles and home computers .
An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants , bars and amusement arcades . Most arcade games are video games , pinball machines , electro-mechanical games , redemption games or merchandisers . While exact dates are debated , the golden age of arcade video games is usually defined as a period beginning sometime in the late 1970s and ending sometime in the mid-1980s . Excluding a brief resurgence in the early 1990s , the arcade industry subsequently declined in the Western hemisphere as competing home video game consoles such as the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox increased in their graphics and game-play capability and decreased in cost . The Eastern Hemisphere retains a strong arcade industry .