Year: 1981 Platform: Arcade Tempest is a game that can proudly call itself a pioneer of the industry. Totally different from anything that had come before it, Tempest featured a totally new control system and futuristic-looking vector graphics based on a fixed, three-dimensional perspective. An infamously hardcore gaming experience, Tempest was notorious for its high levels of difficulty, and was one of the first titles to offer a selectable difficulty level (essentially letting players skip the first few levels). Despite being so unique for the time, Tempest drew players in with its addictive survival gameplay and graphics that gave a real impression of depth, allowing for three-dimensional spatial awareness.
