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Video Games
How Video Games Are Made
Engines, sprites, patches and the words studios actually use.
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In game development, an "engine" provides what?
Consoles, Classics & Code
Ten questions from the arcade era to the modern console, each with the reason the title or machine mattered.
About this topic
Games are an enormous field with a short history, which makes the landmarks unusually easy to identify. This quiz covers the studios and consoles that defined each era, the handful of titles that changed what was commercially possible, and the genre abbreviations that get used without explanation. The explanations supply the context rather than just the date, since what makes a game historically important is rarely when it came out. No play experience required.
Questions & answers
Consoles, Classics & Code: all 10 questions and answers
Every question in this quiz is listed below with its correct answer and the reasoning behind it. Play first if you would rather not see the answers — or read through as a study sheet.
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1Which company created the character Mario?
- A Atari
- B Nintendo Correct
- C Sony
- D Sega
Answer: B. Nintendo
Why: Mario first appeared in Nintendo's Donkey Kong in 1981, originally called Jumpman. He became the company's central character and mascot.
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2The puzzle game Tetris was created by a programmer from which country?
- A The Soviet Union Correct
- B Japan
- C The United States
- D Sweden
Answer: A. The Soviet Union
Why: Alexey Pajitnov designed it in Moscow in 1984 while working at a state computing centre. The rights were tangled for years because the state claimed ownership.
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3Which console brand is made by Sony?
- A Xbox
- B Switch
- C PlayStation Correct
- D Dreamcast
Answer: C. PlayStation
Why: Sony launched the PlayStation in 1994 after a collaboration with Nintendo collapsed. Xbox is Microsoft's and Switch is Nintendo's.
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4Sonic the Hedgehog was created as a mascot for which company?
- A Nintendo
- B Konami
- C Capcom
- D Sega Correct
Answer: D. Sega
Why: Sega introduced Sonic in 1991 to compete directly with Mario. The rivalry defined console marketing for much of that decade.
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5In gaming, what does "RPG" stand for?
- A Role-playing game Correct
- B Random pattern generator
- C Rapid processing graphics
- D Real player gaming
Answer: A. Role-playing game
Why: RPGs centre on character progression, statistics and story choices. The term is borrowed from tabletop games such as Dungeons & Dragons.
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6Which game series features the character Master Chief?
- A Call of Duty
- B Gears of War
- C Halo Correct
- D Doom
Answer: C. Halo
Why: Halo launched with the original Xbox in 2001 and drove its early sales. Master Chief became the console's defining character.
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7What does "FPS" describe as a game genre?
- A Frames per stage
- B First-person shooter Correct
- C Free play system
- D Fast paced strategy
Answer: B. First-person shooter
Why: The camera sits at the character's eye level, showing the world from their view. Confusingly, FPS also abbreviates frames per second in technical contexts.
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8Minecraft was originally created by which developer?
- A Markus Persson Correct
- B Gabe Newell
- C Shigeru Miyamoto
- D Hideo Kojima
Answer: A. Markus Persson
Why: Persson, known as Notch, released early versions in 2009 under the studio Mojang. Microsoft bought the studio in 2014.
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9The arcade game Pac-Man was first released in which decade?
- A The 1990s
- B The 2000s
- C The 1980s Correct
- D The 1960s
Answer: C. The 1980s
Why: It was released in Japan in 1980 and became a global success. Its designer deliberately aimed at an audience beyond the young men arcades were then serving.
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10Which game is generally cited as the best-selling video game of all time?
- A Minecraft Correct
- B Grand Theft Auto V
- C Wii Sports
- D Tetris
Answer: A. Minecraft
Why: Minecraft has sold well over 300 million copies across platforms. Tetris is close behind, though its many versions make counting difficult.
Frequently asked questions about Consoles, Classics & Code
How many questions are in Consoles, Classics & Code?
Consoles, Classics & Code has 10 questions and takes about 6 minutes to finish. It is rated Easy and sits in our Video Games category.
How is Consoles, Classics & Code scored?
Each of the 10 correct answers adds 10 XP, up to 100 XP for a clean run. Wrong answers cost you nothing, and your full question-by-question review is shown at the end.
Are the answers to Consoles, Classics & Code explained?
Yes. All 10 questions carry a written explanation of why the correct answer is right, so the quiz works as a study sheet as well as a test.
Can I replay Consoles, Classics & Code?
Yes, as often as you like. The questions and the answer options are reshuffled on each run, and you can use Practice Mistakes afterwards to retry only the ones you missed. No account is needed to play.
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