1987_in_video_games

1987 in video games

1987 in video games

Overview of the events of 1987 in video games


1987 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Dragon Quest II, Final Lap, and Zelda II, along with new titles such as After Burner, Contra, Double Dragon, Final Fantasy, Mega Man, Metal Gear, Operation Wolf, Phantasy Star, Shinobi, Street Fighter and The Last Ninja. The Legend of Zelda was also introduced outside of Japan.

Quick Facts List of years in video games ...

The year's highest-grossing arcade game worldwide was Sega's Out Run. The year's bestselling home system was the Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom) for the fourth year in a row. The best-selling 1987 home video game release in Japan was Dragon Quest II: Akuryō no Kamigami, while the year's best-selling home video games in Western markets were The Legend of Zelda in the United States and Out Run in the United Kingdom.

Financial performance

Highest-grossing arcade games

The year's highest-grossing arcade game worldwide was Sega's Out Run.

Japan

The following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1987 in Japan, according to the annual Gamest and Game Machine charts.

More information Rank, Gamest ...

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, Out Run was the most successful arcade game of the year.[3][4] The following titles were the top-grossing games on the monthly arcade charts in 1987.

More information Month, Title ...

United States

In the United States, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade video games of 1987.

More information Rank, Play Meter ...

The following titles were the top-grossing games on the monthly RePlay arcade charts in 1987.

More information Month, Upright cabinet ...

Best-selling home systems

More information Rank, System(s) ...

Best-selling home video games

Japan

In Japan, according to Famicom Tsūshin (Famitsu) magazine, the following titles were the top ten best-selling 1987 releases, including later sales up until mid-1989.[28]

More information Rank, Title ...

The following titles were the best-selling home video games on the Japan game charts published by Famicom Tsūshin (Famitsu) and Family Computer Magazine (Famimaga) in 1987.

More information Chart, Week 1 ...

United Kingdom and United States

In the United States, The Legend of Zelda was the best-selling home video game of 1987,[41] becoming the first third-generation video game (non-bundled) to cross a million US sales that year,[20] followed by Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!![42] In the United Kingdom, Out Run was the best-selling home video game of 1987,[43] with its 8-bit home computer ports becoming the fastest-selling games in the UK up until then.[44]

The following titles were the top-selling home video games on the monthly charts in the United Kingdom and United States during 1987.

More information Month, United Kingdom ...

Top-rated games

Major awards

More information Award, Gamest Awards (Japan, December 1987) ...

Famitsu Platinum Hall of Fame

The following 1987 video game releases entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.[67]

More information Title, Platform ...

Business

Notable releases

Arcade

Home

Hardware

See also


References

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  2. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '87" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 324. Amusement Press, Inc. January 15, 1988. p. 20.
  3. Prisco, Jacopo (September 18, 2021). "How Out Run changed video games forever". Wired UK. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  4. "Burn Rubber". Computer and Video Games. No. 75 (January 1988). December 15, 1987. pp. 50–1.
  5. "Top Ten Coin-Ops of the Month". Computer and Video Games. No. 66 (April 1987). March 1987. p. 92.
  6. "Arcade Action". Computer and Video Games. No. 67 (May 1987). April 1987. p. 93.
  7. "Arcade Action". Computer and Video Games. No. 70 (August 1987). July 15, 1987. p. 112.
  8. "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 21 (September 1987). August 1987. pp. 34–5.
  9. "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 22 (October 1987). September 10, 1987. pp. 66–7.
  10. "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 23 (November 1987). October 12, 1987. pp. 72–3.
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  13. "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 26 (February 1988). January 1988. pp. 22–3.
  14. Compasio, Camille (November 14, 1987). "Around The Route". Cash Box. Cash Box Pub. Co. p. 32.
  15. "1987". Play Meter. Vol. 20, no. 13. December 1994. p. 78.
  16. "米国「リプレイ」誌 ザ•プレイヤーズ •チョイス 1987年1月号から" [US "RePlay" Magazine: The Players Choice - From the January 1987 Issue] (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 300. Amusement Press, Inc. January 15, 1987. p. 17.
  17. "Coin-Op Top Ten". Top Score. Amusement Players Association. Winter 1987.
  18. 小川 (Ogawa), 純生 (Sumio) (December 14, 2010). "テレビゲーム機の変遷 —ファミコン、スーパーファミコン、プレステ、プレステ2、Wiiまで—" [Recent Developments in Video Game Technology in Japan — Famicom, Super Famicom, Play Station, Play Station 2 and Wii —] (PDF). 経営論集 (Keiei Ronshū) (in Japanese) (77) (published March 2011): 1-17 (2). ISSN 0286-6439. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2021 via Toyo University Academic Information Repository (Toyo University).
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  21. Personal Computing. October 1988. p. 219.
  22. Methe, David; Mitchell, Will; Miyabe, Junichiro; Toyama, Ryoko (January 1998). "Overcoming a Standard Bearer: Challenges to NEC's Personal Computer in Japan". Research Papers in Economics (RePEc): 35 via ResearchGate.
  23. Japan Electronics Almanac. Dempa Publications. 1990. p. 145. The domestic shipment value of personal computers in fiscal 1988 totaled ¥649 billion (up 23 percent over fiscal 1987); the domestic shipment volume was 1,375,000 (up 14 percent over 1987). The value of domestic shipments has recorded annual growth. Conversely, the volume of domestic shipments of personal computers stabilized at the 1,200,000-nit mark for four years beginning in fiscal 1984. However, this volume began to increase rapidly in fiscal 1988.
  24. Japan Electronics Almanac. Dempa Publications. 1990. p. 146. The volume of domestic shipments of the MSX remained at the 150,000 mark, for a marked decline of 56 percent from 1987.
  25. "総合TOP50" [Total Top 50]. ファミコン通信 〜 '89全ソフトカタログ [Famicom Tsūshin: '89 All Software Catalog]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). September 15, 1989. p. 78.
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  29. "ファミコン通信 TOP 30: 1月23日" [Famicom Tsūshin Top 30: January 23]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1987, no. 3. February 6, 1987. pp. 8–9.
  30. "1987 Weekly". Game Data Library. Famitsu. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  31. "2/9~2/15 — 2/16~2/22". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. March 20, 1987. pp. 132–3.
  32. "4/6~4/12 — 4/13~4/19". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. May 15, 1987. pp. 136–8.
  33. "4/20~4/26 — 4/27~5/3". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. June 5, 1987. pp. 138–9.
  34. "5/25~5/31 — 6/1~6/7". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. July 3, 1987. pp. 172–3.
  35. "ファミコン通信 TOP 30: 2月5日" [Famicom Tsūshin Top 30: February 5]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1988, no. 4. February 19, 1988. pp. 12–7.
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  58. "1987 ベストヒットゲーム大賞" [1987 Best Hit Game Awards]. Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). Vol. 1988, no. 4. February 19, 1988. pp. 6–11.
  59. "1987 ファミマガゲーム大賞" [1987 Famimaga Game Awards]. Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). February 19, 1988. pp. 114–7.
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