1987 in video games

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List of years 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.

The year's highest-grossing

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.

Rank Gamest[1] Game Machine[2]
Title Cabinet Points Title Cabinet Points
1 Out Run Large 33 Out Run Deluxe 3734
2 R-Type
Table
26 Arkanoid
Table
3118
3 After Burner Large 20 Hi Sho Zame (Flying Shark) Table 2434
4 1943: The Battle of Midway Table 12 Major League Table 2285
5 Double Dragon Table 10 World Cup (Tehkan World Cup) Table 2210
6 Darius Large 8 Bubble Bobble Table 2041
7 Dragon Spirit Table 7 Super Hang-On Ride-on 1901
8 Hi Sho Zame (Flying Shark)
Yokai Dochuki
Table 5 Double Dragon Table 1890
9 Table 5 1943: The Battle of Midway Table 1778
10 Super Hang-On Large 4 Side Pocket Table 1744

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.

Month Title Manufacturer Genre Ref
February Out Run Sega Racing [5][6]
March
April Bubble Bobble Taito Platformer [7]
May
June
July Double Dragon Taito Beat 'em up [8]
August [9]
September After Burner Sega
Combat flight sim
[10]
October Operation Wolf Taito
Light gun shooter
[11]
November 1942 Capcom
Scrolling shooter
[12]
December Operation Wolf Taito Light gun shooter [13]
1987 Out Run Sega Racing [3][4]

United States

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

Rank Play Meter AMOA[14][15]
Dedicated cabinet
Conversion kit
1 Out Run[16] Out Run Arkanoid
2 Un­known Contra,
Double Dragon,
Rolling Thunder
Top Gunner,
World Series
3
4
5 Un­known Un­known

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

Month Upright cabinet
Software kit
Ref
January Out Run Gauntlet II [17]
February
Championship Sprint
[18]

Best-selling home systems

Rank System(s) Manufacturer Type Generation Sales
Japan USA
EU
Worldwide
1
Famicom
Nintendo
Console
8-bit 1,780,000[19] 3,000,000[20] 300,000[21] 5,080,000+
2 Commodore 64 (C64) Commodore Computer
8-bit
1,500,000[22]
3
Sega Mark III / Master System
Sega Console 8-bit 280,000[23] 500,000[21] 155,000[21] 935,000
4 IBM PS/2 (Model 30 / 50) IBM Computer
16-bit
Un­known Un­known 658,000[24]
5
PC Engine
(TurboGrafx-16)
NEC Console 16-bit 600,000[19] 600,000
6 Apple Macintosh Apple Inc. Computer 16-bit 550,000[22]
7
NEC PC-88 / PC-98
NEC Computer 8-bit / 16-bit 540,000[25][26] Un­known Un­known 540,000+
8 Apple II Apple Inc. Computer 8-bit 500,000[22]
9 Atari ST Atari Corp. Computer 16-bit 400,000[22]
10 MSX ASCII Corp. Computer 8-bit 340,000[27] Un­known Un­known 340,000+

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]

Rank Title Developer Publisher Genre Platform Sales
1
Dragon Quest II: Akuryō no Kamigami
Chunsoft
Enix RPG
Famicom
2,400,000[29]
2 Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium '87 Namco Namco Sports Famicom < 1,300,000[30]
3 Moero!! Pro Yakyū (Bases Loaded)
TOSE
Jaleco Sports Famicom < 1,000,000[31]
4 Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (The Adventure of Link)
Nintendo R&D4
Nintendo
Action RPG
Famicom Disk System Un­known
5
Family Computer Golf: Japan Course
Nintendo R&D2
Nintendo Sports Famicom < 740,000[31]
6
Saint Seiya: Ōgon Densetsu
Bandai Bandai Action RPG Famicom Un­known
7
Momotarō Densetsu
(Momotarō Legend)
Hudson Soft Hudson Soft RPG
8 Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School
Squaresoft
Nintendo Dating sim Famicom Disk System
9 Sanma no Meitantei (Great Detective Sanma) Namco Namco Adventure Famicom
10
Famicom Mukashibanashi: Shin Onigashima
Nintendo R&D4 Nintendo Adventure Famicom Disk System

The following titles were the best-selling home video games on the Japan game charts published by

(Famimaga) in 1987.

Chart Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Ref
January
Famicom)[32]
Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (Famicom Disk System) [33]
February Dragon Quest II (Famicom)
FC
)
Un­known [34]
March Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
April Sanma no Meitantei (Famicom) Argus no Senshi (Famicom) Family Jockey (Famicom) [35][36]
May Kinnikuman 2 (FDS)[36]
Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium (Famicom)[33]
Yūshi no Monshō
(FDS)
[37]
June Bug-tte Honey (Famicom)[37] Family Boxing (Famicom)[33] Un­known
July Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
August Un­known Un­known Saint Seiya: Ōgon Densetsu (Famicom) Dracula II: Noroi no Fūin (FC) [38]
September Shin Onigashima (Famicom Disk System) Un­known Un­known [38][33]
October Un­known Un­known Side Pocket (Famicom) Momotaro Densetsu (FC) [39]
November
Famicom Grand Prix: F-1 Race
(FDS)
Un­known Un­known Un­known
December Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium '87 (Famicom)[33] Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School (Famicom Disk System)[40]

United Kingdom and United States

In the United States,

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.

Month United Kingdom United States
All formats ZX Spectrum Sales Title Platform Sales Ref
January Gauntlet[45] Olli & Lissa[46] Un­known Un­known Un­known Un­known
February Un­known Leader Board[47]
March Un­known Feud[48][49]
April
May Un­known BMX Simulator[50]
June Un­known Milk Race[8]
July Un­known Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior[9] Un­known The Legend of Zelda NES Un­known [51]
August Un­known Exolon[10] Un­known Un­known [52]
September Renegade[53] Renegade[11][54] Un­known Un­known [55]
October Un­known Un­known Un­known [56]
November Un­known Game Set and Match[13] Un­known
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
NES Un­known [57]
December Out Run[58][59] 250,000+[60] Un­known [61]
1987 Out Run[43] 350,000[62] The Legend of Zelda NES 1,000,000+[20] [41]

Top-rated games

Major awards

Award Gamest Awards
(Japan, December 1987)[63]
2nd
Famitsu Best Hit Game Awards
(Japan, February 1988)[64]
2nd Famimaga Game Awards
(Japan, February 1988)[65]
5th Golden Joystick Awards
(United Kingdom, March 1988)[66]
Arcade Console
Famicom
Computer
Game of the Year Darius
Famicom
)
Out Run
Critics' Choice Awards
Tsuppari Ōzumō (Famicom)
Zombie Hunter (Famicom)
Shin Onigashima (Famicom Disk System)
Family Computer Golf (Famicom Disk System)
Bubble Bobble (Famicom)
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei
(Famicom)
Best Game Design Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School (FDS)
Best Playability Dragon Quest II
Best Story Dragon Quest II (Yuji Horii)
Best Graphics After Burner Faxanadu (Famicom)
Best 3D Game Highway Star (Rad Racer)
Best Speech Synthesis Genpei Tōma Den
Best Music / Sound Darius Momotaro Densetsu / Exciting Billiards Dragon Quest II
Best Character / Character Design Athena Asamiya (Psycho Soldier) Momotaro Densetsu (Famicom) Dragon Quest II
Best Developer / Software House Sega U.S. Gold
Best Programmer Jon Ritman
Best Ports Wizardry / Salamander
Best Original Game / Originality Dragon Quest II Nebulus
Most Popular Game / Long Seller Out Run
Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium
(R.B.I. Baseball)
Arcade Game of the Year Out Run
Best Action Game
Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic
(Famicom)
Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (FDS)
Best Shooter Fantasy Zone (Famicom) Salamander
Best Adventure Game
FC
)
Shin Onigashima (FDS) The Guild of Thieves
Best RPG Dragon Quest II (Famicom) Dragon Quest II
Best Action RPG Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (FDS)
Best Sports Game
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!
(Famicom)
Pro Yakyū: Family Stadium
Best Puzzle Game Shanghai
Best Simulation / Strategy Game SD Gundam World Gachapon Senshi (Famicom) Vulcan
Best Leisure / Casual Games Mezase Pachi Pro: Pachio-kun / Side Pocket
Best Board Game Tetsudou Ou (Famicom)
Best Mahjong Game Professional Mahjong Gokū

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]

Title Platform Score (out of 40) Developer Publisher Genre
Dragon Quest II: Akuryō no Kamigami
(Dragon Warrior II)
Family Computer
(Famicom)
38
Chunsoft
Enix RPG
Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link) Famicom Disk System 36
Nintendo EAD
Nintendo
Action RPG

Business

Notable releases

Arcade

Home

Hardware

See also

References

  1. ^ "87' ゲーメスト大賞 〜 ベストインカム" [87' Gamest Awards – Best Income]. Gamest (in Japanese). Vol. 17 (February 1988). December 28, 1987. pp. 25-38 (36-7). alternate url
  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. ^ a b Prisco, Jacopo (September 18, 2021). "How Out Run changed video games forever". Wired UK. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 21 (September 1987). August 1987. pp. 34–5.
  9. ^ a b "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 22 (October 1987). September 10, 1987. pp. 66–7.
  10. ^ a b "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 23 (November 1987). October 12, 1987. pp. 72–3.
  11. ^ a b "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 24 (December 1987). November 1987. pp. 38–9.
  12. ^ "Arcade Action: The Top Ten". Computer and Video Games. No. 75 (January 1988). December 15, 1987. p. 151.
  13. ^ a b "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 26 (February 1988). January 1988. pp. 22–3.
  14. Cash Box
    . October 3, 1987. p. 37.
  15. Cash Box
    . Cash Box Pub. Co. p. 32.
  16. ^ "1987". Play Meter. Vol. 20, no. 13. December 1994. p. 78.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ "Coin-Op Top Ten". Top Score. Amusement Players Association. Winter 1987.
  19. ^
    ISSN 0286-6439. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2021 – via Toyo University Academic Information Repository (Toyo University
    ).
  20. ^
    Nintendo of America
    .
  21. ^ a b c "Las Vegas, un coup de joystick dans le sable" [Las Vegas, a joystick in the sand]. Tilt (in French). No. 52. March 1988. pp. 18-23 (19).
  22. ^ a b c d Reimer, Jeremy (December 15, 2005). "Total share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  23. Statistics Bureau of Japan
    . p. 2.
  24. ^ Personal Computing. October 1988. p. 219.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ 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.
  28. Famicom Tsūshin
    (in Japanese). September 15, 1989. p. 78.
  29. ISSN 0386-3069
    – via Okayama University Scientific Achievement Repository.
  30. ^ "Japan Platinum Game Chart". The Magic Box. Archived from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  31. ^ a b "Game Search". Game Data Library. Famitsu. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  32. Famicom Tsūshin
    (in Japanese). Vol. 1987, no. 3. February 6, 1987. pp. 8–9.
  33. ^ a b c d e "1987 Weekly". Game Data Library. Famitsu. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  34. ^ "2/9~2/15 — 2/16~2/22". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. March 20, 1987. pp. 132–3.
  35. ^ "4/6~4/12 — 4/13~4/19". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. May 15, 1987. pp. 136–8.
  36. ^ a b "4/20~4/26 — 4/27~5/3". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. June 5, 1987. pp. 138–9.
  37. ^ a b "5/25~5/31 — 6/1~6/7". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. July 3, 1987. pp. 172–3.
  38. ^ a b "8/24~8/30 — 8/31~9/6". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. October 2, 1987. p. 122.
  39. ^ "10/26~11/1 — 11/2~11/8". Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. December 4, 1987. p. 180.
  40. Famicom Tsūshin
    (in Japanese). Vol. 1988, no. 4. February 19, 1988. pp. 12–7.
  41. ^
    Famicom Tsūshin
    (in Japanese). No. 226. April 16, 1993. p. 83.
  42. The Los Angeles Times
    . p. 57. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  43. ^
    ISSN 0261-3697
    .
  44. .
  45. ^ "Top 20". Your Computer. April 1987. p. 30.
  46. ^ "Top Ten Games". Your Sinclair. No. 16. May 1987. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  47. ^ "Top Ten Games". Your Sinclair. No. 17. May 1987. Archived from the original on October 26, 2000. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  48. ^ "Top Ten Games". Your Sinclair. No. 18. June 1987. Archived from the original on December 7, 2000. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  49. ^ "Top Ten Games". Your Sinclair. No. 19 (July 1987). June 1987. Archived from the original on October 26, 2000. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  50. ^ "Top Ten Games". Your Sinclair. No. 20 (August 1987). July 1987. p. 17.
  51. ^ "Top Ten Videogames" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 6, no. 5. August 1987. p. 1.
  52. ^ "Top Ten Videogames" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 6, no. 6. September 1987. p. 1.
  53. ^ "CVG Birthday Shout". Computer and Video Games. No. 180 (November 1996). October 9, 1996. pp. 8–9.
  54. ^ "Top Ten Games". Your Sinclair. No. 25 (January 1988). December 10, 1987. Archived from the original on December 3, 2000. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  55. ^ "Top Ten Videogames" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 6, no. 7. October 1987. p. 1.
  56. ^ "Top Ten Videogames" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 6, no. 8. November 1987. p. 1.
  57. ^ "Top Ten Videogames" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 6, no. 9. December 1987. p. 1.
  58. GamesRadar
    . p. 11. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  59. ^ "Street Life". Your Sinclair. No. 27 (March 1988). February 1988. pp. 22–3.
  60. ISSN 0954-8076
    .
  61. ^ "Top Ten Videogames" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 6, no. 10. January 1988. p. 1.
  62. ^ "Game of the Year". Your Sinclair. No. 28 (April 1988). March 10, 1988. pp. 64–5.
  63. ^ "87' ゲーメスト大賞" [87' Gamest Awards]. Gamest (in Japanese). Vol. 17 (February 1988). December 28, 1987. pp. 25–38. alternate url
  64. Famicom Tsūshin
    (in Japanese). Vol. 1988, no. 4. February 19, 1988. pp. 6–11.
  65. ^ "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.
  66. Future Publishing
    . April 15, 1988. p. 39.
  67. ^ "週刊ファミ通クロスレビュープラチナ殿堂入りソフト一覧" [Weekly Famitsu Cross Review Platinum Hall of Fame Software List]. Geimin (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 27, 2008. Retrieved February 24, 2021.

External links