Games Released in December 1985

82 new games released in December 1985, with Family Computer being the most active platform. December 31 was the busiest day, with 32 new releases.

Top Platform

Family Computer

New Releases

82

Busiest Day

December 31

Bomberman

What was the most popular game of December 1985?

Bomberman

Bomberman is a robot engaged in the production of bombs. Like his fellow robots, he had been put to work in an underground compound by evil forces. Bomberman found it to be an unbearably dreary existence. One day, he heard an encouraging rumor. According to the rumor, any robot that could escape the underground compound and make it to the surface could become human. Bomberman leaped at the opportunity, but escape proved to be no small task. Alerted to Bomberman's betrayal, large numbers of the enemy set out in pursuit. Bomberman can rely only on bombs of his own production for his defense. Will he ever make it up to the surface? Once there, will he really become human?

Which days had the most releases?

December 31 saw the most activity with 32 releases.

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Game cover

32 releases

December 31

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17 releases

December 1

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4 releases

December 5

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3 releases

December 10

SunMonTueWedThuFriSat

Sun, Dec 1

17 releases

Mon, Dec 2

1 release

Tue, Dec 3

No releases

Wed, Dec 4

No releases

Thu, Dec 5

4 releases

Fri, Dec 6

1 release

Sat, Dec 7

1 release

Sun, Dec 8

No releases

Mon, Dec 9

1 release

Tue, Dec 10

3 releases

Wed, Dec 11

3 releases

Thu, Dec 12

2 releases

Fri, Dec 13

No releases

Sat, Dec 14

3 releases

Sun, Dec 15

2 releases

Mon, Dec 16

1 release

Tue, Dec 17

1 release

Wed, Dec 18

No releases

Thu, Dec 19

1 release

Fri, Dec 20

3 releases

Sat, Dec 21

2 releases

Sun, Dec 22

3 releases

Mon, Dec 23

No releases

Tue, Dec 24

No releases

Wed, Dec 25

2 releases

Thu, Dec 26

1 release

Fri, Dec 27

No releases

Sat, Dec 28

No releases

Sun, Dec 29

No releases

Mon, Dec 30

No releases

Tue, Dec 31

32 releases

How did each week compare?

The fifth week of December was the busiest with 32 releases.

Week 1 (December 1–7)

24 releases
Karateka

Most popular release in Week 1

Karateka

Karateka is a 1984 beat'em up video game by Jordan Mechner, and was his first game created while attending Yale University. It was originally programmed for the Apple II, and was later ported to several other home computers and early gaming consoles. The game was published in North America by Brøderbund, and in Europe by Ariolasoft. The player controls an unnamed protagonist who is attempting to rescue his love interest, the Princess Mariko, from Akuma's castle fortress. The game exhibits a combination of a side-scrolling platform and fighting game elements. The player uses punches and kicks to defeat Akuma and his guards and make his way deeper into the fortress. The game, as with most at the time of development, lacked checkpoints or the ability to save the game, making it a challenge to complete in a single sitting. Karateka has been well-received, particularly for its realistic animations used for the game's characters. The game was considered a breakthrough success for Mechner, and would eventually result in his development of the Prince of Persia franchise. A high-definition remake, spearheaded by Mechner, was released as a downloadable title for the Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, with planned ports for the iOS and Wii U systems.

Which platforms saw the most releases?

Family Computer received 16 new titles in December 1985. The runner up was Commodore C64/128/MAX with 12 new titles.

Family Computer16 releases
Commodore C64/128/MAX12 releases
ZX Spectrum12 releases
Arcade9 releases
Commodore 169 releases
Sega Master System/Mark III7 releases
Amstrad CPC5 releases
BBC Microcomputer System5 releases
Sharp X13 releases
SG-10002 releases

What genres were most popular?

Arcade was the dominant genre in December 1985 with 21 titles. Shooter followed closely with 19.

Arcade21
Shooter19
Platform14
Puzzle11
Adventure10
Simulator10
Role-playing7
Strategy6
Sport5
Fighting2
1985 Review
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