A strange little side quest
Even a quick game like Midnight Outrun sits on top of decades — and sometimes centuries — of ideas. Donkey Kong arrived in 1981 with a character called Jumpman, who would later become one of gaming's most recognizable figures: Mario. Another piece of context lands nicely beside it: Atari's Gran Trak 10 from 1974 is recognized as the first arcade racing video game, decades before modern 3D racers. Not bad for a few facts hiding behind a Play button.