A strange little side quest
Even a quick game like Missing Shapes sits on top of decades — and sometimes centuries — of ideas. The Oregon Trail eventually appeared across generations of computer hardware and sold tens of millions of copies, making it one of the most enduring educational games. The same trail leads to another fact: Computer Space reached arcades in 1971 and became one of the earliest commercial electronic arcade games, even though its controls proved demanding for many players. It is a good reminder that simple game mechanics can carry a surprising amount of history.
