A strange little side quest
Put Retro Tic-Tac-Toe next to the history of arcade history and a few unexpected connections appear. Nintendo's Donkey Kong arrived in 1981 and introduced the character first known as Jumpman, who later became Mario. There is another connection worth keeping in the same mental pocket: The first crossword puzzle book appeared in 1924 in a cautious initial printing of 3,600 copies, complete with a free pencil. It is a good reminder that simple game mechanics can carry a surprising amount of history.
