Paperboy is proof that a cult game can grow out of the most mundane of chores. In 1985 Atari put players on the bike of a young paper carrier and sent them down a suburban street with a single task: deliver the morning press to subscribers. But what sounded like tedium turned, in the designers' hands, into a nerve-racking slalom full of absurd hazards — from barking dogs and runaway lawnmowers to toy cars and tornadoes.
The system of rewards and punishments is ingenious. You only deliver to subscribers' houses (you recognize them by color) and score by hitting the mailbox or landing the paper on the doorstep. A broken window at a non-subscriber's house, on the other hand, wins you a new customer — so vandalism paradoxically pays off. If you fail to deliver someone's paper or damage their house, you lose them, and with them a chunk of your delivery route. The cabinet became famous for its special handlebar-shaped controller, which pulled you perfectly into the role.
Retro players love Paperboy for its quirky personality and unexpected depth. It's a game full of black humor, precise timing, and ever-mounting chaos across the week you have to survive. Its bizarre premise and unmistakable style made it one of the most memorable oddities of the golden age of arcades.
Game 80 of 258 for Arcade
