game endings

[Donkbaca]

Just curious, what was the first arcade game that had an ending?  I am not talking about hings like kill screens or that sort of thing, I am talking about mario save the princess type endings.

This may be the first thing to do on my new cab, see the first ending to a video game ever!

[SavannahLion]

Phoenix maybe?

[hyiu]

I thought phoenix is a space invader like shooting game...

it has an ending
can youtube video or similar thing you can share ??

Thx...

[Howard_Casto]

Depends upon what you mean by "ending".  Most all classic games, even when you reached the end, allowed you to continue play.  However a few of them did have a final level that was different from the main game, i.e. a boss battle.  Phoenix has that, as does Gorf.  I think that phoenix's release beat gorfs by a few months, but I'm guessing they were both in development at the time.

So yeah, Phoenix. 

[TOK]

Ghosts & Goblins immediately came to mind for me. Not sure if its the first (1985).
Think thats what the original poster is looking for, not something like Phoenix with an end boss. In that case, the original Japanese version of DK might be the first... the "end" screen is the rivet level where Kong falls and the girl is rescued. That effect is ruined for the US release, since they make it the second level.

[SavannahLion]

Even the examples that you and the OP gave is for a game that doesn't technically end.

[Donkbaca]

no, but they have endings

[BobbyG66]

Geez, Pheonix is one of my favorites. Have not seen the end, yet...

What about Dragon's Lair?

[ahofle]

Geez, Pheonix is one of my favorites. Have not seen the end, yet...

What about Dragon's Lair?

By "Phoenix ending" is everyone talking about blowing up the orange octopus ship thing?  How is that an ending?  It just give you a few points and goes back to the first wave after that. 
Good call on Dragon's Lair -- that definitely has a 'game ending'. 

[Howard_Casto]

Geez, Pheonix is one of my favorites. Have not seen the end, yet...
What about Dragon's Lair?

By "Phoenix ending" is everyone talking about blowing up the orange octopus ship thing?  How is that an ending?  It just give you a few points and goes back to the first wave after that. 
Good call on Dragon's Lair -- that definitely has a 'game ending'. 

It's an ending in that you've defeated the boss, which is entirely different from the generic drones you've been shooting the entire game.  I don't know how old you are, but back in the day having something different to shoot at in a space game was a big deal.

Dragon's Lair has an ending, but it came out in 83.... by 83 a decent amount of games had endings. 

[Donkbaca]

For clarity, lets classify a game ending as an indication that you have beat the game, a message on the screen saying "f-ing way to go hombre!" or something like that. 

[Dartful Dodger]

Football by Atari in 1978.

[yotsuya]

I think the allure of the early games wasn't beating them, it was getting the highest score in the arcade/storefront/convenience store. I'm wondering if the NES changed that.

[Donkbaca]

Yeah, that is what I am trying to figure out.  I am from the "game ending" generation, If a game has no end, I figure, what's the point

I still love the classics, but the new "casual games" I just can't get over.  So I am wondering when the change was.  You figure it must have been something revolutionary, a game with an ending!

[Woodshop Flunky]

I think the allure of the early games wasn't beating them, it was getting the highest score in the arcade/storefront/convenience store. I'm wondering if the NES changed that.

High score was definitely my motivation until I played Dragon's Lair.  I never would have been able to tell anyone what my score was.  But all my friends knew the day I "beat the game".  

[RayB]

And what an ending it was too! 14 year old + Daphne = *shwing!!*

TMI?

Someone recently said that Roc n Rope ends after level 5? That's what, 1983

OH I know! Pick any racing game. haha. Pole Position has an ending! ;-)

[yotsuya]

Think about a game like Pac-Man. The ONLY person who gets recognized is the one with the high score- and at that, you can't even leave your initials!

[RayB]

Think about a game like Pac-Man. The ONLY person who gets recognized is the one with the high score- and at that, you can't even leave your initials!

That's what a pocket knife is for.