Category: Brain Teasers

In the 1989 film “Fat Man and Little Boy,” who portrayed American General Leslie Groves?

John Cusack
John C. McGinley
Paul Newman
Dwight Schultz
Fred Dalton Thompson

The correct answer is Paul Newman

Trivia: What arcade game used a trackball for player movement?

Centipede
Asteroids
Bubble Bobble
Tempest

The correct answer is Centipede

So why is this answer correct? : Released in 1981, Centipede uses a trackball for inputting controls rather than a typical joystick. Centipede was also one of the first games to garner a large female fan base, and it eventually found its way to Atari gaming systems, Nintendo’s Game Boy, and even some of the very first mobile phones.

Trivia: What is the protagonist’s name in the 1984 arcade game Punch-Out!!?

Big George
Mike Boxer
Joe Sock
He doesn’t have a name

The correct answer is He doesn’t have a name

So why is this answer correct? : In the hit arcade game Punch-Out!!, a green-gloved, wire-framed protagonist faces off against memorable characters such as Glass Joe, Bald Bull, Piston Hurricane, and Mr. Sandman. Upon the game’s release, the player character had no name, but when the game migrated to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, the player became known as Little Mac.

Trivia: Which of these is NOT a Nintendo arcade game?

Ice Climber
Punch-Out!
Galaga
Wild Gunman

The correct answer is Galaga

So why is this answer correct? : A titan of console gaming, Nintendo made a variety of hit arcade games, many of which were eventually ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System. Wild Gunman (1974), Ice Climber (1984), and Punch-Out!! (1984) were all Nintendo creations. Galaga (1981) was a popular fixed-shooter game released by Japanese gaming manufacturer Namco.

Trivia: The frog in Frogger jumps on turtles and what else when crossing rivers?

Lily pads
Sandbars
Fish
Logs

The correct answer is Logs

So why is this answer correct? : Some arcade games are epic in nature — saving princesses, worlds, and galaxies. Others magnify simpler moments in life, such as a determined frog trying to cross a busy stretch of road. Once past the road, the amphibian hero in Frogger (1981) must make a treacherous water crossing with the help of turtles and logs drifting lazily in the river’s current.

Trivia: What character is kidnapped at the beginning of the Simpsons arcade game?

Maggie
Ned Flanders
Mr. Burns
Marge

The correct answer is Maggie

So why is this answer correct? : Another beat ’em up like Double Dragon, The Simpsons lets up to four players fight as “Simpsons” characters Homer, Marge, Bart, or Lisa as they search for kidnapped baby Maggie. The hit TV show combined with a popular arcade genre made The Simpsons one of the biggest-selling games in 1991.

Trivia: Double Dragon is an example of what video game genre?

Beat ’em up
Puzzle maze
Sandbox
Rhythm

The correct answer is Beat ’em up

So why is this answer correct? : Double Dragon is one of the biggest hits in arcade history. Following the street-fighting exploits of twin brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee, the game defined the “beat ’em up” genre upon its release in 1987 and inspired a follow-up animated TV series, live-action film, and Marvel comic — not to mention countless knockoffs looking to cash in on the Double Dragon magic.

Trivia: Who is NOT a character in the arcade game Street Fighter II?

Zangief
E. Honda
Raiden
Chun-Li

The correct answer is Raiden

So why is this answer correct? : Released on February 6, 1991, Street Fighter II launched a new era of fighting games and sold more than 60,000 cabinets — the most of any arcade game at that time. The game had a cast of eight playable characters, including Zangief, E. Honda, and Chun-Li. Raiden is the god of thunder found in Street Fighter’s main arcade competitor, Mortal Kombat.

Trivia: What theme song was played during the top-down driving game “Spy Hunter”?

James Bond
M*A*S*H
Mission Impossible
Peter Gunn

The correct answer is Peter Gunn

So why is this answer correct? : Loaded with smoke screens, oil slicks, and other gadgets, players taking the wheel of the game’s G-6155 Interceptor would be forgiven for thinking they were driving James Bond’s Aston Martin. “Spy Hunter’s” designer was inspired to create the driving game filled with secret agent danger after listening to a “James Bond” greatest hits album. They couldn’t land the Bond license, so they went with another famous action tune, Henry Mancini’s “Peter Gunn” theme song.

Trivia: What cartoon was the original inspiration for arcade smash “Donkey Kong”?

King Kong
Mighty Mouse
Popeye
Superman

The correct answer is Popeye

So why is this answer correct? : An oafish brute steals the girlfriend of a regular Joe who has to win her back with the help of something that makes him invincible (sometimes spinach, sometimes a sledgehammer). Nintendo had a license to make “Popeye” products, and that was the game designer Shigeru Miyamoto set out to make, but at the last minute Popeye’s owners nixed it. Miyamoto quickly came up with new characters Donkey Kong (replacing Bluto) and Mario (nee “Jumpman”).