The 20 quiz questions
Question 1 : What game was developed in just 6 weeks by a Romanian student, becoming one of the biggest indie successes in history?
Possible answers:
- Flappy Bird
- Crossy Road
- Angry Birds
- Doodle Jump
Explanation: Flappy Bird was created by Dong Nguyen in a few weeks. At its peak, the game generated $50,000 per day in advertising before its creator removed it from stores, overwhelmed by success.
Question 2 : What is the true story behind the first video game easter egg, hidden in Adventure (1980) on Atari 2600?
Possible answers:
- The Hidden Room
- Created by Warren Robinett
- The Grey Dot
- Developer's Secret
Explanation: Warren Robinett hid his name in a secret room because Atari refused to credit its developers. "Created by Warren Robinett" appears when you find the invisible gray pixel and walk through the wall.
Question 3 : Why does Pac-Man have the shape of a pizza with a missing slice?
Possible answers:
- Design based on the kanji for "mouth"
- Inspired by a half-eaten pizza
- Technical sprite limitation
- Reference to a manga character
Explanation: Toru Iwatani was inspired by a pizza with a missing slice during dinner. This simple shape also represented a mouth eating, the central gameplay concept.
Question 4 : What famous cheat code was created by Kazuhisa Hashimoto to test Gradius on NES?
Possible answers:
- The Nintendo Secret
- The Konami Code
- The Gradius Cheat
- The Game Genie Code
Explanation: The Konami Code (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A) was created because Hashimoto found the game too difficult to test. It became a symbol of gaming culture.
Question 5 : Which Nintendo game was almost called "Mr. Video" before receiving its final name?
Possible answers:
- Mario
- Link (Zelda)
- Kirby
- Donkey Kong
Explanation: Mario was originally supposed to be called Mr. Video. He was renamed after Mario Segale, the landlord of Nintendo of America's warehouses, who resembled the character and was demanding overdue rent.
Question 6 : Which company developed the first PlayStation prototype before offering it to Sony?
Possible answers:
- Nintendo
- Sega
- Atari
- Philips
Explanation: Nintendo had commissioned a CD-ROM drive from Sony. After negotiations failed, Sony developed the PlayStation alone. This breakup created one of the industry's biggest rivalries.
Question 7 : In which game can you find the hidden "Kill Screen" at level 256 due to a memory bug?
Possible answers:
- Space Invaders
- Donkey Kong
- Galaga
- Pac-Man
Explanation: Pac-Man on arcade crashes at level 256 because the level counter (8 bits) overflows. The right half of the screen becomes corrupted, making the level impossible to complete.
Question 8 : Which video game caused a worldwide shortage of 100 yen coins in Japan when it was released?
Possible answers:
- Pac-Man
- Space Invaders
- Pong
- Galaxian
Explanation: Space Invaders (1978) was so popular that arcade machines absorbed all 100 yen coins. The Bank of Japan had to triple production of this coin.
Question 9 : Why is Link, the hero of Zelda, left-handed in most games?
Possible answers:
- Because his creator Miyamoto is left-handed
- In reference to a Japanese legend
- To stand out from other heroes
- Due to graphical limitations
Explanation: Shigeru Miyamoto is left-handed and created Link in his image. In Twilight Princess Wii, the entire game was mirrored for right-handed players using the Wiimote.
Question 10 : What video game was the first to cost more to develop than an average Hollywood movie?
Possible answers:
- Final Fantasy VII
- Metal Gear Solid
- GTA III
- Shenmue
Explanation: Shenmue (1999) cost about $70 million, a record at the time. Yu Suzuki created a revolutionary open world with real-time weather and NPCs with daily routines.
Question 11 : Which developer hid photos of his family in the textures of Goldeneye 007?
Possible answers:
- Shigeru Miyamoto
- John Romero
- The Rare developers
- Hideo Kojima
Explanation: Rare developers used personal photos as placeholders that remained in the final game. They can be found hidden in certain textures of the game.
Question 12 : Why is Sonic the Hedgehog blue?
Possible answers:
- In reference to the sky and freedom
- To evoke speed
- To match SEGA's blue logo
- Because blue shows better on CRT screens
Explanation: Sonic is blue to match SEGA's blue logo. His color was meant to immediately identify the mascot with the company, unlike Mario associated with Nintendo's red.
Question 13 : Which game was buried by millions of copies in the New Mexico desert in 1983?
Possible answers:
- Pac-Man
- Superman
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Explanation: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on Atari 2600, developed in 5 weeks, was a massive commercial failure. Millions of unsold cartridges were buried in Alamogordo. The site was excavated in 2014.
Question 14 : Which video game character was originally a villain before becoming the hero of his own series?
Possible answers:
- King K. Rool
- Bowser
- Donkey Kong
- Wario
Explanation: Donkey Kong was the antagonist in the 1981 game of the same name, where he kidnapped Pauline. He later became the hero of Donkey Kong Country and many spin-offs.
Question 15 : What is the name of the orange ghost in Pac-Man, known for its random behavior?
Possible answers:
- Pinky
- Blinky
- Clyde
- Inky
Explanation: Clyde (orange) has unpredictable behavior: he chases Pac-Man then suddenly flees. The other ghosts are Blinky (red), Pinky (pink), and Inky (blue).
Question 16 : What famous Civilization bug made Gandhi an aggressive nuclear leader?
Possible answers:
- Buffer overflow
- Stack corruption
- Memory leak
- Integer underflow
Explanation: In Civilization I, Gandhi's aggression (1) went negative after adopting democracy (-2), causing an underflow to 255, the maximum possible.
Question 17 : Which studio developed the first Grand Theft Auto, long before Rockstar Games?
Possible answers:
- DMA Design
- Team Bondi
- Rockstar San Diego
- Angel Studios
Explanation: DMA Design (Scotland) created GTA in 1997. The studio was later acquired and renamed Rockstar North. DMA Design had also created Lemmings.
Question 18 : What game holds the record for the longest development time before release (15 years)?
Possible answers:
- Half-Life 3
- Duke Nukem Forever
- Too Human
- Prey (2006)
Explanation: Duke Nukem Forever was announced in 1997 and released in 2011 after 15 years of chaotic development, engine changes, and studio changes. It became a symbol of "development hell."
Question 19 : Which Street Fighter II character was created following a bug that allowed chaining hits?
Possible answers:
- Fei Long
- Akuma
- Cammy
- The combo system itself
Explanation: Combos were born from a bug in Street Fighter II where players could chain hits during the stun animation. Capcom decided to keep this mechanic, revolutionizing fighting games.
Question 20 : What game was the first to include a "New Game Plus" mode allowing replay with your equipment?
Possible answers:
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
- Secret of Mana
- Chrono Trigger
- Final Fantasy VI
Explanation: Chrono Trigger (1995) popularized the New Game+ concept, allowing players to restart the adventure with their stats and equipment to discover the 13 alternate endings.




