Crossbow – 10 Forgotten ’80s Video Games

The legacy of Crossbow can be felt in games as divergent as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Dance Dance Revolution. Why? Because this forgotten 1983 lightgun adventure from Exidy (the masterminds behind Mouse Trap and Venture), was the first to include fully integrated digitized sound effects and speech that attempted to create a more realistic gaming experience. Even though these monster voices, shooting sounds and other noises may have sounded incredibly tinny, they were still revolutionary -- and Exidy's competitors quickly took notice. If you'll pardon the somewhat obvious phrasing, the game had been changed by what Crossbow accomplished. Other manufacturers swiftly realized the creative and financial potential of digitized sound within their games and raced to keep up. While Crossbow may have ultimately been left behind and long forgotten, its impact upon the video game industry remains immeasurable.