Retro Gaming News: Week of August 31st
This Week in Gaming History: August 31st Edition
Welcome back to Out of Sync Gaming’s weekly video game history breakdown! The opening week of September has historically delivered massive industry milestones—from arcade sports phenomena and console online RPG breakthroughs to tactical stealth revolutions and open-world sandbox masterclasses. Here is what happened this week in gaming history across four decades.
1980s: Track & Field Destroys Arcade Buttons
In September 1983, Konami released Track & Field (Hyper Olympic in Japan) into arcades worldwide. Riding the wave of anticipation for the 1984 Summer Olympics, the cabinet replaced traditional joysticks with two run buttons and an action button across six athletic events—including the 100-meter dash, long jump, and javelin throw. Its punishing physical demand spawned legendary arcade tactics like using coins or pencils to vibrate across the buttons, making it an instant revenue hit and an arcade icon.
1990s: Metal Gear Solid Reinvents Cinematic Gaming
On September 3, 1998, Hideo Kojima's masterwork Metal Gear Solid launched on the PlayStation in Japan. Featuring cinematic camera angles, full voice acting, immersive fourth-wall-breaking boss fights, and tactical stealth-action gameplay, Metal Gear Solid altered narrative standards in video games and cemented Solid Snake as a global icon.
2000s: Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II Hits GameCube
Console online gaming expanded significantly in early September 2002 when Sonic Team and Sega launched Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II on the Nintendo GameCube. Expanding on the Dreamcast original, this version added offline 4-player split-screen multiplayer, new character classes, rebalanced loot drops, and support for the GameCube Modem and Broadband Adapters—establishing a passionate cult community that remains active today.
2010s: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Redefines Tactical Freedom
Seventeen years after the original MGS redefined 3D stealth, Hideo Kojima delivered his final entry in the franchise with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain on September 1, 2015. Powered by the Fox Engine, the game traded linear corridors for massive open-world environments in Afghanistan and Africa, granting players unprecedented freedom in how they approached missions, recruited personnel, and managed Mother Base.
Out of Sync Gaming Take
I never got to play Track & Field in the arcades, but I do remember when it was released for the NES with the Power Pad. We would cheat by not using our feet, but getting down on the ground and pounding the big buttons on the mat with our fists. What was your secret technique for hitting top speed in Track & Field, or were you too busy grinding levels in Phantasy Star Online and sneaking around Shadow Moses? Drop a comment below and let us know your favorite memories from this week in history!