03: The Cute Issue

Four companies -- Taito, Namco, Nintendo and Sega -- created the cutest video games ever made. Through limited technology of the '80s and '90s, they veered away from the stereotypes of gaming and made games that were bright, jolly, and appealed to people of all ages. And most of them were still pretty challenging, making them hardcore at the same time. In this issue, we catalog 24 games in the "Cute Masterclass," analyzing the how and why of their cuteness, and giving some shout-outs to their understudies, as well.