2017-03-07 Tue

AN Post (Ireland) has issued stamps that bring back wonderful memories for every 80’s and 90’s video game lovers. This block of 4 stamps, worth 272 Euro Cents, issued on 16th October 2014 features four of our most loved computer icons, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario!

Pac-Man, an arcade game created by Toru Iwatani first released in Japan (May 1980) and later in the US (October 1980). One of the highest-grossing video games of all time, having generated more than $2.5 billion in quarters by the 1990s, it is considered a classic and an icon of 1980s popular culture and is still played.

Space Invaders, another arcade video game created by Tomohiro Nishikado released in Japan (1978) and later in the US. One of the earliest shooting games, it was one of the forerunners of modern video gaming and helped expand the video game industry from a novelty to a global industry.

Sonic the Hedgehog, a video game franchise created and produced by Sega centres on a series of speed-based platform games. The first game in the series, released in 1991, was a success and spawned sequels, transforming Sega into a leading video game company. By 2016, the series had sold over 350 million units worldwide. Outside of video games, the franchise has also been spun out into other media, including cartoons, anime, and a long-running comic book series, recognised as the longest running based on a video game by Guinness World Records.

Mario is a fictional character in the Mario video game franchise, owned by Nintendo and created by Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as the company's mascot and the eponymous protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation. The Mario franchise is the best-selling video game franchise of all time. Over 210 million units of the overall Mario series of games have been sold. The franchise has branched into several mediums, including television shows, film, comics, and licensed merchandise.

Isn't this all very interesting? To think of your favourite games on your favourite hobby!