1985 was a little light in gaming for me but it was notable to most of us in the west as the year the NES was test marketed in the U.S. that October (and nationwide in Sept. '86). I was unaware but it can't go unmentioned. Here's everything I remember clearly.
Companies founded - Codemasters and Westwood Studios among others. These two I've noticed in the credits for games I played in the 90s.
Arcade
Paperboy - Who could forget the real bicycle handlebars on the arcade cabinet.
Commando - Inspired by action movies of the times with Chuck Norris, Arnold Swartzenegger and Silvester Stallone. It's an advance over Front Line but in the same top down, vertically scrolling, run-and-gun style.
Gauntlet - This was my main interest of the time. I played this in a four-player version every time I went to the arcade.
Sky Kid - I discovered this side scrolling combat flyer game later on a Capcom collection and really liked it as well as it's Deluxe version. I'd love to find a cabinet to play some time.
PC
Certainly things came out. I guess I could've played Oregon Trail on the Apple IIc but I didn't. Just more Wizardry 1-3.
Home Console
Atari 2600 - Cosmic Commuter by Activision was a game I played in a collection not too long ago and really liked. It's basically space-bussing. You pick up passengers with a space ship and try not to run out of fuel or hit an obstacle. I'm looking for an original cart right now. I think my Atari was gathering dust in the attic this year.
ColecoVision was discontinued this year.
NES - A test release in the U.S.: New York in October (LA in Feb. '86 and nationwide, Sept. '86). But I thought I'd mention launch games Duck Hunt and Super Mario Bros. I didn't have any awareness of the NES's limited release this year or the wide release in the next because I was probably distracted by my last year in High School and beginning college in '86. Also that I got PC in '86 just as the NES launched, the first one I owned myself. But that's for next time.
Board/Card
Advanced Squad Leader - I was aware of this upgrade of '77's Squad Leader but didn't get it. I'd pick it up if I saw it used.
Monopoly 1935 Commemorative Edition - I used to own this. It came in a metal box and had all the original design of the original. It's the best version to own, imo.
Pictionary - I remember this being around the house but I don't remember playing it. It was very popular though.
TV/Film
MacGyver was on TV. I didn't watch it, but it's a constantly running gag to this day showing up the absurdity of the 80s action movie genre (unintentionally so, I believe).
Films I remember clearly out this year were: Breakfast Club, Lost in America (staring comedian Albert Brooks), Ladyhawk, A View to a Kill, Fletch, Back to the Future, Red Sonja, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, Weird Science, Commando (Arnold), Remo Williams (Fred Ward's Remo tries to dodge bullets under the tutelage of Joel Gray's Chiun. So bad it's good), Rocky IV (Stallone/Lundgren), Spies Like Us (Chase/Aykroyd), Brazil (Gilliam), and Ran (Kurosawa).
Bonus
Bike touring. I loved my bike before I could really drive, or had my own car. I went to a summer camp that did bike tours as well as hiking and then I went on a bike tour outside of camp probably this year or the next. First tour was from our New Hampshire camp to Lake Placid, NY. Next one was from NH to Nova Scotia and the last was a tour of Scotland. My bike looked something like this on these tours.
So between these tours, my tennis and baseball playing and cross country at High School, I was pretty physically active these years and weighed 160lb at 6'3". That's pretty darn lean.
Next time it's 1986!
I only saw a Sky Kid cabinet back in the day once. It was at the front area of our local Wal-Mart. Remember when stores used to have arcade games in the front area? Sky Kid didn't last for long so I think I only played it once. Also it had to compete with Super Pac-Man, one of my favorite Pac-games. Super Pac-Man was at the Wal-Mart for a long time, that's how I got so good at it.
My cousins and I loved to play PIctionary or Win, Lose, or Draw when I would visit them in Alabama when we were kids. One day we were playing it inside with a big easel and the grown ups said it was a nice day and to go play outside. So we took the easel and played it outside! I don't think that's what they had in mind!
The first place I saw Super Mario Bros. (and Duck Hunt, too), was in the arcade, not the NES. I thought it was cool, but not enough to make me want to buy a NES right away. I was still happy with my Atari 5200. I think that was part of the crash because I was able to get the 5200 and games real cheap. I know that people say the 5200 is one of the worst consoles, but as a kid I loved it and was happy to have it. The game that actually made me want to get a NES was actually The Legend of Zelda. I was so impressed you could save your game!
I never learned how to ride a bike. Because of my vision disability, I have trouble balancing. Plus with little peripheral vision and little depth perception, it probably wouldn't be very safe anyway.
Super Pac-Man was at Retro Con in their free-play arcade game area. I looked at it closely to figure out which Pac-Man it was.
I'd love to see those SMB and Duck Hunt arcade cabinets, and play them.
The 5200 wasn't bad, it was those controllers. It only lasted a little over a year before they ended production of it. The 7800 came out not until '86. I still want one today. 7800 even more so.
Bikes are dangerous on the roads these days anyways. I keep wanting one, but there's too much traffic.