01
December 17, 1987
Mega Man is released in Japan
Capcom introduces Robot Masters, stage select and a hero that will become far larger later.
blue bomber card
Gaming History, One Month at a Time
GTM-1987-12
December 1987
December is astonishing: Mega Man, Final Fantasy and Phantasy Star arrive within days.
Mega ManFinal FantasyPhantasy StarRPGs
Timeline archive
Select a year
1987 month drawer
Installed months are active; empty drawers are held for future exhibits.
Gallery 01
News
Five researched moments, with broad context separated from confident month-level claims.
02
December 18, 1987
Final Fantasy is released in Japan
Square's RPG begins a series that will reshape console RPG expectations.
crystal card
03
December 20, 1987
Phantasy Star arrives on Sega Master System in Japan
Sega answers the RPG boom with science fantasy, first-person dungeons and impressive presentation.
Algol star map
04
December 1987
Japan's RPG race is vivid
Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star and Zelda II show console games becoming deeper and longer.
RPG constellation
05
December 1987
British Christmas remains micro-led
For many UK players, these Japanese landmarks are not yet the games under the tree.
cassette Christmas
Gallery 02
Releases
Eight notable games from the year, led by month-specific anchors where the evidence supports them.
December 17, 1987Famicom/NES
Capcom platformer
Mega Man
Capcom introduces stage select, Robot Masters and a future icon.
December 18, 1987Famicom
RPG series origin
Final Fantasy
Square's RPG begins a series that will later define console role-playing worldwide.
December 20, 1987Master System
Sega RPG landmark
Phantasy Star
Sega's science-fantasy RPG shows the Master System could host epic worlds.
January 14, 1987Famicom Disk System
Zelda sequel
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Nintendo's sequel moves Link into side-scrolling action and RPG-like progression.
January 26, 1987Famicom
console RPG landmark
Dragon Quest II
Enix expands console RPG structure into a larger party and broader quest.
February 20, 1987Arcade
run-and-gun
Contra
Konami's run-and-gun action begins in arcades before becoming a home-console memory.
April 1987Arcade
beat-'em-up landmark
Double Dragon
Technos turns street fighting into a two-player scrolling beat-'em-up template.
June 4, 1987DOS
adult adventure
Leisure Suit Larry
Sierra's adult comedy adventure becomes a strange, talk-about-it computer-shop object.
Gallery 03
Hardware
Four machines or technology contexts that explain the month's place in gaming history.
PC Engine
NEC and Hudson's tiny HuCard console launches in Japan on October 30, opening a new hardware front.
HuCard mediacompact consoleJapan-first launch
NES / Famicom
The Japanese Famicom and Western NES histories are no longer moving in sync.
cartridge consoleFamicom Disk Systemregional libraries
Sega Master System / Mark III
Sega's 8-bit console hosts Phantasy Star in Japan and remains a different proposition by region.
cartridges/cardsMaster SystemJapanese Mark III context
UK 8/16-bit computers
Spectrum, C64, CPC, Amiga and ST define much of the British lived experience.
cassette and disk softwaremulti-format magazinesjoysticks
Gallery 04
Magazine Covers
Period magazine context, using reconstructed placeholders until verified cover scans are available.
October 1987
ACE
Future's multi-format magazine arrives with a more technical, score-led voice. Reconstructed placeholder, not a verified scan.
October-November 1987
The Games Machine
Newsfield brings its Crash/Zzap energy to a broader multi-format audience. Reconstructed placeholder, not a verified scan.
1987
Crash
The Spectrum shelf remains central to UK games culture. Reconstructed placeholder, not a verified scan.
1987
Zzap!64
The Commodore 64 scene keeps its own loud monthly identity. Reconstructed placeholder, not a verified scan.
Gallery 05
Online Life
Before online gaming was ordinary, paper, shops and local conversations carried the culture.
Print is the real network
ACE, The Games Machine, Crash and Zzap!64 move information faster than most players' modems.
BBS and online services remain specialist
A small enthusiast world exists, but ordinary gaming culture is still local and paper-led.
Import knowledge travels slowly
Japanese console releases become rumours, screenshots and tiny news items before they become playable.
The playground is still the feed
Cheats, arcade sightings and which conversion is terrible move by voice first.
Gallery 06
What It Felt Like
A short atmospheric reading of the month as a player might have met it.
01
The map was widening
December 1987 could mean a Japanese console RPG, a Sega arcade cabinet, a UK Spectrum review and a PC adventure all at once.
02
Britain felt format-first
The question was not just what game mattered, but which machine, which conversion and which magazine said so.
03
Arcades still had physical authority
R-Type, After Burner, Street Fighter and Shinobi felt like objects as much as software.
04
The future arrived out of order
Japanese consoles, American PCs and British micros made history in overlapping but unsynchronised timelines.