The first games of legendary developers

You have to get your foot in the door somehow. The biggest names in the gaming industry didn't just wake up one morning to find that their opinions and designs were widely acclaimed and respected. It took work, luck, blood, sweat, tears, blood, tears, sweat, blood, and tears to get to where they are today. And though each may be best known for his or her work on a single game or series, every developer had to start somewhere.

So just where and when did these illustrious careers first begin? We've combed through game credits to track down the first projects of these celebrated auteurs. Mind you, these aren't entire studios--just the big names that you recognize from headlines and interviews. It goes to show that video games are very much a collaborative medium, and the smallest staff member can go on to take the lion's share of credit for multi-million-dollar titles. Without further ado, here are highly praised developers' first recorded contributions to the world of gaming. Try not to laugh.

The first game he ever worked on was: Penguin Adventure (MSX), as assistant director.
He would later go on to: Create and oversee the Metal Gear series.

It is just coincidence that Kojima's first job involved a male penguin, and his claim to fame stars a Solid Snake? Yes. Yes it is.

The first game he ever worked on was: Raid on Bungeling Bay (Commodore 64), doing everything himself besides the later NES and MSX ports.
He would later go on to: Design SimCity and later The Sims, a franchise which has sold more than 150 million units.

Wright so enjoyed building cities in Bungeling Bay's level editor that he decided to make a game out of it, researching urban planning and eventually making SimCity. Essentially, his game designs went from decimating cities in a helicopter to building a metropolis from the ground up.

The first game he ever worked on was: Skyblazer (SNES), as a tester.
He would later go on to: Create such rage-fueled franchises as Twisted Metal and God of War.

And you thought Jaffe's first game was Mickey Mania! On an unrelated note, you should play Skyblazer--it's actually pretty great.

The first game he ever worked on was: Sheriff (arcade), as an artist.
He would later go on to: Change the world by creating such games as Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and many more Nintendo smash hits.

When you're sick of working on cowboy video games, why not transition to sailors? Popeye, to be exact.

The first game he ever worked on was: Timecop (SNES), composing the music and sound.
He would later go on to: Found the studio Quantic Dream and create some very high-concept, cinematics-heavy games.

No wonder Cage's games aspire to be interactive movies--he must've been starstruck by working on a game featuring Jean Claude Van Damme back in 1995. Quite honestly, we can't blame him.

The first game he ever worked on was: Arthur to Astaroth no Nazomakaimura: Incredible Toons (PS1), as a planner.
He would later go on to: Create Devil May Cry and direct games like Resident Evil 2, Okami, Bayonetta, and Viewtiful Joe.

It's a commonly held belief (by the Internet) that Kamiya's first work was on this straightforward puzzler, which was essentially a Japanese port of The Incredible Machine's predecessor with Ghouls n' Ghosts branding. This is despite the fact that Resident Evil 2 released a few months prior.

The first game he ever worked on was: Tecmo Super Bowl 2: Special Edition (Genesis, SNES).
He would later go on to: Create the Dead or Alive franchise and head Team Ninja for the revival of the Ninja Gaiden series.

So far as we can tell, there are no known instances of ridiculous breast physics in this 16-bit gridiron game. This may seem shocking, given Itagaki's later works, but there you go.

The first game he ever worked on was: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Action Game (DOS), as a tester.
He would later go on to: Become royalty of the adventure games genre, designing such classics as The Secret of Monkey Island, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, and Psychonauts.

We're guessing that being forced to test a platformer this crappy would make every other genre seem 100 times better. Thank goodness Schafer gravitated towards adventure games instead.

The first game she ever worked on was: EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus (DOS), as a writer and game designer.
She would later go on to: Work on the Police Quest and King's Quest series before hitting it big with Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers.

Before penning digital murder mysteries, Jensen got her start on some good ol' fashioned edutainment. This particular example features fully voiced sea creatures, so we're immediately onboard.

The first game he ever worked on was: Enemy Zero (Saturn, PC), as an animator.
He would later go on to: Act as director and lead designer on the cult classics Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.

This FMV-heavy game was definitely different--moreso in a "bizarre sci-fi survival horror" kind of way than a "good" way. We much prefer it when Ueda takes the reins.

The first game he ever worked on was: Champion Boxer (arcade), as a designer.
He would later go on to: Head Sega's AM2 team and design landmark properties like Shenmue, Virtua Fighter, Space Harrier, Virtua Cop, and Daytona USA.

The technology didn't exist in 1984, but in a perfect world, every round in this primitive boxing game would kick off with a ROLLLINNG STAAAAAAAAART!

The first game he ever worked on was: Spitfire Ace (Atari), as a designer.
He would later go on to: Become a big enough deal to put his name on all his projects, thanks to the staggering success of games like Pirates!, Civilization, and Railroad Tycoon.

Sure, a World War II dogfighter (with then-impressive first-person flight) seems like a far cry from Meier's most famous works. But is there ever not a good time for shooting Nazi pilots of the sky?

The first game he ever worked on was: Wulfram (PC).
He would later go on to: Make indie game history with the puzzle-platformer Braid.

This concept might've been too ahead of its time: a multiplayer-only, team-based strategy game before that had been established as a thing. Turns out, getting a small studio's online-centric game off the ground was pretty damn challenging back in the '90s.

The first game he ever worked on was: The Death Trap (PC-88), as a producer.
He would later go on to: Become an RPG godfather, creating such seminal games as Chrono Trigger and the Final Fantasy series.

Square's first game was also Sakaguchi's: a portentous adventure game about biological warfare. Sakaguchi also credited himself with the nickname "Goblin," despite not being a green-skinned mischief maker.

The first game he ever worked on was: Medal of Honor: European Assault (PS2, Xbox, GameCube), as an art intern.
He would later go on to: Co-found thatgamecompany to make such games as Journey, Flow, and Flower.

Chen had to depict the horrors of war for the environmental art and level design of European Assault's Russian campaign. But you'd never know it, given that his modern games so closely focus on tranquility and emotion.

The first game he ever worked on was: The Palace of Deceit: The Dragon's Plight (PC), doing the game design and graphics.
He would later go on to: Develop such gloriously violent games as Unreal Tournament and the Gears of War series.

Bleszinski's quite the self-starter, making and publishing this dungeon-crawling adventure all while he was a student. And contrary to popular belief, Jazz Jackrabbit wasn't his first Epic Games project; that honor belongs to the point-and-click Dare to Dream Volume One: In a Darkened Room.

The first game he ever worked on was: Disruptor (PS1), leading the artwork and design.
He would later go on to: Become the CEO of Insomniac Games, and act as a driving force behind series like Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance.

There's a good chance you might've missed this PS1 FPS, despite it being a respectable sci-fi shooter. And for your sake, we're glad you missed the disemboweled teddy bear used to advertise the game in Germany.

The first game he ever worked on was: Street Fighter (arcade), as a graphic designer.
He would later go on to: Become one of Capcom's most influential minds, most famously as the character designer for the Mega Man series and producing the Dead Rising and Onimusha franchises.

Are you a fan of the arrogant Muay Thai kickboxer Adon? You can thank Inafune for that, who created Adon from scratch the same year he first drew our favorite Blue Bomber.

The first game he ever worked on was: Thief: The Dark Project (PC), coming up with the initial design and story concepts.
He would later go on to: Develop such pivotal games as System Shock 2 and BioShock.

OK, Ken Levine may be the only developer who worked on a critically acclaimed masterpiece right out the gate. Still, he had to rough it as a screenwriter before transitioning to games!

The first game he ever worked on was: Capcom Quiz: Hatena? no Daibōken (Game Boy), as game planner.
He would later go on to: Revolutionize the survival horror genre by creating Resident Evil (before doing it all again with RE4), as well as directing cult classics like PN03, God Hand, and Vanquish.

Mikami's first game let you test your knowledge on the go, if that's what you're into. And before he terrified us with the RE series, he made such kid-friendly 16-bit Disney classics as Aladdin and Goof Troop. The man's got range!

The first game he ever worked on was: Space Rogue (Apple II, Commodore 64), providing supplemental writing and role-playing mechanics.
He would later go on to: Define the RPG/FPS hybrid with games like Deus Ex and the original System Shock, and play a large part in the production of the Wing Commander series.

Before getting into video games, Spector wrote about them in Space Gamer magazine and developed his own tabletop RPGs in his free time. If that doesn't get you a job interview, nothing will.

The first game he ever worked on was: The Entrepreneur, but we're going to pretend it was the port of Druid 2: Enlightenment.
He would later go on to: Become the eccentric creative mind behind grand-in-scope games like Fable, Black & White, and Dungeon Keeper.

Molyneux's real first game was a business-sim text adventure that sold a measly two copies, so it's basically impossible for us to show it to you. What we can show you is this Gauntlet rip-off that gave Molyneux the programming chops that he would then utilize in creating his breakout hit, Populous.

The first game he ever worked on was: High Impact Football (arcade), as a programmer and designer.
He would later go on to: Escalate video game violence to glorious new heights when he co-created and shepherded the Mortal Kombat franchise.

This precursor to NFL Blitz pioneered a technique that would later make Boon famous: digitized sprites of real-life actors. Legend has it that the on-field players were modeled after Boon himself.

The first game she ever worked on was: Jeopardy! (browser), as a programmer.
She would later go on to: Produce the first two Assassin's Creed games, as well as The Sims Online, Splinter Cell Blacklist, and the upcoming Watch Dogs.

We'll take programmers-turned-industry-leading-executives for $1000, please.

The first game he ever worked on was: Super Fire Pro Wrestling 3 Final Bout, as director.
He would later go on to: Become CEO of Grasshopper Manufacture and make a name for himself with such wonderfully weird games as Killer7, No More Heroes, Shadows of the Damned, and Lollipop Chainsaw.

As far as we know, there aren't any of Suda51's trademarks, like mind-melting twists or psychedelic action sequences, in this fairly standard Super Famicom wrestler. But what it does have is a 16-bit rendition of Hulk Hogan, which automatically makes it great.

The first game he ever worked on was: Open Season, as a level designer.
He would later go on to: Create Fez and drum up controversy with a single sentence.

We imagine a guy like Phil wasn't feeling so intellectually stimulated by working on a tie-in game for a kid's movie. We highly doubt it involved mind-bending perspective puzzles, anyway.

The first game he ever worked on was: Catacomb, as a programmer and designer.
He would later go on to: Co-found id Software and create Doom.

You know how to get people to remember who made a video game? Slap your byline at the bottom of the ever-present inventory screen.

The first game he ever worked on was: Dodge 'Em, doing all the game design, programming, art, and sound by himself.
He would later go on to: Co-found id software and create Doom.

Something tells us that Dodge 'Em is still a better game than Daikatana. ZING!

The first game he ever worked on was: Pick 'n Pile (Atari 2600), working on graphics and design.
He would later go on to: Create Rayman and conceptualize the majority of his games, as well as craft the cult classic Beyond Good & Evil.

Of this simplistic puzzle game's many ports, the Apple II version is said to be the best. It might not show any hint of Ancel's creative character design, but it's certainly colorful.

The first game he ever worked on was: Car Race II, developing everything himself.
He would later go on to: Join (and become president of) HAL Laboratory, working on games like Kirby's Dream Land, Balloon Fight, and Earthbound. Oh yeah, and he eventually became CEO and president of Nintendo at large.

It's unclear if that "II" is a representation of a road, because it seems there was never a Car Race I. Either way, this project was a clear demonstration of Iwata's programming prowess even during gaming's infancy.

The first game he ever worked on was: The Terminator: Future Shock (DOS), as a producer and supplemental designer.
He would later go on to: Make Bethesda the industry leader of first-person RPGs with his work on The Elder Scrolls series and Fallout 3.

Howard was denied a job at Bethesda twice before his persistence finally got him hired. This Arnold-less FPS was his first project, with 3D-rendered environments that pre-dated Quake.

The first game he ever worked on was: Dragon's Keep (Apple II), doing the programming himself and helping with the writing and graphics.
He would later go on to: Create the humorously pervy Leisure Suit Larry games, as well as kid-friendly fare like Torin's Passage and The Black Cauldron.

Just look at that screenshot. No offense to Lowe's early art skills, but that butt-chinned Garfield wanna-be makes us laugh harder than the entirety of Larry's sex-fueled escapades.

The first game he ever worked on was: The Last Blade (Neo Geo), as a director.
He would later go on to: Direct such beloved, rarely played games as Deadly Premonition and Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return.

When we found out SWERY had worked on this timeless samurai fighting game, our respect for the man soared beyond its already lofty heights. Play The Last Blade and its sequel, and we hope you'll see why.

The first game he ever worked on was: Sküljagger: Revolt of the Westicans (SNES), as an animator.
He would later go on to: Create Earthworm Jim, as well as the Claymation world of The Neverhood (and its Kickstarted spiritual successor Armikrog).

This crazily named pirate platformer had some awesomely insane box art to match the title. Tennapel also worked on such beloved 16-bit licensed games as Jurassic Park and Ren & Stimpy: Stimpy's Invention on Genesis.

The first game he ever worked on was: Conquest of the Crystal Palace (NES), as a planner.
He would later go on to: Set a standard for tactics-based JRPGs with games like Ogre Battle and Final Fantasy Tactics. He also directed the cult classic Vagrant Story.

Matsuno cut his teeth on this charming little platformer, which has backgrounds so detailed as to be confuse the eyes. You may recall seeing the crazy purple ogre from the box art whilst browsing for your next NES rental.

The first game he ever worked on was: Triptych (PC), as the sole artist.
He would later go on to: Become an indie legend by doing the art and design on Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac.

Gish was McMillen's breakout hit, but he got his start with this simplistic puzzle game. It was essentially the precursor to Not Tetris, where the blocks' physics could be manipulated until the playfield was a jumbled mess.

So there you have it--the first games of some of gaming's most renowned names. It's crazy to see how far they've come, and we wonder whether or not they remember their first game fondly. Of course, there are always those whose first work was the biggest claim to fame--people like Randy Pitchford, who got his start on Duke Nukem 3D Atomic Edition, or Toru Iwatani and his debut of Puck-Man (aka Pac-Man). Think we missed your favorite big-name developer? Tell us in the comments and we'll track their first project down!

And if you're looking for more info on famed developers, check out 30 game devs you should know (and how to pretend you do) and Your favourite game developers... before they were famous.