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[Omnipunctual Godot]

I'm trying to figure this out myself. I don't remember seeing levels called "boards" in any of the big gaming magazines back in the day, but I definitely remember calling them that with my friends and brothers (ex., "I can't beat the last board in this game!"). Did anyone else do this? I wonder how we ended up using the term.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

I'm guessing it's because games were seen as an extension of board games back in 'the day. Keep in mind, games were considered toys until Japan started producing hentai games.

 

[VAL0R]

Good question, haha. I also call my controllers "paddles" to this day.

 

[Tarin02543]

Never heard of that term. Then again, I am not in a english speaking country.

 

[_Spr_Drnk]

Just input from the UK here, we never used boards.. Sheets, or levels, can't quite remember what order they came into use.

 

[Gormless Noodle]

Don't remember levels being called boards during the NES era in general, maybe it's something that carried over for some from the Atari era?

 

[Dural]

My wife calls them boards, I've always said levels. Made fun of her the first time she used the term, didn't know what the hell she was talking about.

 

[JonnyMP3]

Never heard boards used for gaming either. UK as well.
I guess with the stage style level design of early arcade games, you could class them as 'boards' I suppose. I.E. Scoreboard.

 

[RoboFu]

They weren’t. Mainly stages or levels.

Boards came from the old arcade and Atari years when games were just static screens that just got harder with different layouts much like playing table top games of the time. You rearranged the “ board “

 

[Bwesh]

I always called them stages. Contra was one of the first games I played so it stuck.

 

[Omnipunctual Godot]

For reference, and for the people saying they weren't called that, I was watching the newest OneyPlays for Fall Guys, and he called the level a "board," which took me back.

 

[NoMoChokeSJ]

I always called them stages. Contra was one of the first games I played so it stuck.

Original Mario Bros were stages as well, if I remember correctly.

 

[loktaiextatus]

Weird.. .I mean... I def heard a lot of random words thrown around back before people were accustomed to the systems but we usually
called them levels, stages or whatever, this is the first Ive heard of Boards. East coast US for reference.

Just like its rare but I heard many people call the system a "deck" and of course a lot of people called the NES carts "tapes" at the time
but yeah board is a new one for me.

 

[Lupin3]

Boards? Never heard of it.

 

[Isa]

Good question, haha. Also also call my controllers "paddles" to this day.

Absolutely Disgusting. J/k my best friend calls them that too, and I regularly chastise him saying that the only thing getting paddled is his ass. Or he should only be paddling his children or wife. LoL.

Seems to be holdover colloquial terminology from oldschool regional vernacular. Practitioners should be excised and shunned.

 

[goldenpp72]

Boards was never really a universal term but more like an accepted one like lives, extra men, 1ups, credits, etc. After so long a dominant term will usually take over.

 

[Romulus]

They weren’t. Mainly stages or levels.

Boards cames from the old arcade and Atari years when games were just static screens that just got harder with different layouts much like playing table top games of the time. You rearranged the “ board “

They apparently were because everyone I knew referred to levels as boards unless maybe ps1 era.

 

[alabtrosMyster]

I always heard of the levels as levels... Where do you live?

 

[Tesseract]

yeah, levels or boards, stages

that transitioned to maps in the 3d era

conquer when you finished the game, there's prolly more

 

[Punished Miku]

I'm trying to figure this out myself. I don't remember seeing levels called "boards" in any of the big gaming magazines back in the day, but I definitely remember calling them that with my friends and brothers (ex., "I can't beat the last board in this game!"). Did anyone else do this? I wonder how we ended up using the term.

Never once heard that term.

 

[Tesseract]

it was the dominant term in the south, i know that much

i don't think it lasted long, def not all the way through the 16bits

 

[MastAndo]

My friends and I used to call them boards as well, OP. I suppose it's a regional thing? I'm guessing it comes from board games.

 

[TLZ]

No never. Always levels or stages here.

But we did call level bosses "Kings". Lol.

 

[Goro Majima]

They weren’t. Mainly stages or levels.

Boards cames from the old arcade and Atari years when games were just static screens that just got harder with different layouts much like playing table top games of the time. You rearranged the “ board “

Yeah it was levels and stages where I grew up in Wisconsin.

I didn't hear "paddle" for the controller until I moved to the South in the 90s.

I'm hearing "boards" for the first time ever in this thread.

 

[TLZ]

a lot of people called the NES carts "tapes" at the time

Yes I remember that one. That's what we called it too.

 

[HitCtrlAltDel]

Never used “board,” but I heard people say it back in the day. It was always “level” or “stage” (somehow based on the game). We did use the word “conquer” for if you completed a game, which I always found weird. Not much anymore though, now it’s just “beat” or “completed.”

 

[Vasto]

We also called them boards. I have no idea why.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Damn you taking it back. I forgot I used to call them boards.

 

[Texas Pride]

I grew up in the 80's and had the first Nintendo and I don't recall this term either. Used the term "stages" a lot though.

 

[moniker]

In Sweden me and my friends called them "tracks" (in Swedish of course).

 

[#Phonepunk#]

i dunno i called them worlds too.

makes sense tho as a reference to old school RPG terminology.

 

[Sethbacca]

I've never heard of levels being called boards and I've been gaming since the mid 80s.

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

Never heard that before and I bought an NES on launch. My friends and I always called them levels (edit: and stages). Is this a locale thing? I grew up in the US, West coast.

 

[idrago01]

yeah i'm not sure and i used the term when i was a kid and probably picked it up from my older brothers

 

[Tiamat2san]

First time I hear the term « board » instead of level or stage.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

For reference, and for the people saying they weren't called that, I was watching the newest OneyPlays for Fall Guys, and he called the level a "board," which took me back.

He is too young to call it that.

 

[Spukc]

Boomer thread?
Boomer thread

 

[ManaByte]

Grew up with a VIC-20 and 2600 before the NES. Never called them boards.

Boomer thread?
Boomer thread

WTF? It's more Gen X than boomer.

 

[Stilton Disco]

Just input from the UK here, we never used boards.. Sheets, or levels, can't quite remember what order they came into use.

Fellow Brit, and can confirm this is the first time I have ever heard anyone use the term 'boards'.

I even recently rewatched a load of old late 80's through to mid 90's British gaming TV shows on YouTube, and would have remembered hearing such an odd term.

 

[I Love Rock 'n' Roll]

Good question, haha. Also also call my controllers "paddles" to this day.

Same here... or joypad.

 

[Esppiral]

We called them "nivel" or "pantalla", guess being from a non English speaking country helped lol..

 

[Omnipunctual Godot]

Just input from the UK here, we never used boards.. Sheets, or levels, can't quite remember what order they came into use.

Sheets? That's a new one on me.

 

[Shadowplay1979]

Yea no i grew up in atari then NES era and never ever heard anyone use the term boards..it was always "get to the next level" or sometimes stage

 

[Aesius]

Boards was never really a universal term but more like an accepted one like lives, extra men, 1ups, credits, etc. After so long a dominant term will usually take over.

Extra man! That one bothered me even as a kid.

 

[Codes 208]

For reference, and for the people saying they weren't called that, I was watching the newest OneyPlays for Fall Guys, and he called the level a "board," which took me back.

In a similar manner, on game grumps Arin calls them levels but Dan calls them boards

I forget which game this came up in, Dan brought a mention that it had something to do with pac-man

 

[Nikana]

Boards was an arcade term wasn't it? Because each level in most games was a single screen and it was an extension of the "arcade board."

 

[Northeastmonk]

Typical American here, but I never called them that. It was stages or levels.

What’s weird is I never referred to the Xbox controller as “the Duke”. It was kinda strange to hear that term years later. It felt like a complaint more than it was something cool.

When I hear board I think the actual board where the chips sit. I think of a Konami, Capcom or another arcade game saying “Next Stage” or “Level Complete”.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

I grew up in Japan and the US and never have heard that term.

 

[Spukc]

Grew up with a VIC-20 and 2600 before the NES. Never called them boards.



WTF? It's more Gen X than boomer.

Ok boomer.

 

[Stilton Disco]

Sheets? That's a new one on me.

I vaguely remember my older brother using the term.

If I had to guess, I'd assume it's from where older systems like the ZX Spectrum or BBC Micro would have simple games printed as code in magazines, so you could program them in yourself at home.