What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Namco’s Rally-X (1980) is the earliest bonus-round milestone credited in the available record. Guinness World Records credits it with the first video-game bonus round: a flag-collecting challenge in which the player tries to gather as many flags as possible before an opponent catches them.
That achievement mattered because it placed a temporary scoring objective inside the normal arcade loop. Later games borrowed parts of the idea in different ways—separate bonus stages, timed clearing challenges, and ordinary-play items that awarded extra points—so “bonus stage,” “bonus round,” and “bonus points” should not be treated as identical terms.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What counts as a bonus stage?
Arcade history uses several overlapping descriptions for a short section that rewards the player without advancing the ordinary challenge in quite the same way. A bonus round can be a distinct interval between regular rounds, a self-contained stage with a special objective, or a reward opportunity embedded in ordinary play. The distinction matters when discussing which game came first.
For this history, four questions provide a useful test:
#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
- Is the event a distinct round or stage, or is it simply an item or action inside normal play?
- Does the player’s task change, even temporarily?
- Are enemies removed, paused, or still actively dangerous?
- Does the reward come from collecting items, accumulating score, or completing a timed objective?
On those measures, Rally-X is a recognizable bonus-round design: the player still navigates and collects, but a recurring interval changes the danger level and emphasizes scoring. Pac-Man provides bonus points for objects during maze play rather than presenting the same kind of separate round. Super Pac-Man offers an unmistakable timed bonus stage with a different immediate goal.
Guinness World Records makes a specific, attributable claim rather than a universal scholarly definition. Its record entry says: “It’s also the first game to feature a ‘bonus round’, in which the objective is to collect as many flags as possible before an opponent hits you.” That wording supports calling Rally-X the credited first bonus-round game; it does not prove that every historian uses “bonus round,” “bonus stage,” and “intermission” in exactly the same way.
Rally-X: the 1980 milestone
The credited first bonus round
Namco’s Rally-X appeared in 1980. Guinness World Records credits it with the first video-game bonus round, defining the event through its objective: collect flags before an opponent reaches the player. This is a priority claim, not evidence that every earlier scoring feature in every medium used the same terminology.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The game’s ordinary play is a radar-guided maze chase. The player drives through the maze, collects flags, manages fuel, and avoids enemy cars. That framework is important: the bonus interval did not abandon the game’s identity. It reused the same driving-and-collecting language while changing how much immediate pursuit pressure the player faced.
How the flag challenge worked
The Museum of the Game’s description supplies the details that make the historical claim concrete:
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
- Flags are placed in the maze and can be collected for points.
- Flag values increase, making later pickups more valuable.
- A flashing special flag can double the value of the remaining flags after it is collected.
- Every third round functions as a bonus interval in which enemy cars remain still while fuel remains.
- If the player runs out of fuel, the temporary safety ends.
The result is not merely a pile of extra points awarded after a normal round. It is a recognizable change in the play contract. The player performs the familiar collection task, but the principal threat is temporarily constrained. Fuel remains a meaningful limit, so the interval is generous without being unlimited.
Why the mechanic fit the arcade loop
Rally-X demonstrates a compact way to create a reward without building an unrelated minigame. The normal game already teaches players to read a maze, choose routes, monitor radar, and judge risk. The bonus interval asks them to apply those skills to a concentrated scoring problem. Because the cars are stationary while fuel lasts, route planning and efficient collection become more important than evasive driving.
The special flag adds another decision. A player can collect ordinary flags immediately, or seek the flashing flag first to increase the value of what remains. That relationship between route choice and score multiplication gives the interval strategic depth beyond simply driving around until time expires.
How the bonus interval changes play, step by step
- Enter the maze. The player begins with the same basic navigation and fuel concerns that define regular Rally-X play.
- Read the targets. Flags provide the visible scoring objectives, while the radar helps the player understand the maze and the position of hazards.
- Choose a scoring route. Because flag values rise and a flashing special flag can double later values, the order of collection affects the final score.
- Exploit the reduced pursuit. On every third round, enemy cars stay still as long as fuel remains, creating a temporary opportunity to prioritize collection.
- Manage the limit. Running out of fuel removes the safety of the interval, so the player must balance thoroughness against the resource clock.
- Return to the regular rhythm. The scoring opportunity is part of the repeating game loop, not a permanent replacement for the maze chase.
This structure explains why Rally-X is more useful to arcade history than a bare “first” label. It shows the design pattern in operation: preserve a familiar task, reduce or reshape its danger, and make the temporary state legible through a strong scoring incentive.
Early arcade variations after Rally-X
Galaga: an early separate bonus stage
The Museum of the Game identifies Galaga as one of the first games with a bonus stage. That description places Galaga among the early adopters of the format, but it should not replace the Guinness attribution for Rally-X as the first credited bonus round.
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
The historical significance is the widening of the format. A bonus stage could be presented as a clearly marked break from ordinary enemy waves rather than as a quieter version of the existing task. In other words, the arcade vocabulary was becoming more varied: “bonus” could describe a discrete stage as well as a temporary condition inside a regular round.
Pac-Man: bonus points inside the maze
The Museum of Modern Art’s collection entry for Toru Iwatani’s Pac-Man (1980) describes the game as a maze experience in which fruit and other objects can award bonus points. Those objects are rewards inside the ordinary maze sequence. They do not, by themselves, establish a separate bonus stage in the same sense as the Rally-X interval or a dedicated intermission.
This distinction prevents a common historical shortcut. A game can have bonus scoring without having a bonus round. In Pac-Man, the player continues navigating the maze, eating dots, and dealing with ghosts. The fruit changes the score opportunity, but it does not create a wholly separate stage with its own entrance and exit conditions.
Super Pac-Man: a timed full-maze challenge
Super Pac-Man provides a clearer contrast. The Museum of the Game describes an occasional bonus stage in which Pac-Man is automatically “Super” and must eat everything in the maze before the timer ends.
Compared with Rally-X, the emphasis shifts in three ways:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesRank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
- The player’s immediate objective is to clear everything in the maze, not to prioritize a set of flags.
- A powered-up state is built into the stage, rather than being earned as a separate tactical choice during the collection run.
- The defining limit is an explicit timer, whereas Rally-X ties the interval’s safety to fuel.
Both designs turn familiar movement into a concentrated scoring opportunity. They are related, but they are not the same mechanic. Treating every timed or high-scoring section as interchangeable would erase the design differences that made arcade bonus stages useful.
Donkey Kong and the broader move toward varied stages
The Strong National Museum of Play describes Nintendo’s 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong as a title with narrative and varied stage design. That context helps explain the environment in which bonus stages could flourish: arcade games were increasingly presenting a sequence of distinct situations rather than one unchanging field of enemies.
However, the cited account does not establish that Donkey Kong originated, advanced, or directly influenced the bonus-round lineage. Its value here is parallel rather than causal. Varied stages and on-screen narrative show the broader expansion of what an arcade “round” could communicate; they do not turn Donkey Kong into a documented source for the specific bonus-stage idea.
Comparing the early designs
| Game | Year | Bonus format | Player’s task | Hazards and limits | Reward structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rally-X | 1980 | Recurring bonus round; Guinness credits it as the first game with a bonus round | Collect flags in a maze; a flashing special flag can double the value of remaining flags | Enemy cars remain still every third round while fuel lasts; running out of fuel ends the safety | Increasing flag values and score multiplication |
| Galaga | Early arcade period; exact year not stated here | Identified by the Museum of the Game as one of the first games with a bonus stage | Distinct bonus-stage format; the cited description does not specify the complete task here | Not stated in the cited description | Bonus-stage scoring; exact scoring rule not stated here |
| Pac-Man | 1980 | Bonus objects within ordinary maze play, not automatically a separate stage | Continue maze play while collecting fruit and other score-awarding objects | Ordinary maze hazards remain part of play | Objects award bonus points |
| Super Pac-Man | Early arcade period; exact year not stated here | Occasional, distinct timed bonus stage | Eat everything in the maze before the timer ends while automatically “Super” | Explicit timer; the stage’s powered-up state changes the player’s capabilities | Completion of the timed clearing objective |
The comparison shows why “bonus stage” is a family of related solutions rather than a single template. Rally-X changes the pressure around an existing collection task. Pac-Man adds high-value objects without leaving ordinary play. Super Pac-Man turns the maze into a timed clear. Galaga represents the growing use of a discrete bonus-stage format, even where the surviving description does not provide every mechanical detail.
Recommended Free Tools
Why bonus stages became part of arcade history
They rewarded skill without making the main game easier
A bonus interval can give a successful player more points without permanently lowering the difficulty of the regular stages. In Rally-X, the player earns a scoring chance, but fuel still limits how much can be collected. In Super Pac-Man, the player receives a powerful state, but the timer imposes urgency. The reward is therefore visible and immediate while remaining bounded.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
They reused skills players had already learned
The strongest early examples do not require a completely new control system. Maze reading, route selection, movement timing, and target prioritization carry over from regular play. That continuity makes the interval understandable within seconds—the standard demanded by an arcade cabinet—while still making it feel different.
They made score chasing legible
Increasing flag values, a score-doubling special flag, collectible fruit, and a full-maze timer all tell the player what success looks like. A bonus stage is not simply “more points”; it is a short period with a clear scoring rule. That clarity supports replay, because players can compare not only whether they survived but how efficiently they used the opportunity.
They created rhythm in a repeating session
Regular enemies, hazards, and routes can become mentally demanding. A periodic scoring interval changes the tempo without ending the session. Rally-X places the opportunity on every third round, making it part of the expected rhythm. Other games use occasional or separate stages, but the underlying purpose is similar: vary intensity while preserving momentum.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
A concise timeline
- 1980 — Rally-X: Namco’s maze-driving game receives the Guinness World Records attribution for the first video-game bonus round, built around collecting flags before an opponent catches the player.
- 1980 — Pac-Man: Fruit and other objects award bonus points within the ordinary maze, illustrating that bonus scoring does not necessarily require a separate stage.
- Early arcade period — Galaga: The Museum of the Game identifies it as one of the first games with a bonus stage, placing it among the early discrete-stage examples.
- Early arcade period — Super Pac-Man: An occasional timed bonus stage asks the player to clear the maze while automatically “Super.”
- 1981 — Donkey Kong: Varied stages and narrative demonstrate the wider evolution of arcade stage design, without establishing a direct bonus-stage origin.
What the history does—and does not—prove
The strongest defensible conclusion is specific: Guinness World Records credits Rally-X with the first video-game bonus round, and the game’s documented mechanics show an early, coherent example of a temporary scoring interval embedded in an arcade loop.
The evidence does not justify saying that Rally-X invented every form of bonus stage, that Galaga was the first, or that fruit in Pac-Man was a separate stage. Nor does it support a direct claim that Donkey Kong advanced the bonus-round lineage. The historical development is better understood as a set of related experiments: a paused pursuit in Rally-X, early discrete bonus-stage formats such as Galaga, object-based scoring in Pac-Man, and timed powered-up clearing in Super Pac-Man.
Together, those experiments established the bonus stage as a durable arcade design language. A short, clearly signposted change in objective could reward precision, vary the pace, and encourage another play without severing the connection to the main game. That combination is why the bonus round moved from a clever feature in an early maze game into a recognizable part of arcade history.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
