| 100% | JOYSTICK | 8 | First game with this controller was Sega Missile |
| 40% | HALFLIFE | 8 | Valve's first game was this first-person shooter |
| 37% | OLYMPIC | 7 | The first modern one of these games was in Greece |
| 36% | DART | 4 | Game with this thing |
| 35% | MARIO | 5 | First video game character to be honored with a figure in the Hollywood Wax Museum |
| 34% | TIC | 3 | With 40- and 43-Across, game that's been played in each of this puzzle's corners |
| 33% | YEN | 3 | You might buy a Nintendo game with this |
| 32% | ICE | 3 | Something with this is not neat |
| 31% | JUMBOJET | 8 | The Boeing 747 was the first with this nickname |
| 31% | DJHERO | 6 | Video game with a turntable-shaped controller |
| 31% | INASEC | 6 | "Sure, lemme deal with this first, though" |
| 30% | WIIMOTE | 7 | Game controller with a wrist strap |
| 30% | NOOB | 4 | Gamer likely to be slagged first |
| 30% | TOWERS | 6 | These are built in Jenga games |
| 30% | TICTACTOE | 9 | Game with half a dozen winning lines found in this puzzle |
| 30% | DJHERO | 6 | Music video game with a turntable controller (2 wds.) |
| 30% | WIIMOTE | 7 | Game controller with a wrist strap, familiarly |
| 30% | WIIMOTE | 7 | Game controller with point-and-click capability |
| 30% | WII | 3 | Gaming console with a gesture-based controller |
| 30% | DART | 4 | Missile that might be tipped with curare |
| 30% | SHIRE | 5 | This place is absolutely teeming with Hobbits! |
| 30% | STARIN | 6 | Be on a first-name basis with? |
| 30% | POOLCUES | 8 | Game sticks that are treated with chalk |
| 30% | OFFSEASON | 9 | This is no time for playing games |
| 30% | ALES | 4 | These are often drawn with big heads |
| 30% | THATWASNTON | 11 | With 70-Down, "Never would've predicted this scenario," and what can be said about the first word of the answer to each starred clue? |
| 30% | STOPMAKINGSENSE | 15 | No longer be comprehensible ... and, with its first word divided in three parts, a hint to how to read this puzzle's title |
| 30% | OTHELLO | 7 | Game with an annual world championship, first held in Tokyo in 1977 |
| 30% | CHESS | 5 | Game with kings and rooks that is celebrated internationally on July 20th |
| 29% | PINBALL | 7 | This game machine comes with flippers, metal ball |