What softhouse created the "options" menu?

[segarule]

I think that was Sega with Super Thunder Blade in 1988. Something oldest? Other console?

[Flygon]

Do arcade DIP switches count?

[segarule]

I guess that not is a menu start/options but a "mode" settings.

[goldenband]

Are you looking for the words "START" and "OPTIONS" on the title screen, or just any game that has menu-driven customization? Tons of games for Intellivision, ColecoVision, Vectrex, Atari 5200 (and eventually 2600), TI-99/4A, Tandy CoCo, etc. allowed you to select gameplay options from the title screen using your controller.

But usually the order goes title screen > mandatory options screen > gameplay, or title screen > changes all made on title screen > gameplay. Harder to find a game that offers "start playing" and "customize the game on a different screen" as separate, immediately-selectable options on the title screen, but I suspect it existed long before 1988.

[gamevet]

The arcade machine. It asked if you wanted 1 or 2 players.

[Sik]

That's more like the "1 PLAYER" and "2 PLAYERS" choices in the title screen.

But yeah just about every 2nd gen console had options (and showed the current settings on screen before the game started), so I'd say they're at least as old as programmable games themselves. Which game first had a dedicated options screen, no idea, probably some computer game if you look for the modern incarnation, but among Channel F games it was common to show the settings in a dedicated screen before the game started (the "G?" screens are that).

[QuickSciFi]

Some 2600 games have options that can only be switched via... you guessed it: The switches!

[segarule]

Are you looking for the words "START" and "OPTIONS" on the title screen, or just any game that has menu-driven customization?

Option 1 (Start/Options)

The arcade machine. It asked if you wanted 1 or 2 players.

Not is what im looking.

but I suspect it existed long before 1988.

Exactly im wondering...