Funny Animals Installation Quizzes

EntertainmentDEC 7, 2021

110 Of Probably The Best Arcade Games Ever

Saimonas Lukošius, Justė Kairytė - Barkauskienė and Damanjeet Sethi

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It’s all in the good old arcade game’s name, a historical piece of technology, the grandpa to today’s entertainment, and the inspiration for many mobile phone games.

Though there probably aren’t many of us who got to play these classic video games in their original form, a coin-operated or token-operated cabinet, we can still appreciate their legacy.

That’s why we’re dedicating a comprehensive roster listing all of the best arcade games! For some, it will be quite a nostalgic scroll through some of the best games; for others, it will be a chance to learn about video game history and maybe try some of these old-school distractions yourself.

From Donkey Kong to OutRun, we’ve rounded up the most successful, influential, and iconic old arcade games. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll find an original cabinet designed to play these games, but no worries – they are available online.

You can even find some of the best Apple Arcade games on iOS. Just be careful, as the main ingredient to such a game’s success was making it addictive, so you might find yourself unwillingly submerged into the world of retro arcade games.

If you enjoy gaming nostalgia, you might also like our growing collection of NYT Games strategies and solutions, where we cover daily hints for Wordle, Connections, Strands, and more.

But, enough talk! Just scroll down below, check out the arcade games list, read the descriptions, and pick your amusement of the hour.

Remember, it’s entirely up to you to upvote your favorites so they rank higher. Don’t forget to share this article with your fun-loving friends.

#1 Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong

Released: 1981
Created by: Nintendo

Donkey Kong follows an ape named Donkey Kong and his clan of other apes and monkeys on various adventures. The original game of the series is set in an industrial construction site, and besides introducing us to the now-iconic ape, it’s also where the future megastar Mario appears for the first time. Donkey Kong enjoyed great success among fans and critics and is considered one of the best video game characters. It turned into a full-on video game series with plenty of spin-offs, a television show, and a film dedicated to the charming ape.

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62points

#2 Pac-Man

Pac-Man

Released: 1980
Created by: Namco

Pac-Man is definitely the most famous arcade game ever. However, if you genuinely cannot put your finger on what Pac-Man is, let us remind you! It’s a maze game where you operate a yellow puck-shaped entity that has to eat all the yellow dots present in the maze before it gets gobbled up by freely floating ghosts. Simple enough, addictive much!

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56points

#3 Space Invaders

Space Invaders

Released: 1978
Created by: Taito

Space Invaders is a fixed shooter arcade game where the player has to defeat descending aliens with a laser beam. It’s simplicity at its best – the game is so addictive and, quite frankly, hypnotic that it became an immediate success. To this day, Space Invaders is the highest-grossing video game of all time! This game also marked the golden age of the arcade and became a true pop culture icon. Even its tiny pixelated aliens are often used to represent video games as a whole to this day.

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55points

What is the Most Liked Arcade Game?

One old arcade game that has consistently garnered widespread acclaim and popularity is Pac-Man. Created by Toru Iwatani and released by Namco in 1980, Pac-Man still remains a cultural phenomenon.

Pac-Man has simple yet addictive gameplay, combined with iconic characters and catchy music; what’s not to like? The yellow, pizza-shaped character navigating mazes while eating pellets and avoiding ghosts has captured the hearts of both casual and avid gamers.

There are several more notable names: Donkey Kong, Street Fighter, Contra, Mario Bros; the list goes on.

So, what makes these games so iconic? We talked to Gediminas Tarasevičius from the Lithuanian Game Developers’ Association (Lietuvos Žaidimų Kūrėjų Asociacija), who answered our questions on old arcade games.

Here’s what Gediminas thinks makes a game timeless: “For a game to become unique, iconic, and timeless, the mechanics used for its developments have to be genuinely engaging, paired together with impeccable audiovisual qualities and technological means.” It turns out it’s not that simple, right? And here we thought…

We were super curious to find out which would be the favorite video games of a professional developer. Gediminas’ choices: “If we’re talking about big video games, then it’s definitely Deus Ex, and if it’s arcade games, then 1982 River Raid.”

#4 Galaga

Galaga

Released: 1981
Created by: Namco

In Galaga, the player controls a lonesome starship with the objective of defeating the enemy vessels and random aliens falling down the screen. Being hit by either the aliens or their laser projectiles will cost the player a life, so you have to be quick with your reflexes to beat the levels. A seemingly simple yet entertaining and immersive shooter!

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51points

#5 Ms. Pac-Man

Ms. Pac-Man

Released: 1982
Created by: GCC

An unauthorized sequel to the original, Ms. Pac-Man follows the same premise – a yellow puck-shaped being (this time with a red bow), eating pellets in a maze while trying to evade ghosts. Ms. Pac-Man saw improvements compared to its 1980 predecessor and was praised for its gameplay and choosing a female protagonist.

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50points

#6 Asteroids

Asteroids

Released: 1979
Created by: Atari

Asteroids is a shooter arcade game where you can move your spaceship left and right, and propel it, which definitely helps in shooting up asteroids and occasional saucers floating around you. Asteroids quickly became one of the favorites of arcade players, so much so that the operators of amusement halls had to affix larger boxes to hold the coins spent by players. It was, after all, one of the first games where you could move your shooter, and the novelty of that played a big part in its success.

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49points

What is the Oldest Video Arcade Game?

Video gaming is a $250 billion market today. However, it all began in 1908 with a humble arcade game called SkeeBall that combined bowling and basketball. Then came PinBall in the 1930s with its digital displays that made the game even more interactive.

The first video arcade game was Spacewar!, designed by MIT students in the 70s. The game pitted two warring spaceships against each other, where players had to shoot and destroy the opponent.

#7 Street Fighter II

Street Fighter II

Released: 1991
Created by: Capcom

A sequel to the original 1987 competitive fighting game Street Fighter, this 1991 installment saw many improvements. Now, you could end your opponents with combo moves, play with a six-button configuration, and choose from a wider array of playable characters, each with its own unique fighting style. Street Fighter II is regarded as one of the best arcade games of all time. Not only has it impacted competitive video gaming, but it has also become a staple in our popular culture.

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48points

#8 Frogger

Frogger

Released: 1981
Created by: Konami

In Frogger, you get to guide a tiny green frog on his way to safety. First, there’s a busy road with cars, trucks, and bulldozers speeding by. If you’ve reached the meridian strip, you can wipe your sweaty palms and navigate your froggy through a river next. Hopping from log to log, your frog must survive alligators and turtles to reach its final destination at the top of the screen. What’s even more thrilling, this game was inspired by real-life events! Once, Akira Hashimoto, the designer of this game, spotted a frog on a busy road, trying to evade its fate as roadkill, and immediately thought about turning that amphibian’s quest into an arcade game. Thank you, unnamed froggy, for inspiring one of the greatest video games ever!

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48points

#9 Gauntlet

Gauntlet

Released: 1985
Created by: Atari

Gauntlet is considered to be one of the first multiplayer dungeon crawl arcade games. The game is set within a series of mazes that the players navigate from top to bottom in a quest to find an entry to the next level. There’s also an assortment of special items that increase players’ health and unlock doors. Though initially it was meant to be played by four people, each taking one of the Gauntlet’s characters, it was later re-released as a two-player game. Also, it’s no surprise that the inspiration for Gauntlet and all its fantasy settings and creatures came from the legendary board game Dungeons & Dragons.

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46points

If you are a serious gamer thinking of taking up gaming as a career, Gediminas has some advice for you. “As with anything that you take up—whether it’s a hobby or a profession—a genuine passion for it, high personal motivation, and stubbornness are vital. With that, sooner or later, you are bound to make it happen!” So, start sprucing up your game room to become a professional gamer.

We also heard through the grapevine that Gediminas’ association is responsible for the Lithuanian branch of Global Game Jam. Since it might be that you are hearing about this event for the first time, we’ve asked Gediminas to tell us a bit more about it.

“Global Game Jam is an international event for game developers and enthusiasts where the participants create a video game based on the topic disclosed before the event’s beginning. Before that, the topic is held secret, so it’s really only at the event that the participants will know it. Probably the most fun and challenging part of the event is the time slot given for contestants—48 hours to create a game from scratch. Since it’s a very limited time, the developers have to make up for the lack of it by employing the best of their creativity and thinking of innovative ways to make it happen.”

Doesn’t it sound fun? Visit Global Game Jam’s page if you are interested. You can enter it from anywhere in the world!

We thank Gediminas for his time and his intel on the world of gaming! Now, scroll on down below and check out the rest of the legendary arcade games!

#10 Defender

Defender

Released: 1981
Created by: Williams Electronics

Defender is a horizontally scrolling shooter where the player gets to pilot an elaborate spaceship. Besides navigating said mode of transportation, destroying aliens is also on the roster. Otherwise, all astronauts will be abducted, and the landscape will be destroyed. Though it seems like an easy task to beat, Defender was known to be notoriously tricky. It was common to last 10 seconds for your first play, which either deterred the players or fueled them with rage against the machine. Which, naturally, generated many plays and many coins.

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43points

#11 Dig Dug

Dig Dug

Released: 1982
Created by: Namco

In Dig Dug, you get to operate Dig Dug on his quest to destroy all enemies present on the screen. Those might be the Pookas or the Fygars, the latter of which are green fire-breathing dragons. Interestingly, you aren’t meant to shoot them but rather squash them with rocks or inflate them until they burst. Dig Dug was praised for its entertaining gameplay and layered strategy, making it a commercial and critical success.

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42points

#12 Centipede

Centipede

Released: 1981
Created by: Atari

In Centipede, you get to control a bug blaster with the primary objective of destroying a centipede descending toward you. Though it might take some time to get the hang of its movements and find the best way to get rid of it, it isn’t a particularly hard game; rather one to be enjoyed by any kind of player. Besides the centipede, there are spiders, fleas, scorpions, mushrooms, and all sorts of other forest-themed vermin and obstacles.

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42points

#13 1942

1942

Released: 1984
Created by: Capcom

The main goal of this game is to reach Tokyo and destroy an air fleet. The player gets to pilot the legendary Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft and shoot down enemy planes. 1942 was praised for its excellent graphics, balanced gameplay, and nifty power-ups that made the game all the more exciting.

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41points

#14 Double Dragon

Double Dragon

Released: 1987
Created by: Technos Japan

You can take up one of the characters, Jimmy or Billy Lee, and fight your way into a gang turf. The game moves in a belt scroll format; the ever-changing scenery definitely adds up to the excitement. Besides regular punches, you can make your character perform combo moves or pick up various melee weapons (some of which are pretty unusual) from enemies and make them taste their own medicine.

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38points

#15 Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat

Released: 1992
Created by: Midway

The game offers a plentiful roster of characters to choose from and take to a martial arts combat ground. The game employed such realistic graphics and gory finishing movies – Fatalities – that it soon sparked controversy, and a bill was passed requiring video games to be rated, the same as with movies. The initial Mortal Kombat game was so wildly successful that it spawned a behemoth media franchise that’s alive and well to this day.

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38points

#16 Mario Bros

Mario Bros

Released: 1983
Created by: Nintendo

Nowhere else does being a plumber sound as exciting and as gratifying as in the Mario Bros arcade game. The game became such a staple of our pop culture that even its original musical score became a meme, a fuel for balalaika renditions, and acapella songs meowed by cats. You can’t even go to the street wearing red overalls without being called Mario! And if that isn’t a sign of a legendary game, we don’t know what is.

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38points

#17 Joust

Joust

Released: 1982
Created by: Williams Electronics

It popularized the concept of two-player cooperative games. Here, one player gets to be a knight riding a flying ostrich, the other – a stork. The objective is to joust the enemies off the buzzards they’re flying on; whoever’s lance is in a higher position upon collision is the winner. However, that still doesn’t mean you got rid of the enemy! Once jousted off, the foes turn into eggs that the players have to collect. If they fail to do so, the egg hatches and respawns as the attacker once more. Joust’s original concept, quirky designs, and playability made it into a wildly successful game at the time.

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36points

#18 Contra

Contra

Released: 1986
Created by: Nintendo

Contra employs a variety of screen perspectives, like the standard side view, a pseudo-3D view, and a fixed screen format. Though you can play it alone, it also allows for two gamers to play simultaneously. One of you will be a blond-haired commando Bill; the other is a quintessentially shirtless Lance. There’s loads of shooting and destruction in Contra, and these thrills (together with neat graphics) made this shooter game legendary.

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34points

#19 Rampage

Rampage

Released: 1986
Created by: Midway

In Rampage, up to three simultaneous players get turned into monsters. The trio of monsters – a King-Kong-like gorilla, a Ymir-like reptile, and a gigantic biped wolf - then have to destroy all the buildings of a high-rise city they are in, eat the people, knock down helicopters, and squash any vehicles. The game’s thrilling fun even made it into a feature movie, starring Dwayne Johnson!

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33points

#20 Spy Hunter

Spy Hunter

Released: 1983
Created by: Midway

In this old arcade game, you get to drive down the roads in a technologically superb car equipped with various weapons. Of course, driving isn’t the only thing that you do here; you also get to destroy enemy vehicles. What’s more fun is that the original arcade booths for Spy Hunter had an actual wheel, a futuristic yoke with special buttons, and even a two-position stick shift. Neither the road, the enemies, nor the game itself has an end – you can drive for as long as you want (or until your coins end).

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32points

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