These days when console and PC games dominate, good old arcade cabinets seem like ancient history. However, many of us still love to play those simple but also extremely fun games. Despite rudimental graphics, these games usually require a lot of concentration and the fact that, unlike modern video games, they won’t take too much time is one of the main reasons for their popularity. Therefore, here is a shortlist of some of the top arcade games you should definitely try.
Top 2
Pong
Pong is one of the first arcade games ever. It appeared in 1972 and it is a super-basic table tennis simulation. These days, there are thousands of new versions of this game, characterized by nicer graphics. Still, the point of the game remains the same.
Space Invaders
Atari has Pong, Taito has Space Invaders. These are arguably the two most legendary arcade games from the ’70s and some of the greatest video games of all time. This is a Star Wars-inspired fixed shooter game. Just like the Pong, it has tons of modernized versions but nothing beats the original.
More Arcade games
Pac-Man
Another classic. Pac-Man was introduced in the early ‘80s and it hasn’t changed too much since then. It is a pretty basic maze arcade game. It is a super-playable, non-violent game, a real all-time classic. Actually, a lot of the New Zealand legal casinos have started to adapt the theme of Pac-Man. This is a great measure of success as the casino industry is a great adaptor.
Mario Bros
The Italian-American plumber and his brother Luigi have to deal with all kinds of creatures that are coming from sewers. The successor, Super Mario Bros gained popularity on Super Nintendo, but it is available as Arcade game as well. Both games are amazing.
Dragon’s Lair
Dragon’s Lair is legendary for many reasons, starting from beautiful graphics and the use of laserdisc technology for the first time. Animations were made by Don Bluth, the legendary Disney animator. The gameplay is pretty simple. It is probably the first game that features a so-called quick time even layout. You need to react to on-screen button prompts, which will trigger success or failure animations. The story is amazing as well. It is one of these games that really gives you a skill of reflexes.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
In the late ‘80s, Konami was an absolute leader in the world of arcade games and this spin-off of the legendary cartoon is one of the company’s finest works. Impressive gameplay, great graphics and overall entertainment factor are some of the reasons why we like this game so much.
Street Fighter II
The game is important for so many reasons. Not only that we are talking about one of the best fighting games of all time, but Street Fighter II practically resurrected arcade games in the early 1990s. Moreover, it popularized fighting competitive games, which will become by far the most popular arcade genre of the decade.
Tekken
The original game of this franchise was introduced in 1994. Since then, we have seen numerous sequels and all of them are amazing. The original title featured only eight characters but expansion started already with the PlayStation version. Arguably one of the most amazing fighting games of all time.
Golden Axe
The original Golden Axe was released in 1989 and it is one of the most amazing beat ‘em up games of all time. A high fantasy, Connan the Barbarian-like medieval world and amazing atmosphere are enough reason to try this game.
Mortal Combat
Along with Tekken, Mortal Combat is the most famous franchise among fighting games. Compared to rivals, it stands out for a huge amount of added violence, so it’s no wonder it was banned in many countries around the world.