The Best Classic Arcade Games
The best classic arcade games include not only the big, big, BEEG cabinet coin-op arcade games from the crazy 80s, but also many of the best video games of all time. Now played on tiny portable handheld consoles or popular home consoles with wireless controllers and Internet compatibility, modern video games evolved from these classic favorites. The best arcade games are still around today - albeit in updated forms - in game centers and arcades.Â
These are the games that many of us remember pumping quarters into as a child as we vowed to beat that high score in the likes of 80s arcade games like Frogger or Ms. Pac-Man or sought to reach the final castle in arcade games of the 90s like Super Mario Bros.
Many of the classic games here left such a lasting impression from their time in the giant arcade versions that they were later released on smaller platforms like the original Nintendo Entertainment System or remade decades later for platforms like the Nintendo Wii.
Similarly, many top arcade game titles like Paperboy and Donkey Kong spawned sequels or full series of games. Though 1980s arcade games were a far cry from today's games with 3D graphics and graphic violence, these classic games remind us of a simpler time when titles like Pong or Asteroids were enough to entertain us for a few hours. Ah, the good old days!
Vote for the famous arcade games thatÂ
- 11981
- Developer: Namco
- Genres (Video game): Shoot 'em up, Action game, Space combat, Science Fiction
Dive into a galaxy far, far away as a starfighter pilot on a journey to obliterate a horde of alien fleets in Galaga. The gameplay epitomizes "easy to learn, hard to master" as you dodge enemy assaults while launching counterattacks. Blasting its way into popular culture, this gem remains a staple in arcades and continues to inspire modern space shooters.
- 2
- Developer: Capcom
- Genres (Video game): Fighting
Engage in a hand-to-hand combat tournament worldwide in Street Fighter II, which revolutionized and defined the fighting game genre. The gameplay boasts a mix bag of characters and martial art styles, offering gamers strategic variety in their fights. Its cultural impact is unparalleled, setting the stage for an era of competitive gaming and e-sports.
- 3Jan 01 1981
- Developer: Nintendo
- Genres (Video game): Platform game
Help your mesomorphic hero, Jumpman, rescue his girlfriend from the grasp of the nefarious ape, Donkey Kong. The barrel-hopping, ladder-scaling side-scrolling action provides a test of skill and timing. Donkey Kong not only marked the arrival of beloved gaming characters, but stirred the beginning of the platformer genre.
- 4May 22 1980
- Developer: Namco
- Genres (Video game): Maze
Pac-Man is the haunt of an eternally hungry hero on a quest to devour all pellets within a maze while avoiding four ghostly foes. The gameplay is an addictive cycle of outmaneuvering enemies and gobbling up points. Reshaping the gaming landscape, Pac-Man's success spawned countless adaptations, merchandise, and defined 80's gaming culture.
Survival is the name of the game in Frogger where you have to guide your frog safely across the highway and lily-pad filled river. Brimming with 'beat the clock' tension, the gameplay is a frenzy of dodging traffic and leaping logs. Frogger did more than just spring across screens, it lept into a cultural phenomenon, inspiring everything from pop culture references to computer programming constructs.
- 6Jun 01 1978
- Developer: Taito Corporation
- Genres (Video game): Fixed shooter
Space Invaders is a seminal space shooter game where you're humanity's last hope against a descending alien army. Through clever positioning and timely shooting, the player must fend off the relentless alien horde. Its groundbreaking success invigorated the arcade industry and cemented its place as a quintessential video game.
