Retro Video Game Arcade

With Retro Video Game Arcades becoming popular (at least around here), I started thinking about what games I would love to see in an arcade today, or what games I would include if I opened a Retro Arcade.

I decided what I'd most like to see are games that are best played on an actual arcade machine (primarily having to do with how the controls are designed). A lot of retro games play just fine using an emulator like MAME with keyboard/mouse or a controller, but I think with some (such as light-gun games) you really need to play the actual machine to get the full effect.

So I put together a list of all the games I really like, and that either haven't been well emulated or I think playing them on the machine would be a much greater experience.

But then I thought you couldn't have a true Retro Video Game Arcade without at least a few of the classics (Pacman, Galaga, Asteroids, etc). So I started looking into the history of arcade games and came up with the idea of adding a list of classics, groundbreakers, milestones and predecessors of Arcade Video Games that might be found in a separate room or area from the regular favorites.

The "Historic" section goes from the 1960's to 1981. Then I limited the "Favorites" to just the 1980's.

[Click the @ for image/video]


Historic (Chronological)

Periscope (1966) @ @

Grand Prix (1969) @ @

Missile (1969) @ @ @

Jet Rocket (1970) @ @

Computer Space (1971) @ @

Killer Shark (1972) @

Pong (1972) @ @

Astro Race (1973) @ @

Taito Basketball(1974) @

Speed Race (1974) @ @

Interceptor (1975) @

Gun Fight (1975) @ @ @

Death Race (1976) @ @

Fonz (1976) @ @

Night Driver (1976) @ @

Breakout (1976) @

Sea Wolf (1976) @ @

Sprint 2 (1976) @

Starship 1 (1976) @ @

Atari Drag Race (1977) @ @

Space War (1977) @ @

Atari Football (1978) @

Space Invaders (1978) @

Secret Base (1978) @

Asteroids (1979) @

Galaxian (1979) @

Atari Basketball (1979) @ @

Monaco GP (1979) @ @ @

Sheriff (1979) @

Radar Scope (1979) @ @

BattleZone (1980) @ @

Berzerk (1980) @ @

Centipede (1980) @

Pac Man (1980) @ @

Phoenix (1980) @ @

Defender (1980) @ @

Missile Command (1980) @ @

Pleiads (1980) @

Red Baron (1980) @ @

Star Castle (1980) @

Donkey Kong (1981) @

Scramble (1981) @

Galaga (1981) @

Frogger (1981) @

Astro Blaster (1981) @

Venture (1981) @

Gorf (1981) @ @

Ms. Pacman (1981) @

Turbo (1981) @ @


Favorites (Alphabetical)

720 Degrees (1986) @ @

Assault (1988) @ @

Championship Sprint (1986) @ @

Cheyenne (1984) @

Chiller (1986) @ @

Demolition Derby (1984) @

Discs of Tron (1983) @

Dragon's Lair (1983) @ @

Empire Strikes Back (1985) @

Firefox (1984) @ @

Frontline (1982) @

Gladiator (1986) @ @

Great Swordsman (1984) @ @

Gyruss (1983) @ @ @

Hard Drivin' (1989) @

Heavy Barrel (1987) @

Hogan's Alley (1984) @

I, Robot (1983) @ @

Karate Champ (1984) @

M.A.C.H. 3 (1983) @ @

Major Havoc (1983) @ @

Marble Madness (1984) @

Operation Wolf (1987) @ @

Out Run (1986) @ @

Pole Position (1982) @

Punch-out (1984) @

RoadBlasters (1987) @

Rush'n Attack (1985) @ @

S.T.U.N. Runner (1989) @ @

Satan's Hollow (1983) @

Sinistar (1982) @

Speed Buggy (1985) @ @

Spy Hunter (1983) @

Star Wars (1983) @

Super Hang-On (1987) @

Thayer's Quest (1984) @ @ @

Tron (1982) @

Victory Road (1986) @

Xevious (1982) @

Xybots (1987) @ @
.
.
.
.

Those bring back some nice memories


The perfect Arcade I think would have games from "ancient" history to present time. Some from top of my mind:

* Defender - Controls are annoying but the strategy involved was amazing
* Salamander - Timeless classic. Combined horizontal and vertical shoot'em up
* Alien Syndrome - Based of aliens, generally a good platformer type game
* 1942 - Classic shoot'em up. Loved the level where all enemy fighters slowed down to snails pace. Caught me out for sure as I lost all lives on it
* Pole position - Crazy driving
* Star wars - Loved the controls. Good flight "simulator"
* Galaga *Pacman *Phoenix *Donkey Kong - All timeless classics


Some others I've played but forget the names. Maybe I'll look up sometime.


Love the idea of real arcades.

I remember a star wars game where you sat in the cockpit of the x-wing and had to blow up the death star, by flying along the channel and dropping the bomb at exactly the right moment - cant remember its name.

There was also a driving game where you could drive anywhere in the environment that had a loop the loop - cant remember the name of that one either

10p a credit whoop whoop

Thanks for share that! This is a nice list of this games.

moondog said:

I remember a star wars game where you sat in the cockpit of the x-wing and had to blow up the death star, by flying along the channel and dropping the bomb at exactly the right moment - cant remember its name.

Click to expand...

It was called Star wars


Vector based game. There was a stand up version and a sitdown cockpit version as well. Here are some pics of it:






This was one of my favourites. After a few levels teh levels repeated themselves until level 99 (nope I never made it to 99). Not sure what happened after level 99 or maybe i'm mistaken and they just kept repeating forever....

The last death star sequence had random placement of obstacles which could get tricky sometimes...

One true classic which hasn't been mentioned is Super Punch Out





and another with specialized console, Paper Boy

moondog said:

There was also a driving game where you could drive anywhere in the environment that had a loop the loop - cant remember the name of that one either

Click to expand...

Think that was Hard Drivin'.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=h...taJI4H27AbanoBQ&ved=0CEAQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=956

I think it would be doable to 'port controls' for games like Another World and Dragon's Lair... I loved those 20-30 years ago.

Teiwaz Storm said:

I think it would be doable to 'port controls' for games like Another World and Dragon's Lair... I loved those 20-30 years ago.

Click to expand...

Port controls to where?

Dragons Lair was quite original, exciting and superb graphics for it's time. It was horrible to play though as you had to time left, right etc movements spot on in relation to the graphics. Gameplay was basically remembering sequence of movements for replays and for new areas ended up as just trial and error to see which direction worked. So was quite a frustrating game...

Space Ace was also essentially same type of game but different setting and just as frustrating

GeorgeSkywalker said:

Port controls to where?

Click to expand...

'Port controls' to Arcade Station (if you didn't noticed what this thread is all about...).

Dragons Lair was quite original, exciting and superb graphics for it's time. It was horrible to play though as you had to time left, right etc movements spot on in relation to the graphics. Gameplay was basically remembering sequence of movements for replays and for new areas ended up as just trial and error to see which direction worked. So was quite a frustrating game...

Space Ace was also essentially same type of game but different setting and just as frustrating

Click to expand...

Each to his own. For some game was too hard and frustrating, others loved it.
Another World had very similar mechanics.