Ah, the ’80s. When you could take a sack of quarters to the arcade and spend hours upon hours with your friends, smashing buttons and high scores alike. In those days, your parents just dropped you off and went about their business while you entertained yourself in front of your favorite game cabinets. It was a simpler time.
Even after home consoles became the new standard, nothing beat the sights and sounds of the arcade. And that’s what we want to talk about today. These are the ten games that come to our mind first when we think back on that era. How many of these classics did you play?
Dragon’s Lair
Dragon’s Lair was released for arcades in 1983 by Cinematronics. Its main attraction was its film-quality cartoon animations. The game used LaserDisc technology, making its graphics vastly superior to other video games. Dragon’s Lair boosted the videogame industry as a whole and was a must-play game in 1983. It was also tough to nail the timing! This thing was a quarter-eating monster.
Joust
Joust is an action game released in arcades in 1982 by Williams Electronics. It wasn’t the first two-player cooperative game, but its effectiveness popularized the concept. Players controlled knights who rode ostriches into battle. Players could make the ostrich fly and ride into enemies by tapping a button. It required careful precision to hit enemies just right and defeat them.
Double Dragon
Double Dragon is a beat ’em up video game released to arcades in 1987 by Technōs Japan. Players controlled a pair of brothers who fought their way through the Black Warriors street gang and henchmen. Double Dragon ushered in the “Golden Age” for the beat ’em up genre. Double Dragon formalized many of the tropes, and you can still see them in new games to this day.
Dig Dug
Dig Dug is a maze videogame developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982. Its unconventional premise made the game both unique and popular. Its tactical and strategic gameplay made Dig Dug addictive and highly replayable. Players control a cute miner character who tunnels underground and fights many types of enemies, blowing them up until they pop.
Frogger
Frogger is a 1981 action arcade game developed by Konami and published by Sega. It’s regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made. Frogger knock-off games are still popular, especially on mobile devices. Although the gameplay is simple, with movement restricted to one direction at a time, it’s exhilarating and addictive. The players control a family of frogs attempting to cross a busy road and an alligator-infested river to return home.
Galaga
Galaga is a fixed shooter arcade game developed and published in 1981 by Namco, and released by Midway. It was among the most successful of the space-themed shooters of the 1980s. Players control a ship at the bottom of the screen, firing to take down the Galaga aliens above. It’s considered one of the best games of the 1980s.
Pac-Man
Pac-Man is a maze action videogame by Namco released in 1980 by Midway. Thanks to its addictive and challenging gameplay, Pac-Man was a cultural phenomenon. It even inspired a hit radio song called “Pac-Man Fever.” It remains one of the best-selling and highest-grossing games of all time. Players control a circular figure with a mouth, chomping their way through a maze, trying to evade four pursuing ghosts.
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong is the game that pioneered platform games. It was released for arcades in 1981 by Nintendo. Its title character is a mighty gorilla called Donkey Kong (who has since gone on to star in their own series of games). Players control Mario as he fights his way up platforms to save his girlfriend, Pauline, from Donkey Kong. Mario, as you are probably aware, was also spun off into an even more successful franchise.
Contra
Contra is a 1986 run-and-gun video game by Konami that was released for arcades in 1986. While side view was a standard for games like this, Contra also featured a pseudo-3D view. Players moved left to right and bottom to top as they blasted an army of incoming bad guys. The game was noteworthy for its weaponry, and its Spread Gun was used in every Contra game that followed.
Ghosts ‘n Goblins
Ghosts ‘n Goblins is a video game platform by Capcom that was released for arcades in 1985. It had incredible graphics for the time. Players must defeat zombies, giants, demons, forest spirits, and other monsters to rescue the princess. The gameplay focuses on near-constant movement, making it fun. Despite its reputation as one of the most difficult, it’s considered one of the greatest video games ever made.
