Arcade Games - Round 1d

 

Arcade Games

If you’re a Gen X kid like me, you spent half your childhood (and more than half your allowance) at the local arcade. Can you still hear the sound of the guy shooting out quarters from the thing he wore on his belt? Do you remember setting that quarter on the machine to say “I got next?” Can you still smell that one kid who was eternally parked in front of Dragon’s Lair?

What are the arcade games that you spent the most money on? What were your favorites?  

We’re voting on the greatest arcade game of them all! Get your joysticks ready! Raid your kid’s piggy bank! We’re not leaving this place until we get the high score!

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Round 1

(6) Dragon's Lair v (11) Out Run

Costing stacks of quarters for seconds of play, the appeal of Dragon's Lair was its astonishing LaserDisc animations created by Don Bluth.

Sega's most successful game in the 80's, this driver let you select your own soundtrack as you steered your Ferrari.

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(3) Donkey Kong v (14) Missile Command

This is the game that introduced Mario to the world, jumping barrels and climbing ladders to save Pauline. As a rival to Pac-Man, Donkey Kong established Ninetendo in the US and launched a franchise.  

A true product of the Cold War, this game ended when the player failed to protect the last of six cities, showing an ominous "The End" instead of "Game Over."

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(7) Golden Tee v (10) Mortal Kombat

Ubiquitous in bars, Golden Tee used a track ball to simulate golf. Its eventual networked version spawned tournaments in the 90's.

Its graphic violence was controversial, but Mortal Kombat spawned a massive franchise of games, series, and films.

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(2) Space Invaders v (15) After Burner

Among the most influential games of all time, the success of Space Invaders helped launch an industry. It was the first with saved high scores, and the first with continuous music. 

This game about flying a fighter jet was released in two versions: a standard upright cabinet and a closed deluxe cockpit version.

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