Summary
The golden age of arcades is generally considered to be the five-year period between 1978 and 1983, when arcades ruled the world and gaming had its first taste of being a mainstream form of entertainment. The games released in arcades during this period are the stuff of legend, with many still holding a special place in gamers' hearts decades later.
These games are foundational to everything that came afterward, and their bright colors, high-pitch sound effects, and simple yet effective gameplay are still what many people think of when they hear the word “video game.” They’re golden for a reason: they’re still as fun to play today as they were back in the late seventies and early eighties.
10Frogger
Hop To The Top (Of The Screen)
This classic game sees you guiding the titular amphibian from the bottom to the top of the screen, all the while dodging cars, hopping on logs, and doing your best to get home in one piece. Frogger’s popularity can be attributed to its bold colors, pick-up-and-play nature, and balanced sense of difficulty.
There’s something so satisfying about timing the hops of your frog to perfectly intersect traffic or bounce from log to log. Frogger even heavily inspired themega-popular mobile gameCrossy Roads, which is proof of the original’s enduring legacy.
9Dragon’s Lair
The Original “It Looks Like A Cartoon” Game
Today, it’s a cliché to describe agame as having a cartoony art style, which is especially surprising as Dragon’s Lair pulled off this feat all the way back in 1983. With cartoon visuals drawn by legendary animator Don Bluth, Dragon’s Lair stood out from every other arcade game back in the day.
Showcasing the futuristic power of the LaserDisc (at least, for its era), Dragon’s Lair lets you play an epic, fantastical adventure that looks just like an animated movie. It was an impressive feat back in the eighties and still looks fantastic over forty years later.
8Dig Dug
An Easy Game To Dig
Dig Dug stood out amongst other arcade games of its era thanks to its unique gameplay concept. While many golden age arcade games had you flying to the stars, Dig Dug sees you mining through the earth as you try to defeat every subterranean enemy on screen.
There are few feelings in gaming as satisfying as perfectly timing a rock fall to crush multiple enemies at once. Equal parts methodical and exhilarating, Dig Dug is a classic of the arcades that are still fun to dig up all these years later.
7Space Invaders
Taking Gaming To The Stars
While no one can really agree on the exact end dates of the golden age of arcade eras, the release of Space Invaders in 1978 is generally regarded as this era’s genesis. The influence of Space Invaders cannot be overstated as it not only popularised the shoot ‘em up genre, but it launched gaming’s position within the entertainment industry into the stratosphere.
The gameplay of Space Invaders is so simple, but that’s why it has remained an enduring classic. It’s so easy to sink hours into this game, trying to beat your high score and save the planet from the invading aliens time and time again.
6Galaga
The Timeless Space Shooter About Blasting Alien Bugs
Galaga takes the basic concept of Space Invaders and turns it up to eleven. Diverse enemy formations and faster-paced gameplay always keep you on your toes, and the Boss Galagas add nuance and strategy to how you tackle each stage.
And who could forget the special bonus stages where you try to shoot down as many of the aliens without them firing back? With smooth controls and memorable visuals, Galaga soars to the top of arcade classics.
5Pac-Man
The Snappy Circle With An Appetite Unlike Any Other
What more is there to say about Pac-Man that hasn’t already been said? The maze-like level design, the unique AI attributed to each ghost, the absolutely iconic visuals and sound effects—each a little stroke of genius that culminate into one of gaming’s most treasured jewels.
Step into any retro arcade, and there will still be people crowded around the Pac-Man cabinet. And every few years, a new Pac-Man game releases, reminding us of what made this concept so strong in the first place.
4Asteroids
Cleaning Up The Debris In Outer Space
In Asteroids, you shoot down the titular space rock while avoiding the scattered debris, racking up more and more points as you progress. You also fight off enemy spaceships, who periodically show up to ruin your asteroid-blasting mission.
While the gameplay of Asteroid is fun—if nothing special—what really made this game stand out was its vector display graphics. Unless you see Asteroids playing on an actual vector monitor, it’s hard to appreciate how vibrant and entrancing each sprite looks—even if they are drawn with just a few basic lines against a black backdrop.
3Star Wars
The Force Was Strong With This Game
Releasing in North America less than three weeks before Return of the Jedi dropped in cinemas, the Star Wars arcade game was a technological marvel that showcased the full magic of vector graphics. The colorful visuals and effects are a feast for the eyes, inspiring the same sense of awe that the movies were famous for.
The gameplay is nothing to sniff at, either. As an on-rails shooter, Star Wars is more than capable of capturing the energy and excitement of engaging in an outer space dogfight. Star Wars will always go down in history as one of thebest movie tie-in gamesever developed.
2Donkey Kong
The Arcade Smash That Everyone Went Ape For
In 1981, a little-known game developer called Nintendo released Donkey Kong into arcades. And the rest, as they say, was history. Climbing up the different stages and navigating the various obstacles in Donkey Kong is a gaming rite of passage that still captures the imagination of players to this day.
It was the introduction of Donkey Kong, Mario (albeit known as Jump Man originally), and the combined design genius of Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi. And while each of them would go on to achieve bigger and better things, there remains something so endearing about the original arcade Donkey Kong.
1Ms. Pac-Man
A Golden Age Arcade Game In Every Sense Of The Word
The best game to come from the golden age of arcades started out life as a fan modification of the original Pac-Man. Eventually, the developers slapped a red bow on the iconic yellow circle, and Ms. Pac-Man was born—a brilliant sequel that expands on the original in nearly every way.
There are more mazes to explore, the enemy AI is more advanced, and the overall experience feels more comprehensive. Ms. Pac-Man displayed a level of sophistication that was far ahead of its time and is still the best game to return to from this storied era of arcades.
