Arcade Games
An arcade game is defined as a coin-operated video game system. Some people refer to arcade games as "coin-ops" due to the use of coins to play. When the first arcade games were released, one play commonly costed $0.25. Many arcade games had large followings, with a notable mention being the Street Fighter series. Surprisingly, arcade games still see some play to this day, however their popularity has largely died off due to the release of home gaming systems.
This article discusses some of the most popular or most notable games of the arcade times (1970-1990), however there are hundreds of other arcade games. Some saw nearly as much success as those listed below, while others were far less popular.
This article discusses some of the most popular or most notable games of the arcade times (1970-1990), however there are hundreds of other arcade games. Some saw nearly as much success as those listed below, while others were far less popular.
First Arcade Game
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In 1971, the first arcade game, known as Computer Space, was released.[1] The game was based of off the 1962 video game Spacewars!. There were two versions of the game released, one for single-player, and the other for two-player. The single player version allowed the player to face off against two UFOs, while the two-player version had the players facing off against each other. Although the game was rather popular, it was outshone by Atari's Pong.
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Pong
In 1972, Atari released Pong, a simple version of tabletop tennis. The game had both single-player and two-player versions, with the single-player version facing off against an AI, with a choice of three difficulties. During the release of the game, the game was so popular that the machine stopped working due to the amount of quarters inserted.[2] However, despite its insane early popularity, it was never one of the top grossing arcade games, perhaps due to its home release a few years later.
An online version of Pong, released by Atari is available in their online arcade.
An online version of Pong, released by Atari is available in their online arcade.
Space Invaders
In 1978, Taito released Space Invaders, an arcade game that quickly became popular in Japan.[2] The goal of Space Invaders was to defend "bases" from the invading aliens, by shooting them with a moving tank/turret the player controlled. According to US Gamer, Space Invaders was the second-highest grossing arcade game of all time.[3]
Pac-Man
In 1980, Namco released the world's most popular arcade game, and arguably the most recognized as well: Pac-Man.[3] The goal of Pac-Man is simple: wander around a 2-D (two-dimensional) maze, and eat all the pellets without touching any of the ghosts. Pac-Man would go on to become the highest-grossing arcade game ever, with over $3,500,000,000 in revenue by the 1990's.[3] The success of the arcade game spawned a sequel, Ms. Pac-Man, along with many other Pac-Man sequels.
Donkey Kong
In 1981, Nintendo released their first arcade game, and the first* of their games starring Mario: Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong was the first of its kind, what is now known as a "platform game," where the player must navigate platforms and obstacles towards a goal of some sort. However, there is a story behind Mario's iconic name, that almost ended differently: Mario was originally known as "Jumpman" and his friend was known as "Lady" (Pauline).[5] When the game was released in America, Nintendo employees changed the name of the characters, believing the original names would not go over well in the US.[3] Arguably, the employees made a great decision, as Mario has gone on to be one of the most popular game series with many installations over the years, with most recent as of this writing being Mario Odyssey (2017).
*Some argue Donkey Kong cannot be cited as the first game featuring "Mario" due to the changing of the name in the US only. |
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Street Fighter
In 1987, the first installation of the Street Fighter series was released to the arcade by Capcom. The goal of the game was to fight one on one against other computer-controlled fighters, however once you lose a fight, it's game over. Although not unique in idea, Street Fighter made up for it with its innovative graphics and game style at the time. Although the game was extremely popular, it was outshone by its sequel released in 1991, Street Fighter II.[3] Street Fighter II is arguably the game that popularized the fighting game genre, coming in at the third highest-grossing arcade game of all time.[3] The series would go on to become one of the highest-grossing video game franchises of all time, raking in over $10 billion in revenue as of 2016.[4]
Top 10 Highest-Grossing Arcade Games
According to US Gamer, the top ten highest-grossing arcade games are as follows:
- Pac-Man, $3,500,000,000
- Space Invaders, $2,702,000,000
- Street Fighter II (Champion Edition), $2,312,000,000
- Ms. Pac-Man, $1,200,000,000
- NBA Jam, $1,100,000,000
- Defender, $1,000,000,000
- Asteroids, $800,000,000
- Mortal Combat II, $600,000,000
- Mortal Combat, $570,000,000
- Donkey Kong, $280,000,000
More Information:
- "Arcade Game" - Wikipedia
- "Timeline of Arcade Games" - Wikipedia
- Arcade Games Today - Polygon
References:
1. "Computer Space." International Arcade Museum. Accessed 17 Feb. 2018.
2. "Video Game History Timeline." National Museum of Play. Accessed 17 Feb. 2018.
3. Rignall, Jaz. "Top 10 Highest-Grossing Arcade Games of All Time." US Gamer. (2016)
4. Leack, Jonathan. "World of Warcraft Leads Industry With Nearly S10 Billion in Revenue." GameRevolution. (2017)
5. "How Donkey Kong and Mario Changed the World." Time Magazine. Accessed 17 Feb. 2018.
2. "Video Game History Timeline." National Museum of Play. Accessed 17 Feb. 2018.
3. Rignall, Jaz. "Top 10 Highest-Grossing Arcade Games of All Time." US Gamer. (2016)
4. Leack, Jonathan. "World of Warcraft Leads Industry With Nearly S10 Billion in Revenue." GameRevolution. (2017)
5. "How Donkey Kong and Mario Changed the World." Time Magazine. Accessed 17 Feb. 2018.