Best Arcade Games

[EMcWilliams]

I dont have the patience to make a poll, but Im curious as what arcade games OOT thinks were/are the best. I used to go to arcades when I was younger with my cousin and we were just talking about all the fun we used to have.

FYI, personal favorite is probably the X-Men game...spent a lot of my moms hard earned my in that machine.

[captZEEbo1]

it's all about that simpsons arcade game

and some sort of area 51 was sweet with guns and shooting

[samjjones]

Gauntlet

[peterchi]

[ QUOTE ]
Gauntlet

[/ QUOTE ]
I know someone who dropped 17 bucks on this game in one sitting. And I'm pretty sure each play was a quarter for this game.

[peterchi]

I don't know if anything can beat the rave of Street Fighter II when it came out. With the culture of "Winner stays, loser pays," there would always be long lines for this game in the testosterone-filled arcades.

[hobbsmann]

http://www.arcadedepot.com/IMAGES/MsPacMan/MsPac2.jpg

http://www.arcadegames.com/2/classic029.jpg

Pole Position Baby!

[EMcWilliams]

A valid point. SFII was a winner, but I always get a sense of pride whenever I see the X-Men cabinet knowing thatmy cousin and I dropped a shitload into the machine just so we could claim we beat it.

[Los Feliz Slim]

I was a big Karate Champ fan.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

Number One is clearly Ms. Pacman. After that, it's all personal preference. I can never think of all the games I love, but lately, I've been nostalgic for X-Men/Simpsons/TMNT.

I was planning on making a similar thread to this, as I'm planning to build myself a MAME cabinet similar to this (http://www.cybercoma.com/supercade/index.shtml) that'll be able to play whatever the hell game my little heart desires. Thanks a lot, Astroglide - you've officially killed (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=exchange&Number=3898225&S earchpage=1&Main=3887451&Words=mame&topic=&Search= true#Post3898225) what little free time I have.

So far, off the top of my head in about 3 seconds, my MAME cabinet will include:
Ms. Pac Man
Pac Man
Galaga
Donkey Kong
Joust
Tank
TMNT
X-Men
Simpsons
1942
1943
Viper II
Street Fighter (all versions)
Mortal Kombat (all versions)
NBA JAM

Maybe *maybe* a few shooter games
Duck Hunt
Time Cop or similar
One of those sniper games

I probably won't want to pay for a steering wheel, but a wheel+pedals can be added on later if I have the desire for games like Pole Position.


I need to figure out what games I want so I can plan for all the right controls. I'll probably put a bunch of old NES/SNES, etc. games on there as well, provided they'd play well arcade style. There really is no limit. The KLOV (http://www.klov.com/) is a great resource, but when there are 13000+ games listed, that's a lot to sift through.

[Cancer Merchant]

Add Spy Hunter to the list.

[Miggo]

Burgertime.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

I also missed Donkey Kong Jr (among many others).

[dstraff1]

http://www.arcadegamesusa.com/images/daytona_usa_twin.jpg

[_Kevin_]

I'll show my age but Dragon's Lair is my choice.

[CheckRaise]

X-men, Time Crisis

[Duke]

In order of how much money I put into them:

Hard Drivin'
Race Drivin'
Out Run
Ninja Gaiden
Gauntlet II
Mortal Kombat II
Street Fighter II
Afterburner
Final Fight
Galaga
Ms. Pac Man
Operation Wolf

~D

[Macdaddy Warsaw]

Why? I never understood why Dragon's Lair might be fun. The directional pushes just seem like guesswork to me.

Anyway, I've always enjoyed shooting games, and Time Crisis 3 is pretty sweet. Police 911 is always fun, even if you have to look completely stupid playing it.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

Oh yeah, and Q-bert.

[asb165]

For my wedding I got my wife the cocktail table version of Ms. PacMan. The hardest part is finding good seating for it.

[Grisgra]

Robotron
Gauntlet II
SFII

http://img445.imageshack.us/img445/1487/qbert0er.jpg

[_Kevin_]

[ QUOTE ]
Why? I never understood why Dragon's Lair might be fun. The directional pushes just seem like guesswork to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was the first laser disc game and as such had the best graphics at the time. Most of the games at that time were just move and shoot (pacman, tempest, donkey kong, etc.). It also had a story line (not just hit the shoot button). There were patterns in almost all of the scenes you just had to learn to recognize them. I put enough money into this game that I was able to beat it.

I'm sure the modern games are much better but dragon's lair was at the top when I quit playing.

[Eurotrash]

[ QUOTE ]
Mortal Kombat II

[/ QUOTE ]



most of my quarters were paid to this machine

[splashpot]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/byee614/frogger.gif

[WLVRYN]

Patrick -

I'm sure since you are "sciencing rockets" you are much smarter than me for these types of things, but take a look at this web page (http://www.dreamarcades.com/upright/) and let me know what you think. Seems much easier than building one from scratch and wont take away from wifey/p*ker/dog time. Then again, if you really enjoy sciencing rockets, maybe this is cheating.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
Patrick -

I'm sure since you are "sciencing rockets" you are much smarter than me for these types of things, but take a look at this web page (http://www.dreamarcades.com/upright/) and let me know what you think. Seems much easier than building one from scratch and wont take away from wifey/p*ker/dog time. Then again, if you really enjoy sciencing rockets, maybe this is cheating.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, I've seen this stuff (this exact page, even), and it's under consideration. I think I'd like to build my own, though, if it's not *too* much of a PITA. That way, I can have exactly what I want and save some cash while I'm at it, too. Plus, there's nothing wrong with a good project. If I were to go buy one, it'd end up being something more like one of these bad boys (http://www.slikstik.com/arcfeatures.htm) and these run $1600-$1900. I think my wife would kick me in the nuts if I bought a $1600-$1900 video game.

[Slow Play Ray]

http://images.webmagic.com/klov.com/images/10/1053363908.jpg

http://images.webmagic.com/klov.com/images/M/cMortal_Kombat.jpg

http://images.webmagic.com/klov.com/images/H/sHard_Drivin'.jpg

Why the hell won't these images work??? /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[CollinEstes]

Silent Scope 1 & 2, Time Crisis 2, and Cruising USA are my all time top three in that order.

I beat Silent scope 1 with 2 dollars and it was 50 cents a continue. Dam I was on. One of the greatest moments of my life.

[DrNo888]

SF II
Bubble Bobble (beat it with one quarter)
Ghost n Goblins (Still havent beat the last level. Just got the Capcom collection for Xbox and still cant beat last level)
Super Mario Brothers
Donkey Kong (used to get free lunch all the time for high score at a burger joint, and we didnt we pay to play. Used the slurpee straw trick)
Golden Tee
Galaga
Gyruss
Samurai Showdown
King of Fighters

[pudley4]

http://sportsmedia.ign.com/sports/image/article/552/552816/the-highlight-top-25-sports-games-part-2-20041001011708571.jpg

[JinX11]

How the hell is Kung Fu not part of this list, yet?!?

Hey guys, if anyone needs help with this cabinet business, I built them for a few rich game nerds (like me, but Im not rich) in college, so I know em inside and out... plus, why not just put like 10,000 games in it, and I'll show you how to put only the ones you love on a favorites list, that way if you ever get sick of em, check out the other ones.

I didnt read every post, but if Metal Slug isnt on there, I might have to pwn some noobs.

[xadrez]

I was always partial to Ring King, Narc, and Shinobi

[DrNo888]

Which one?

Kung Fu Master
Yie Ar Kung Fu

[Go Blue]

[ QUOTE ]
A valid point. SFII was a winner, but I always get a sense of pride whenever I see the X-Men cabinet knowing thatmy cousin and I dropped a shitload into the machine just so we could claim we beat it.

[/ QUOTE ]

The question is, who is the best character is this game? I say Nightcrawler, and it's not even close. His jump+kick was the best and his mutant power is unmatched since it covers most of the screen.

[Stellastarr]

This...

http://images.webmagic.com/klov.com/images/S/cStar_Wars.jpg

[evil_twin]

This is turning out to be a bit of a "what era were you playing a lot of arcade games in" question rather than an objective best arcade games question.

Since I'm old(er), I'd have to say Defender, Stargate, Robotron, Joust and Sinstar (Williams really knew how to make the good games). Pac-man and Donkey Kong were pretty damn good as well.

Later on Gauntlet and Street Fighter (2 turbo was my flavour of choice).

I just got a mobile phone with a totally perfect version of Gauntlet on it and have been enjoying it immensly. I'm hoping to talk a friend or two into getting the same phone since it allows up to four players wirelessly. It's the Sony-Ericsson W550i for those who will buy a phone just for the Gauntlet held within /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[MonkeeMan]

old school

http://hiperactivo.com/escritos/videojuegos/supermonkey/pong.gif

[EverettKings]

You know it

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/reviews/920738_20040820_screen017.jpg

[evil_twin]

Actually I forgot about a couple that I got badly addicted to while a 17-18 year old, lunchtime at the bowling alley.

http://www.vgfreak.com/images/screens/shinobi.png

And
http://roger.trideja.com/arcade/images/goldenaxe-ss1.gif

Awesome.

[JinX11]

Kung Fu Master.

[Nick-Zack]

My junior year in High School was the year that Defender came out. One friend and I went to Kroger and played this game every day for at least 3 hours. Before we quit it would only take one quarter and we would just switch playing every 20 minutes or so. When we were ready to quit we would pick the nearest little kid and let him take over. Good Times.

[Malachii]

Soul Calibur, the only arcade game that I didn't suck balls at.

My favorite arcade video game: Galaga (NBA Jam second)
Favorite pinball game: Monopoly (Star Trek TNG second)
Favorite ticket-giver game: Skee-ball

Anybody remember?
- Arch Rivals
- Ikari Warriors
- Smash TV
- Commando
- Super High Impact
*EDIT*
- Dig Dug
- Tempest
- vs. Golf
- Cyberball

ScottieK

[tonypaladino]

I spent much of my adolecence in front of the Street Fighter 2 game at the old Brooklyn Eggcream.

Plus Cruisin World rocks, as does crazy taxi.

[Cancer Merchant]

[ QUOTE ]

- Smash TV


[/ QUOTE ]

I Love It!

Man, I dont know how you could have beaten this in the arcade without twenty bucks of quarters, minimum. The SNES version with the many-lives cheat provided many drunken hours of fun in college, in between Mario Kart / Kar 64 marathons.

[Vavavoom]

[ QUOTE ]
You know it

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/reviews/920738_20040820_screen017.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

This thread just got pwned !

[Dominic]

Asteroids. By far.

[EMcWilliams]

Colossus all the way...and its not even close

http://www.mikesarcade.com/wiretap/images/mFirefox.jpg

When this game first came out, I thought it was the end all, be all of video games.

It was revolutionary at the time for a laser disc game.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Patrick -

I'm sure since you are "sciencing rockets" you are much smarter than me for these types of things, but take a look at this web page (http://www.dreamarcades.com/upright/) and let me know what you think. Seems much easier than building one from scratch and wont take away from wifey/p*ker/dog time. Then again, if you really enjoy sciencing rockets, maybe this is cheating.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, I've seen this stuff (this exact page, even), and it's under consideration. I think I'd like to build my own, though, if it's not *too* much of a PITA. That way, I can have exactly what I want and save some cash while I'm at it, too. Plus, there's nothing wrong with a good project. If I were to go buy one, it'd end up being something more like one of these bad boys (http://www.slikstik.com/arcfeatures.htm) and these run $1600-$1900. I think my wife would kick me in the nuts if I bought a $1600-$1900 video game.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have built 4 of these MAME machines, 2 stand-up and 2 cocktail versions. The cocktail versions are more "wife-friendly", but the ones referred to in the previous post are really junk, very flimsy built like a shelf unit you buy at Target with a flimsy, smoke-tinted plastic top-glass. If you have the skills, cutting your own is the way to go. The 2 cocktails I did used the original dimensions from the Ms. Pacman cocktails, very nice. Stand-up, though, is the only way to go for range of controls. In both of mine I bought an existing game off Ebay locally and converted it by building my own control panel (both times I modeled them after the SlikStik CO2 layout), using the Ultimarc electronics to make the PC play throught the arcade monitor. Definitely THE BEST way to go, short of buying everything new for almost $3000... I spent about $1200 on these, buying the working games (one was a Virtua Fighter, the other was TMNT) and making my own control panel.

And to answer the original question: Robotron is my hands-down favorite game, I play it regularly even today. Donkey Kong and Pac Man deserve honorable mentions, though, since my school pictures from 1981 and 1982 show me wearing shirts featuring the characters from both these games.

Arkanoid and Raiden II

Golden Axe!

http://www.vgfreak.com/images/screens/ga-1.gif

T-Mek

http://www.saunalahti.fi/~werzu/automaat/T-Mek.jpg

If you've played it. You know.

[eviljeff]

Super Off Road

I remember having the most intense hatred of my life directed toward the gray truck. I also remember thinking the bikini girls were the hottest things in existence.

2 friends and I recently found this in a nickel arcade. over the course of 2-3 hours we maxed out everything and pwned the [censored] out of it. my buddy had ~99 nitros and tried to use them in one round. his truck went off the screen and the game froze.

[Reef]

Turtles..

This is a top 5 of all time winner in my book

http://roger.trideja.com/arcade/images/galaga-ss1.gif

[DrNo888]

I played this a few times on Xbox.
Dont think I've ever beat it with less han 40 continues.

[JonPKibble]

http://www.ataritimes.com/arcade/images/tetris2.gif

[rory]

Does pinball count?

If so, The Twilight Zone and the Addams Family are fantastic games.

[gmrankin]

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/2046/kiismap.gif

worked at a putt putt one summer back in the day... we use to get off work and make our way around town kicking a little KI butt

Street Fighter 2 Turbo. This game started my love of video games and build an insane level of competetion in me.

[ QUOTE ]
Does pinball count?

If so, The Twilight Zone and the Addams Family are fantastic games.

[/ QUOTE ]
Always been fond of this machine. (http://www.premier-md.com/pin_bigguns.asp)

Never played Twilight Zone but that sounds cool.

[Ringo_Mojo]

Oh Street Fighter II, that game brings back memories of some of my worst moments in video gaming.

I didn't play SF2 when it came out because there was always a line to play, so a few years later i found a machine at an arcade and decided to give it a try. I played single player for awhile and was getting horribly beaten. Every once in awhile a guy would come up and start a two player game and kick my ass, but i would watch him play and learn a few moves. After awhile i was getting better and was able to beat a few computer opponents, but anybody who came up would beat me at two-player.
So after an hour or so this kid in a wheelchair rolls up puts a quarter in the machine, and ONE HAND up on the controler (i think he had MS or something). I think to myself "i can beat the cripple kid" and he DESTROYS me using one hand on the stick and the two buttons closest to it. I gave up on Street Fighter after that.

Years later i'm at a nickle arcade and there's a Mortal Combat machine there, since its only a nickle a game i decide to give it a try. Same as street fighter i keep getting killed by any random yahoo who challenges me but i start to learn some moves. Eventually this kid starts up a game with me. He's gotta be like four years old, he's barely tall enough to see over the control console, and he's standing on his tip-toes to reach the buttons. Again i think "i can beat the munchkin" and again i am saddly mistaken, I stood dumbfounded as this kid made me his bitch. He made moves that I'd never seen, there were character's i'd never seen before all over the place, and in the end he ripped my heart out and threw me down a well where evil monsters breakdanced on my broken corpse.

After that I gave up on fighting games all together.

[MasterShakes]

Some real classics listed here.

There is one that I didn't see (may have missed it).

WrestleFest.

This was a WWF game with a pretty wide variety of wrestlers. It was extremely rare to see the WWF do well with an arcade game, but they did great here. I was in a bowling league every week while I was in junior high, and they had this in the arcade at the alley. We'd play it every single week. It was, to some extent, a button mashing game, but it was so much fun.

[coopersmydog]

Mortal Kombat II
Virtua Tennis

SNES - Baseball Stars

[bad beetz]

GOOD

River City Ransom
Alien Versus Predator
Gem Fighters
Party Poker
Street Fight Alpha
Gauntlet
Gauntlet Legends
Missle Commmand
Soul Calibur

BAD

War Gods
Marvel Vs. CAPCOM
Tekken

[2+2 wannabe]

[ QUOTE ]
WrestleFest.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
I was in a bowling league every week while I was in junior high, and they had this in the arcade at the alley. We'd play it every single week. It was, to some extent, a button mashing game, but it was so much fun.

[/ QUOTE ]

this game rocked

weirdly enough - the only place I've ever played it is in a bowling alley as well

[ QUOTE ]
GOOD

River City Ransom = on NES, not Arcade
Alien Versus Predator
Gem Fighters
Party Poker = Oh yeah, thats an arcade game
Street Fight Alpha = Awful
Gauntlet
Gauntlet Legends = Nice Pick!
Missle Commmand = Only played it because it was on T2... great game
Soul Calibur = Soooo hard

BAD

War Gods
Marvel Vs. CAPCOM = WRONG!!
Tekken

[/ QUOTE ]

[siccjay]

[ QUOTE ]
You know it

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2004/reviews/920738_20040820_screen017.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]


I cant believe it took so long to mention this game in this thread. I really thought I was gonna have to bust it out.

[Skipbidder]

Gauntlet
Joust
Jungle King/Hunt
Karate Champ
Gorf--You cannot defeat my Gorfian empire!
Marble Madness
Black Knight (gotta cheat one pinball game in--this is the one that currently comes to mind)

[J-Lo]

If you know new school, then Megat Slug X and Dodonpachi: Dai Oouj win hands down...

My friend reminded me today, in homage to the new King Kong movie.

Rampage. Monsters smashing buildings, getting shocked by toasters, and eating people. What could be better.

ScottieK