Arcade games are coin-operated entertainment machines that were popular in stores, and restaurants, but mostly arcades. And the 80s were considered the golden age for arcade games and it’s not hard to see why.
Some of the best arcade games of the 80s grew in popularity due to the addiction of giving it ‘one more try’, and with the growing technology and leaps in visuals, there’s no wonder why kids and adults alike kept going to arcades. Even today, arcade games are still talked about through various media, like the TV show Stranger Things, or other retro trends. Want to explore some of the best arcade games of the 80s? Then check out these top titles.
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Are These Games Still Around?
Arcades started popping up around the late 70s and really grew in popularity thanks to titles like Space Invaders and Pac-Man. But by the time the 80s came around, arcades were considered in their golden era, with games even popping up in restaurants, gas stations, and other stores. Soon after though, home consoles started releasing. The NES and other retro consoles allowed gaming at home.
But what did that mean for some of the best arcade games of the 80s? Thankfully, they’re still around and popular. While the arcade scene is still alive in Japan, the Western world has a shortage. But you can still play the retro games at home, or in the few arcades around the country. It’s actually easier now than ever to find arcade games. Not only can you buy arcade machines to grow a collection, but some software for the computer gives you access to hundreds of titles.
Rarest Arcade Game
Want to start a collection of arcade games? Countless machines cost anywhere from $300 to $3,000 depending on the game, the machine style, and if there’s an option for multiplayer. You can have an arcade in your home with the amount of machines there are. But what about the truly rare arcade machines that are almost impossible to find, if they even still exist? These are the ones you might want for your collection.
One of the best arcade games of the 80s is also one of the most rare arcade machines. The Sinistar Duramold arcade machine was released in 1983 by Williams Electronics and is a strategy, multidirectional shooter game. Sinistar sees the player controlling a long spacecraft flying through a large region of space.
They have to shoot planetoids which release white crystals, which can be turned into weapons to defend themselves. The Duramold is the kind of machine itself, which was made of plastic instead of wood. They were discontinued because the screen was popping out, and production quickly ceased, making them an elusive item for arcade collectors.
Best Arcade Games of the 80s
10. Space Invaders
Space Invaders is a popular title when it comes to the best arcade games of the 80s. The game was released in 1980 and is a shoot ’em-up-style game developed and released by Taito in Japan. It was so popular that it’s considered one of the most influential video games of all time. It was the first fixed shooter and the first video game with endless gameplay, which means that there was no final level of endscreen.
The main goal of Space Invaders is simply to defeat wave after wave of descending aliens with a horizontally moving laser cannon to earn as many points as possible. The game was so big that it received six sequels, and continues to be part of pop culture to this day.
9. Frogger
With so many arcade games focused on shooters, adventure, and hack-and-slash, how is Frogger considered one of the best arcade games of the 80s? Well, the 1981 game developed by Konami, and published by Sega, is one of the most influential games and is one of the best-selling Atari games as well.
Frogger has a simple objective of taking five frogs and directing them to their homes. Players have to dodge traffic on busy roads, cross rivers, and avoid dangerous animals like alligators. While it might look simple, it’s a stressful and thrilling experience.
8. Ghost ‘n Goblins
Known as Makaimura in Japan, Ghost ‘n Goblins is a platform video game developed by the legendary studio Capcom and was released in 1985. It’s the first of the franchise and was a major success across arcades and home systems. It was also one of the top ten highest-grossing arcade games of 1986 in Japan and the US, often cited as one of the most difficult games of all time.
Players control a knight in the game who must defeat zombies, giants, demons, cyclopes, dragons, and other monsters to rescue a princess who has been kidnapped by Astaroth, King of the Demon World. Along the way, players will pick up items, weapons, and other bonuses to help them navigate the treacherous land.
7. Super Mario Bros.
Speaking of saving princesses, it’s impossible to talk about the best arcade games of the 80s without bringing up one of the leading franchises in the video game world. Super Mario Bros. is the one game everyone knows, whether you are a game connoisseur or not. The platform game was developed and published by the king of games, Nintendo, in 1983.
In the game, players control Mario, and Luigi if there’s a second player, to explore the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Toadstool from King Koopa (who later becomes Bowser). Players will traverse side-scrolling stages while avoiding hazards such as enemies and pits with the aid of power-ups such as the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Starman.
The game is known for being one of the greatest games of all time, bestselling games, and is responsible for helping the franchise grow into the multimedia legend that it is today.
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6. Gauntlet
Released in 1985, Gauntlet is one of the best arcade games of the 80s with its hack-and-slash fantasy theme. It was one of the first multiplayer dungeon crawler arcade games of its time and was put out by Atari Games, with the main features inspired by the 1983 game Dandy.
It’s a top-down, third-person game set in mazes where the objective is to kill monsters, gather treasures, and find the exit at every level. An assortment of special items can be found in each level that can help you move through the game, from increasing health and unlocking doors to destroying all enemies around you for quick relief. Interestingly enough, the game was actually called Dungeons originally and drew most inspiration from the paper-based board game Dungeons and Dragons.
5. Centipede
Centipede was released in 1980 and soon became one of the most commercially successful games of the era. It was developed and published by Atari, Inc. and designed by Dona Bailey and Ed Logg, Bailey being the lead designer.
The game is a fixed shooter, where the player fights off centipedes by firing darts, through a field of mushrooms, all while dodging spiders, fleas, and scorpions.
4. Galaga
No best arcade games of the 80s list would be complete without Galaga. Released in 1981, and like Centipede, it was also a fixed shooter. It was developed and published by Namco and is the sequel to Galaxian, which was released in 1979 (Galaxian was Namco’s first great success in arcade gaming).
Shigeru Yokoyama led development with a small team. Although Galaga didn’t test very well during pre-release, critics later applauded its gameplay, innovation, addictive nature, and improvements made over its predecessor. Now it’s a crowd favorite and it’s considered to be one of the most recognizable 80s arcade games today. The player, while controlling a starship, is tasked with destroying the Galaga forces in each stage while dodging enemy attacks.
3. Ms. Pacman
Released in 1982, Ms. Pac-Man is a maze arcade game developed by General Computer Corporation and published by Midway. It was the sequel to the eternally popular Pac-Man (released in 1980). Controlling Ms. Pacman, the player must eat all the pellets in an enclosed maze while avoiding ghosts – that’s right, the same as Pac-Man.
Multiple names were considered, including Super Pac-Man, Miss Pac-Man, and Mrs. Pac-Man, before the final name was chosen for being the simplest to pronounce. Ms. Pac-Man was acclaimed by critics for its improvements to its predecessor and female protagonist, some labeling it as superior to Pac-Man. It is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time and one of the most successful American arcade games ever made.
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2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
One of the best arcade games of the 80s has to be the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was released in 1989 by Konami and was based on the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, which aired in 1987.
In the game, up to four players can control the Ninja Turtles while fighting through various side-scrolling levels to defeat the Foot Clan. This arcade game was released at a high point in popularity for the Ninja Turtles franchise, so it was well-received.
1. Donkey Kong
The number 1 spot is for Donkey Kong, released by Nintendo in Japan on July 9, 1981, and in North America on July 31, 1981. The game was designed by first-time video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (a legend in the industry today). The developer was Nintendo R&D1 and Ikegami Tsushinki.
The gameplay focuses on moving Jumpman (later known as Mario) through obstacles to rescue the damsel in distress (Pauline) from a giant ape (Donkey Kong). This game has stood the test of time, and its success inspired huge franchises that are still going strong today.
