7 of the Best Arcade Games in the History of Video Gaming

Arcades are where the video game industry emerged before home consoles made them increasingly redundant. The late 1970s to early 1980s was the true golden age of arcades when SEGA, Taito, Namco, Atari, and co vied for co-op dominance. Some of the greatest video games in history began as arcade titles before being ported to home consoles. These are the best arcade games in history that guzzled up coins.

Space Invaders

Space Invaders was almost like the big bang of arcade gaming when Taito unleashed it. It was a relatively simple game (like most of its time) in which players controlled a laser cannon to shoot down descending alien formations. This is among the best arcade games in history because of the ground-breaking high-score system it introduced. It was the first video game to save scores with a continuous soundtrack and an enthralling gameplay loop that kept players coming back for more and more.

So, Space Invaders is a game with a cultural legacy. The best way to play it today is to check out the numerous Space Invaders remakes. Games like Space Invaders Extreme and Space Invaders Infinity Gene enable you to play this game on more modern consoles and mobile devices.

Asteroids

Asteroids is another timeless intergalactic arcade classic that has enthralled players for generations. Players loved Asteroids because of the physics-based inertia introduced. This game included a drifting spaceship that players could thrust and turn to blow away asteroids to increase scores. Asteroids’ innovative controls, sound design, and vector graphics were revolutionary for their time. Thus, Asteroids was a game that quite literally blew players away was Atari’s biggest arcade hit

To play this game today, check out the Asteroids Arcade Classic app on the Microsoft Store. Or you can play remakes like Asteroids: Recharged on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. Asteroids Recharged retains the same top-down shooter mechanics of the original with updated controls, visuals, and game modes.

Pac-Man

Namco’s Pac-Man is one of the best arcade games ever because of its universal appeal, perfectly balanced gameplay, and game design innovations. Players have always loved the maze gameplay of Pac-Man, which incorporates levels full of dots to eat, bonus fruits, and four ghosts to evade. The iconic Pac-Man character designs had a profound cultural impact, with numerous cartoons and songs based on the game. Pac-Man became one of the first true gaming mascots, spawning a franchise that Namco continues to expand today.

Donkey Kong

When Nintendo wanted a piece of the arcade gaming pie, the big N released Donkey Kong during the early 1980s. This arcade game revolutionized the industry as one of the first true platformers to play. It was also the first game to feature Mario (initially known as Jumpman), the plucky plumber who jumped barrels and other obstacles to save Pauline. Players loved Donkey Kong because of its greater gameplay diversity, with multiple stages and unique narrative cutscenes for its time.

Galaga

Galaga was the sequel to Galaxian that perfected the arcade-shooter craze during the 1980s. This became one of the best arcade games in history thanks to its fast-paced gameplay and innovative mechanics. This game had a quite brilliant tractor beam mechanic, enabling players to fly two spaceships simultaneously for double firepower. That mechanic and the fluid enemy formations added more tactical depth to Galaga, which set it apart from other shooters of its time. For many players, Galaga represents the pinnacle of 8-bit shooters.

Street Fighter II

Street Fighter II was Capcom’s arcade sensation during the 1990s. This was a masterpiece of the fighting game genre because of its unique eight-character roster, innovative six-button control layout, memorable soundtrack, and well-balanced gameplay. The unique fighting styles and special moves Street Fighter II introduced made it one of the most compelling arcade games in history for one-on-one duelling.

Street Fighter II remains one of the most loved fighting games today. Capcom released Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers on the Switch, which remains the definitive remake. That remake enables players to play SF II with updated HD graphics or the original pixel art.

Daytona USA

SEGA pushed back the boundaries of arcade gaming during the 1990s with games like Daytona USA. Daytona USA was a racing game that had cutting-edge 3D graphics for its time, an iconic soundtrack, and sublime gameplay. Players loved the immersive arcade gaming Daytona offered with its dedicated cabinets for enthralling eight-way multiplayer racing. Few other arcade games have ever matched the high-speed thrill of Daytona USA.

Those seven best arcade games set a benchmark for coin-op gaming. Such games represent an evolution of digital art, from the minimalist 2D black-and-white pixels of Space Invaders to the 3D polygon-based graphical style of Daytona USA. Although the arcade gaming scene has faded in more recent times, the games above have an enduring coin-op legacy and remain popular retro titles on home consoles today.