At Arcade Mania, we of course have a strong passion for arcade games. The great thing about them is that some are just timeless, meaning they will never truly go away as generations will continue to play them and pass them down to their children. The fact that most of these games have had later/more modern adaptations also helps with maintaining the popularity of the original. Seen below are a few examples of the most popular arcade games of all time.
Pac-Man
Pacman is one of and if not the most popular arcade game of all time. Many different franchises that originated on arcade machines have tended to branch out and stray away from arcade-like styles for their rest of their adaptations. Now although Pac-Man has dabbled in other types of games compared to its classic 8-bit style, most of the time the games are like that of the original, released in 1980. The latest Pac-Man game ‘Pac-Man 99’ is made in the same style to the original yet works in a sort of battle royal style to see who can finish in the quickest time. The face that Pac-Man has stuck to its routes, keeps it as one of the most popular arcade games as all generations can enjoy it.
Space Invaders
Another one of the extremely popular arcade games of all time is Space Invaders. The game was revolutionary at the time of its release in 1978, creating a new category in gaming with its ‘fixed shooter’ model. The arcade game created the genre known today as a ‘shoot’em up’ game. Space invaders truly never changed its gameplay, this worked both well and not so well. The game became stale and repetitive in some people’s eyes, yet the majority respected them for sticking to their routes and still have found memories of playing the arcade game as a child. It’s popularity never left either, with most gamers knowing of the game or at least the iconic alien symbol that represents the game.
Street Fighter II
We mention the second adaptation of this game as this was the most notable of the franchise and certainly the most popular! The game sold more than 14 million units than its previous game and really was the arcade game of all arcade games at the time! The game allowed you to beat up friends, without using physical violence! It gave children and adults alike an escape from reality, being able to use unique abilities and combat moves against one another, with the famous ‘Hadouken’ move being an iconic feature within these arcade games. The game has maintained its popularity through several different new releases, as well as movie in 1994.
Donkey Kong
Unlike the other three popular arcade games, Donkey Kong went from a game to its own franchise within the Nintendo world. After its first release in 1981, Donkey Kong became an instant classic for arcade games. The game also debuted the character of Jumpman, who would later become Mario. It was popular arcade game, due to its simplicity and easy to follow gameplay. It has stuck with arcade gamers through the years and as more Donkey Kong games come out, it makes them appreciate the original even more. This arcade game, like the three before it really is iconic.
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If you’re a fan of popular and exciting arcade and retro games, then you should look at our fantastic range of arcade machines. Alternatively, if you have a question about our products, you can visit our contact page or be sure to give us a call on 0121 433 5554 and we would be more than happy to help.