Thougharcadesare not as prevalent as they once were, they still deserve to be celebrated for all they did for the medium. Decades before console gaming provided powerful experiences with unbelievable fidelity,arcadeswere pushing the boundary for what was possible in gaming.
RELATED:Arcade Games With Amazing Lore
The games below turned 30 years old in 2022and are, to no surprise, rather primitive by today’s standards. Rewind the clock three decades, however, and it is easier to appreciate just how revolutionary these titles were. Even if the graphics do not hold up, the gameplay still makes them engaging. Some of these are a part of series that are still going strong today.
7Mortal Kombat
It is difficult to overestimate the impactMortal Kombathad on gaming. The extreme violence created controversy and led to the creation of advisory stickers on game boxes and, ultimately, the ESRB rating system. The fatalities might be gory, but they are over-the-top and far from realistic.
The violence is not the only reason this debut entry spawned a long-running series. The gameplay was simple to understand and every character stood out with unique special moves.The story and lore were engagingfor those interested enough to read up on it. While the series has evolved tremendously since 1992, the core gameplay remains familiar.
6X-Men Arcade
Brawlers and beat em upsare only just coming back into prominence with games likeStreets of Rage 4andTMNT: Shredder’s Revenge. These games are harking back to a time when friends would prepare their quarters to take on games likeX-Men. This beat em up stood out above the rest because of theX-Menlicense and the absolutely giant cabinet.
RELATED:Beat Em Up Games With Surprisingly Deep Lore
It was not the only game that allowed for six players to simultaneously jump into the action, but it also was not common. Though it has been re-released several times, most versions for consoles have since been delisted, making it a challenge to track down.
5Lethal Enforcers
Before games likeVirtua CopandTime Crisis,light-gun gamesused digital sprites for their graphics. It was not the most realistic visual style, but it created a unique aesthetic of its own.Lethal Enforcerstakes players through city streets as they gun down criminals viciously attacking the player and innocent bystanders.
It is not just about shooting everything in sight. Players also have to be sure not to attack civilians. Like a lot of games,Lethal Enforcerswas eventually ported to consoles and received sequels. It is always best to stick with the arcade original, though, if the opportunity presents itself.
4Total Carnage
Twin-Stick shooters are simple to understand and lend themselves to completely chaotic levels and situations.Total Carnageis a spiritual sequel toSmash TV, though the plots and visuals are completely different. The main upgradeTotal Carnagebrings to the table is a scrolling screen, whereSmash TV’saction took place on one screen at a time with a pause occurring whenever the player left the area.
This meant levels felt so much larger than before and had a more coherent continuity. True to a lot of Midway arcade games,Total Carnagewas very violent and explosive. There was so much happening it was almost hard to tell what was going on.This is how arcades were, though; loud and hectic.Total Carnageperfectly reflects this.
3Golden Axe: The Revenge Of Death Adder
This one requires a little explaining. The originalGolden Axewas a hit and wasported to the Sega Genesislike most arcade hits from the company were. However, what many players experienced asGolden Axe 2on the Genesis was only one sequel. It was only released on consoles while another completely different sequel was put in arcades.
RELATED:Reasons Why Sega Genesis Was Better Than The SNES
Though it is harder to come by these days,Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adderis considered a classic. The story includes branching paths and the gameplay adds moves that players have to synchronize and cooperate to use. The game is also slightly different depending on the arcade cabinet on which one plays, making it hard to mark down a definitive version.
2Streets Of Rage II
The originalStreets of Ragecame out of the gate swinging. There was not a lot to fix in a sequel, which really speaks to how great of a debut entry it is. The sequel,Streets of Rage II,took the opportunity to refine and perfect what already felt so smooth.
In terms of the originalStreets of Ragetrilogy, people generally go back to the second game, which is considered to have the best levels, gameplay, and balance. This is also where the series' relationship with arcades ends sinceStreets of Rage 3came out exclusively on Sega Genesis and thefourth game came out decades later.
1Street Fighter II Turbo
To be clear, the originalStreet Fighter IIcame out in 1991. However, the edition most people are familiar with is the 1992 release which added the boss characters as playable fighters and the turbo mode.
Street Fighter IIhas been re-released almost countless timesand each re-release has its own unique features, but they always include the additions born in this version. Even as newStreet Fightergames come out, people still come back to this game that is over 30 years old. It doesn’t mean the new games are not up to par,Street Fighter II Turbois just that legendary.
