80s Arcade Games

If you were asked to make a list of the 50 greatest arcade games of all time, we'd imagine most of today's generation would struggle to name 20.

However, for the generation which grew up with these classics as their main source of arcade entertainment, Rankers and its readers have made the decision for you.

This list includes games that were released in arcade first from 1970 to 1995, so see how many you can spot that you've played in your lifetime.

So let's not waste anymore time, and get on with the list.

The Best Arcade Driving Games from the Mid 80s As we head into the mid eighties Sega really come into their own. Yes, they had previously released Turbo (not on this list as I never played it) but the new arcade boards and technology developed at this time by them takes driving arcade games to the next level. Galaga is a fixed shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco in Japan and published by Midway in North America in 1981. It is the sequel to Galaxian, released in 1979. The gameplay of Galaga puts the player in control of a space ship which is situated on the bottom of the screen. Our cabinets are compatible (via a Vertical Jamma PCB Arcade Game Board) with most of the classic games from the '80s. Our Arcade Classics Vertical Upright Arcade Machine™ normally runs for $3,299 but they are on sale this week for only $2,499, and it comes decorate with impressive arcade classic artwork. From the top beat 'em up arcade games to the best shooters, you really can't beat the arcades of the '80s. When it comes to the best and most popular arcade games of the '80s, we're talking the original Ms. Pac Man, Street Fighter, and Star Wars games here—all of which have been remade and reimagined for a range of proceeding game systems. The golden age was a time of great technical and design creativity in arcade games. The era saw the rapid spread of video arcades across North America, Europe, and Asia. The number of video game arcades in North America was doubled between 1980 and 1982; reaching a peak of 10,000 video game arcades across the region (compared to 4,000 as of 1998).

50-31

50. Golden Axe (1989)

49. After Burner (1987)

48. NBA Jam (1993)

47. Popeye (1982)

46. Final Fight (1989)

45. Elevator Action (1983)

80s Arcade Games Machines

44. Battlezone (1980)

43. Robotron: 2084 (1982)

42. Moon Patrol (1982)

41. Arkanoid (1986)

40. OutRun (1986)

39. Commando (1985)

38. Track & Field (1983)

37. Pong (1972)

36. 1943 (1987)

Games

35. Dragon's Lair (1983)

34. The Simpsons Arcade Game (1991)

33. Missile Command (1980)

32. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game (1989)

31. BurgerTime (1982)

50-31 Summary

Among the games listed in 50-31, there are quite a few which relate to popular TV series from the time, including 'Popeye', 'The Simpsons' and 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'. Clearly these brought back some fond memories for the readers.

'Pong' at number 37 is, of course, one of the earliest video games ever created, so a little surprising to see it so high up on the list.

However, it's hardly as entertaining as wondering around a maze of burger buns as with spot number 31, so maybe its position is understandable.

30-11

30. Bubble Bobble (1986)

29. Tempest (1980)

28. Donkey Kong Jr. (1982)

27. Paperboy (1984)

26. Star Wars (1983)

25. Q*bert (1982)

24. Rampage (1986)

23. Galaxian (1979)

22. Spy Hunter (1983)

21. Frogger (1981)

20. Tron (1982)

19. Punch-Out!! (1984)

18. Pole Position (1982)

17. Mortal Kombat (1992)

16. Joust (1982)

15. Street Fighter (1987)

14. Double Dragon (1987)

13. Street Fighter II (1992)

80s Arcade Games Galaga

12. Defender (1980)

11. Gauntlet (1985)

30-11 Summary

Getting towards the top 10, there are a tonne of games here which are easily recognisable, even by most of the younger generation.

Classics like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter are still going strong today, while some version of Tempest is available on pretty much every smart phone in the world.

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Donkey Kong Jr. also appears in this section along with a Star Wars entry, showing how popular those two brands were in the early 80s arcades.

10-1

10. 1942 (1984)

9. Centipede (1980)

8. Mario Bros. (1983)

7. Asteroids (1979)

80s Arcade Games Youtube

6. Dig Dug (1982)

5. Ms. Pac-Man (1982)

4. Space Invaders (1978)

3. Donkey Kong (1981)

2. Pac-Man (1980)

1. Galaga (1981)

10-1 Summary

The top 10 classic arcade games, as chosen by Ranker and its readers, are not really surprising. Even today, it'd be difficult to find someone who hadn't heard of most of the titles in this section of the list.

Unsurprisingly, 'Mario' and 'Donkey Kong' feature in the top 10, while other cult classics like 'Dig Dug' and 'Space Invaders' also hold very respectable positions.

Perhaps most surprising is the fact that 'Pac-Man' isn't number one, as it's largely recognised worldwide as a staple of arcade gaming, and is certainly a game that every generation would recognise.

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Interestingly, though, 'Pac-Man' did actually receive more upvotes than 'Galaga' at number one, but it also got more downvotes, and so that is what placed 'Pac-Man' into a very solid second place.

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Number one on the list, 'Galaga', is definitely a deserved winner. Perfectly executing a simple concept, it doesn't really get any more 'arcadey' than that.

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