Though arcades are 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, arcades were pushing the boundary for what was possible in gaming.
The games below turned 30 years old in 2022 and 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.
7 Mortal Kombat
It is difficult to overestimate the impact Mortal Kombat had 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 engaging for those interested enough to read up on it. While the series has evolved tremendously since 1992, the core gameplay remains familiar.
6 X-Men Arcade
Brawlers and beat em ups are only just coming back into prominence with games like Streets of Rage 4 and TMNT: Shredder's Revenge. These games are harking back to a time when friends would prepare their quarters to take on games like X-Men. This beat em up stood out above the rest because of the X-Men license and the absolutely giant cabinet.
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.
5 Lethal Enforcers
Before games like Virtua Cop and Time Crisis, light-gun games used digital sprites for their graphics. It was not the most realistic visual style, but it created a unique aesthetic of its own. Lethal Enforcers takes 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 Enforcers was eventually ported to consoles and received sequels. It is always best to stick with the arcade original, though, if the opportunity presents itself.
4 Total Carnage
Twin-Stick shooters are simple to understand and lend themselves to completely chaotic levels and situations.Total Carnage is a spiritual sequel to Smash TV, though the plots and visuals are completely different. The main upgrade Total Carnage brings to the table is a scrolling screen, where Smash TV's action 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 Carnage was 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 Carnage perfectly reflects this.
3 Golden Axe: The Revenge Of Death Adder
This one requires a little explaining. The original Golden Axe was a hit and was ported to the Sega Genesis like most arcade hits from the company were. However, what many players experienced as Golden Axe 2 on the Genesis was only one sequel. It was only released on consoles while another completely different sequel was put in arcades.
Though it is harder to come by these days, Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder is 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.
2 Streets Of Rage II
The original Streets of Rage came 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 original Streets of Rage trilogy, 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 since Streets of Rage 3 came out exclusively on Sega Genesis and the fourth game came out decades later.
1 Street Fighter II Turbo
To be clear, the original Street Fighter II came 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 II has been re-released almost countless times and each re-release has its own unique features, but they always include the additions born in this version. Even as new Street Fighter games 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 Turbo is just that legendary.