The upcoming release of Streets of Rage 4 has longtime fans of the series excited. Not least because it retains the look and gameplay of its arcade predecessors and it proves there’s a market for bringing back older arcade classics.
The resurgence of older classics hasn’t just stopped with Streets of Rage, however. The upcoming release of Battletoads, which also retains its core look and gameplay mechanics, is also due to be released in 2020.
Classics like Double Dragon have already received modern remakes with the release of 2012’s Double Dragon Neon, which was released on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. Even Rampage has made a comeback in the arcades. Let’s take a look at 10 other arcade classics that deserve another shot in gaming.
10 Vigilante
Released for arcades in 1988, Vigilante is a side-scrolling platforming beat-em-up that was considered a spiritual successor to the 1984 classic Kung-Fu Master. Featuring similar mechanics where players were required to time leg sweeps, kicks, and punches to approaching opponents, it was simplistic but a fast fighting game.
It put players in the shoes of the titular vigilante on a mission to defeat a gang called the Skinheads in downtown New York City. Vigilante’s art-style remains distinctive and impressive even now, given its characters' almost cell-shaded appearance.
9 Wrestle War
Released in 1991, Wrestle War is an arcade wrestling game developed by Sega. Players were tasked with fighting through a list of unlicensed wrestlers with looks based on real-life superstars. It featured characters like Titan Morgan who was clearly based on Hulk Hogan, Don Dambuster on The Road Warrior (Legion of Doom) Hawk, Grand Kong who looked just like Abdullah the Butcher, and more.
The visuals were excellent at the time and the game used a power meter mechanic based on repeated button presses. With a few tweaks, the gameplay could be reworked to please modern-day gamers while maintaining the overall art style.
8 OutRun
OutRun is a racing arcade classic that was released in 1986. It was unique at the time because it offered players a non-linear approach to races, allowing them to choose their own path to the finish line. OutRun is one of the most influential racing games of all time and its visuals and amazing soundtrack are still beloved by fans today.
Sega’s racing megahit was a huge success when it was ported to consoles like the Sega Master System and the Megadrive/Genesis. An arcade-perfect port also features in the Yakuza series and can be found in the Sega Arcades. OutRun was so ahead of its time that a modern-day remake/sequel featuring the same non-linear gameplay would work incredibly well.
7 Shinobi
Sega’s Shinobi was released in 1987 for arcades. It was later ported to the Sega Master System, the Nintendo Entertainment System, and the PC Engine. It’s a side-scrolling action game with platforming elements where the player is tasked with defeating waves of enemies with ninja stars, physical attacks, and ninjutsu techniques.
A modern-day sequel for this title would work either by retaining the original Shinobi’s 2D mechanic or in the form of a 3D action fighter in the vein of Ninja Gaiden. If done well fans of the original series would happy to see it return.
6 Sunset Riders
Developed by Konami, Sunset Riders was released in arcades in 1991. It’s a run and gun western-themed shooter with platforming elements that allowed up to four players to join forces against the outlaws of the Wild West.
With only the Red Dead Redemption and the Call of Juarez series tackling the Wild West in gaming, now would be the perfect time for Sunset Riders to make a comeback. A sequel allowing for 3D movement would go a long way in modernizing the game mechanics while retaining the game’s core themes.
5 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Developed by Konami, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the arcade game was released in 1989. At the time, the graphics looked incredible and it was a TV show tie-in that was true to the cartoon series. It was easy to pick up and play but had a surprisingly good combo system for players to learn.
In addition, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles featured four-player co-operative gameplay and was a huge hit with groups of friends hanging out at arcades for years. With the lack of couch co-op games in modern gaming, the time could be right for a new TMNT beat-em-up, especially since most of the recent efforts in this genre have been disappointments.
4 The Simpsons Arcade
The Simpsons Arcade, like the Teenage Ninja Turtles arcade game, was developed by Konami. Once again, the developers nailed the look and personality of the cartoon series. The 2D sprites still look excellent 28 years on.
Just like TMNT, it featured four-player co-operative gameplay and was a huge hit in arcades. The Simpsons Arcade was ported to the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live in 2012 and proved a big hit with nostalgic gamers and fans of couch co-op.
3 Golden Axe
Developed by Sega and released in arcades in 1989, Golden Axe was fantasy-themed swords and sorcery beat-em-up inspired by the likes of Conan the Barbarian. It was ported to the Sega Master System as a single-player game featuring a barbarian called Tarik. A near arcade-perfect port would eventually hit the Sega Megadrive/Genesis.
The closest modern games have come to recreating Golden Axe was the original God of War series, but it lacked the multiplayer aspect that drove this game. A modern remake/sequel with similar mechanics and of course couch co-op would do well with modern audiences.
2 Time Crisis
First released in arcades in 1995, Bandai Namco’s Time Crisis was a huge hit and created to rival the Virtua Cop series developed by Sega. It was later released as a light-gun game for the PlayStation in 1997 to good reviews.
With virtual reality becoming more accessible to gamers with the likes of the PlayStation VR, now is the perfect time to bring the series back. Time Crisis broke new ground with its duck-and-cover mechanics. With motion detection, the action would flow more naturally than pressing a button or a peddle to duck.
1 Final Fight
If there is one game that should get a remake or a sequel to rival Streets of Rage 4, it is Capcom's Final Fight. Mechanically similar, the two franchises were often compared at the peak of their popularity.
Released in 1989, Final Fight was originally conceived as a sequel to Street Fighter, featuring Ryu and Ken, but the gameplay was too far removed from the Street Fighter series. The game’s story and characters were inspired by the 1984 cult vigilante film Streets of Fire. The gameplay, visuals, and accessible combat system still feel great to play with today.