The 20 Greatest Arcade Games Of All-Time!

[@TheLairdsLair]

Full Top 50 List: 50 - Defender 49 - Dig Dug 48 - Rolling Thunder 47 - Bomb Jack 46 - Gyruss 45 - Pac-Land 44 - Asteroids 43 - Paperboy 42 - Space Invaders 41 - Operation Wolf 40 - Daytona USA 39 - RoadBlasters 38 - Final Fight 37 - Alien Vs. Predator 36 - Galaxian 35 - BurgerTime 34 - Spy Hunter 33 - Phoenix 32 - Centipede 31 - Ghouls 'n' Ghosts 30 - Marvel Vs. Capcom 29 - Wonder Boy 28 - Joust 27 - Mr. Do! 26 - Time Crisis 25 - Pole Position 24 - WWF WrestleFest 23 - Gauntlet 22 - Dragon's Lair 21 - Mortal Kombat 20 - Frogger 19 - House of the Dead 18 - Shinobi 17 - Bubble Bobble 16 - Mortal Kombat 2 15 - Robotron 2084 14 - X-Men 13 - Golden Axe 12 - Donkey Kong 11 - The Simpsons 10 - Tempest 9 - Galaga 8 - Tron 7 - Ms. Pac-Man 6 - Street Fighter II 5 - Out Run 4 - Star Wars 3 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 - Pac-Man 1 - Double Dragon

[@oriondx72]

Lots of good games but dd at #1 oh please lol

[@scottlowell493]

Without battle zone and space invaders, this is a total fail.

[@TheLairdsLair]

The same Space Invaders that is right there in 42nd place or a different one?

[@stevenwheat3621]

What, no Q-Bert?!! Or did I miss it?

[@steveburgess23]

@@oriondx72It’s a terrible game now but it was awesome at the time. You had to be there. Lol.

[@Luisdefunes1]

Kicker, Ghosts´n Gobblins, Joust, Black Tiger, Tetris, Dangar, Elevator Action, Kung-Fu Master, Cabal, Darius... These are serious contenders that could be considered among the best 20 also. I would make another list with the top 30 or 50.

[@sfcd4757]

Kicker. I swear i played that once at a Pizza Hut and never saw that game again. I remmeber loving that game and it's like it vanished. So much so, i started to think it never existed and i imagined it since its so rare (at least to me)

[@dribblin_crap]

Ghost n goblins is all time

[@thediabeticlifeofkidcam2992]

This guy list sucks lol old fart

[@jayme69]

Definitely felt heavy on the Beat em' Ups which is no great surprise but the absence of Centipede was almost unimaginable to me. Small consolation that Tempest actually made the cut. I guess I'm more of an early 80s Arcade fan but you can't really moan about progress ;-) Great video and thanks for all the work to put this together :-)

[@TheLairdsLair]

Centipede made the top 40, I did a second video from 40-21 for my Patreon supporters.

[@jayme69]

@@TheLairdsLair Good to hear and thanks for letting me know :-)

[@ElectronStarCollapse]

My parents use to own a Tron arcade cabinet, which had a prominent place in our video store, shared with Donkey Kong Junior and Star Trek. I probably played DKJ more than the others, but Tron was always the most mesmerizing.

[@michaeljarvisakasleepyjarv1698]

That would have been awesome to have a Tron cabinet growing up. Awesome Parents!!

[@colinmcdonald2499]

The big question is: Did mom and dad make you pay for credits with child labor ? 🤣

[@AdamsOlympia]

@@michaeljarvisakasleepyjarv1698 I would have been happy to have any arcade cabinet! None of my parents or grandparents were into video games though.

[@russscott8650]

Asteroids! I could flip the score numerous times on one quarter. I remember first seeing the cabinet, at a pizza place, down the street from our house. I was immediately in love with that game.

[@alkohallick2901]

Could you?

[@jaycoleman8062]

If we got five minutes or past the really fast 🛸, we got our quarters worth.

[@tapoemt3995]

Me too. By hitting the coin return really hard with my knee, I reset them all.

[@iu-dave3373]

Yep, I use to line up a nice row of ships, then let a friend take over while I went out back and had a smoke. I was 15 years old then, best summers ever back then.

[@davidhooper259]

Certainly one of the most important games ever but it aged quickly.

[@gregkilby7043]

I love these lists so much - I never agree with the placing of titles, but in a good and intrigued way! Great video.

[@TheLairdsLair]

I didn't really agree with most of it but the voice of the people has spoken!

[@joshbrekke6374]

I agree, well said! Get outta my brain hole, 😂

[@bentottle917]

Where was R-Type Great trip down memory lane. Thanks.

[@cybereye9283]

To be fair, these games were the times the arcade became popular and wide spread. Games in late 70's and early 80's there were longer lines to wait for your turn to play because it wasn't everywhere yet. Asteroids, Space Invaders, Pac-Man and Ms Pac-man were the longest lasting popularity before one on one fighting arcades came out.

[@rcschmidt668]

Any respectable arcade would have a selection of pinball games, and none are listed here.

[@easterworshipper5579]

i would happily replace all those mindless side-scrolling fighting games for asteroids, dig-dug, missile command, and defender. those were mainstays at every local arcade. the absence of asteroids in particular really shocked me.

[@vanessajazp6341]

@@rcschmidt668 I remember a couple of pinball machines I really enjoyed playing, but I can't think of a single one that was universally popular and famous like these video games.

[@trevorgrier4511]

The fact that Q*Bert didn't make the list borders on criminal

[@wlanman99]

My parents owned an arcade so I had a blessed teen years :) My list top 10: 1. Space Invaders 2. Pac Man 3. Asteroids 4. Galaxian 5. Donkey Kong 6. Joust 7. Defender 8. Tempest 9. Tron 10. Dig Dug Some honorable mentions: Centipede, Bezerk, Marble Madness, Venture, Missle Command, Galaga, Q-bert, Crazy Climber, Scramble, Warlords, Pole Position, Star Wars, Star Trek, Robotron, Ms. Pacman, Gauntlet, Gorf, Wizard of Wor, Zaxxon, Pong, Breakout, Sea Wolf, Battlezone. All of these ate tremendous amounts of quarters!

[@antearesgamer]

ah...forgot about Joust...that was one I played alot

[@jayrussell3796]

It really WAS just the experience of walking into an arcade and hearing all those sounds at the same time, wasn't it 😏

[@mattvjmeasures]

A Star Trek arcade game ? I never knew that. I'll have to Google that one

[@silloh888]

Whoa, great memories, names on this list! I don't see Moon Cresta which had the oddest enemies, we named them eye lashes, moths, chickens, cabbages, corn stalks. With the docking stages, so fun!

[@DV-to7gl]

Spy Hunter was pretty cool .

[@mattmerritt1040]

Shocked terminator 2 did not make this list. I have a home arcade with 15 titles and people always gravitate to that one

[@devincurrie4145]

Oh I remember that Teminator 2 game. Pretty good! I’ll have to try it again someday soon if I ever get a light gun. Any particular light gun you can recommend? I have a Steam Deck.

[@mikeplaczek2204]

Snubbed. Asteroids, Defender, Space Invaders, Missile Command, Centipede, joust and breakout

[@testodude]

classics

[@pssthpok]

Defender was a great game, spent too many quarters and became way too good at it 😂

[@johnmc3862]

100% Spy Hunter and Pole Position were great also

[@AdamsOlympia]

Definitely Joust and Defender. I always made a bee line to those in 80s arcades.

[@DM-fp8uw]

Altered Beast and Dig Dug

[@lethalwolf7455]

For me Berserk has no equal. Hard to say why, but I’m just at total peace when playing, and could get very far on just one life from the first time I played as a kid. It surprised me to find such an easy game that was still fun. Then I watched it absolutely destroy other players and realized it’s not easy, I was just very good at it

[@dan-777-abc]

Outrun. To this day when I drive my car I hear the music of this game and remember the pure joy of it.

[@standardarm63]

I always liked Operation Wolf, and Street Fighter Alpha.

[@horscategorie]

No Defender? I guess this list of voters found it to be too difficult. Best game ever IMHO.

[@joshbrekke6374]

I agree with the overly difficult part, $10+ in quarters proved to me back in the late 1980,s to give up on it and Spy Hunter. Way too many other real fun ones to play and get your money’s worth out of with not so much money needed to learn well. Moon Patrol, Tron, Karate champ, Shinobi, Rastan, Ghouls and Ghosts….Frogger.. need I go on?? 😝

[@nickrosstech]

That game changed everything for me. Like it was the first modern generation game after Space Invaders and Pong. AND the Atari 2600 version was near identical to the arcade version. It was like a big black obelisk in the world of gaming.

[@pssthpok]

I fell in love with Defender. I had the stance, and calluses on my thumb. My record was 4 hours on one quarter. I think even TRYING to play at that level now would kill me, even if I still had the skill.

[@AceNZ1964]

The top of the heap for me and my mates back in the 80's , I can't add up all the 20 cents we put through that thing. 890,000 was my best score (50mins ) but I never made the magical 990000 that "clocked the game and went to the special bonus pattern that gave you a life and a smart bomb for every hit just untill you hit 1 million. I only saw this achieved once by some out of towner who played for well over an hour on one 20cent, it was amazing to see. I doubt many people actually have seen this pattern, it was pretty rare to happen. Cheers from New Zealand

[@williamcurrry5746]

8 hours on one quarter at Game Mania. Manager was named Dave Frost and he watched the game while I went to the bathroom.

[@mrmojorisin8752]

Gary Kitchen, famous Activision programmer, stated, without a moment’s hesitation, “Missile Command is the greatest arcade game of all time.” This was at a Classic Gaming Expo in Vegas.

[@TheLairdsLair]

It's one of my favourite games ever too, sadly it didn't even make the top 40!

[@robertgodlewski8553]

Activision made great games for the Atari!

[@cornwallnick]

Bomb Jack is number 1 for me.

[@Rowebot15]

Great, but to each their own. We always love the game that gives the best challenge, which enables a logical, difficult solution. TRON is great at honing timing, Frogger is great at complex layering, Defender is a fun button-masher. Out-Run is a great driving game, ...

[@Pooby1000]

I was a kid of the late 80s and early 90s. I have distinct memories of crowds around Double Dragon, Final Fight, and Street Fighter 2. I also survived the Bit Wars of that era.

[@jimmyj4m]

Great video 😎 I think due to the impact made at the time Street fighter 2 should of been higher on the list, I can still remember the queues to play that game and the crowds of people that were watching. This game was huge!

[@He-Banshee.]

Grew up in a seaside town in the 80s and was blessed to have around 10 different fantastic arcades with a huge variety of games. Dad use to give me a coupke of quid and leave me for an hour to play. Just got a retroid pocket 3 just to install these games and a load more for on the go fun

[@mccoy1369]

Wow! What an amazing trip down memory lane. Great video. My first major arcade influence was Kung-Fu Master. I was around 10 and I saw it at my local arcade back in '85. Thanks for the upload. Question for everyone... Does anyone else remember the Zoom button on Mrs. Pac-Man?

[@TheLairdsLair]

Certainly do! And one of the quotes I didn't use talked about it too.

[@paulclay4293]

Missing for me are Kung Fu Master, Paperboy, Space Harriet, Rush N Attack

[@1amelka]

For sure! You list is much more refined. + Comando and 1942

[@rcschmidt668]

Paperboy and Rush N Attack were some of my faves.

[@PhuryousOne]

Space Harriet. 😂

[@gamewizardks]

Great choices. I love all of these.

[@JuanMarstonG]

Paperboy for sure.

[@TheTech660]

I miss the Good Ol'" Arcades Days.... played every game shown here. Im glad there's a huge community that still admire, collects, and plays these classics! I hope future generations will keep these games alive and the upcoming games that will become classics. Thanks for this!

[@infiniteuniverse9528]

As a kid in the 80's I must've spent a small fortune in quarters playing "JOUST", "STAR CASTLE", "CONTRA" and "GALAGA". Hanging out with the kids from school at the local "Video Arcade". They had a hamburger place next door and played great music like the Police, The Time and the B52's through a PA system. Those were the best of times and greatest parts of my childhood. RIP ATARI and INTELLIVISION..

[@humboldtharry1289]

I loved Joust, Galaga, Gyruss, Wild Western and Time Pilot and others. Intellivision baseball was awesome 😎

[@execatty]

Born in 67.. Intellivison colecovision... Great days.. But my faves were dragons lair galaga asteroids robotron missile command mr do donkey kong jr and arkanoid

[@Dechiros]

Pong, Pacman, astéroïde, donkeykong, galaga, Moon patrol, Defender, pole position, Daytona usa, scramble, track n field, Space invader, burger Time, out run, frogger, arkanoid, kung fu master, mortal combat

[@lewokejames]

You forgot dig dug, space ace, dragon's lair, cliff hanger, gladiator, and altered beast

[@mjwbulich]

​@@lewokejames Bump n Jump, Spy Hunter, Paper Boy, Gauntlet, Contra, 720°, Ghouls and Goblins, 1941, the list goes on and on.

[@mjwbulich]

It might just have been my age and friend group at the time, but Track and Field was a big deal. We all made custom sticks to tap faster.

[@angelusumbrae]

Oh man... Sooo much nostalgia from this list. Thank you making this video, and thank you to everyone who contributed with their votes. Lastly, since the X-Men arcade cabinet (I was lucky enough to have the six player version at my one neighborhood's arcade) didn't get any specific comments, I will leave one in the form of this quote: "X-MEN... WELCOME... TO DIE!"

[@mr.voidout4739]

Nothing stops The Blob! The White Queen welcomes you to die... Come, X-CHICKEN!!! Shiiiieeeeeeeeld!

[@allnamesaretakenful]

I'm not a nostalgic person so when I play something, I play it because it is still a great game, and Galaga never disappoints. If I see it somewhere, I play it.

[@valley_robot]

Absolute the best arcade game, I'm not good at it, but I can get to level 9, love that game

[@andyhaines3062]

There is a bar called 8-bit that has about 80 arcade style cabinets all around the place and also old pinball games where you can play for free. It’s a great way to remember the old days. Cheers

[@Bluemusic66]

I’m older. Can’t believe the granddaddy space invaders didn’t make it. Also Summer Olympics, missile command, dig dug, so many more.

[@johnreesekl6249]

I agree! Where is Astroids?

[@jeffalbillar7625]

I don't see jungle run either

[@StephenLawler-ux2vj]

What! No space invaders, asteroids, paperboy, or crazy climber

[@antearesgamer]

Zaxxon is missing as well...I get why space invaders & asteroids aren't on the list but they are on the top of the vintage list definitely

[@RobotronOG]

Or dig dug, centipede, joust..

[@jayrussell3796]

Or Defender, Joust, and Centipede...!?

[@TheLairdsLair]

See the pinned comment . . . . .

[@jexthegamer]

I wouldn't say it is objectively the best for everyone, but I pick Asteroids as my personal top arcade of all time. It pulled me into its world like no other arcade game has before or since. The loneliness and dread of the ufos and the speeding up music/beat...it drove me to try over and over again.

[@dennistorres9064]

This video brought back so many great memories.

[@XmasTablet]

Shinobi was excellent, I remember learning to 1 CC it in the arcades and it saved your backup highest score like the NEO GEO games too.

[@bbqtool]

Great video. I think a problem with a list made by a group of retro game people specifically is they had a community across all video games at the time. Over time, it got more diverse. Fighting game players had more than Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat II during the peak of fighters. Music game players have their own community too. Outside of being great games, they all brought people together as communities to have fun, compete, make connections and have the same friends for decades because of those games. My top 20 is absolutely different but it's important to understand that there are elements which transcend the game itself which make them truly special. (Oh and beatmania is the best arcade game series of all time if you're wondering. 1997 to present and still going strong, even has a pro-league.)

[@geraldpope3779]

Shinobi. Yes! Robotron is hands-down my all-time favorite. Still play it to this day. Never a dull moment with that game. Tempest was amazing but I could never master it. Star Wars, the sounds alone trigger some hardcore nostalgia. Great list. So many memories.

[@scooter73-i2]

Robotron was so good! Simple game, but tons of replayability

[@shaunluckham1418]

Karate Champ loved that game and completed it being given the end screen you are the champ! Exxerion a game I played for hours and managed to clock the score counter to reset it to zero.

[@DM-fp8uw]

Karate Champ was great.

[@betgroup8408]

So easy early on, so hard towards the end! 😂 Full Point!!

[@jime6688]

Double Dragon was the first game I discovered I could beat with one move, ie, the elbow punch. Sure, it’s cheap, but the bad guys can almost never counter it.

[@betgroup8408]

Came here to say this 😂 can’t defend the elbow

[@prokoph]

No list is complete without the skateboarding game 720°, had the big boombox on top! Spent hours on that every week at the arcade in Sunrise Mall in Corpus Christi, Texas. Sunrise Mall was in the cult classic Legend of Billy Jean and is just now being torn down, an 80s time capsule.

[@TheLairdsLair]

I wrote The Making of 720 for Retro Gamer magazine some years ago and interviewed the guy who created it, he had some awesome stories about it.

[@bilzdomino6130]

@@prokoph great pick

[@TheCountofToulouse]

I grew up during the arcade era. I kinda miss that. All the children in there, hanging out, watching others play. Get 5 bucks in quarters and going from machine to machine. I don't think we get as much interaction these days, it's a real shame.

[@christianvoller5275]

I'm surprised that space invaders, asteroids, bombjack, Ghouls N Ghosts and space harrier weren't in the top 20. I grew up with arcade machines in my house as that was my dads business. Our garage was set up like a mini arcade. For me Double Dragon was good for an hour or so but got boring as you could finish it using the elbow move alone. My favourite 2 were Hyper Sports and Yie ar Kung-Fu.

[@valerycarpentier852]

Very good selection, and about a quarter of these games I was actually playing back then. Good times.

[@pjw5328]

My personal top 10 favorites: Berzerk, Discs of Tron, Assault, Shinobi, Rolling Thunder, Street Fighter II Champion Edition, Elevator Action, Elevator Action Returns (yes, both of them), STUN Runner, and Bump ‘n Jump. Berzerk, Discs, and SFIICE would’ve gotten my 1st/2nd/3rd place votes. For some other genres that aren’t represented in my top ten: Favorite arcade racing game: Cruisin’ World. Favorite puzzle game: Puzzle Bobble/Bust-a-Move. Favorite multiplayer brawler: King of Dragons. Favorite vector game: Omega Race. Favorite trackball game: Cabal. Favorite 1970s game: Sea Wolf. Favorite 2-player co-op game: Lucky & Wild (this one was perfect for me and one of my best arcade buddies because I was good at driving games and terrible at gun games and he was the exact opposite).

[@deBebbler]

Glad to see Tempest represented. It was always the one I went to first in any arcade full of many games.

[@qqw743]

Tempest also had the greatest cheat codes of all time. No, I'm not going to tell you what they were. You have to discover them for yourself.

[@ITStechy]

146 ring a bell

[@maderi]

so well said , for us born in the 80s Double Dragon was like god sent , you cant forget that music and those moves

[@user-pv9pv4xf9c]

I believe X-men Vs Street Fighter came out in 96 so I suppose it wouldn’t make this list. But when I first saw it at a bowling alley I was completely blown away as a kid. It was the first time I saw such fast paced super powered anime style combat. I only got to play it once or twice but I was obsessed. I now own one of the arcade 1 up machines and it’s an excellent addition to my video game collection. Also I believe Crazy Taxi came out in 99. I would say that’s probably my all time favorite arcade.

[@wl1900]

I am thrilled that my comment made it into the video! You made my day! Keep up the excellent work! 👍🏾

[@TheLairdsLair]

Thanks for contributing and glad you enjoyed it!

[@kinsellaSE7]

The sit down Star Wars for me. The sound in it used to make the cabinet almost rumble. Thrilling stuff. I’d sooo love to try that again.

[@TheLairdsLair]

Apologies to shotgunl and Tempest Fennac. Somehow I attributed the quotes about Mortal Kombat 2 and Double Dragon to Tempest Fennac when they were in fact stories from shotgunl. I had put the wrong name next to them in my database. Very sorry once again 😞

[@TheMightsparrow]

No "House of the dead"? I hated the game enough to buy it on my Dreamcast for a fraction of the money I lost in the Arcade playing it. Still haven't beaten it.....

[@TheLairdsLair]

House of the Dead is literally one of the first games that comes up . . . .

[@shotgunl]

All is forgiven! Honestly, I'm surprised Double Dragon ended up in number 1: though I figured it would make the top 20 here, I was expecting Pac-Man or Ms. Pac-Man at the top.

[@TheLairdsLair]

Thanks for your understanding and for the great stories. I very much expected the No.1 to be Pac-Man, Street Fighter II or Space Invaders - the latter didn't even make the top 40!

[@shotgunl]

@@TheLairdsLair Yeah, Space Invaders is one that is really surprising, especially for being as popular as it was and having fairly universal appeal.

[@yeahyeahwowman8099]

This is my list. No particular order. Donkey Kong, Street Fighter 2, Pac-Man, The Simpsons, X-Men, Metal Slug, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mortal Kombat 2, Time Crisis, Galaga, Daytona USA, OutRun, Rampage, Final Fight, Gauntlet, Afterburner, Centipede, Star Wars, NBA Jam, Pong.

[@warrenrolfe1024]

Great video, nostalgia is a powerful thing, great to see missile command at the end, but.... moon patrol, centipede, time pilot, green beret, operation wolf....oldies but goldies.. and many more :) a special time !

[@neonjoe529]

One of my favorites was a demolition derby arcade game with a horizontal screen. IIRC, there was room for 6 players, 3 on each side.

[@mrmojorisin8752]

The list reflects the age cohort of the respondents. Shinobi, Golden Axe, Simpsons and some others are really good games but I don’t think in the long run they will ever be looked back on as among the top twenty arcade games in history.

[@TheLairdsLair]

Without also polling the age of the correspondents it's quite hard to know, but I suspect you could be right.

[@teecoles6732]

I had Bomb Jack at the servo which became an obsession. Fast forward 40 years later and I'm still good at it. I can get 50k bonus in 5-6 rounds. Track & Field, Speed Spin, and Windjammers are a sports must. Other shooters that should be in the library are Moon Cresta and Gyruss. Wonderboy and Circus Charlie are 2 platformers that rarely get mentioned but are fun addiction A+ .

[@joejacobsonwales]

Nice to see a couple of my choices make it, even if Chase HQ didn't.

[@carpedm5107]

As kid that grew up in the 80s and 90s, I think this list is pretty spot on. I'd give a shout out to Ye-ar Kung Fu as the only game that should also be recognized

[@thepotatozombie9402]

I never saw Double Dragon coming in first place, especially since all of the Konami beat em ups are far better (probably due to years of gameplay and hardware improvements). Made me think of a couple titles I haven't thought about in years. Very unique list. Good stuff!

[@joba4848]

After Burner, Space Harrier, Out Run, Combat School, Gauntlet, Pac Man, Super Hang-On, Bubble Bobble, Double Dragon, and one obscure game that me and my mate loved to play in the local pub, Prehistoric Isle in 1930 would be my top ten (in no particular order).

[@stevenames9056]

I spent a small fortune on: TMNT Rampage After Burner X-Men King of the Monsters Time Crisis Capcom vs. Marvel Simpsons Street Fighter 2 Cruisin' USA Samurai Shodown Games that got every last one of my quarters late 80's but mostly early to mid 90's before home systems made arcades obsolete. In no particular order. I just know I had so much fun playing. Some weren't even mentioned in the video.

[@TChighbury]

In terms of Arcade clout; Afterburner, Smash TV, Space Harrier, Robocop, Kung Fu Master, Tetris all probably deserve some place in the top 50

[@MrSirMang]

Moon Patrol not making the list is criminal.

[@TheLairdsLair]

It's in the longer list, see the pinned comment.

[@Aegelis]

Very cool format, not just with the voting, but also the voter's comments. This felt a lot more like a community list rather than a lot of the 'my personal fav' lists. Just the right amount of screen time for each game. Arcades forever!

[@barryklinedinst6233]

Back in those days games were more fun than Today. Now they make them better looking and less fun.

[@devincurrie4145]

Yeah I prefer to play retro games more than modern games.

[@anthonyparkernearlifeexp]

I'm shocked that the original Super Mario Brothers didn't make the cut. That was Nintendos flagship game for the original NES and everyone I knew was obsessed with it when it was in the arcade.

[@TheLairdsLair]

People don't see it as an arcade game, they see it as an NES game, especially as the so called arcade version was running on an NES anyway.

[@bradleymcavoy3432]

TRON cabinet was really good and 4 bigger than mini games? However I Love Discs of Tron which came out a year later! 😎 Also one of my favorites of all Time from ‘89 is Tournament CyberBall 2072! 🤩 There’s so many 80s and 90s classics… Stryder, Marble Madness, T2 Judgement Day, S.T.U.N. Runner, Space Ace, Pole Position 1 and 2, Asteroids and Asteroids Deluxe, SpyHunter, RoadBlasters, CrossBow, Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong 3, CyberSled, Smash TV, NARC, Golden Axe 1 and 2 and so many others! 😉😎

[@myownboss1]

Very respectable list! Loved Tetris, Dig Dug, and Centipede ‼️‼️👍🏾🙂

[@joshbrekke6374]

Great list, many great ones that belong. However Moon Patrol & Rastan should be involved as well. Moon Patrol with its revolutionary and new at the time backgrounds, Rastan with it’s great, loud soundtrack got gamers the hook well before Mortal Kombat 1 & 2. My Uncle who past away last week his funeral is today, he was basically my father after my father left my brother and I when I was 11. My uncle was a very great and positive influence in my life also. You have my deepest most heartfelt condolences. Nice list, I love the old arcade’s and love playing them when I can. Thanks!!

[@EdgeDC]

Great video - brought back lots of memories! I’d be curious how the list might change by adjusting the scoring as follows: 1st favorite - 5 points 2nd favorite - 3 points 3rd favorite - 1 point The thinking here is that even a second and third favorite vote would still not equal a 1st favorite vote. Therefore, added weight to everyone’s individual #1.

[@robertrice9466]

If I’d off had the chance to vote, my favourite arcade machine was Double Dragon 🐉 from 1987. Great game which I could do on one credit. The WWF Wrestlemania was great as well. Ahhh the memories 💭

[@slevinkelevra5901]

2 arcade games that have the most fun playing where heavy barrel and Time Crisis 3 ❤ The feel of the action kicking back with evey shot . so cool 🔥 😎

[@AllFlashNoDash]

Double Dragon was so influential and a staple in arcades. You had to be there to truly understand. A few years ago, I tracked down an original cabinet and brought it home. I plan to play that game on that cabinet as long as it lasts. Hopefully another 30-40 years.

[@markmierau5189]

My old roommate still has one. I set the high score using backwards elbows almost exclusively.

[@lancemorlen8964]

Backwards elbows were the key. Loved this game.

[@ThunderFist1978]

I still remember the first I played it. I looked over my shoulder at one point, and at least 3 or 4 people were gathering around watching. I didn’t last long, but it blew my mind. It took me forever to finally beat Abobo, though, and now I have 1CCed it many times.

[@ThunderFist1978]

@@markmierau5189Out of curiosity, what was your score? I’ve scored over 100K never doing anything single elbow.

[@unholywarrior9007]

Mis packman married her brother

[@georgejackson4426]

Killer Instinct 1 is the greatest arcade game of all time followed by WWF WrestleFest.

[@robertmatthews9650]

When Street Fighter 2 first hit the scenes in 1991, there was a mob of people around the machine. People would stand on milk crates to see the action. And there was a line of quarters at the bottom of the screen for who was up next and you had to remember which one was yours. Great memories.

[@bradbrinegar1419]

sunset riders was one of my favorite games as a kid. I could beat it on about $1.50-$2.00 as a kid. which i liked most of the konami games

[@kevbwan6286]

So many great arcade games came out in the 80's it's hard to rate them. Tron, starwars, and a boxing game called Punch Out where my most played.... Great video.👍

[@Roboto8088]

Somewhere between Wolfenstein and Doom, Taito dropped Operation: Gunbuster in the arcade, an actual first person arena shooter. I would drop quarters into it to reach the end. Some other all-time favorites over the years: Reactor, Spy Hunter, Turbo, Steel Talons, Hippodrome, and Space Ace.

[@varan619]

I played a lot of Turbo and Spy Hunter. Never cared for Pole Position or Outrun much.

[@DavidDavis-nl6jl]

So many of my favorites in there. I spent so much time and money in my college arcade playing these games. Robotron is my all time fave.

[@Captain-Cosmo]

The Golden Era titles are truly the greatest of all time. From 1979 to 1983, arcades were THE place to be. After about 1984 or so, they began closing up. What those early games lacked in graphic sophistication, they made up for with creative gameplay. Space Invaders and Asteroid might seem old-fashioned now, but they can still humble all but the best players. In those days (I was "class of '84"), crowds would gather around watching a skilled Donkey Kong player in awe. Mathew Broderick played Galaga in the movie Wargames. Tron WAS a movie. And even girls played Centipede and Pac-Man! There was nothing like the Golden Era of video games, a unique time in history.

[@dennissvitak5475]

You missed Lunar Lander. LOVED that game! And Zaxxon, and Joust.

[@prielknaaphofnar.9754]

Straight shocked not one Neo Geo game made the list. I can forgive not having any of the variety of fighters on here, but no Metal Slug 3, Magician Lord or Puzzle Bobble. While I am Here pedalling SNK IP, how does Athena stack up to other arcade platformers?

[@TheLairdsLair]

Metal Slug was by far the highest rated Neo Geo game, but didn't even make the top 40.

[@tube-dude77]

Great list!! I would have had Xevious on here as well though. 😁

[@stevenames9056]

If nobody stood next to you and put their quarter on the machine or there wasn't a line behind you to play plus a bunch of spectators who ran out of money, then why is it on this list?

[@TheKilgoth]

Because it still made MONEY.

[@williamrhyne4692]

some of the games listed have the same game style as others listed. Not listed NBA jams, ghost and goblin, Space Ace, Centipede, space invaders

[@mrsejanoz523]

Hey, thanks for using my comment in the video! You mentioned that OutRun is a personal favourite of yours, which has sparked my curiosity, so I have to ask - what are YOUR top 3 arcade games of all time?

[@TheLairdsLair]

Mine would be Pit-Fighter, Road Riot 4WD and WWF WrestleFest - none of which made it into the Top 20!

[@mhc121]

The one that stands out most to me from my childhood memories is Dragon's Lair. I know it didn't have the best gameplay or storyline but I just remember when it came out, it was so different than any other arcade game I'd ever seen or played that it just blew my mind. I remember there was always a crowd of ppl watching whenever you played. Kind of made you feel special lol

[@brianmiller1077]

That game was made to eat quarters.

[@danielroden9424]

after burner, time crisis with the slide clicking pew pew made it 100x more fun, dragons lair, there was a 3d hologram gunslinger game, bionic commando, galaga, centipede and on and on. so many quarters.

[@MRMAJOHNSEN]

u nailed it! double dragon (the arcade version specifically) is literally my favorite of all time. my time 5 arcade games r: 1) double dragon 2) super street fighter ii 3) nba jam 4) wwf wrestlefest and 5) teenage mutant ninja turtles: turtles in time

[@danielasena668]

1- ghost goblins 2 - star force 3- commando 4- kun fu master 5- space invaders

[@quodnomenmihiest6283]

All great games, some I remember more than others, but some of the games I spent hours on are lesser known games - Timber, Rally X, Dig Dug and Satan's Hollow were my go-to games as soon as we set foot into the arcade.

[@BleachCowboy2016]

100% agree on Double Dragon being #1. This game was a big deal when it came out.

[@1MrCrusherX]

I agree with most of your list although I cannot believe R-Type wasn't in the top 10, let alone the top 50.

[@jimdiggs6959]

For kids in the late 70s and early 80s, the arcade boom of that era was amazing. I'm amazed Pac-Man isn't in the top spot. Most iconic, important games during those early golden years: Space Invaders Pac-Man Donkey Kong Galaxian/Galaga Centipede

[@FightingCoward]

I'd take Operation Wolf over House Of The Dead

[@johnsheetz6639]

The OG Star wars game. That was my favorite as a kid. I also really like joust and defender. They just didn't give you much playing time if you didn't know what you were doing

[@Snowman-556]

You could beat Double Dragon by just using the elbow. No shit

[@StuartwasDrinkell]

Rolling thunder, road blasters, shinobi, 720, quartet, super sprint, wonder boy, gauntlet, outrun, space harrier, altered beast... but all the games mentioned are fond fond memories, Double Dragon in particular my brother's best mate who was 9 years older than me used to so into this game he'd take me down Cleethorpes to the Empire and put 15 quid of his wages into this machine with me as his partner in brawl! awesome memories!

[@Dauerbomber]

Always loved Pacman, Kung Fu Master, Out Run and Donkey Kong.

[@bspus]

Double dragon was a surprise at no1, but not a surprise that it is in the list, that was well deserved. I am somewhat perplexed how all those final fight clones made it but not the original I expected games like wonderboy in monsterland, ghosts & goblins, bombjack, 1942 and arkanoid For my personal list I would include xain d'sleena (soldier of light). I was obsessed with that one, even had dreams about it.

[@TheLairdsLair]

Soldier of Light is a really underrated game.

[@jcapentertainmentjimirusse5238]

Best stand up arcade games in my opinion… top 20-no specific order… 1- Karate Champ 2-Double dragon 3-shinobi 4-Spy Hunter 5-Paperboy 6-Tiger heli 7-Russian Attack 8-Stryder 9-Galaga game that you can keep adding ships, I forget the name of it. It was awesome… 10-off road 11-Virtual Fighter 12-operation wolf 13-tapper 14-Tekken 15-Xevious or whatever… 16-cruisin the world 17-teanage mutant ninja turtles multiplayer 18-Mrs Pac-Man 19-Galaga 20-dig dug I am missing a few other that I just can’t remember the names. But these games were awesome and a lot of fun. My favorite 3 would be -karate champ, -tapper -paper boy

[@jcapentertainmentjimirusse5238]

Runner ups would be Star Wars Outrun Gauntlet

[@jamieleeder7849]

Yes karate champ was brilliant

[@nathandaniels4823]

I would’ve been happy to see one or two of those Konami Beat ‘em Ups swapped out for Moon Patrol, Spy Hunter, Asteroids, Daytona USA, or even Super Mario Bros.

[@rickynorwood7229]

Space invaders, asteroids, scramble need to be in there

[@ArtofJJSamson]

Love your taste. The perfect arcade has everything you listed

[@FallicIdol]

Mrs. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Street Fighter 2, Galaga and Double Dragon

[@judgeomega]

oh yeah, dig doug really deserves a spot