What were or still are,your favorite arcade games and why?

[BDuncan]

What were (or still are) your favorite arcade games you liked playing
and please say why for each ones named, whether you played them in an arcade, or played (or still play) them at home occasionally.

[Deez108]

I logged some serious hours on that old X-Men arcade game at the local pizzaria when I was younger. MY best friend and I would hoarde quarters all week and rush down there after school on fridays and hog that thing all afternoon.

We probably enjoyed it so much because we were big X-fans and we just got a kick out of playing with our favorite characters. I haven't played that in years...it would be fun to jump back on that machine again for another spin.

[umainebearman]

I was a Star Wars junkie. The one that looked like Battle zone and you had the little reticle and was on a rail and you shot at towers and Ties and did the trench run. It had movie sound bites so thats all I carred about. If it was ported to the xbox I'd be all over it. I just liked it cause it had the xwing flying feel and the sounds. Many many allowances went into that game.

[MooglePorn]

The only arcade game I remember really playing was Street Fighter 2, and even that was rare. I was too young for arcade's popular period, and when I was old enough to play games I had a Nintendo.

[MrE26]

Street Fighter II (in all it's various iterations) was/is my favourite by far. It's just the most playable fighting game that's ever been released IMO, & the combo system was perfectly realised. Rather than just memorising a bunch of button presses (MK3 style) the combos required actual skill to pull off. It's packed with great, easily identifiable characters who were all worth mastering & above all else it was just fun to play. Just a brilliant, brilliant game.

[NotEd]

Originally Posted by umainebearman

I was a Star Wars junkie. The one that looked like Battle zone and you had the little reticle and was on a rail and you shot at towers and Ties and did the trench run. It had movie sound bites so thats all I carred about. If it was ported to the xbox I'd be all over it. I just liked it cause it had the xwing flying feel and the sounds. Many many allowances went into that game.

Yeah, the Star Wars vector graphics game is truly one of the classics. If I had the cash I'd try to track down one of the old school seated versions for my house (of course I'd have to have the cash for a bigger house, too.)

Last time I actually went to an arcade I played Galaxian 3. While it's front projection tech is getting a bit long in the tooth it is still a lot of fun, especially if you're in a large enough group to fill all the seats.

In college I used to play Ataxx and Rampart quite a bit. I was lucky that the campus arcade had Rampart and a number of decent pinball machines. For Ataxx I had to visit a friend about 30 minutes away. It was worth it, though!

[trespoochies]

I had such a thing for Tron and Discs of Tron. I'm glad they put the original games on GB's Tron V2.0, bt I miss spinning the knob around while shooting he discs. Definitely a flashback game for me.

[Dilmo]

Battle Zone. I have the old arcade game loaded. I used to kick ass when I was younger.

[Bananaslug79]

I'm quite partial to Galaga (sp?) myself. I can still walk into a Dave & Buster's and play that damn thing for hours.

Originally Posted by NotEd

Yeah, the Star Wars vector graphics game is truly one of the classics. If I had the cash I'd try to track down one of the old school seated versions for my house (of course I'd have to have the cash for a bigger house, too.)

If these are the games I think you're thinking of, pick up Rogue Squadron III for the 'Cube. That game has unlockable ports of the vector Star Wars games, and they're pretty damn fun.

[EM3]

TEMPEST for me. It ate up a lot of my quarters until I figured out how to do better at it. I liked the line graphics and the spinned control. One thing was I liked the stand up better than the table version. looking down hurt my neck all the time.

Hey guys nice call on the Star Wars game! I used to play that one at least three or four times a day.

Question: I used to play a game where you could either play a bomber or a fighter plane. The background looked like film but the targets lit up on it when you could shoot them. If you lived long enough you could actually land the bomber but I never saw anyone land the fighter. Does anyone know what I'm talking about. I can't remember the name.

[Dilmo]

Originally Posted by EM3

TEMPEST for me.

I love that one also. I thought it was way ahead of its time...at the time. I guess I should also confess I had Pac-Man fever. I know . Anyone like Centipede?

[Engineer_J]

Rampart, I wish consoles had a trackball

[Brikar99]

I second the old-school "X-Men" sidescroller beat-em-up. That was badass.

[elwood731]

I don't remember the exact title, but Super Off-Road (I think that's right) was great with friends. It was an incredibly simple game, but quite fun with a group. A lot of the old beat-em ups in the late 80s were fun.

Bad Boys (?)
Rastan
Final Fight
Ninja Turtles

I remember dropping quite a bit of money into each of them.

[NotEd]

Originally Posted by Engineer_J

Rampart, I wish consoles had a trackball

Hey, I originally downloaded MAME so I could play that game. Well, that and Zaxxon.

Of course I also still have the version of Rampart for the PC (DOS based on 5.25" floppies, as I recall) and my Atari Lynx. Loved that game.

[EM3]

OMG! I forgot about Centipede! My best score ever was about 150,000. Once I figured out how to make columns for them to come straight down in to and how many mushrooms to leave at the bottom I had a blast on it. Our high school had a game room in it and I had my dad for homeroom and I missed homeroom completely one morning because of that game.

I played Zaxxon a few time.

Anyone remember a shooting game called Billy the Kid? It had a blocky looking figure run across the screen and you had to outdraw him? Yeah it was lame but for 25 cents it was good entertainment.

[NotEd]

I totally forgot the Star Trek game! Old school, vector graphics and everything.
And to continue the vector graphics theme, what about Lunar Lander?

And to hit more traditional technology, Bump and Jump?

[Jeff003]

I have 3 favorites.
1)Donkey Kong
2)Zaxxon
3)Space Invaders
These games were just fun to play.It's ashame they don't get released on consoles.I know Donkey Kong is out on the GBA but it doesn't have the pie factory level.I use to play these games on the old TRS 80 Computer.

[NotEd]

Originally Posted by Jeff003

I have 3 favorites.
1)Donkey Kong
2)Zaxxon
3)Space Invaders
These games were just fun to play.It's ashame they don't get released on consoles.I know Donkey Kong is out on the GBA but it doesn't have the pie factory level.I use to play these games on the old TRS 80 Computer.

You must've had a fancier TRS80 than I did as a kid. I think the best the Model I could handle was "Oh no! Look out for that mean letter "T"! It might be a tiger! Or a tuna. or something." :p

[Engineer_J]

Originally Posted by Jeff003

I have 3 favorites.
1)Donkey Kong
2)Zaxxon
3)Space Invaders
These games were just fun to play.It's ashame they don't get released on consoles.I know Donkey Kong is out on the GBA but it doesn't have the pie factory level.I use to play these games on the old TRS 80 Computer.

Get the old Donkey Kong for the Gameboy, it supports color in the Super Gameboy player or GBA.

Has all the levels plus an extra 80 or so, a must for any Donkey Kong fan

Space Invaders is out for GBA also

http://www.peterhirschberg.com/arcade/gameroom.htm

I want this gameroom

[decorm]

Punch Out is probably my all time favorite. I always play it whenever I see it at an arcade.

[Hollow Man]

Robotron 2084
Star Trek
Star Wars
Star Castle
Tempest
Rolling Thunder
Flashgal (some day I'll see if anyone else saw this game besides me)
Rally X
Speed Rumbler
Marble Madness
Dig Dug
Popeye
Galaga
Gorf
Staravox (something like that)
Pleadeis (spelling on that is def. wrong)
Moon Cresta
Moon Patrol
Discs of Tron
Tron
Defender
Stargate (the most manly game ever invented)
This gladiator type game where when you hit people with your sword, their armor would fly off until they were left in their underwear. Even the women.
Mach 3
Dragon's Lair
Space Ace
Hang Time (I think that's the name of this anime laserdisc game)
another really great laserdisc game with motorcycles which escapes me right now

So many more.

I'm a child of the late 70s and early 80s, and was in love with arcades. A phenom that I'm sad to say, is dead. It's a blast watching movies like Fast Times at R High, Wargames, and Tron, so I can fondly remember the good times.

-HM

[Wilson]

Crazy Climber

Why? No idea.

Me and a friend owned this game in Edmonton in the summer of '80. If we knew where to find a Crazy Climber machine we would have every high score on the machine. I think we played this more than anything because we where so good we could play for hours on a couple quarters.

[Hollow Man]

Originally Posted by Wilson

Crazy Climber

Go for it!

-HM

[Volcane]

The original "top down" version of Spy Hunter.... loved it!