Arcade games are video games commonly installed in cabinets and placed in bars; they were very common in the '80s. Many arcade games were ported to home computers and consoles, even if the conversion sometimes required the removal of some features due to different hardware. However, in this case, we are not really talking about actual arcades but more about the genre. Arcade games are often simple titles based on skills and speed. Initially, they were based on single screens - think about Pac-Man and Space Invaders, for example, but then they started to feature scrolling screens.
In this group, you can find some of the most popular titles in the history of video games, such as Taito's Bubble Bobble or CAPCOM's Ghosts 'N Goblins. Some of the best beat-em-ups have been born as arcades, like Street Fighter or Double Dragon. SEGA's Golden Axe was a fantastic example of a hack-and-slash theme with cooperative action for two players (that could choose between 3 different characters). We should also not forget OutRun, an arcade that revolutionized racing games, and Irem's R-Type, a title that set the standard for horizontal scrolling space shooters. And let's not forget Arkanoid, the successor of Breakout. The list is long, but we cannot end this overview without mentioning one of the cutest platformers ever created, Taito's The New Zealand Story. In the list below, you will also find some games not originally born as coin-ops but only inspired by the classic arcades of the past. If you are interested in this genre, we suggest you also check the group coin-op conversion.
