I was 9 years-old when I first entered the neon gloom of an arcade and my love affair with coin-op gaming began. From then until the death of the classic arcade in the late 90s, I have been to dozens of different venues and sunk hundreds of pounds into hundreds of different machines. However, those early days will stay with me forever and these are the games that cemented those days in my heart.
Tron
I was obsessed with Tron long before I ever saw the film. With the exception of Street Fighter 2, no other arcade game captured my heart and mind like Tron. From the neon-stripped cabinet, to the unique controls (a pistol-grip joystick and a paddle) to the fact it was four games in one, Tron seemed like something from another planet. If ever I thought a game could transport me to another world, Last Fighter style, it was Tron.
Galaxians
There's something almost comforting about Galaxians' familiar formula. The game is barely any different from Space Invaders, but I think it's the sound effects that did it for me more than anything. That initial ditty still puts a smile on my face today.
Time Pilot
This is one of the few arcade games to get a respectble conversion on the BBC Micro B and it was that version I played the most. However, I did first encounter the game in an arcade at a caravan site in Caister, Great Yarmouth. I loved the idea of travelling through the ages, fighting planes and helicopters from different eras. Unfortunately I rarely got past World War II.
Kung-Fu Master (Spatan X)
The first of several beat 'em ups in my list, Kung-Fu Master was the first beat 'em up I ever played that pitched the player against waves of enemies, as opposed to one-on-one. Despite being based on the Jackie Chan film Wheels on Meals (or Spartan X as it was known in Japan), it actually played out very similar to Bruce Lee's film Game of Death, with each floor being guarded by a different boss. I always remember hearing people talk about what the boss was on the final levels, but I don't think I ever saw past the Man of Brute Strength on floor 3, so I never knew if those rumours were true.
Gryzor (Contra)
Characters that looked like Arnie and Sly? Loads of big, crazy guns? Soldiers, robots and aliens to blast? What was not to like about Gryzor - or Contra as it is also known? I was truly terrible at this game, but it wasn't until I was much older that I discovered it is generally considered one of the hardest games of that period. I own the Xbox Live Arcade version and even when I lower the difficulty and use all my continues, I still can't get past level 3.
1942
My older brother doesn't really game any more, but once upon a time he loved 1942. He was really good at it too; I still remember crowds of people gathering around him to watch him play.
In a genre that is full of crazy over-the-top weapons, enemies and locations, there is something refreshing about 1942's simplicity. There have been many sequels and remakes over the years, but none have quite lived up to the purety of the original.
Hard Drivin'
Hard Drivin' is another game my brother excelled at, but unlike 1942, I could not play Hard Drivin' to save my lif. At the time of its release, it felt like a proper driving simulator, because he had a clutch and a proper 5 gate gear stick. Looking back now it's has not aged well at all; the primative polygonal graphics are incredibly slow. Compared to sprite-based driving games from the same era, Hard Driving is ponderous. Nonetheless, in its hay day it was a game that really separated the men from the boys.
Golden Axe
Although there had been co-operative games before, with Golden Axe it felt like the way to play the game. I've always put this down to the fact the three characters' skills complemented each other. By playing Golden Axe with a friend you didn't just double your fire power, but your choices as well.
Final Fight
After Street Fighter 2, Final Fight is Capcom's biggest beat 'em up. Like Golden Axe it featured a co-op mode that was enhanced by the differences between the characters. I was a Cody player at the time and because of the bizarre universe Capcom games occupy, that continued in Street Fighter Alpha 3 years later.
Street Fighter II series
This is The One, the game that has stayed with me above all others. From the first time I played Street Fighter II: World Warriors in a Great Yarmouth arcade, I was hooked. Since then I've played almost every incarnation of the game and bought it on every system I've owned, from PC to PlayStation to Dreamcast to GameBoy Advance to Xbox 360. I don't know precisely what it is that makes me come back to Street Fighter time and time again, but I know my urge to play it has barely waned in two decades. My favourite iterations are Super Street Fighter II, Street Fighter III 3rd Strike, Street Fighter Alpha 3 and Super Street Fighter IV. Each one has something different about them that makes it possible to enjoy them all equally, without feeling as those the older games have become antiquated.
So there we have it, the 10 arcade games that made the biggest impression on my childhood. When I compiled the list it was interesting to realise I still play more than half of the games on this list, which is surely a testament to their design and creativity.
MTW
