Top 100 arcade games of all time!

[Trevor]

I don't think I can give this a number but there was a Japanese fighting game I played many years ago in the early 1990s. It was similar to Double Dragon and when your last life was lost, someone would shout at you in Japanese. I met someone a while later who was from there and I asked the meaning of the phrase. He blushed red enough to resemble a tomato and said that it was an incredibly rude thing to say. 

[lester1/2jr]

I like the swearing in Q Bert

[retrorussell]

I'm not sure what the fighting game is.. I know they say "IPPON!" in Samurai Shodown but that just means "point".  I might have to do a bit more research..
In the meantime:
98. PENGO (1982, Sega)
Great maze game where a penguin pushes blocks of ice at "Sno-bees" trying to sting him.

[Umaril Has Returned]

chaos- That was a cool pinball game.

96. Crystal Castles



anyone who plays roller games with their foot is a baddy!

I actually know this guy...this is Mark Alpiger, the former Crystal Castles champion who used to play with his foot. I personally witnessed this at Richie Knucklez arcade in New Jersey at the 2010 "Tron Off" where Donald Hayes defended his Tron title against David Cruz and if I remember right, Brian Wagner.   Alpiger is also in the documentaries King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters and Chasing Ghosts.

[lester1/2jr]

Why in the world does he play with his foot?

[Leah]

99. What cannot be left out of the arcade?


The Arcade Legends, 130 classic arcades games in one.

Nah, the real 99 is Gold Nugget. Here's a description of it:

Gold Nugget is a nostalgic mechanical gun game that is built with the original tooling that goes back to the 1920's! This gun game shoots BB's at mechanical targets to get a score with each hit. This game requires no electricity and very little maintenance! Suggested placement locations include FEC's, Pizza and Family Restaurants, Movie Theater Lobbies, Campground, Bowling Centers, Grocery and Discount Store, Laundromats, Arcades, Mall Locations, Redemption Sites, Amusement Parks, Malls, or just the family game room.

Features include:

Authentic, Classic Nostalgic BB Gun Cabinet Style
Oak Wood Cabinet With Gold-Plated Legs/Hardware
No Electricity Required - Very Low Maintenance
Rugged Cabinet Construction w/Tempered Safety Glass
Quarter Coin Standard, Can be set for any coinage

[retrorussell]

And I'll top it off:
100. HEAD-ON, 1979 Gremlin/SEGA
Classic and much-copied "eat the dots" game (before Pac-Man!) with cars.  Try not to let the other car ram you as you attempt to clear the screen.


If you guys like, submit an "honorable mentions" 100 list!

[lester1/2jr]

Game Over

please insert coin

[retrorussell]

Coin inserted!

Actually, I'm going to review the top 100 before moving on to honorable mentions:
(and I'll replace #68 because Star Wars was already chosen at 54, with BUBBLE BOBBLE!)
So..
1. Dig Dug 2. Marble Madness 3. Donkey Kong 4. Pac Man 5. Gorf 6. Pooyan 7. Galaga 8. Amidar 9. Elevator Action 10. Track & Field 11. Defender 12. Wonderboy In Monsterland 13. Golden Axe 14. Karate Champ 15. Pong 16. 10 Yard Fight 17. Hydro Thunder 18. Ms Pac Man 19. Mortal Kombat 20. Kid Niki 21. Rampage 22. Discs Of Tron 23. Final Fight 24. Gauntlet 25. WWF Wrestlefest 26. Street Fighter II 27. Operation Wolf 28. Cabal 29. Dragon's Lair 30. Zaxxon 31. Breakout 32. Big Event Golf 33. Punch-Out 34. Mr. Do 35. Rush 'N Attack 36. Centipede 37. Phoenix 38. Robotron 39. Jungle Hunt 40. Space Invaders 41. Asteroids 42. Spy Hunter 43. Tempest 44. Berzerk 45. Galaxian 46. Bubble Dome Hockey 47. Battlezone 48. Red Baron 49. Crazy Climber 50. Black Knight 51. Air Hockey 52. Kung Fu Master 53. Tron 54. Star Wars 55. Missile Command 56. Cruisin' 57. Yie Ar Kung Fu 58. Star Castle 59. King Of Swat 60. Qix 61. Joust 62. Burgertime 63. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 64. Sinistar 65. Moon Patrol 66. Time Pilot 67. Choplifter 68. Bubble Bobble 69. Xain'd Sleena 70. Altered Beast 71. Gyruss 72. Venture 73. Rally X 74. Ninja Gaiden 75. Shinobi 76. Gals Panic 77. Empire City 1931 78. Sea Wolf 79. Clown Pinball 80. Donkey Kong Jr. 81. Crazy Taxi 82. Cadillacs & Dinosaurs 83. Space Wars 84. QBert 85. Scramble 86. Omega Race 87. Frogger 88. Circus Charlie 89. Tales of Arabian Nights 90. Fatal Fury Special 91. Pinball Action 92. Blackout 93. Xevious 94. Twilight Zone Pinball 95. Skee Ball 96. Crystal Castles 97. Astro Blaster 98. Pengo 99. Gold Nugget 100. Head On

[retrorussell]

The first honorable mention:
1. MOUSE TRAP (1981, Exidy)
Great maze game where you can change from a mouse (being attacked by cats) into a dog (who can turn the tables on the cats)!  Avoid the hawk, which can kill either form.

[Umaril Has Returned]

Why in the world does he play with his foot?

He used to do that to show off.  He even defended his Crystal Castles record with his foot one time! The guy is just that odd, but that talented too.

Mark is a little tiny guy with a big attitude, and he takes a bit of getting used to.
He's somewhat independent wealthy as a consultant and is quite able to cut his own rules.
He has his own website at www.classicarcadegaming.com and he is the host of the annual Classic Arcade Gaming Tournament. He is also, like myself, good friends with Twin Galaxies founder\patron saint of gamers, Walter Day, and arcade legend Richie Knucklez.

Above all, Mark is very odd, but once you get to know him and his ways, you can be yourself around him and actually find him to be a pretty good guy.

[major jay]

2. PLEIADES (1981)
This was sort of a sequel to PHOENIX.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nxbz8hy7og

[lester1/2jr]

Umaril- Dod you ever play Crystal Castles? I mainly remember it has a lot of secret warp things.

[retrorussell]

Umaril- Dod you ever play Crystal Castles? I mainly remember it has a lot of secret warp things.

Yeah; you warp I think from level 1 to 2 if you go behind the castle in the northern corner (where you can't see yourself) and jump.
After playing once, on your next credit a door will be opened in the first castle.  Go in and jump to go to level 3.
On level 3 grab the hat and go to the corner of the maze where you can't see yourself.  Press jump to go to level 5.
There's one other, I think to go from 5 to 7 that may also involve grabbing a hat and going to a hidden corner and jumping.
Also, notice that when you get the high score your initials will appear on the first level building.
And, if you jump like 100 times in the bottom corner of level 1 (you'll have to get stung by the bees twice) the programmer's initials FXL (Franz X. Lanzinger) will appear.

[retrorussell]

3. Moon Cresta (1980, Nichibutsu/Gremlin/SEGA)
Multi-stage shooter where you can add parts to your ship, increasing its firepower dramatically!  The opening tune is VERY recognizable for many arcade vets.