"Sure, the arcades are not quite as full as they use to be but
if you're like me then you still most likely remember all those great
(and not so great) games out there!" Here is a review of some
of those cool cabinets throughout history.
The overall scores are out of 100.
The graphics, sounds, and game play are out of 10.
SCORE / NAME 78 AFTER BURNER (Sega, 1987) Sega must be fans of the
80's movie Top Gun, uh? In this intense 3D game you must fly over 20 dangerous levels
while you shoot down enemy planes and convoys with your Vulcan bullets or limited
lock on missiles. Although it's a simple game, it's also a really cool flight
simulator that's actually fun to play since you're flying at these insane speeds. For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 7
gameplay: 5 Find After Burner on eBay here!
64 ATHENA (SNK, 1986) In Athena, you guide a cute half naked princess through 7 nearly impossible levels
of medieval mayhem. The hit detection is kind of spotty but you can find upgrades to help protect yourself in this action platformer. This game is also available on the NES but this arcade
edition has sharper graphics and you don't see her dress coming off in that version.
"I love Anime!" For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 7 Find Athena on eBay here!
48 ART OF FIGHTING (SNK, 1993)
This fighting game was
one of SNK's first Neo Geo games to break the big 100 Meg mark but sadly the title
itself was nothing special. The centers around Ryo's sister being kidnapped and
you need to get some answers from the local South Town
tough guys if you hope to find her. Although
the graphics introduced a cool zooming effect where the characters and backgrounds
get larger has the fight get closer, everything else about the game was fairly
disappointing thanks to some boring playable fighters (Ryo and Robert) and limited
play options. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 5
gameplay: 4 Find Art of Fighting on eBay here! 69 ASTEROIDS (Atari, 1979)
Asteroids is a great classic shooter by engineer Lyle Rains and producer Ed Logg.
The game is famous for using vector monitors (similar to Atari's earlier Lunar
Lander) for its unique line graphics for the arcades and if that wasn't enough
you could even enter your three of your initials for the first time in a video
game if you got a top score. The controls take some getting use to but the action
was there and it is was a huge hit for Atari and it still remains a classic. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 3
sound: 2
gameplay: 4 Find Asteroids on eBay here!
67 ATOMIC RUNNER (Data East, 1988)
Atomic Runner is a weird but fun action
title were the main hero is always running and running. The game is difficult
since only one hit kills you but it is still filled with nice list of power ups
and weapons to make to journey worth it. This game can be found on the Sega Genesis
if you can't find the arcade game.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 6 Find Atomic Runner on eBay here!
45 BAD DUDES (Data East,
1988)
What the heck happened
here?This is a super bad looking Double
Dragon clone comes with 7 generic levels and weird bosses like the dude from
Karnov and giant robots. This side scrolling beat them up is just plain
unoriginal and weird to be any good.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 3 Find Bad Dudes on eBay here!
40 BATTLEZONE (Atari, 1980)
Battle Zone may just be the first ever First
Person Shooter! Although the game had some good looking 3D vector graphics
for its time, the game also has fairly some tough game play. It's almost impossible
not to get hit here because of the slow speed of your tank.
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 4
gameplay: 4 Find Battlezone on eBay here!
78 BLUE'S JOURNEY (SNK,
1991)
In this cool action
title you help two environmental crusaders defend their land against evil invaders
trying to destroy everything in this fun game that never saw a sequel despite
it's popularity. Funny thing is that we got three lame Art of Fighting
games from SNK for some reason, eh? For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 8
Find Blue's Journey on eBay here!
83 BUBBLE BOBBLE (Taito,
1986) The fun arcade action
game starring two cute bubble blowing dinosaurs and their mission to save
their girlfriends from an evil wizard. The game is so simple and original
that it makes a great title for any one to pick up plus you have to like all
the power ups here as well. Can you beat all of the massive 100 levels here?
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 6
gameplay: 8 Find Bubble Bobble on eBay here!
84CASTLEVANIA (Konami,
1986)
In this legendary
game Simon Belmont must kill the evil Count Dracula himself to save all of
Europe. With 6 challenging levels of the undead
it won't be easy and the later levels are especially difficult but not too
impossible. This game is just like
the famous NES version just so you know.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 8
gameplay: 7 Find Castlevania on eBay here!
72 CENTIPEDE (Atari, 1981)
That famous Ed Logg dude makes another mega hit for Atari. In the game you must shoot down the giant Centipede before it destroys you. Although this game is fairly
old and quite limited to the shooters we have today Centipede is still an
addictive action game if you get on 'fire'! The track ball takes some getting
use to but it works well for this shooting game.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 4
sound: 4
gameplay: 4
Find Centipede on eBay here!
85 CONTRA (Konami, 1986) The original Contra
is still a good and challenging shoot em up with 8 action packed levels of
robots, snipers, and aliens. The arcade Contra features sharper graphics
than the popular NES game but it feels shorter too. Still it might be worth checking out if you're a fan and you can find on several different systems like the DS or Xbox 360.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 7
gameplay: 7
Find Contra on eBay here! 21 CRYSTAL CASTLES (Atari, 1983) Crystal Castles is a strange Pac Man clone that's almost impossible
to play thanks to its quick speed of the game's track ball. The game wasn't
even too great to begin with because the awkward 3D designs made to hard to
see all the action. For 1 player only
graphics: 4
sound: 3
gameplay: 3
Find Crystal Castles on eBay here! 43 DARK STALKERS (Capcom, 1995)
Although a below average rating may seem a little harsh for a solid Street
Fighter II clone but that's the whole problem here. Each monster character
will remind you of another Street Fighter II guy instead of something new.
Despite some stylish graphics, Dark Stalkers is nothing more than another
one on one fighter with a new coat of paint.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 3 Find Dark Stalkers on eBay here!
70 DEFENDER (Williams, 1980) Here is the classic shoot em up about a aggressive alien invasion. These
aliens are trying to steal away humans as well and it's up to you to save
them all if you can. Defender is a good game but it takes some practice to
master the controls and all the buttons too. If you can though the game can
be very addictive.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 4
sound: 3
gameplay: 5
Find Defender on eBay here!
55 DEFENDER II (Williams, 1983) This was originally known as Star Gate but the game is also named Defender
II in some circles. Sadly this fun but barely upgraded sequel and it was released
during the market crash so the game failed to reach the audience of its prequel.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 4
gameplay: 5 Find Defender II on eBay here!
68 DIG DUG (Namco, 1982) Here is a pretty good little game. In it you help your hero Dig Dug tunnel
his way to enemies and use his pump weapon to blow up and get rid of the annoying
Pookas and Fygars enemies of the underground. Sure, the game is a little on
the slow side, but Dig Dug is still very original.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 3
sound: 5
gameplay: 4
Find Dig Dug on eBay here!
82 DONKEY KONG (Nintendo, 1981) Here is Nintendo's
first real big video game hit! The popular 1981 Donkey Kong! In this game,
Mario must save his girlfriend Pauline from the giant building climbing ape
Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong is not only a powerful ape but he'll also throw barrels
at you while you're making your way up a dangerous and unstable skyscraper.
Although the game play is overly simple since there is one button used for
the jump, this game is a must play for platform fans because of its challenge.
Unlike most home versions, the game comes with 4 different levels of pure
action too. This game can also be found complete on the Donkey Kong 64 game
for the Nintendo 64 if you can't find the cabinet. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 4
sound: 4
gameplay: 5 Find Donkey Kong on eBay here! 81 DONKEY KONG JR. (Nintendo, 1982)
The sequel to Donkey Kong actually features Mario in the bad guy role this time
around so as Donkey Kong Jr. you have to save your Dad from becoming some sideshow attraction. DK Jr. is a great but simple platform game that added more adventure
elements to the series. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 4
gameplay: 5 Find Donkey Kong JR. on eBay here!
52 DONKEY KONG 3 (Nintendo,
1984) In this odd sequel
you are Stanley the bug man and you're shooting swarms of killer bugs and
the invading giant ape Donkey Kong?! DK3 is a OK enough game for action freaks but platform fans
will be quite disappointed to how the series has changed. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 4
sound: 5
gameplay: 3
Find Donkey Kong 3 on eBay here!
88 DOUBLE DRAGON (Technos, 1986)
One of the coolest
games I can remember growing up and it was also one of the coolest games of
the late eighties! I remember when Maria's white underpants were being showed
after she was knocked out after a brutal stomach punch, I remember the tough
Mr. T look-a-like boss, and who could forget all of the cool weapons you could
use too like the wooden bats, steel knives, and even dangerous dynamite sticks.
The story is about two martial artists Billy and Jimmy Lee's quest to fight
a powerful street gang of thugs to save their kidnapped friend. Double Dragon
is violent and fun action! For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 8 Find Double Dragon on eBay here!
76 DOUBLE DRAGON 2: The Revenge (Technos, 1989)
In the big sequel Maria gets iced and Billy and Jimmy Lee go out for some revenge! Some of
the locations are the same as the last game but the bosses are a lot bigger now. Also the main
characters are now Black and White instead of Blue and Red for whatever reason. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 7
Find Double Dragon 2 on eBay here!
80 FROGGER (Konami, 1982)
It's just not a Playstation game after all. The game is simple: help your frogs
get across the road and then try to get them through the swamps and back home
in one piece. Frogger is a great classic that was even featured in a classic
Seinfeld episode!
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 6
gameplay: 6
Find Frogger on eBay here!
78 GALAGA (Namco, 1981) The very popular sequel
to Namco ground breaking Galaxian is not only faster than that Space Invaders
clone but it's more fun to play thanks to some much needed enhancements. For example Galaga
doubles the speed of the original game and the bugs are even smarter now too.
There is a trick to this game; you can power up your star fighter so you can
have double the fire power but you'll have to lose a life to do it when it gets captured by the enemy. Galaga
is an excellent shooter that still holds up very well.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 5
gameplay: 6
Find Galaga on eBay here!
60 GALAXIAN (Namco, 1979) Galaxian is a prequel to Galaga by Namco that was the first real full colour
coin operated game ever so there's a cool history behind it. Still a fun shooter if you want to go for the high
score but it's too basic to be seriously now of days unfortunately. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 3
sound: 3
gameplay: 1 Find Galaxian on eBay here!
71 GHOST N' GOBLINS (Capcom,
1985)
This is a very hard
arcade action game despite the fact it takes two hits to kill you! In the game
you help Sir Arthur rescue the captive princess from a horde of evil demons
and monsters. If you love challenging action platformers then dive right in
but be prepared for a few unfair and even disappointing moments. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 7 Find Ghost N' Goblins on eBay here!
75 GOLDEN AXE (Sega, 1987) In this Sega classic
you get the choice of three different warriors on a quest to get the Golden
Axe back from the evil Death Adder. If you love games like Double Dragon
then you'll love Golden Axe as well plus the arcade edition is more bloody then
the popular Genesis version too. For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 7
Find Golden Axe on eBay here!
76 GRADIUS (Konami, 1986)
This is a hard space shooting game that introduced a new and innovative weapon
system with 6 different selections to power ups for your Vic Viper star ship.
Can you survive all 7 levels to save your home world from destruction? Gradius
is a underrated shooter that was fairly popular in Japan.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 8 Find Gradius on eBay here!
70 HANG ON (Sega, 1985)
The arcade game was so much better
that the Sega Master System version so expect to be surprised by the
impressive 3D graphics and cool soundtrack here. Remember that cool scale sized
Motorcycle as well? Hang On isn't too different from other riding games visually
but that bike is just too cool to pass up.
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 5
Find Hang On on eBay here! 78 JOUST (Williams, 1982) Sure, it looks a little plain now in design but this classic medieval game
was very cool back in the day thanks to the clever game play where you destroy opponents by striking them at a higher plane them you and it's especially
great for two player action.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 4
sound: 4
gameplay: 5 Find Joust on eBay here!
66 JR. PAC MAN (Midway/Namco, 1983) One of the hardest old school arcade titles ever with huge new mazes (twice
the size of Pac Man's mazes) to master. It's a good game of Pac Man but it's
a little too demanding at times and there are no portals either for some reason. Still a fun game worth looking for.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 4
sound: 5
gameplay: 5
Find Jr. Pac Man on eBay here! 69 KANGAROO (Atari/Centuri, 1983) In this action title you control a mama Kangaroo across various jungle
levels to rescue you're baby kangaroo from some rotten monkeys. Kangaroo
is a fun platform that is very similar to Nintendo's famous Donkey Kong. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 3
sound: 3
gameplay: 4 Find Kangaroo on eBay here! 83 KLAX (Atari Games, 1990)
I may have played a lot games similar in theme where it's your job to match
colours to earn points, but Klax here gives the gamer so many levels, secrets,
and techniques that it will keep you coming back for more. It's weird that there
was never a sequel to this fun puzzle tile game. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 8 Find Klax on eBay here! 60 KNUCKLE HEADS (Namco, 1993)
In this odd beat em up you pick from one six characters and then you can fight
a gold version of yourself to finish the game. Here is a unpopular fighting
game that plays a lot like Street Fighter II but this game earns a few points for it's interesting
4 player action.
For 1 or 4 players
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 6 Find Knuckle Heads on eBay here!
60 LEGENDARY WINGS (Capcom,
1987)
This game actually
features a women as player one and the game also as some platform levels too.
The arcade edition is even better than the weird looking shooting game on
NES which featured two guys instead but the difficulty is just insane.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 6
gameplay: 6 Find Legendary Wings on eBay here!
64 MAGICIAN
LORD (SNK, 1991) This excellent action
game features a young wizard with unique powers who challenges over 10 stages
filled with deadly monsters and deadly traps. Magician Lord is not only challenging
but it also has some fantastic fantasy graphics and great sounds. The game is way too hard in certain spots but ML is a
fun action game to have for the Neo Geo. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 8 Find Magician Lord on eBay here!
78 METAL SLUG (SNK, 1996)
Although the Contra
series has been on a downhill spiral since going to the Playstation and PS2,
SNK would introduce us to a simple but fun to play run and gun shoot em up
filled with carnage. Join a couple of brave but cartoon-like heroes who go
into a deadly terrorist zone in hopes of saving the world from destruction.
Metal Slug may not have a lot of replay value once the game is completed,
still the game is very action packed and funny looking game for 2 players
plus it started a great new series.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 7 Find Metal Slug on eBay here!
76 MISSILE COMMAND (Atari, 1980)
Dave Theurer's Missile Command is a grim game where you try to defend
the world from a nuclear war but sadly you will have to lose the battle eventually.
You can always go for the high score though. MC is a very challenging mission
to stop ballistic missiles from destroying 6 of your cities. A lot of people
actually prefer the speedy arcade roller ball controller to the Joystick controller
on the 2600 as well.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 4
sound: 4
gameplay: 4 Find Missile Command on eBay here!
90MS. PAC MAN(Midway/Namco, 1982) Oh ya, who doesn't like this classic game, eh?! Ms. Pac Man may not
be the most original video game in the world (eat the pellets, avoid the ghosts, everything gets faster, repeat) but this spin off of the earlier
popular Pac Man not only attracted the girls to the arcades like it was suppose
to but it also got the average arcade goer (like me) interested too because
of its more in-depth thanks to the new mazes and more challenging game play. Ms. Pac Man was part of my
childhood since it was in every arcade I could imagine and I just gonna beat my last high score of over 80,000 points!
You can easily play Ms. Pac Man on the next generation systems like an Xbox 360 or Playstation 5 or something or other
so you can't finally save your high scores or you can just buy an arcade unit
like they did in an episode of Friends and be careful not to unplug
it. Ms Pac Man was oddly enough just a hacked game of Pac Man and Midway altered it a bit so they could add a new story line to it and create a semi-sequel to the original mega hit. Namco of Japan made a true sequel called Super Pac Man but it was hardly the success this game was.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 4
sound: 4
gameplay: 6 Find Ms Pac man on eBay here!
86 MOON PATROL (Midway/Irem, 1982)
Moon Patrol is a very
impressive action game, even today. In it guide your moon buggy across 5 levels
of deadly pits, land mines, and even evil aliens. It was one of the few Arcade
games at the time that features 3D backgrounds and game theme music too so it has both good presentation and intense game play as well.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 6 Find Moon Patrol on eBay here!
77 MORTAL KOMBAT (Williams,
1992)
Here is the original
Mortal Kombat that started all that attention for its heavy use of blood and fatalities.
The fighting system itself is still very quick and effective but the overall depth pales in comparison
to Street Fighter II's earlier engine. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 6 Find Mortal Kombat on eBay here!
80 MORTAL KOMBAT II (Williams, 1993) In this popular sequel
Lui Kang successfully defeats Tsung Sheng to win the first MK tournament but
this only argrys Sheng's master: the Outworld Emperor Shoa Khan and he holds his own tournament to decide the faith of earth.
Mortal Kombat II is a greatly improved sequel with the same quick game play the original is known but now there are 7 new fighters, more moves
per character, and there are also loads of secrets to discover as well. This fighting game is
even more violent with more buckets of blood and gruesome secret fatalities so be careful if you're buying a 500 dollar cabinet for a
kid. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 9
sound: 7
gameplay: 7 Find Mortal Kombat II on eBay here!
56 MORTAL KOMBAT 3 (Williams, 1994) The lame sequel that tried too many radical ideas at once. Sure, it was
OK but I was just expecting more from this huge million dollar mega hit series.
Remember the awful new Sub Zero or that riot guy with the gun? Talk about awful
character design. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 7
gameplay: 6 Find Mortal Kombat 3 on eBay here! 58 NINJA COMBAT (SNK, 1991)
In this game you guide a couple of highly skilled ninjas as they battle their way through
some deadly crime invested streets. As the game progresses you'll find other
characters who want to team up with you to add extra variety. What makes a good
arcade game makes for a horrible Neo Geo home cart because of the unlimited
continues. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 6
Find Ninja Combat on eBay here!
79 NINJA GAIDEN (Tecmo,
1987)
The story is about two
ninjas battling it out in the mean streets of the USA and beyond. Fight men in hockey masks,
fat men with giant logs, and even Sumo wrestlers in Double Dragon style game
play. This game is also on the Atari Lynx. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 6 Find Ninja Gaiden on eBay here!
The
StarSoldier Game of the Month! 87PAC
MAN (Midway/Namco, 1980) "Here is the original
Namco mega hit we all know and love!" The game is simple enough; just guide
your little yellow hero Pac Man around a maze to clear the game board of tiny dots to finish the
level but beware of the crafty ghosts that don't seem to like you very much.
The game has cute family friendly graphics, fun sounds, and who could forget
the interesting game play that turned Pac Man into a legend. Each ghost has their own tactics for stopping ya but the red one is usually the most aggressive. Pac Man's creator's,
Toru Iwatani, actually got the idea for the legendary Pac Man character
by eating a pizza with some of the slices missing, he wondered what if the roles
were reversed and the pizza was hungry? That's how Pac Man was born! Pac Man
and his ghost enemies were also some of the first video game characters to be
marketable thanks to their clever designs and different personalities. If you can find a classic cabinet see if
you can buy it? Chances are though an Midway original unit won't go cheap, eh? For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 5
gameplay: 6 Find Pac Man on eBay here!
44 PACMANIA (Namco, 1987)
It's Pac Man but now it's in 3D and the game scrolls as well. Pac Man can also jump here now to help him escape
from the new ghost but you still have be careful because there are a lot more
ghosts this time. Hardly as addictive
as the original but some may be dazzled by the new look so love it or hate it?
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 5
gameplay: 5 Find Pacmania on eBay here!
59 PAPERBOY (Atari, 1984) Being a paperboy in a video game sounds boring but Atari did a good job
creating a fun world to interactive with. I even remember the cool handle
bar controls in this awesome and original game! You must help a paperboy delivery
the news to a not always friendly route.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 6 Find Paperboy on eBay here!
71 POLE POSITION (Atari/Namco, 1982) The original popular racing game of the early eighties! I remember this
game being both a sit down and stand up cabinet. Pole Position is a very simple
and to the point racer that paved the way for many great titles for the Arcades
and home markets. For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 5
gameplay: 4 Find Pole Position on eBay here!
75 P.O.W. (SNK, 1988)
This game is a Double
Dragon like fighting game but it takes place in a deadly Prisoners Of
War camp. Unlike the NES game this version can be for two players and
not just one and the graphics are way better of course too. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 7
Find POW on eBay here!
82 PUNCH OUT (Nintendo,
1984) Punch Out is a very
fun and challenging boxing game with 6 different challengers to fight so you
can become the new world champion. This game not only features a double monitor
for viewing your stats but Punch Out also featured some new Mode7 graphics
for a cutting edge 3D look (for 1984 anyway). Some of the constant sound effects are kinda annoying but the game controls great and it's exciting fighting each opponent here too.
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 7
Find Punch Out on eBay here!
78 RAIDEN (Seibu Kaibatsu, 1988) I remember this arcade game was everywhere! Raiden is a classic vertical shooter with 8 war packed levels 4 different
weapons. You're airchafts can only take one hit before they're done for but at least you can use both the main gun and missiles at the same time plus you have a limited number of destructive bombs as well. If you liked shooters like Twin Cobra and Twin Hawk then
you'll love this well crafted alien war blaster as well. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 6 Find Raiden on eBay here!
74 RAIDEN II (Seibu Kaibatsu,
1990) The sequel features
the same amount of levels as before but now there is a brand new and very
impressive looking purple snake weapon and a new spread bomb that covers more
area. Although the improvements are minor, the game is still fairly amazing and fans of the first one will love it. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 6 Find Raiden II on eBay here!
43 RAMPAGE (Data East,
1987) In this popular game you get the chance
to help one of three giant monsters to destroy several cities from around
the world. The biggest problem in Rampage is that most of the buildings look
a like no matter which country you go to so get ready for a very repetitive game. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 5
gameplay: 4 Find Rampage on eBay here!
58 RENEGADE (Taito, 1986)
Before there were
beat em ups like Double Dragon and Final Fight there was this
cool beat'em up that featured some decent voice samples and lots of tough
guys ready to fight. The controls were not the most responsive and it's annoying the two player mode isn't at the same time but the action is still here and I love all the gritty urban locations. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 6 Find Renegade on eBay here!
62 ROAD BLASTERS (Atari,
1985)
This game plays a
lot Pole Position but now you're packing a heavy machine gun on the hood plus
there are 50 levels to master so get ready for a long and dangerous trip. I may have liked this racer better if you didn't
lose fuel so easily.
For 1 player only
graphics: 5
sound: 5
gameplay: 6
Find Road Blasters on eBay here! The
StarSoldier Game of the Month!
81R TYPE (Nintendo/Irem, 1987) R Type is easily one
of the best shooters of the late eighties. The game comes with 8 tough enemy
infested levels but you also get a creative weapon system so you can fight
back. In the game you have to destroy the evil Bydo Empire here and believe
me it won't be easy. For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 8 Find R Type on eBay here!
85 SAMURAI SHODOWN (SNK,
1993) While the world was
going crazy for Street Fighter II, Virtua Fighter, Mortal Kombat II,
SNK would come out with a very special fighter of their own. Each warrior
has their unique weapon and each character as their own special techniques.
This game is a very cool Japanese fighting game.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 9
gameplay: 8 Find Samurai Shodown on eBay here!
92 SAMURAI SHODOWN II (SNK, 1994) Although Tam Tam is
missing from the line up here, the sequel gets 4 new characters and the other
11 fighters have evolve in some kind of way so you're really getting a juiced
up sequel here. Yuko is sick; Earthquake has a lot more moves, and Wan Fu
even as a new weapon. Samurai Shodown is a very balanced weapon based fighter
with tons of technique and extras. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 9 Find Samurai Shodown II on eBay here!
54 SAMURAI SHODOWN III Blades of Blood (SNK, 1995) Only a hand full of characters return in part III and despite some cool
features like a selection of good and evil versions of your 12 fighters, the
game ended up being quite luck luster compared to the last game. SS III is
a very weird game thanks to some stupid character designs like a boy with
an Umbrella.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 6
gameplay: 6 Find Samurai Shodown III on eBay here!
85 SAMURAI SHODOWN IV Amakusa's Revenge (SNK,
1997) The series makes a
comeback after a disappointing part III. 5 fighters join the original 12 from
Samurai Shodown 3 and you can still choose between the Slash and Bust of your
character so the depth is still there but the game play is more balanced this
time but the only problem would be the astronomical price of the cart itself.
Tam Tam is also making his big return here but there is still no Earthquake
though.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 8
gameplay: 9
Find Samurai Shodown IV on eBay here!
73 SHADOW DANCER (Sega,
1990) This is actually another great Shinobi
game but now you have a white dog to help you through 5 levels. Shadow Dancer
is different than the Sega Genesis game because you start in an airport
for one thing instead of a ruined city but the fast paced ninja game play is the same. For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 7
gameplay: 7 Find Shadow Dancer on eBay here!
78 SHINOBI (Sega, 1987)
Here is the original
and fast pace action game with great platform and 3D shooting levels. If you don't know the game you guide
a skilled ninja through mean streets, secret hideouts, and warehouses to combat
against the crime syndicate of Zeed. Forget the home versions of this game
because they are no where near as good as this excellent game but be warned you can only take one hit in this version so get ready for one hard game. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 8
gameplay: 7 Find Shinobi on eBay here! 72 SOLAR ASSAULT (Konami, 1997)
This cool game is like a 3D version of Gradius! It can be hard to tell
just how far enemies or their bullets are away from you but the controls are
simple and the graphics and sound are cool. Sadly, it hasn't been translated
to the home markets over here yet just like a lot of Gradius type of games.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 8
gameplay: 7
Find Solar Assault on eBay here!
75 SPACE HARRIER (Sega/AM2, 1986) This game here blew me away in 1986! Space Harrier is a rather nice
looking Sega arcade game that came with both insane shooting action and some amazing yet very quick 3D graphics for
its day. In this game you control a
jet pack wearing hero on a mission to save the Fantasy Zone from giant
dragons, androids, and lots more. Space Harrier may be simple in design since
you're just shooting and flying all the time but the game is still a very
intense experience with some insanely fast action and difficult game play.
Can you survive all 18 levels here in this wild game? I doubt it but the game is still a lot of fun, eh?
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 6
gameplay: 5 Find Space Harrier on eBay here!
68 SPACE INVADERS (Taito, 1978)
Here is the original arcade classic shoot em up where you have to kill
a large group of invading aliens that are trying to land and take over your
world. Although they only move left and right, these aliens can shoot too. The original game was only in black
and white originally with a colour overlay, plus it was Space Invaders still
introduced the high score system to the world of video games. This
game was not only big in the arcades but it also helped to make the Atari
2600 VCS famous. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 2
sound: 3
gameplay: 3 Find Space Invaders on eBay here!
87 STREET FIGHTER II (Capcom, 1991)
The first Street Fighter
wasn't a very big hit for Capcom but this sequel introduced us to so many
original elements that it really took the gaming world by storm. You pick
from one of 8 fighters from around the world challenge one another to become
the best but some are entering the tournament for other reasons. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 9
sound: 8
gameplay: 9 Find Street Fighter II on eBay here!
67 STREET FIGHTER II:
CHAMPION EDITION (Capcom, 1992)
The first ever upgrade
(one of thousands) for the ultra popular Street Fighter II. The 4 bosses
are now playable characters and the game play is a bit more balanced out as well. It's
still only an upgrade though and not a true sequel. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 7
Find Street Fighter II CE on eBay here!
31 STREET FIGHTER ALPHA (Capcom, 1996) Capcom sure had a
real hard time to count to three because here is yet another Street Fighter
spin off. This game wasn't really needed because this is a prequel to Street
Fighter II storyline wise and that means you get even less characters here
than usual and the newer characters just seem recycled from older ones (Birdie
plays like Zangief for example). Other fans may have loved this rehash 2D
fighter but not me.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 3
gameplay: 5 Find Street Fighter Alpha on eBay here!
84 STRIDER (Capcom, 1989) Strider is a ground
breaking 2D game with spectacular 2D graphics and it also comes packed with
ninja style combat that takes place in the not so distance future! There are
only 5 levels here and the game can get difficult but that shouldn't stop
you from playing this amazing platformer.
For 1 player only
graphics: 9
sound: 7
gameplay: 7 Find Strider on eBay here!
The
StarSoldier Game of the Month!
81 SUPER
MARIO BROS. (Nintendo, 1985) We've all played this
awesome platform game to death back in the 80's on the NES but the
real arcade game is actually tougher than the home game with the warp zones
in different places and there are less 1 ups too. Super Mario Brothers is
still a really fun game though that changed how we play video games and we
should thank the game's creator, Shigeru Miyamoto for that. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 8 Find Super Mario Bros. on eBay here!
76 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA
TURTLES (Konami, 1989)
The original Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game plays kind of like Final Fight but
this game goes all the way with its impressive 4 player action and long levels. The game was meant to be a huge quarter muncher though so get ready to die a lot.
For 1 or 4 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 5 Find Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on eBay here!
The
StarSoldier Game of the Month!
81TETRIS
(Atari, 1986)
Yeah, this is the rare arcade Atari Tetris
game with decent graphics, unforgettable Russian music, and the classic brick dropping game
play we all know and love. Read the true story about this great but now illegal
game here.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 9
gameplay: 8 Find Tetris on eBay here!
46 THREE (Capcom, 1998) This was suppose to be the long awaited Street Fighter III but other then
some new killer animations there is little we haven't already seen a million
times before here. Some of the new guys like Elena and Oro are cool characters
but others like Ibuki and Alex are nothing special plus it was pretty weak that there was only one boss in the game (Gill). A real shame because we
waited so long for this. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 4
gameplay: 4 Find Three on eBay here!
71 TRUXTON (Toaplan, 1988) This is a darn tough
vertical shooter by Toaplan in the arcades. The later levels here are just
WAY too difficult! Even worse thing is that the ending for this game just
sucks. I still like this game for some reason; maybe it's the colourful graphics.
Another then a few graphical touch ups this is just like the Sega Genesis
game. For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 7
gameplay: 7 Find Truxton on eBay here!
76 TWIN COBRA (Toaplan,
1987) Cool name, eh? Twin Cobra really
set the standard for what an arcade shooter should be like! The game itself
is one tough vertical shooter with 15 brutal levels, but thankfully these helicopters
can pack tons of firepower.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 7 Find Twin Cobra on eBay here!
18 ULTIMATE
MORTAL KOMBAT 3 (Midway, 1995) Just add a few new
backgrounds and a few characters from Mortal Kombat's past (it's cool to fighters like Scorpion and Katana back in action but they should have been in the first MK3 to begin with) and this is suppose
to be the Ultimate version of this fighting game? No way Midway!
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 3
gameplay: 2 Find Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 on eBay here!
68 WONDER BOY (Sega/Escape,
1986) Adventure Island? In this cute little action game you help a young cave boy
try to rescue a green haired princess at any cost, even if means going into
dangerous islands, dark dungeons, and vicious forests. It's a fun title but the controls are not as user friendly as a Super Mario Bros.
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 5
Find Wonderboy on eBay here! 74 WONDER BOY in MONSTER LAND (Sega, 1988) This Wonder Boy game
here is a very cool action/RPG which was really a first for the arcades. Despite
some rather simple graphics and sounds, the game itself is very well designed
and it's very fun to play.
For 1 player only
graphics: 3
sound: 5
gameplay: 7 Find Wonderboy in Monster Land on eBay here!
58 WORLD HEROES (SNK/Adk, 1992) This game was perhaps SNK's first attempt to really cash in on the big Street
Fighter II franchise here. This was a standard one on one beat them up where
you have two ninjas that are your Ryu and Ken clones plus you get 6 other
top fighters from around the world but the kicker here that they from different
time periods. World Heroes also features Death Matches where some of the stages
are booby trapped so the game did try some innovative ideas.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 6 Find World Heroes on eBay here!
77 WORLD HEROES 2 (SNK/Adk, 1992) This big sequel to one of the first big Street Fighter 2 copy cats
features 6 new challengers and the returning 8 fighters as well. Although this
isn't a huge improvement over the last game, WH2 still packs a solid punch thanks
to some interesting guys like a Football player, a tridesman with an unusual
mask, and a young girl who is good with various throws just to name a few. This
fast paced fighter may surprise you. For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 8 Find World Heroes 2 on eBay here!
-All the reviews here are written
by the StarSoldier unless noted.
40 BATTLEZONE (Atari, 1980)
