5 Favorite Arcade Game Machines

Pac-Man had to top this list, as it remains not only one of our personal favorites but also one of the most popular and well known arcade game machines to this day. The original Pac-Man laid down a fast paced formula with a simple objective: eat everything in sight without getting eaten in turn. With a bevy of multicolored ghosts on your heals, and the occasional power up to let you turn the tables on them, Pac-Man offered intense strategic gameplay and remains as challenging 35 years later as it was in the arcades of the 80s.

Mr. Do! is one of the less well known titles today, but it was among the most popular during the heyday of arcade games. The eponymous Mr. Do! had the power to dig his own tunnels if he needed a new path, similar to Dig Dug, another classic title. But that’s where the comparison ends. Mr. Do! offered highly strategic gameplay, as enemies had the power not only to harm Mr. Do! Himself, but also to destroy power ups. Players had to plot the fastest course to the powerups to get them before the enemies did. You could also lay traps, digging under golden apples that would crush your enemies if they passed by. Still a favorite to this day!

You knew this bad ape had to make the list. Donkey King was the ultimate arcade game, the one that crowds of people gathered around to watch top players take on high scores. It combined power ups, a dangerously fast pace and split-second decisions moving between platforms to create true adrenaline pounding fun. It also had a much clearer “story” than other arcade games, with a damsel in distress at the top of the screen crying for help.

Frogger is an ingeniously simple idea for a game, with a quirky lighthearted feel, but there’s nothing easy about getting across this highway. With each hop being life or death, it was an addictive game and one we still remember fondly. Far too many innocent frogs were squished to make this arcade game, but each time you got him to safety you felt a thrill of victory that’s still palpable today.

Galaga was the first great space themed arcade game. Unlike Space Invaders, which was stationary, Galaga gave the illusion of flying through the cosmos and diving at enemy fleets—and it created a genre that remained popular into the days of console gaming, the space shooter. With kamikaze enemies and difficult choices (do you sacrifice a life to get a double shooter?) this game does not disappoint.