Retro Revival
No matter which way you slice it, 80s arcade games are some of the best games ever to have been made…period! They came out at a time when computer technology was minimal, compared with what it has become since. The nostalgia-inducing titles that have spawned movies, merchandise, and even foods! While these arcade games are no Dragon Lines, they are something truly unique, created in a time that many of us remember as being the best of our lives. Thankfully these days, you don’t need an actual arcade machine or a buggy, ancient Atari console to play the games you’ve always loved! Many of our favorite retro arcade games are now available to play online. We’ve made up a list of our top ten, so enjoy this walk down memory lane.
Adventure Island- 1988
Adventure Island is jam-packed with exciting challenges for the retro game connoisseur. You play as Master Wiggins, a character who came to Adventure Island when he heard that an evil witch doctor had kidnapped Princess Tina. Your task is to save the day by saving the damsel in distress. You’ll have to set out and venture through eight different worlds, which are divided into rounds and checkpoints. Naturally, there’s a big bad boss that you’ll have to fight at the end before you claim the win. Bright colors abound!
Castlevania- 1987
Many younger fans might only know this game from its later iteration or the show, but it came out way back in 1987. The game follows Simon Belmont, a hunter who tracks down and kills all manner of supernatural beasts, but especially vampires. Simon and his trusty whip are charged with stopping the nefarious Count Dracula from drinking human blood and creating more vampires. Castlevania is a classic.
Donkey Kong- 1981
Donkey Kong is widely credited with being one of the earliest, if not the earliest, video games to have an actual plotline unfold on screen. You play as Jumpman- the hero whose girlfriend, Pauline, has been stolen by the villain Donkey Kong. Jumpman must move through a construction site-like world to rescue the love of his life. Yes, another damsel in distress- but we’ll forgive it because it was the 80s.
Pac-Man- 1980
There’s not a gamer alive today who doesn’t know about Pac-Man, and whatever age you are, you’ve probably played some version of this game! Pac-Man is the classic of classics: a maze game where you must eat all the dots you can while avoiding the ghosts Blinky, Winky, Inky, and Clyde. Once you’ve eaten all the dots and not been killed in the process, you’ll advance to the next level. Good, clean fun!
Street Fighter- 1987
Now for something a little different. In Street Fighter, you’ll compete, head to head, against other players to see who the best fighter is. Each match has three rounds, and you have thirty seconds to knock your opponent out. If there’s no knockout after thirty seconds, the player with the most energy left will be victorious. Simple, yet satisfying.
Dig Dug- 1982
Another classic maze game to make the list; you play as Dig Dug, who must take out all his enemies. You’ll face off against Pookas and Fygars, who want nothing more than to take you down. You can inflate them till they burst, squish them with rocks and even eat the bonus items you get from the kills. You’ll move on to the next stage once you have no more enemies left.
Centipede- 1980
Centipede is the granddaddy of all fixed shooters, and it comes to us from arcade giants Atari. You control a weapon called a bug blaster, and you need to use it to destroy the centipede advancing from the other end of the screen. If you only split the centipede, it’ll form two independent halves and keep coming at you. The trouble is, you’re shooting through a forest of mushrooms, so your shots might not always find their target.
Burger Time- 1892
A game about food? Who could say no! The aim of the game is to make as many hamburgers as you can while staying out of the way of enemy foods. You play as chef Peter Pepper; burger master extraordinaire! Each level is a maze-like screen full of giant burger ingredients that you need to line up and drop at the right time to make a hamburger. If you can do this while avoiding Mr. Pickle, Mr. Hotdog, and Mr. Egg, you’re A for away.
Commando- 1985
As the name implies, you play as a soldier called Super Joe. You’re about to be dropped off by a chopper in enemy territory, and you’ll have to rely on your wits and skills to get out alive. Thankfully your assault rifle has unlimited ammunition and an ample but limited supply of hand grenades.
Duck Hunt- 1984
Well, you guessed it: it’s a game about hunting ducks. You play as a hunter who must shoot moving targets mid-flight… it’s as simple as that! You need to shoot a certain amount of ducks to progress onto the next level. There are different modes and difficulty levels and even a setting that features clay pigeons instead of ducks.
Wrap Up
We’ve played all of these, but never on a phone or computer! Which one will you try first? Let us know in the comment section below!
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