These are not the most popular 80’s arcade games, as determined by scientific polling. They’re not the biggest money-making games of the decade, either. But they are my personal favorites, determined entirely subjectively through sheer force of opinion, tinged with some sweet, rose-colored nostalgia. With that said, here they are: the top five arcade games of the 1980’s, in no particular order. Feel free to disagree, but know that you’re wrong.
First off is, of course, Pac Man. A cliche perhaps, in some people’s minds, but I prefer to think of him as an icon. Either way, Pac Man is unquestionably the king of 80’s arcade games. To this day I admire the charming simplicity of this 80’s arcade legend. Move him through the puzzle. Eat the dots. Avoid the ghosts. Eat the super pellets. Eat the ghosts. Run away again. There’s something very elegant about this classic 80’s video game.
The next on my list of the best 80’s arcade games has to be Centipede. Again, a simple concept – and like Pac Man, it’s a game format that we haven’t seen repeated in the intervening years. Unlike most 80’s arcade games, Centipede had no joystick. Instead, it had a strange rolling ball, along with a primal sense of impending doom as the centipede crept down the screen to kill you.
There are so many fun and memorable 80’s arcade games, that it does become difficult to narrow them down to a few treasured favorites. One game that absolutely must be included on the list is Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong is a classic among 80’s arcade games for so many reasons. Without DK, we’d never have Mario, for one thing. The sound effects of the original Donkey Kong game still echo in my head from time to time, reminding me of the whole 80’s arcade experience.
Another great arcade game of the 80’s was the all-time classic, Tron. I have to admit that I wouldn’t care at all about the game Tron if it hadn’t been for the movie. In fact, I believe that Tron the game was actually based on Tron the movie, and not the other way around. Either way, it’s the coolest of 80’s movies and definitely one of my top five 80’s arcade games.
Now, no list of great 80’s arcade games would be complete without a mention of Tetris. Yes, Tetris came around in the later part of the decade, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be counted on this list. In my opinion, Tetris is not only the greatest of all 80’s arcade games; it is quite possibly the best video game of all time. It is totally original, totally addictive, and inexplicably gratifying to play. I would take Tetris over any other arcade or video game any day.