The best coin-op conversion games
Arcades experienced immense popularity during the 1980s and 1990s, serving as social hubs where people gathered to enjoy video games. Before the rise of poker machines, individuals frequented pubs or dedicated arcades to play video games known as coin-operated machines or coin-ops. These machines required players to insert coins to start playing, creating a pay-to-play model that was both thrilling and addictive.
As home video game consoles and computers advanced, many popular arcade games were adapted for these platforms. The transition allowed players to enjoy their favorite games in the comfort of their own homes. Systems like the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Sega Genesis, and various home computers saw ports of arcade hits, often with slight modifications due to hardware limitations.
Coin-operated machines not only provided entertainment but also influenced game design, community building, and the overall trajectory of the gaming industry.
Sort by:
Galaxian
DOS1983 Namco
Pango
DOS1983remake
Road Runner
DOS1989 Atari
Road Runner is a video game based on the popular Looney Tunes cartoon series featuring Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. The game was originally developed by Atari Games and released in arcades in 1985. It was later ported to v...
Robocop
DOS1989 Data East
Robocop is an abandoned beat 'em up / run and gun shooter game developed and released by Data East in 1989 for a number of platforms, including DOS. Robocop is a conversion from an arcade game released by Data East in 1988 an...
R-Type
DOS1989 Irem Software Engineering
R-Type is a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up developed and published by Irem in 1987. The game quickly gained popularity for its challenging gameplay and impressive graphics at the time. R-Type is known for its tough and m...
Rush'n Attack
DOS1989 Konami
Dragon's Lair 3: The Curse of Mordread
DOS1992protected Sullivan Bluth Interactive Media
Dragon's Lair III, also known as Dragon's Lair III: The Curse of Mordread, is an installment in the classic Dragon's Lair series of animated arcade games. The game was released in 1991 and represents a continuation of the series k...
Sega Rally Championship
Windows XP/98/95Windows 10/111995 Sega
X-Men: Children of the Atom
DOS1997demo Capcom
X-Men: Children of the Atom is a fighting video game developed by Capcom and released in arcades in 1994. The game features characters from Marvel Comics' X-Men series, including popular mutants like Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, and...
Action Fighter
DOS1989 Sega
Action Fighter (1989, DOS) is Sega’s way of saying, “Why choose between car chases and aerial dogfights when you can have both?” You start in a motorcycle, grab some power-ups, and suddenly you’re flying a ...
Yie Ar Kung Fu 2: The Emperor Yie-Gah
DOS1985 Konami
The sequel nobody expected but everyone button-mashed through. Yie Ar Kung Fu 2 adds more characters, more chaos, and less coherence. This time you’re Lee (no relation to Bruce, allegedly), battling an army of themed fighter...
Super Hang-On
DOSMac OS1988 Sega
Super Hang-On is an abandoned motorcycle arcade racing game, developed by Sega, designed by Yu Suzuki and published by Data East for DOS in 1988 (the arcade was released in 1987). Super Hang-On was converted for a great number of ...
Dig Dug
DOS1983 Namco
Dig Dug is a classic maze arcade action game that was first released by Namco in 1982 as a coin-op and later for a number of other systems. The gameplay of Dig Dug involves digging tunnels through the earth to reach and defeat the...
Shinobi
DOS1989 Sega
Q*Bert
DOS1984 Parker Brothers
Q*bert is a classic arcade game that was created by Warren Davis and Jeff Lee and was released by Gottlieb in 1982. The main goal of Qbert is to change the color of every cube in a pyramid by having the character, Qbert,...
Tapper
DOS1984
Trog
DOS1990 Midway Manufacturing Company
Power Drift
DOS1990 Sega
The Simpsons
DOS1991 Konami
The Simpsons Arcade Game, developed and published by Konami, is a classic side-scrolling beat-'em-up that became highly popular in arcades during the early '90s. Players take on the roles of the Simpson family members: Homer,...
Kingdom: The Far Reaches
Windows XP/98/95Mac OS1995protected Virtual Image Productions
Robotron 2084
DOS1983 Williams Entertainment
Side Arms Hyper Dyne
DOS1988 Capcom
Side Arms: Hyper Dyne is a side-scrolling shoot-'em-up arcade game developed and published by Capcom in 1986 and later ported on various platforms. Players control a "mobilsuit," a futuristic combat robot, in a war against al...
Daytona USA
Windows XP/98/951994 Sega
Daytona USA is an arcade racing game that was originally released by Sega in 1993. It quickly became one of the most iconic and influential racing games of its time. The game was designed by Toshihiro Nagoshi and developed by Sega...
Dragon's Lair
DOS1989protected Sullivan Bluth Interactive Media
Blasteroids
DOS1989 Atari
Blasteroids is a video game developed and released by Atari, Inc. in 1987. It's a sequel to the classic arcade game Asteroids, which was released in 1979. In Blasteroids, players control a spaceship tasked with destroying asteroid...
Total Carnage
DOS1994 Midway Manufacturing Company
BurgerTime
DOS1982 Data East
Ah, BurgerTime. The game that asked the important question: what if we made a platformer about a tiny chef assembling giant burgers while being chased by sentient hot dogs? You guide Peter Pepper through condiment-themed nightmare...
Zaxxon
DOS1984 Sega
Back in 1984, Zaxxon was the future. Isometric graphics? Whoa. Shadow effects? Mind blown. But mostly, it was a game about flying a chunky spaceship through a heavily fortified space base while crashing into walls at high speed. T...
Pit Fighter
DOS1991 Atari
Pit Fighter is an arcade-style fighting game that was originally released in arcades in 1990 by Atari Games. It was later ported to various home gaming platforms, including DOS, the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment Syste...
Rampart
DOS1992 Atari
Rampart is an abandoned mix of strategy and shooter game designed by Dave Ralston and John Salwitz, developed by Atari and released by Electronic Arts in 1992 for DOS. Rampart was converted from the original arcade version to a nu...