The most popular 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.
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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...
Pango
DOS1983remake
Joe and Mac Cavemen Ninja
DOS1991 Data East
Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed and released by Data East in 1991. Known as "Joe & Mac" in North America and "Caveman Ninja" in other regions, the game gained popularity for its...
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...
Street Fighter 2 Championship Edition
DOS1996 Capcom
Novatron
DOS1982 Verisoft
Space Commanders
DOS1983remake Columbia Data Products
Cabal
DOS1989 TAD Corporation
If Rambo had a twin brother who preferred hiding behind sandbags and tossing grenades like candy, Cabal would be his biography. This over-the-top shooter puts you in the boots of a one-man army mowing down everything that moves&md...
Stargate
DOS1983 Williams Entertainment
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...
Karnov
DOS1987 Data East
Karnov is a classic side-scrolling action arcade game developed by Data East in 1987. The game features a unique protagonist named Jinborov Karnovski, or "Karnov", a fire-breathing, muscle-bound, bald, shirtless strongman from the...
Gauntlet
DOS1986 Mindscape
Space Harrier
DOS1989 Sega
Space Harrier is a 3rd-person view rail-shooter developed by Sega in 1985. Space Harrier was a hit in the arcades, and later it was converted for a number of platforms, including DOS (4 years later!). The sequels - Space Harrier 3...
Taito's Super Space Invaders
DOS1991 Taito
Super Space Invaders is a video game developed and published by Taito Corporation, released in 1991. It's a sequel to the classic arcade game Space Invaders, which was originally released in 1978 and is one of the most iconic vide...
Ivan 'Iron Man' Stewart's Super Off Road
DOS1990 Leland
Ivan 'Iron Man' Stewart's Super Off Road is an abandoned diagonal-down off-road racing game developed by Leland and released by Virgin Interactive in 1990 for DOS, but also published for Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, C64, ZX Spect...
CHAMP Kong
DOS1996remake ChamProgramming corp.
Rockford: The Arcade Game
DOS1987protected Arcadia Systems
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...
Ikari Warriors 2: Victory Road
DOS1988 SNK Corporation
Forgotten Worlds
DOS1991 Capcom
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,...
Primal Rage
DOS1995 Atari
Darius Gaiden
Windows XP/98/951998 Taito
Jackal
DOS1989 Konami
Strider
DOS1989 Capcom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
DOS1989 Atari
Bust-A-Move
DOS1997freeware Taito
Also known as Puzzle Bobble, this bubble-popping classic stars those cute dragons from Bubble Bobble, now in competitive puzzle mode. Match three colors, clear the screen, panic as the ceiling drops—repeat until addicted. Bu...
Robotron 2084
DOS1983 Williams Entertainment
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...
Space Ace 2: Borf's Revenge
DOS1991 ReadySoft