Coin-op conversions: from the arcades to your home
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.
Most popular coin-op conversion games
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Aaargh
DOS1988 Binary Design
Aaargh (1988) is exactly what you’ll scream as your giant monster stomps through cities with all the grace of a drunk kaiju. On DOS, this arcade-ish game lets you smash stuff, roast villagers, and battle other monsters in duels that feel like two rubber suits colliding. It’s dumb, loud, and charmingly awful — the kind of game you&...
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 jet and blowing things up. It's like Spy Hunter had a Red Bull and watched Top Gun. The controls are twitchy, the pace i...
After Burner
DOS1989 Sega
After Burner is an abandoned DOS combat flight simulation game with elements of rail shooters, with similarities to earlier Sega titles like Space Harrier. After Burner was designed by Yu Suzuki and developed by Sega as a coin-op and then converted to various home computers and consoles in 1989.
Ajax
DOS1989 Konami
Alien Syndrome
DOS1989 Sega
Altered Beast
DOS1990 Sega
Altered Beast is a classic side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade game developed and published by Sega. It was originally released in arcades in 1988 and later ported to various home consoles, including the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.Players control a resurrected centurion who battles through five levels filled with undead creatures and other mythical beas...
APB
DOS1989 Atari
Arkanoid
DOS1988 Taito
Arkanoid is a classic arcade video game that was first released in 1986 by Taito. It is a breakout-style game, which means that the primary objective is to break a wall of bricks or blocks by bouncing a ball off a paddle at the bottom of the screen. The game takes its name and inspiration from Atari's Breakout, which was released in the 1970s. ...
Arkanoid 2: The Revenge of Doh
DOS1989 Taito
Bad Dudes VS Dragon Ninja
DOS1988protected Data East
Battlezone
DOS1983 Atari
Bionic Commando
DOS1988 Capcom
Blades of steel
DOS1990 Konami
Blades of Steel is hockey the way it was meant to be. Fast, brutal, and occasionally resembling a bar fight on ice. The game lets you punch other players mid-match and the announcer’s voice sounds like a robot trying to shout through a pillow. The graphics are chunky and glorious and the gameplay is pure arcade chaos. You can pass, shoot, and...
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 asteroids and enemy ships while avoiding collisions and enemy fire. The game features updated graphics and gameplay mechanics co...
Blockout
DOSMac OS1989 P. Z. Karen Co. Development Group
Imagine Tetris but in three dimensions and your brain slowly melting into a puddle of confusion. That is Blockout. You drop 3D shapes into a pit and try to line them up, but nothing fits the way you want it to. You rotate pieces on every axis and eventually just start praying. It is visually hypnotic and mentally exhausting in equal measure. If you...
Bomb Jack remake
DOS2002remake
Bomb Jack is a classic arcade platform game developed and published by Tecmo in 1984. The goal of the game is to collect bombs while avoiding enemies; the entire game takes place on a fixed screen. This version of Bomb Jack for DOS is a faithful remake of the original arcade version.
Bubble Bobble
DOS1989 Taito
Bubble Bobble is widely regarded as one of the most beloved and charming platform arcade games of all time. The gameplay objective in Bubble Bobble is straightforward: players must clear each screen of various monsters and advance through numerous stages to ultimately reach the final level. Players control two adorable dinosaurs, Bub and Bob. ...
Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom
DOS1984 Sega
BurgerTime
DOS1982 Data East
Bust-A-Move
DOS1997freeware Taito
Cabal
DOS1989 TAD Corporation
Cabal is an abandoned arcade conversion of a popular shooter game set in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Cabal was developed by TAD Corporation and released by Capcom in 1989 for DOS.
CHAMP Kong
DOS1996remake ChamProgramming corp.
Cisco Heat
DOS1991 Jaleco
Cisco Heat is an abandoned racing game set in North America developed by Jaleco and released by Image Works in 1991 for DOS and other platforms. Cisco Heat was converted from the original arcade version. The difference between other similar racing games of the time is that the player drives a police car.
Crazy Taxi
Windows XP/98/952002 Sega
Crazy Taxi is an abandoned driving / racing game developed by Sega and released by Activision in 2002 for Windows and other platforms (it's an arcade conversion). Crazy Taxi is set in a city full of potential passengers: get them on your taxi and drive them to various destinations in time.
Darius Gaiden
Windows XP/98/951998 Taito
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 AM2, a division of Sega known for creating innovative and visually impressive games.The game features three distinct tr...
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 various creatures that inhabit the underground maze. The player has an air pump, which he can use to inflate the monste...
Donkey Kong
DOS1983 Nintendo
Donkey Kong is a landmark video game franchise created by Shigeru Miyamoto and first released by Nintendo in 1981. The original arcade game introduced players to a narrative where a carpenter named Jumpman, who would later become known as Mario, must rescue his girlfriend Pauline from a giant, barrel-throwing ape named Donkey Kong. This game is oft...
Double Dragon
DOS1988 Technos Japan
Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone
DOS1992 East Technology Corp.