Arcade classics: the best coin-ops conversions

Back in the day, when going to the "arcades" was a thing, a quite a few exceptional games made video game history. Titles like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong and later games like Bubble Bobble, Street Fighter 2, Dragon's Lair are known both to video game fans and people who never touched a joystick in their lives. These games often spawned licensed conversions, sequels, fan-games and clones.

Most popular arcade classic games

Street Fighter 2

Spacewar

Golden Axe

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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 bo...

Bad Dudes VS Dragon Ninja

DOS1988protected Data East

Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president? If that line doesn’t make you want to punch a ninja through a hotdog stand, nothing will. Bad Dudes VS Dragon Ninja is peak 80s: mullets, muscles, and more side-scrolling be...

Battlezone

DOS1983 Atari

In 1983, Battlezone asked: what if vector graphics could give you war-induced vertigo? You’re in a tank, in a wireframe world, fighting other tanks. That’s it. But it’s oddly immersive—thanks to a pseudo-3D...

Bomb Jack remake

DOS2002remake

The classic bomb-defusing, platform-hopping, enemy-dodging chaos of Bomb Jack gets a fresh coat of pixels in this 2002 DOS remake. You’re still the tiny superhero hopping around grabbing bombs while evil smiley faces and flo...

Bomberman

DOS1992 Hudson soft

It’s Bomberman (1992, DOS), the legendary bomb-dropping game where you play a suspiciously cute guy with an infinite bomb supply and questionable indoor safety habits. You move through grid-like mazes, drop bombs, destroy wa...

Boulder Dash

DOS1984 First Star Software

Boulder Dash is a classic action-puzzle video game that was first released in 1984 by First Star Software. In Boulder Dash, players control a character named Rockford as he digs through caves to collect diamonds while avoidin...

Boulder Dash Construction Kit

DOS1987 First Star Software

Boulder Dash Construction Kit is both a full game and a level editor, built around the gameplay mechanics of the original Boulder Dash (1984). You still play as Rockford, the pixelated, googly-eyed spelunker, digging through caves...

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...

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...

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...

CHAMP Asteroids

DOS1997remake ChamProgramming corp.

CHAMP Centipede

DOS1993remake ChamProgramming corp.

CHAMP Kong

DOS1996remake ChamProgramming corp.

CHAMP Ms. Pac-man

DOS1994remake ChamProgramming corp.

Defender

DOS1983 Williams Entertainment

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...

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 ...

Double Dragon

DOS1988 Technos Japan

Dragon's Lair

DOS1989protected Sullivan Bluth Interactive Media

Frogger

DOS1983 Konami

Galaxian

DOS1983 Namco

Gauntlet

DOS1986 Mindscape

Ghosts 'n Goblins remake

Windows 10/112004freewareremake

Ghosts 'n Goblins is an iconic arcade game developed by Capcom, first released in 1985. It’s widely remembered for its challenging gameplay and its distinct horror-fantasy aesthetic. This is a faithful remake.In Ghosts 'n Go...

Golden Axe

DOS1991 Sega

Golden Axe is a classic arcade game developed by Sega and released in 1989. It's a side-scrolling beat 'em up game set in a fantasy world where players choose one of three characters: a barbarian, a dwarf, or an amazon, each with ...

IBM Centipede

DOS1983 IBM

Joust VGA

DOS1990remake

Konami's Ping Pong

DOS1996 Konami

Marble Madness

DOS1987 Atari

Marble Madness is an abandoned isometric action game designed by Mark Cerny and originally published by Atari as a successful and iconic arcade game. It was later converted for many platform in 1986 and for IBM PCs in 1987 by Atar...

Mario Bros VGA

DOS1990remake

Mario Bros VGA is a fan made remake of the original Mario Bros by Nintendo, the game that popularized the character of Mario, the Italian plumber that first appeared in Donkey Kong. Mario Bros VGA is a fixed-screen platform arcade...