The Best Classic Arcade Games: Cursed Castilla, Cruis'n Blast

The best classic arcade games include not only the big, big, BEEG cabinet coin-op arcade games from the crazy 80s, but also many of the best video games of all time. Now played on tiny portable handheld consoles or popular home consoles with wireless controllers and Internet compatibility, modern video games evolved from these classic favorites. The best arcade games are still around today – albeit in updated forms – in game centers and arcades.

The Best Classic Arcade Games

Cursed Castilla

Cursed Castilla (Maldita Castilla EX) is an arcade action platformer full of creatures from medieval myths from Spain and the rest of Europe, as well as from chivalric romances. This game is an extended version of the renowned classic arcade Maldita Castilla, originally created by the indie Locomalito.

Cruis’n Blast

The arcade hit Cruis’n Blast is speeding onto Nintendo Switch™! Blast your way through nearly 30 over-the-top tracks. Grab the wheel of 23 custom rides from licensed supercars to monster trucks and unicorns! Up to four players can race together, so pick your favorite vehicle and hit the road!

Super Bit Blaster XL

Your ship can not stop moving; so you must turn and use your boost/brake to keep from crashing into an ever increasing amount of enemies and obstaclesYour ship is always shooting, so make sure to pick up more ammo and the wide variety of awesome power ups, pick ups and boosts to help you survive longerGet the highest score you can while collecting coins to buy more ships that are faster, shoot faster, or have more shieldsFeatures.

Asteroids: Recharged

The original space shooter warps to the modern era! Asteroids: Recharged has been reimagined for modern gameplay, with vibrant visuals, powerful new abilities, and another original soundtrack from award-winning video game composer Megan McDuffee.Asteroids: Recharged creates a familiar, but revitalized and modern challenge to both old school and new high score chasers. And 30 unique and creative challenge levels take the space shooting gameplay into new territory, complete with local and global leaderboards.An entirely new collection of power-ups — including spread shots, rail guns, reflector shields, and more — will help stave off splintering asteroids and aggressive UFOs.

NBA Jam

The second game from Midway on this list, NBA Jam is perhaps the most iconic sports game. Despite the modern deluge of simulator titles, NBA Jam’s charm still shines through. Playing NBA Jam today reminds us of a forgotten age of sports gaming franchises. Both the arcade original and console ports are looked back on fondly.

Jam’s catchphrases like “He’s on fire!” are still iconic today. The console ports also updated the team’s rosters, which is now standard. When compared to today’s sports game output, people want to return to games like NBA Jam. It represented something exciting for sports which has slipped through the cracks over time.

Street Fighter II

Street Fighter’s history has been fraught. It’s debut was a clone of Kung Fu, and the recent Street Fighter V didn’t have the greatest launch. Fans have different characters and editions that they think play best. But none of that could’ve happened without Street Fighter II creating the fighting genre.

Street Fighter II and its editions are hard to overstate the influence of. The ensemble cast and combos inspired games from League of Legends to God of War. Not to mention that the competitive scene for it was the predecessor to modern competitive gaming. Call of Duty and Starcraft tournaments owe their structure to Street Fighter II. The game was a juggernaut that would never go away, and gamers will probably see Ryu crossing over into plenty more games in the future.

Ms. Pac-Man

Ms. Pac-Man is possibly the best game sequel ever. While not reaching the original’s sales, in critical reception and legacy she’s even better than her husband. Ms. Pac-Man’s tweaks on the original made it more compelling. Specifically, ghost behavior was been tweaked and new maps were added. These tweaks are folded into modern games in the Pac-Man series as standard nowadays.

Interestingly, it’s life started as a knockoff. The developer General Computer Corporation would acquire Pac-Man cabinets. Then they would modify them into a game called Crazy Otto which had the tweaks. Through licensing with Namco, eventually it would become the Ms. Pac-Man players know today. In a way, that makes Ms. Pac-Man the first ever endorsed mod of a game.

Space Invaders

Gameplay screenshot from the original arcade classic Space Invaders
Gamers have heard countless times here that “they took inspiration from Space Invaders.” The reason is because Space Invaders epitomizes depth from simplicity. This DNA of a player’s avatar hiding behind cover and firing at an enemy can be found in almost every game. Taito’s 1978 quarter muncher was one the first games to have contests ran about it, and ports of it were in demand everywhere.

Invaders has simple appeal. It invented the difficulty curve, which has been integral to gaming since. Most games before Invaders were static, but the invaders increasing speed brought new dynamics. While initially a technical limitation, this curve indirectly inspire modern games like Dark Souls. Space Invaders is also easy to just pick up and understand even today. That’s what makes it the best arcade classic, transcendent for all time.

Who made arcade games?

The video game arcade had its roots in 1971, when Computer Space, the first commercially sold, coin-operated video game, was designed by Bushnell and Ted Dabney. Though considered a failure at the time, the game was revolutionary, and formed the foundations of a new industry.

How much money do arcades make GTA 5?

A complete Arcade with all the machines will generate $6000 per hour in GTA Online. It would take 628 hours to recoup the initial investment in the machines.

Where is largest game room in the world?

Weirs Beach, New Hampshire, USA, is home to the largest games arcade in the world – Funspot. As of 12 January 2016, it had 581 classic and new games over three floors, and was founded in 1952 by Bob Lawton.

Why arcade games are expensive?

If you mean real arcade machines, like the originals from decades ago – it is because they are rare and no longer produced. They have unique artwork, and are the way the game was meant to be played originally.