You’ve probably heard of the term “Arcade Games” at some point in your life. Unless you’re an avid gamer, you probably have no clue about these arcade games. If you’re curious about finding out, just read on.
Arcade games are basically the games that you find on coin-operated machines. There’s a good chance that you would have come across these at bar, amusement park, or even your neighborhood store. In fact, they are usually found in a place where public businesses are conducted.
Good examples of arcade games are pinball machines, video games, redemption games, or electro-mechanical games. Though there have been disputes about the golden age of arcade gaming, the late 70s to the mid-80s are considered the most significant period in arcade gaming history.
However, there was a short revival during the 1990s, but, the trend eventually died down as gaming consoles such as Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s XBOX made their respective entries. They were more advanced in terms of graphics quality and gameplay capabilities.
Arcade games have been there for longer than you think. We may define them as games played on coin operated machines, but, even the games you would normally see at amusement parks or carnivals would be considered as arcade games. In fact, they are the first kind of arcade games and it is believed that amusement parks in the 1920s such as the Coney Island Amusement Park in New York paved the way for arcade games in the future.
Modern machines were electrically controlled, while older machines were mechanically operated. For instance, they did not have bonus surfaces that lit up or plungers and relied on mechanical scoring readouts. Also, they were made from wood. It was only in 1977 that arcade games switched to electronics.
A typical arcade game has a few key features. Firstly, the levels are short, with each level becoming more complex as the player progresses. Controls were intuitive and easy to use. Players would insert a coin to play the game and would continue to play until they won or lost. To make a profit, these games had to be interesting in terms of complexity and also, playability.
Arcade Games 