Classic Arcade Games
The arcade has been thrilling gaming lovers for almost 50 years. From Pac Man, Pong, and Space Invaders to pinball and golf, to more recent releases based on superheroes, like Iron Man and Spiderman, arcade games offer exciting opportunities to play a wide variety of games in a fun setting.
The video game arcade also offers players a sense of nostalgia, a throwback to its glory days of the 80s, when children grew up going to the coin-operated arcade with friends. Many arcade games today are based on the ones released during that time period (New versions of Pac Man and Mario Bros. are still being released, for example).
These games have provided fun across multiple generations, and they are still in high demand among video game arcade players today. Here at iT’Z, we offer a number of these classic games, along with exciting newer releases. Here is a look at 4 classic and time tested arcade games that you can play at iT’Z.
Connect 4
Originally released in 1974 as a family game, Connect 4 also joined the video game arcade as a computerized game. The giant grids and button-controlled checkers turned the family game into an exciting addition to the video game arcade.
Over the years, game play has remained essentially the same: Two players compete against each other. Each player chooses a color (Traditionally yellow and red, or red and blue). They then take turns maneuvering a checker into a slot in the grid. The goal is to be the first person to put four of their color of checkers in a row, either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
With more than 4 trillion different positions for the checkers to take as they fill the grid, Connect 4 is a game that never really loses its fascination. Every game is a little bit different, making the fun as classic and appealing today as it was when it was first released.
Pac Man Battle Royale
Released in 1980, Pac Man quickly became one of the most beloved games ever in the video game arcade. The game’s premise, to have a yellow circle eating dots and evading ghosts in order to advance to the next level, created a new genre of game in the video game arcade and won a devoted following that continues to this day.
Since then, players have been crowned for achieving various milestones in the game, from breaking the record for the fastest time to get to the highest level (Level 256) to achieving the perfect score. The game holds 8 Guinness World Records, including one for having the most arcade machines installed worldwide. In addition, many versions of the game have been developed and released to video game arcades around the world.
For Pac Man’s 30th anniversary in 2011, Pac Man Battle Royale was released. This game possesses all of the charm and characters of the original game, but allows up to 4 players to compete against each other for dominance on the board. As a result, it allows for multiple players to enjoy the fun of a classic game together.
Space Invaders Frenzy
Originally released in Japan in 1978, Space Invaders made its American debut in the video game arcade in 1980. The game features a screen filled with a wave of 48 aliens moving slowly toward Earth. The player’s job is to shoot all of the aliens before the aliens shoot him or reach Earth.
Over the years, Space Invaders has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, shown up in numerous video game arcades, and birthed a number of new versions of the game. One of the more recent iterations of this classic game is Space Invaders Frenzy.
The premise of Space Invaders Frenzy is the same as the original: You must fight off alien invaders. However, you can choose from two different modes to do so; you enjoy play on a modern, high contrast screen, and you enjoy more challenging game play from aliens who become more aggressive and less predictable as the game advances.
Air Hockey
No video game arcade is complete without some version of air hockey. Air hockey is a type of hockey that is played on a large table. The puck is supported by jets of air coming up from the surface of the table, allowing it to be propelled at high speeds from one end to the other. Players attempt to get the puck into the opposing goal using small round paddles.
The game is known for the incredible fun and intensity it provides thanks to the speed of the puck and the option players have to bounce the puck off the sides of the game in order to get it into the goal. The versions of air hockey available at video game arcades such as iT’Z provide added features, such as graphics and electronic scoring, that add to ease of play and an overall fun experience.
Pinball
Another of the most classic and beloved games at a video game arcade is pinball. The game itself has been around in one form or another since at least the 1700s, though the form of the game with which most people are familiar developed in the 1930s.
Pinball’s premise is simple: To propel balls up an inclined, enclosed table and into certain targets. What these targets are, whether or not they must be hit in a certain order, and how scoring occurs depends upon the version of pinball. Modern games typically come with themes and objectives that must be met.
Players must achieve these objectives without being caught in the various obstacles contained within the pinball machine, and without allowing the ball to drop through an opening at the bottom.
Classic arcade games make the video game arcade a nostalgic place to enjoy a few hours with friends or family. Whether you are playing Connect 4, Pac Man, air hockey, or pinball, you are enjoying the same kind of fun that has made the video game arcade an exciting place to be for generations before.
At iT’Z, you can enjoy all of these classic games, along with modern new releases, in a facility that also provides access to other fun activities, from laser tag to rock climbing. And that can make your next outing with friends and family one to remember.
