411 Games Top 5 07.02.09: Week 18 - Top Arcade Games

Posted by Todd Vote on 07.02.2009

This week in the 411 Games Top 5, from NBA Jam and NFL Blitz, all the way down to Crazy Taxi and Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, the staff checks in with our favorite games to play at an arcade.


Welcome back to week 18 of the 411 Games Top 5. Last week, we tried to cover puzzle games, and we inadvertently let the whole cat out of the bag. That's right, 411 Games reader JTX has found out the secret of the games staff:

Every list here FAILS for not including Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo. Even Armando Rodriguez's because he only gave it an honorable mention.

Also sadly underrepresented is Tetris Attack/Pokemon Puzzle League.
Come on, are you guys all like 15 years old?

There it is folks... If ever anyone questions about the credentials of this great staff of writers again, just remember we are all like 15 years old. In addition to JTX figuring it all out, several of the readers listed their top five for us all to enjoy. So here they are, reader favorite top 5's:

I can't believe not even one person mentioned Picross DS. One of the best puzzle experiences ever for me. Definitely looking forward to the new Layton sequel. My list would be:
5.Zuma or Luxor for Wii(or any variation of this type of game)
4.Picross DS
3.Professor Layton
2.Dr Mario
1.Tetris
Posted By: Petey05 (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 08:14 AM

Here's my favorites:
5. Art Style - PiCTOBiTS (my favorite DSiWare game thus far!)
4. Bust-A-Move/Puzzle Bobble
3. Planet Puzzle League (I prefer the touch screen controls over Tetris Attack and Pokemon Puzle League)
2. Meteos (simply a masterpiece!)
1. Tetris (it's cliché, but it's true! In my opinion, the most perfect game ever made!)
Posted By: Chris Scott (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 12:26 PM

1. Tetris
2. Professor Layton
3. Tetris Attack
4. Arkanoid
5. Peggle
Posted By: Deathpool (Guest) on June 26, 2009 at 03:48 AM

Thanks for posting your lists guys, but let's get on to this week, shall we?






I know it is hard to believe with us all being only 15 years old, but most of us do actually remember the arcades. Personally, I remember heading off over the bridge to get to the mall, where you could find our local arcade, it was here were I got my first dose of so many of my all time favorites. My love for Killer Instinct, and all most things Midway stems from the arcades.

It was with that bit of nostalgia in mind that the game staff brings you our favorite arcade games. Keep in mind, we are not talking about the Xbox Live Arcade, or the PSN, or even the Wii's virtual console. We're going old school.

First up we have the wonderful team from Beyond the Report *I hear you will love their nuts*, minus the new Marketing director. Wait, what's that? Mark isn't here either? Shit...

Disclaimer: We here at the top five are not responsible for the views expressed in the following list. The views expressed in this list are solely those of Shaqy, and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other list in this column... or on this entire website for that matter.

Alright, Mark sent us Shaq, and Shaq brought lists... Read at your own risk.

Your local B3yond the Report representative: Shaq



HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Shaq-Fu - That's right, without that rat bastard Salms breathing uncomfortably down my neck I'm free to list what I want when I want to. I don't give a shit if Shaq-Fu isn't an arcade game, hell I don't give a shit if little kids are reading this. The Shaq-inator does what he wants when he wants to. If you don't like it I'll spread my cheeks open nice and wide and you can put your lips right in-between them.

Michael Jackson's Moonwalker - Michael Jackson likes little boys. There, I had the balls to say it.

Mortal Kombat - Every time I rip someone's spine out I pretend it's Kobe Bryant. KOOO-BEEEEE.
Me too Shaq... Me too.

5.) The Simpsons/X-Men Arcade - Shit son I can't decide. Trying to decide between these two games is like trying to decide who I hate more, The Sacramento Queens or the staff of 411mania. Fuck it I pick Simpsons, because X-men is slightly homo-erotic.

4.) Paperboy - What's with the lack of old-school games? Just because the staff of 411mania is a bunch of pimple-faced pre-teens who didn't play video games until Halo doesn't mean the Diesel Daddy didn't play these classics. Dig-Dug, Galaga, Rampage, Paperboy, there's no way Shaq-zilla can limit himself to just 5 games.

3.) Time Crisis 2 - Shit son where else am I gonna get away with pulling an OJ on hundreds of white people? That fucker in the boat is gonna find out why they call me the greatest in the universe, AGAIN.

2.) Target Terror - I may hate the fucker, but Shaq knows where his green is coming from. Speaking of which, where is the bastard? He owes me big time for this one.
Did you check his basement? I hear he spends a lot of time down there torturing the Robbins brothers.



1.) NBA Jam - That's right, only in the original 1993 arcade version could you use such a sexy beast such as myself. NBA Jam is the bees knees. I can dunk, I can shoot three pointers from the other end of the court, I can make Karl Malone taste my ass, and I can even get on fire. Just to prove my awesomeness I challenge any of the readers out there to a game of NBA Jam, and they will find out that it's more than just the shoes.

Okay... Can you maybe send Vince over next time? He might be a little less abrasive. Moving on, up next is Scott Simpson. You may know Scott from around the site. If not, go ahead and check out his review of The Munchables on the Nintendo Wii when you get done here.

Scott J. Simpson

*Since I was not alive during the arcade craze, being born in the late 80's and all, I never had the opportunity to experience "the arcade" in its heyday. Instead, my experience with arcade cabinets comes from dentist offices, delis, pizza joints and even Chuck E. Cheese's. So if my list does not contain great arcade hits, you can thank the 90's for its lack of true arcades.*



5.Crazy Taxi - "Hey, hey, hey it's time to make some crazy money. Are you ready? Here… we… go…" Ah, Crazy Taxi, what more could you want? The game requires players to assume the role of a taxi driver as they race against the clock (and traffic) in order to pick up passengers and deliver them to their desired destination in order to rake in some cash. Along the way, you will be flipping over cars, slamming into buses, and running over pedestrians. Crazy Taxi also features a wide variety of potential costumers (including a priest!) who add a new meaning to the definition "backseat driver," constantly critiquing your driving skills. Combing the elements of reckless driving and money making, Crazy Taxi is guaranteed to be an enjoyable experience for anyone who plops their butt down to play the game. If you are one of the few people in this world who does not enjoy this game, for shame, you have no soul.

4.Street Fighter II - This was my first experience with a fighting game, and because of that, Street Fighter II will always hold a special place in my heart (break out the tissues, here come the water works). Now although I first played this game on the Sega Genesis, I have played the arcade cabinet version, which qualifies its placement on my list. You see, back in the day the Pizza Hut near my home used to have a Street Fighter II cabinet that greeted customers at the door. Anytime my family and I would go to eat at the pizza joint, my older brother and I would flap our way over to the cabinet and stare at the majestic images dancing on the screen as if we were two moths attracted to an eerie glow emanating from a street lamp. We rarely played the game (why spend our precious 25 cents when we could play the game for free at home), but Street Fighter will always be regarded as the second best fighting game in my opinion. It is a solid game and it is extremely fun to play.

3.Mortal Kombat III - According to my recollection, I first played Mortal Kombat several years ago at a deli only a few blocks away from my house. I cannot recall which version on the game it was, nor can I recall what character I was playing as or whom I was going up against. However, my educated guess is that I was playing Mortal Kombat III, and you will soon find out why I believe it was this version of the game. My story begins several years ago when my brother, his friend and I stopped by a deli. As soon as we stepped through the door I spotted a Mortal Kombat cabinet sitting up against a wall. I begged my brother to give me a quarter to play the game, but he hesitated. He and his friend scoffed at the notion of a third grader attempting to play Mortal Kombat. They both honestly thought I could not win a single fight in the game. Sure, I may have never played Mortal Kombat before, and although I was not familiar with all the characters in the game, I knew the reputation MK had at that time and pleaded with him to lend me a quarter. Eventually he gave in. He gave me a quarter and I stepped up to the cabinet ready to dish out the punishment to any competitor that crossed my path. My brother and his friend stood over my shoulders anticipating to see an eight-year-old defeated in Mortal Kombat, but they would be greatly disappointed. You see ladies and gentlemen, I was not defeated in Mortal Kombat that day. No, no, I was decimated in Mortal Kombat that day. My heart was ripped out of my chest and crushed (literally). My time with Mortal Kombat did not even last a full minute before I was being harpooned through the chest, with my opponent standing at the opposite end of the screen holding my beating heart in his hand. Now although Street Fighter may hold a special place in my heart, Mortal Kombat stole my heart. I have a feeling it was Smoke who performed this move on my character, seeing as he is the only other character with harpooning capabilities besides Scorpion (and I am almost positive it was not Scorpion because I vaguely recall the character being dressed in dark clothing and not yellow). Nevertheless, because of this one moment in my life, I highly regard Mortal Kombat as being the greatest fighting game ever made (and I'm not just saying that to appease Todd's love of the series).
Wouldn't do any good anyways... Not like you can get points for this shit. But if it involved your heart getting ripped out, more than likely it was MK1, as Kano is the only character I recall using that fatality. Readers, any ideas here?

2.Magic Sword - I first laid eyes on this game at a children's dentist office I used to attend when I was younger. You see, my former dentist had a small collection of arcade cabinets in his waiting room for the kiddies to play with, including popular titles such as Marble Madness. However on day Marble Madness was replaced by the awesomeness that is Magic Sword, a side-scrolling action game released by Capcom in 1990. The game places the player in the role of a muscle-bound warrior with a giant sword as he roams around levels slashing at an assortment of crazy enemies. Along the way, you can rescue fellow allies who will join your posse and literally fight alongside you. I never played the game for very long, but the little time I did have with the game were very enjoyable.

1.Bucky O'Hare - Raise your hand, how many people remember this series? According to Wikipedia, Bucky O'Hare was a comic book made in the late 70's that was adapted into a cartoon show and video game in the early 90's. My older brother used to be a fan of the cartoon show, and I remember watching a few episodes myself back in the day. However, my true fondness for the series stems from an arcade game I used to play at a local Chuck E. Cheese's. The game (not to be confused with the NES title) allows you to play as the four main characters from the series as they battled against the evil Toad Empire. Apparently the game uses a similar gameplay format found in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Simpsons arcade games, but I never played either of those games (unfortunately) so I cannot compare the three. However, Bucky O'Hare nabs the top spot on my arcade list because of nostalgic purposes, plus it is not a bad arcade game to play.

Thanks Scott. Next up is Drew Robbins. Drew is the man responsible for Fact or Fiction each week, Ramon has given him the reigns, and he has done a fantastic job. Now let's see him bash Mortal Kombat... You know he will.

Drew Robbins

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Target Terror - No, it's not just a random Target Terror reference; it really is an arcade game. I just wanted to take my opportunity to cash-in on this running joke and…well that's all I have to say about that.

Certainly Not Mortal Kombat - I hate that game, and because I have the sick joy of riling people up, I thought I would use my honorable mentions to slam it. So…yeah. Take that.
That didn't take long. Remember all that stuff I said about Fact or Fiction? Forget it, Drew sucks

Street Fighter II - As much as I love Street Fighter, the second game is only my 3rd favorite in the series, but the memories I have of seeing that machine fought over in the arcades make it at the very least worthy of a mention.
PFFT!

Silent Scope - The game isn't spectacular, but I nearly beat the entire game on one quarter so…yeah I'm just mentioning it for bragging purposes.



5.The Simpsons - Who said making licensed games was hard? They lied to you, and to prove that lie, we have The Simpsons game. How similar to the show is it? Well…beyond the characters and the overlapping story, not much. It is basically Ninja Turtles with a Simpsons skin, an idea I whole-heartedly endorse for licensed games in the future. Seriously, take almost any franchise and it makes a good beat-em-up.
You may earn your way back into my good graces if the rest of your list features good stuff like this

4.Tekken 3 - I've admitted it before, but I suck at video games. You know how, in your gaming circle, you always have two "that guys." You have the one who is really good at games and always wins, and the guy who really sucks and is always being knocked out first. I'm certainly the latter, but Tekken 3 was an exception. I used to sit at that machine in the bowling alley, waiting for people to come up, and then proceeding to demolish them. Making someone lose quarters is probably the coolest experience, and you don't know what you are missing until you've succeeded in it yourself.

3.Time Crisis 2 - As an honorable mention, I was considering including a category for "Anything that doesn't use some gimmicky controller," but I caught myself. Time Crisis is the bee's knees when it comes to rail shooters. And, luckily, unlike most of the games on this list, it's an arcade cabinet that I can easily find. The best part? That sweet recoil the gun makes every time you shoot it that never gets old.

2.NBA Jam - There are certain sports games that just do everything right, and NBA Jam does just that. Basketball games should be ridiculously over the top and high-scoring! And sports games announcers? You could learn a lesson from this game. "Is it in the shoes?" "He's on fire!" "Boomshakalaka!"

1.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Most games get old after you've beat them several times. I can't recall how many times I've beat this, but given the chance, I'd take this over most multiplayer games hands down. Beating up countless foot clan members as Donatello (the best turtle, and if you disagree, your opinion is void) will never get old.
SWEET! Shell-shocked!

Alright Drew, despite your hatred for MK, I'm not mad at ya. Nice list there, except for SFII. Suck on that! Up next is Adam Larck, Adam has put together a list that

Adam Larck

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Cruis'n USA - My favorite arcade racer. Always loved seeing the locations and racing through then against someone.

Galaga - This was one of the two classic games at my old arcade I used to always play. Killing wave after wave of aliens was always a good time.

X-Men - One of the better four player arcade games I've ran across. Always took take out of my trips to Holiday World to play this game for a bit.

5.The Grid - Similar to Smash TV, I've only seen this game at one arcade in St. Louis. It featured trackball aiming, joystick firing, and Mortal Kombat characters, but was a blast to play. It could also get up to four players going at once trying to kill each other and other enemies. I really wish I could find this game again, or it would get ported to a console.

*tool-man grunt* Smash TV with MK characters, you say?

4.The Simpsons - Probably my favorite four player action arcade game. Seeing Marge take a vacuum cleaner to enemies was always hilarious. Having all four characters in use at the same time taking down a fireman mini-boss or Mr. Burns was always a great time in arcades.



3.Pac-Man - The other classic game I played a lot at my old arcade before it closed down. You would always think going through the same level time after time would be boring, yet I always kept coming back to play. It was always fun for a quick time waster when I was waiting for the family when I was younger.
Pac-Man is the OG

2.Time Crisis 2/3 - I put both games here so I didn't have to give up two spots, but I liked TC 2 better. As far as coop shooters go, though, these two Time Crisis games are great. I have a lot of good memories with my friend playing this game and trying different strategies on getting through levels. Even with TC 4 out, I still go back to these old games in the series to play.

1.Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 - I've played a lot of arcade fighters, but only wanted to put my favorite one on the list. I had fun with Soul Calibur 2, and Street Fighter 2, but I always make sure to go out of my way to find a Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 cabinet to play. The choice of any three characters, plus each different style to choose from, gives thousands of combinations to try. Add that with the competition that always occurred when playing these games and this was easily my top choice for this list.

Alright, thanks again Adam. I must find more about this game The Grid. Next up is Armando Rodriguez. Armando has done plenty of reviews for the site, his most recent being Restaurant Empire II for the PC. Check that out when you get time, as Armando is always fair in his reviews.

Armando Rodriguez

Honorable Mentions:

Dance Dance Revolution- Yep, being embarrassed in front of people is fun. I was never any good at it but I guess that's the point!

Time Crisis- The entire series actually. I spent way too much money on these games.

Wrestlefest: One of the best wrestling games ever! I mean the characters where larger than life and graphically better than anything I had seen in a wrestling title at the time. I loved playing as Hogan and Warrior. Also this is the only game I know off that features Demolition as playable characters.
Thank you for reminding me of this one, it was bad-ass. The first time that I can remember that a company really nailed the whole presentation of the WWF



5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Hell yes! I remember how much I used to bug my mom when I was 6 years old or so to take me to the arcade so I could play this game. I was obsessed with anything and everything Ninja Turtles at the time, but even without the turtles this would have been a kick-ass beat-em up game.
I may be wrong here again, it wouldn't be the first time, but didn't this game pick up the II when it came to home systems? Wasn't it just TMNT: The Arcade Game?

4. NBA Jam: BOOMSHAKALAKA! Another of my obsessions during my younger years, this is a game I still play every once in a while at home on my Genesis. But the arcade version was far superior. Hidden characters, insane flying dunks and fast-paced basketball, this is probably one of the greatest arcade games ever made.
As close as you could come to crack in an arcade? I think it might have been.

3.The Simpsons Arcade: Ok, I have to admit that a beat-em-up game featuring The Simpsons sounds odd. But once you play this game you will never, ever forget it! It was funny and a blast to play. I demand we get this over XBLA and PSN!

2. Street Fighter II: This arcade game turned me into a fighting game fan for life. It was so popular that you could find it anywhere, even at supermarkets and grocery stores. As a matter of fact, this is the only game I never had to go to an arcade to play, I always played it at a local supermarket while my mom went shopping. Back then it was the bomb and people who knew how to pull off special moves guarded the secret with their lives. The first time I pulled off a Fireball I almost crapped my pants in excitement (I was 7 or 8 at the time).

1. Mortal Kombat: I am not trying to suck up to Todd here, but MK was the greatest arcade game I ever played (at least until MK II). I still like the first one better for nostalgic purposes. I remember standing in line to watch this game and at first I was not impressed. That is until my opponent ripped my head off with Sub-Zero (I was Johnny Cage because he looked like Van Damme). After that moment I was hooked and only thought about playing this game and learning how to pull off the fatalities. It was the only thing everyone talked at school and to us kids it was larger than life. Maybe it is because it was the first fatality I saw, but Sub-Zero became my favorite character of the entire franchise and that head/spine ripping fatality is also my favorite all time.
You are my hero.

Now it's the list I'm sure no more than 1 person has been waiting for.

Todd Vote

Honorable Mentions

Pac-Man - There is no denying the impact of Pac-Man, i absolutely sucked at navigating the pie chart through the mazes without getting munched on by one of the ghosts. My level of suck at this game keeps it from making the top 5.

SNK/Nintendo multi-game cabinets Remember these? The SNK cabinets would feature games like War of the Monsters, Baseball Stars, and Art of Fighting, it was a great way to introduce people to your product. And who could forget the Nintendo Play Choice 10 machines?

5. Time Traveler - At the time, this was by far the coolest thing I had ever seen in a video game. For those of you that don't remember, Time Traveler was a hologram game, in that it projected the images on a flat surface, but they were holograms. Think of Princess Leia's message to Obiwan from Episode IV, and you get the gist of what this game looked like. The downfall of the game was the fact that it was strictly trial and error, similar to the way Dragon's Lair would play. Well needless to say many a quarters were spent trying to find the right way. This game was later released as a DVD game, and yes, I did buy it. It doesn't hold up well without the cool hologram look, but it did come with 3-D glasses.



4. Time Killers - Lame attempt to cash in on the popularity of MK and other gore filled games, Time Killers flew under a lot of people's radars. It didn't have the best animations, and the graphics were sub-par at best. But this one makes my list due to the hilarity of being able to cut both of your opponent's arms off 5 seconds into the fight, then watching him try to win with just kicks. Plus...One guy had a chainsaw... what more do you need?

3. NBA Jam / NFL Blitz - Yeah, I couldn't bring myself to choose one over the other, although I think NBA Jam may slightly edge out Blitz. These games were the spiritual predecessors to many of today's over the top sports titles. Do you think we we have gotten NBA Street, or NFL Street if it wasn't for these two great game? I'm thinking not. Plus this left a generation of gamers wondering... Is it really the shoes?

2. Mortal Kombat - Yeah, I know. MK is not number one on his list? WTF? Just hear me out. Mortal Kombat is one of my favorite games of all time. Hands down if it has MK in the title, I am going to play it. But MK has been churning out sequels year after year, and I never have any problem getting a fix if I need it. But anyway, I will never forget the first time I heard the words "finish him" and seen my spine get ripped out by Sub-Zero. I was hooked. I liked games before and I had a Nintendo, and all that good stuff. But MK is what made me a stead-fast gamer. The only thing keeping this from making number one, is I think absence makes the heart grow fonder, which left....

1. Killer Instinct - This as my number one arcade game of all time. Killer Instinct was awesome. Anybody who would tell you different is full of poo. Killer Instinct featured a revolutionary combo system that was easy to pick up and play, but could be a challenge to master. It was a good mixture for the game, as even a novice could fire it up and bust out some sweet combo's. I'm still waiting patiently for Killer Instinct 3. And with Peter Molyneux looking to revamp Rare, we may finally get it. Keep your fingers crossed with me will ya?

Bonus Video of the Week: Martial Champions
Capcom sued Konami over this game and won on the grounds it was too similar to a certain fighter that Capcom had in arcades at the time... I wonder which one they were referring to.



That wraps it up for this week. Be sure to list your favorite arcade games in the comments section, and I'll post them next week. Also on tap for next week is the Top 5 platformer games. Till then, take care of yourself and have a safe holiday weekend.

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