Top Ten Tuesday: Best 90s Arcade Games

Last week, we went over the greatest fighting video games of all-time, which included a few arcade classics from the 80s and 90s. This week’s Top Ten Tuesday keeps things going, with a focus on the best 90s arcade games. If you ever went to an arcade, a movie theater, or a bowling alley growing up, you’ve probably encountered several of these arcade hits.

 

10. Pac-Man

Pac-Man was released in the early 1980s, so it’s the oldest game on the list, but it deserves a spot because of its longevity and representation of the older-school arcade games. Building on the original, Ms. Pac-Man is arguably the best Pac-Man game ever, but any of them could have been here in the No. 10 spot.

 

9. Time Crisis

Plenty of shooters could have made this list, including horror/survival shooters like The House of the Dead and the Terminator 2: Judgement Day game. Time Crisis allowed players to duck and reload their weapon, and the two-player gaming allowed people to cover each other, whether it was your friend or a new acquaintance you just met at the arcade.

 

8. Daytona USA

There are a number of racing arcade games, but Daytona USA was probably the best of the bunch. For its release in 1993, the graphics and gameplay were both very good, and up to eight players could be connected to play at once—though it was a rare occurrence for an arcade to have eight machines (or four twin machines) to make that happen.

 

7. NFL Blitz

Inspired by NBA Jam, Midway took that over-the-top action to the gridiron with NFL Blitz. The gameplay was fast-paced, hard-hitting, and really not at all like what real NFL games were like, with wrestling moves and late hits arguably the most fun part about NFL Blitz. And there was also “Da Bomb”, a Hail Mary-like play that could convert a fourth-and-30 like it was nothing.

 

6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were about as cool as it got back in the late 80s and into the 90s, and the beat-‘em-up arcade game released in 1989 was clearly among the best of all-time. Up to four players could work together at once as Leonardo, Michelangelo, Dontatello, and Raphael, fighting through Foot Soldiers and going after Shredder to rescue April O’Neil.

 

5. NBA Jam

“Boomshakalaka!” NBA Jam was wildly popular and grossed over $1 billion (in quarters!), as the unrealistic 2-on-2 gameplay—filled with dunks, alley-oops, hard fouls, and players getting “on fire”—was a blast. It helped that Midway was able to get the game NBA-licensed, allowing people to play with their favorite NBA teams and players—except for Michael Jordan, who owns his own likeness.

 

4. Star Wars Trilogy Arcade

The 1993-released Star Wars Arcade (allowing players to be a pilot fighting against Imperial forces while attempting to destroy the Death Star) was fun, but 1998’s Star Wars Trilogy Arcade took things to another level. You could play on Yavin, Hoth, or Endor, and the two boss battles against Boba Fett and Darth Vader were simply epic. The similar Jurassic Park arcade game, which was also created by Sega, was also excellent.

 

3. The Simpsons

Konami had a ton of success with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and they made a similar beat-‘em-up style game with The Simpsons. You could play as Homer, Marge, Bart, or Lisa—with each character having their own weapon of choice (except for Homer, who used punches and kicks). The all-time hit animated series had just premiered a couple years before the arcade game’s 1991 release, and it certainly couldn’t have hurt the show’s popularity.

 

2. Street Fighter II

Adjusted for inflation and up against 21st century home-gaming titans like Call of Duty, Street Fighter II (released in 1991) is still among the top-ten highest grossing video games of all-time, with over $10 billion in gross revenue. The newer arcade games—especially the fighting genre—might not have been what they were without Capcom’s Street Fighter II paving the way. Street Fighter II introduced the character select screen, which is something that’s difficult to imagine not being around today.

 

1. Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes

With the benefit of being released several years after Street Fighter II, Marvel vs. Capcom was arguably able to make gameplay improvements that give it a slight edge—but the debate comes down to a matter of preference. An advantage about Marvel vs. Capcom is the ability to play with Marvel characters like Wolverine and Captain America, which was appealing to many average people that knew those superheroes. Marvel vs. Capcom was a prototypical arcade game that a kid could instantly get on and have a lot of fun playing.