Summary
The golden age ofarcades is generally considered the 1980s, and while arcades were the most popular back then, the best arcade games came out in the ’90s. Genres like beat-‘em-ups, racing, and sports games were perfected in the ’90s, and new types of genres emerged in popularity, like fighting games, arcade rail shooters, and rhythm games.
The innovation on offer was far above that of the ’80s, and many of these games still hold up in their fun factor. If you manage to find one of these ’90s classics in a retro arcade or bar, definitely try them out.
Still, to this day, one of the best twin-stick shooters is Midway’s 1990 arcade classic, Smash TV. With two joysticks, one for movement and one for shooting, it’s a chaotically fun and hectic shooter where movement is key to success. Thegame was made brutally difficult, so much so that the developers didn’t include an ending at first because they thought nobody could beat it.
Little did they know that players loved this difficult challenge and were saddened when they found no ending after all their hard work. Eventually, a revision was released with the ending included, but this shows how gamers always one-up the developers in terms of doing the impossible.
During these early days of gaming, genres had to experiment quite a bit as there usually wasn’t a standard example. However, some titles, like Super Mario 64, show you how these types of games are supposed to be made, and for fighting games, that was Street Fighter 2. From this 1991 landmark title, there are already so many elements standard in fighting games today.
Throws, types of motion inputs, the footsies gameplay with staple matchups, and even the visual health bar where they close in on the center timer. Even during the ’90s, it was a common notion that a fighting game needed at least eight playable characters, and that came from Street Fighter 2. Yes, the vanilla experience is dated for sure, but Street Fighter 2 earns its place in the World Video Game Hall of Fame.
Based on the hit 90s X-Men cartoon, X-Men Arcade, like Konami’s The Simpsons, is one of those machines you must play whenever you see it. Yes, it oozes that ’90s nostalgia with the art style and the cheesy voice acting, but the game itself plays so well, with each X-Men being a blast to play with.
X-Men is infamous for being in a six-player cabinet, which was unheard of at the time for a beat-‘em-up, making it perfect for those group parties. It’s a real shame the game’s unavailable on modern platforms, along with other all-time great beat-‘em-ups like Alien vs. Predator.
Looking back all these years later, NBA Jam is not only one of the best sports games ever made, but one ofthe best arcade titles of all time. You can pick up this game today and get a feel for the controls really quickly, leading to intense two-player matches. It’s astounding how well the multiplayer holds up all these years later, and it’s very common to have close games in NBA Jam.
To cap it off, it has that distinct Midway charm with the various Easter eggs and the iconic announcer callouts. Once again, it’s a shame NBA Jam isn’t available on modern platforms, but at least it’s understandable, given the difficult nature of sports game licensing.
A landmark game for the racing genre was Daytona USA. While Virtua Racing was the blueprint for 3D racing games, it was still fairly primitive. Daytona, on the other hand, looked and played like a true 3D racing game.
It was so impressive at the time, but the incredible racing controls still hold up all these years later, even if you’re using a standard controller. It feels so tight, and the sequel Daytona USA 2 improved it even more. Sadly, Daytona USA is no longer commercially available, minus the old PlayStation 3 digital store.
Rail shooters were fairly primitive in the early ’90s with titles like Lethal Enforcers, but Time Crisis elevated the genre in a big way. Unlike most other rail shooters at the time, it has a cover system using the series’ staple foot pedal. Press your foot against it to get behind cover, and let go to open yourself up to shoot some baddies.
The game’s title isn’t a lie, as you are on a timer, which forces you to engage in combat rather than hiding behind cover the whole time. It was a huge innovation back then, and it played great, simulating those action movie shootouts with you bobbing and weaving behind cover.
If there’s one iconic, fan-favorite rail shooter to put in a retro arcade or bar today, it’s The House of the Dead. The whole series is incredible, minus 3, but the original has to be one of those games you’ll want to play multiple times in a row in a free-play arcade.
It’s short and sweet, with only four levels, which is tiny for a rail shooter, butthere’s so much replay value, with numerous paths and trying to rescue everybody. It’s a tough game, but it feels damn good once you’re skilled and become an expert marksman. If you find one in the wild, you’ll definitely want a perfectly calibrated machine.
One unfortunate missing aspect of the original Time Crisis was the lack of a two-player co-op. That’s pretty standard in rail shooters, but that’s where Time Crisis 2 comes in. Time Crisis 2 is bigger and better, with more dynamic levels that have more stuff going on, and co-op is implemented seamlessly into the experience.
It’s got the perfect length, too, similar to House of the Dead. You can beat it in less than 30 minutes, making it one of the most fun short co-op games. While House of the Dead remains the quintessential rail shooter, Time Crisis 2 is right underneath it, and in terms of quality, many will argue that it’s the best rail shooter of all time.
Dance Dance Revolution is one of the most iconic arcade machines ever made. Back in the late ’90s and 2000s, it was everywhere, all over the world, and for good reason. For one, like many successful arcade machines, it stood out with that flashy dance pad, bumpin’ music, and two-player options that definitely brought in a crowd.
The game was simple, as you needed to press your foot against the arrow pads, but it got intense on the harder songs to the point where you’d work up a sweat. It was phenomenal to play if you love the genre. In an era where video games were still not accepted by the mainstream, it was great to have a title that actually had a positive effect on the human body, as well.
It’s interesting that Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike is consideredan all-time great fighting gametoday when nobody really cared about it when it came out. It wasn’t until the legendary Evo Moment 37 in 2004, where Daigo Umehara parried Chun-Li’s Super, that people realized this game was sick.
Still, to this day, 3rd Strike probably has the best parry system in any fighting game because it’s so skill-based, and there’s only one type. You also have to commend the wild number of new characters here. No fighting game today would release with only four characters from the previous title returning. The roster and gameplay changes result in a fighting game that’s hard to imagine Capcom making today, and that’s why 3rd Strike is so special.
