# Top 3 arcade games of the 1980s **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812 **Category:** The Game Room **Created:** [October 6, 2004, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812 "2004-10-06T05:31:21Z") **Posts on this page:** 20 **Page:** 5
### Author: ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot) #### Post date: [October 9, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/81 "2004-10-09T19:17:53Z")
Ahhh, **Joust** … I had a rip - off version of this on my computer at work (I think it was **slugman** , from the ‘Foxtrot’ Website. I would play it until I got bored (because I have had Joust mastered for a VERY long time), and had a high score of about 250,000. Then a co-worker got on the computer and beat my high score (up to 300,000), and proceeded to give me a hard time about it. So I beat HIS high score - by 1,000,000 points. Shut him up right quick. **Donkey Kong** was also a fave of mine, as was **QIX** ---
### Author: ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster) #### Post date: [October 9, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/82 "2004-10-09T19:23:46Z")
Ah, yes, the Ultracade. There was a cabinet at the Wal-Mart back in my hometown, last time I was there. What surprised me was the fact that Pipi & Bibi’s was on that machine. For those of you that don’t know (which, I’m sure, is most of you, Pipi & Bibi’s is an adult game. I got pictures, but I haven’t developed the film yet. ---
### Author: ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd) #### Post date: [October 9, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/83 "2004-10-09T19:55:13Z")
3 - _Sinistar_ 2 - _Joust_ And I can’t believe no-one has mentioned… 1 - _Rolling Thunder_ _Rolling Thunder_ kicked ass. I shudder to think of how many quarters I fed into that thing. It was the first game I remember that got you addicted to the illusion of progress. What’s next? It just kept getting crazier and crazier! ---
### Author: ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor) #### Post date: [October 9, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/84 "2004-10-09T22:04:26Z")
1. Ms. Pac Man–no patterns 2. Donkey Kong 3. Defender–Six buttons And a joystick?? Can it be possible to play this?? Yes! ---
### Author: ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor) #### Post date: [October 9, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/85 "2004-10-09T22:06:53Z")
I am also proud that I turned over the point counter in ‘Punch Out’. ---
### Author: ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/86 "2018-08-13T15:53:41Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Anyone else ever play the wrasslin’ game **Mat Mania**? Remember how hard it was to beat Coco Savage until you learned to do that running-shove move? I’m glad I’m not the only one who loved that game 😉 My other two would be **Galaga** and **Arkanoid**. ---
### Author: ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/87 "2018-08-13T16:29:44Z")
The age of this thread is as far from today as it was from the ‘80s when it was started. ---
### Author: ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/88 "2018-08-13T17:05:27Z")
- edit\* Well damn, a zombie, and I already posted. At least my tastes and memory are consistent 😃 _edit_ My personal favorites…so many quarters… Joust Elevator Action Time Pilot Defender Dig Dug Cyberball Discs of Tron Heavy Barrel Star Trek ---
### Author: ![pnschofield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@pnschofield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pnschofield) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/89 "2018-08-13T18:41:21Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > :eek: Opps. Sorry, I was thinking it came out in 1989. > > Hey, was anybody here able to win Dragon’s Layer? I could never get past the first part. I was sure I was pressing the direction the arrow was pointing, but _boom_ I’d get clobbered instantly. I memorized all the patterns from the article in Joystik magazine, which made it a little too easy to beat. Kudos to the artists who rendered Princess Daphne! ---
### Author: ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/90 "2018-08-13T18:46:07Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > The age of this thread is as far from today as it was from the ‘80s when it was started. Don’t remind me :eek::(😃 ---
### Author: ![abhka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@abhka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abhka) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/91 "2018-08-13T19:03:27Z")
River Raid ---
### Author: ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/92 "2018-08-13T19:42:10Z")
> [@abhka](#): > > River Raid Pardon me for keeping the zombie alive…but was River Raid ever an arcade game? The only River Raid I know of was an Activision cartridge for the Atari 2600. And this must have been “before my time” here at TSD - either that, or I’m surprised I missed this one when it first came out. Anyway, my current three (which, like most other threads of this type, will probably change in about 10 minutes, especially when I remember another game from that era) are: Gauntlet Crazy Climber Qix ---
### Author: ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/93 "2018-08-13T19:51:42Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > The age of this thread is as far from today as it was from the ‘80s when it was started. What’s depressing is that I composed an answer (even knowing how old the thread is) which is exactly what I wrote 14 years ago. But I’ll start a thread on first computer games. ---
### Author: ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/94 "2018-08-13T19:55:04Z")
It’s a dumb game, but I could go near-forever on one quarter in _Bank Panic_. For a while, I tried making it more challenging by playing one-handed. By the way, I still live. ---
### Author: ![Johnny\_Ecks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ecks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ecks) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/95 "2018-08-13T20:06:27Z")
Anybody remember Space Lords? Came out in 92, on the tail end of the arcade era, but what a cool game. Gladiatorial first-person multiplayer space combat, with the option of a second player acting as gunner. It was rigged so that if you got hit after your shield went down, a hammer would hit a metal plate inside the cabinet, and the whole thing would shudder. Anyway- Gorf Elevator Action Crossbow ---
### Author: ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/96 "2018-08-13T20:18:43Z")
I spent a sick amount of money on Gauntlet. Also liked Tron (it was like three games in one) and the racing game Outrun (great music) and Star Wars. Edit: did not notice this was a Zombie… ---
### Author: ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/97 "2018-08-13T20:20:37Z")
I think the king of those decades is Defender. If you took the time to learn how to master all of those buttons it was quite addictive. The highlight of my game playing days was reaching 100,000 on Defender. And when I needed to play at less frantic pace my go to was Jungle Hunt. I think it was the first parallax scrolling game and it was awarded a Certificate of Merit in 1984 for Best Adventure Videogame Arkie. Simple but addictive. Asteroids might not meet the OP criteria but I’m putting down for my third pick because it was great, damnit! 🙂 ---
### Author: ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/98 "2018-08-13T20:27:06Z")
Talk about resurrecting an old thread!! I grew up in 80s arcades and this thread started long before I got here, so my faves would be: Zaxxon Donkey Kong After Burner (in the “moving seat”) Turbo Tron Galaga All of which I’m sure were mentioned already. ---
### Author: ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/99 "2018-08-13T20:35:05Z")
I remember the original double dragon with “rock and blade” as the main characters and it was just 2 street bangers trying to get a girl back …… it was considered too violent(your beating up a girl! …) for these parts they had it on the wall near the coin booth so they could watch who was playing it …… ---
### Author: ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay) #### Post date: [August 13, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-3-arcade-games-of-the-1980s/267812/100 "2018-08-13T20:51:39Z")
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