I was 2 in 1983, i started playing coin op arcade in 1987, I also got a sega master system in 1987 and a nes in 1989.Then all the arcades died around 1999 to 2001,
The mid 80's were amazing for arcade games and arcades in general. Our local mall didn't just have one but TWO full sized arcades in it. One upstairs and one downstairs!
The downtown area of my city had this amazing spot called Space Center, which was such a cool vibe growing up. In addition were the arcades at Hampton Beach, NH and of course Funspot in Laconia NH.
I loved those days as a kid where every supermarket has an arcade game. My parents would do their groceries while I plunked quarters and enjoyed these arcade classics
Last new game I remember playing in an arcade was "Pole Position". I was working and still in high school in '83 and I haven't been in an arcade since then. Honestly I didn't even know there was a video game crash until I started collecting vintage consoles about 15 years ago.
Man, I used to love the fact that every 7-Eleven and laundromat in the 80s had arcades!?!?! Me and friends would walk around town looking for new... Good Times!?!
(John: Please do another 1983 arcade games video. You can make it a series? There are so many of them!) I really loved Gyruss, Star Wars and Track and Field which also came out in 1983. Gyruss is one that I actually got 3,000,000 points on with one quarter! The arcade games back then were great! was in 1983. It was a sight to see all of the arcade games lined up in rows ready too suck up your quarters like a sponge! Great days to think back on!
I was blessed to have grown up during the 70's and 80's. I fondly recall numerous hours spent in various arcades and pretty much anyplace that had a video game around my hometown of Los Angeles, CA. From the local liquor stores in my neighborhood to the SEGA center in Fox Hills Mall to the Santa Monica Pier.
What a time to be alive. I was too young (ie. short) to play these games myself, but I do remember hanging out at the local mall arcade watching others and the attract modes.
Mappy is sooo underrated! Very happy you put Mappy on the list :) Mappy is a really fun and great game. Even to this day, I still have a great time playing it. I never understand why Mappy is not as popular as Pacman, Dig Dug, and Galaga. If you ask me, out of all the Namco games, Mappy is the game I have most fun with.
@David Herrera, if I do recall correctly, both Mappy and Mappyland got good NES/FDS home ports as well, so that might do for you if you lack an arcade cabinet of either game near you.
Mappy was very popular and successful, but those are three amazing classics you're talking about. Rally-X was another great game from Namco but hard as heck!
Great video! I remember playing Wacko for the first time on Midway Arcade Treasures 2 and I loved it. Loved how interesting it was an loved learning about the arcade cabinet being tilted! Another great 1983 arcade game that I'd have on my personal list is Crossbow by Exidy
I was born in 86 just in time to experience and love the NES and arcade games. I still own my nes and will probably be buried with it. And tapper is freaking legit!
I remember being 12 in 83, walking into a sears and seeing Atari games in a bargain bin pile, these game would always be behind glass, knew something was wrong, bought ET for 5 dollars new, Dragons Lair in the arcade for 50 cents, unreal!
There are so many of my favorite games on this list, and it boggles my mind to consider this period the start of a downturn, since I'll always consider it the birth of video games. It seemed like every week a new amazing game would appear at my local arcade.
But the downturn was mostly (only?) about bad 2600 atari games and even worse knockoffs because everybody wanted to make a quick profit. Solid quality arcade games were fine.
@@Blackadder75 I do recall going to a new arcade around early 80s, and it had only unmarked generic cabinets with weird games I'd never heard of, this was probably a sign if the crash as well.
I never saw the "crash" either and many other people I talk to that grew up back then say the same thing when the topic comes up. The truth is there never was a "crash" like so much pop media tries to portray after all these years. Atari crashed do to numerous terrible decisions made by Warner Communications (which had owned Atari for a while by then) which included grossly over-inflated projections, subsequent over production of game carts (more carts for some titles than were total consoles in existence at the time) and tons of poor quality games coming from everybody and their brother (since the lawsuit with Activision made it possible for anybody to make games for the system by then). Since other systems had nowhere near the market share in the home that Atari did people say the market crashed (not that it didn't affect the other companies to some degree). The arcade never really suffered in the same way. You didn't necessarily see as many arcades as a whole over time because the business model didn't scale well over time but as you mentioned you did still see them in all kinds of other places. There was a reason why the NES was able to come here in 1985 and "revive" the market - it was never truly dead. People still played and loved video games. Lol... and guys like me were still buying games for our Commodore 64's too during that time. Anyways, there's a lot of simplification there but the bottom line is that there was never really a crash like the fables of today tell tales of IMO.
There was a mass exodus from consoles, but I believe it was because of the home computers. All of my friends and family were buying 8-bit computers and the C-64 was so popular, that I'd see book stores selling its software. The consoles really couldn't compete with those home computers, especially since all of us were sharing copies of games with each other.
Im uk and had a segamaster and commodore 64 only got an nes yeats later cos games were reallyhard to get as mattel were in charge and really fucked up nes game distribution in the uk.
I think the "crash" really was all us old school Atari 2600 players had moved to Atari 8bit computers or Commodore 64s, leaving the 2600 and other early consoles to collect dust (i.e. the console market dried up). The 2600 E.T. game was just a scapegoat, and really had nothing to do with causing the crash (just really bad returns on an overproduced/undersold game).
I always explain to people younger than me that the crash was noticed by no one except executives. As a kid we got great games in 1983, tons of cheaper games in 1984 and the c64 and NES in 1985. There was no bump in the road or changes at all. As per arcades kids kept going. The only difference was no more 30 year old dudes playing ms pacman on their lunch break.
The Atari 2600 stuff was real stale by then but Intellivision and Colecovision still had quality software that kids enjoyed. All generations were the same though. At the beginning of NES we couldn't believe we were playing almost arcade quality Popeye at home. A couple years later NES was garbage compared to the arcade. Then the cycle repeated itself with Genesis.
Tapper still drives me nuts. Always start to struggle by the punk bar stage. I forgot that you can run up and collect the cash tips, though when things get hectic, it never feels like there's time to do so.
I was working in Silicon Valley (San Jose and Milpitas areas) from 1983 to 1990. My favorite thing to do on my lunch breaks (at least in the early years) was run down to Chucky Cheese and play Missile Command. I would play it for an hour straight (sometimes two). I lost count of how many times my boss would scold me for walking back in to Engineering an hour or two late, and told me I was addicted and to seek help. LOL! Now THOSE were the days!
Great Video! I know what you mean John. I lived through the Arcade era. I was born in 76. There was arcades all over the place. I had three within walking distance from my house when I was a kid. Plus Arcade machines in every store,mall,bowling alley,roller rink,gas station and restaurant! I really miss those days.
I was 16 in 1983. Here in Australia my friends and I would hang out at a local Amusement arcade or bowling alley, and play video games and pinball. Great times !
Wow!! Plated most of these as a young man. Arcades were a big part of life for many of us and why we shoveled snow, cut lawns, and did so many other chores!!
Oh man those take me back. I was seven that year, and was finally starting to be able to play a lot of the stand up games without having to find a stool. Yes, the local Aladdin’s Castle had stools. Very thoughtful given the number of kids that were always in there. I don’t remember all these games, but Spy Hunter, Elevator Action, and Discs of Tron, and Mario Brothers joined the likes of Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Missile Command, Centipede, Turbo, and a bunch of pinball machines and that weird domed hockey game.
These are all epic arcade games here, John. I've always absolutely loved Spy Hunter from the start of my gaming days on computers! Seeing Mappy is really nostalgic too - I remember that one being a bit more challenging.
Awesome video man, A tribute to the time. Discs of Tron had a "walk-in" cabinet had light-up neon floor and Sark's voice. Still one of my favorite arcade cabinets ever.
0:02 I used to love playing with that Fisher-Price gas pump toy in my Preschool I’m currently conducting a collection of old vintage toys and this gas pump toy would make a keen edition to my collection
Spy Hunter and Disks of Tron were my jams back in the day. I could play either of those for hours. At least until I got tired from standing on one foot playing Spy Hunter. Of course, if there was a sit down version available, all bets were off!
I'm 41. I remember arcade cabinets being EVERYWHERE after 1983, at least up until the late-ish 80s. At least one cabinet would be in some random business. Nice list. Wacko is underrated!
I recall the time. The cool arcades started closing but as you mentioned most bars, restaurants, stores, etc all had a mini arcade. Home gaming was fairly stuck in late 1970s tech.
Great video as always John! I was born in 1983, so it’s nice to see a collection of games that came out the year I was born and during the gaming crash. Quite a few quality ones such as Mappy and Beer Tapper
Retro gaming hippie approves! Fondly remember many of these while spending hours and nickel arcades. Pretty sure satan’s hollow was the final games played in a very 80’s movie called “Joysticks”
The NES had some pretty good arcade ports as well. Joust, Mappy, Mappy Land, Donkey Kong 3, Mario Brothers, Gyruss, and Spy Hunter were some damn good ports of arcade games.
John, I just discovered your videos, and all I can say is WOW and THANK YOU! Wow, because you’re a great narrator and super informative. Thank you, because I had forgotten about some of these games and also are seeing some games that I’ve never seen before (weird, since I grew up playing arcades all the time). Looking forward to watching the rest of your videos.
Damn, I used to play Spy Hunter having to stand on a bar stool to reach the controls...I was about age 5 or so? I would have the quarters stacked up and just go to town. I got really excited one day when a crowd of people surrounded me to watch, as I must have been doing better than any of them ever did, with comments like "this kid is really playing this!!" 🤣
Wacko...WOW. Just wow. I played it one summer visiting relatives in the diner of a small town. Never saw the game again after that week. Thank you for jarring my memory for this.
Played most of them at Cosmic Empire a video arcade in the 80's. Elevator action and Spyhunter were great. In the late '80's Tournament Cyberball was huge, we had tournaments with other Cosmic Empire's in the area.
Yeah, that's very true. From an 80's kid perspective, we had no idea there was a video game "crash". Didn't even hear about it, let alone notice it. In our world, we had the arcades and the Atari 2600 at home. If you asked us, video games were taking over the world, very common and popular. I didn't learn about the "crash" decades later, until I was an adult.
I came to US in 84 as a refugee. Seeing a tv is for rich people in my country. Let along a video game. My uncle let me play a black box with controller when I came here and I was amazed that I can control a pic on tv. A decade later, I eventually found out it was the Atari 2600. Video game crash? Never heard of it back then because I was awed by all the new modern things in a new country. The crash to me never happen. It's a beginning of my love for video games.
Dude! I remember playing ALL these games back in the day. Still some of my favorites to this day. I was so obsessed w/Dragon's Lair, for YEARS after it disappeared from all my local arcade, I had countless dreams in which I went into an arcade & saw both Dragon's Lair & Space Ace among all the other cabinets. It was always either Dragon's Lair or a sequel to the game -- one which eventually came true once Time Warp came out in the 90's! XD
A company called "Digital Leisure" put out these games you can play on any blu-ray player using a standard remote. They work even better on a system where you can use an actual controller. Look and play exactly like the arcade game. I picked up the original Dragon's Lair. I wanted Space Ace as well, but the only copies I could find were ridiculously expensive.
Graduated in '83. Worked at an after school job in a hardware store. Right across the street was an arcade. My friend and I spent soooo much time and money in it.
Disc of Tron in the upright cabinet where you leaned back was so comfy.. :) and when you entered an arcade, who could resist not hitting the attract mode on Spy Hunter for that awesome theme only to be outdone a little later with Reactor.
I was a child of the 80's and also had no idea the video game crash had happened. My Atari 2600 kept me entertained right up until getting a Nintendo for Christmas in '87.
I would've added Gyruss to this list, which I think is an underrated classic. And I also had no idea there was a "crash" during this time. I was 6 years old, enjoying my Atari 5200, and playing games at Showbiz, at my local arcade (which stayed open well into the late 90s), and at every restaurant in town. It was a magical time to be a kid.
Nice video. I played a lot arcade games during the classic era of acrade games (80s). Where I lived at the time, a mid size western town, arcade games showed up about 18 months after their original release (probably used games passed down from larger cities), so in 1983 the popular game around town were from 1981 and earlier, such as Tempest, Centipede, Missile Command, Asteroids, Defender, Battle Zone. The games in this video never really showed up where I lived because when the video game crash occured, no more new games showed up where I lived, and the older games only remained in a few bars in town where kids could not enter. The number of games that kids could play in town dropped from a couple of hundred to about a dozen in a very short period of time. I was smart, and managed to buy a Tempest arcade game in 1983, and I still own it. IMO, best arcade ever designed.
Same. At least in my walking distance. My local burger joint down the street had a couple, my grocery store had a couple more, the gas stations a few blocks one way and a few the other way. Gotta keep track.
Disks of Tron was super dope, they had those half sitting cabinets with decent speakers. The music would swell and the voice would come booming out, good fing times!
I was 11 in 1983, didn’t know about the video game crash until years later. Here in NYC, every supermarket, candy store and pizza shop had arcade cabinets. While mom would shop for food at the market I’d be playing the arcade with a stack of quarters in my pocket.
Little me had no idea about a home console crash either. My parents had a Magnavox Odyssey 2 that I played with, and arcades were doing great, so I was definitely getting my fix before the NES popped up.
Oh man, Elevator Action is great! I had the GB port. Played it a ton in middle school. Later found out that the GBC got an improved version, so now that's the one I play. The game Sinistar wasn't shown here, but I think it's one of the best. Its difficulty is very punishing. Doesn't stop me from loving the game tho. Awesome vid, John.
The NES/FDS version of Elevator Action is not bad, and the sequels, Elevator Action Returns, which had an arcade, PS2, OG Xbox, and PC release, and Elevator Action Deluxe, which is for the PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and PC, are both good games in their own right, @Jodeth.
@@MetalJody1990 , Elevator Action Deluxe plays like a hybrid of the two previous Elevator Action games, plus it is also a much longer game, albeit not an endless loop like Elevator Action, but Elevator Action Returns is kind of gory, to be honest.
Wow, this takes me back. I remember loving Spy Hunter and Elevator Action. Others from around this time that were cool included Hyper Olympics (you used to use your knuckles to hit the keys really fast), Ghost & Goblins (something like that), 1942 and Gauntlet (sadly I was never much good at this one but I know some people could last almost indefinitely).
Enjoyed the video. '83 was actually a pretty good year to be a gamer, there were bargain bins just full of cheap carts everywhere. It wasn't until 84 that I really started to feel the effects of the crash. Used my birthday money that year to buy an Atari 800xl because I couldn't find games for my 2600 & 5200 anymore. I remember most of those arcade games except for Birdiy, I'll have to give that a try. Makes me think a little of Bird Week on the NES.
So many fun memories! A great game is a great game, which makes them timeless. In southwest Michigan we had our usual fare of arcade games at supermarkets and Pizza Hut, but one place stood out near Kalamazoo called "Star World". This was before Chuck E Cheese or Showbiz Pizza rolled into town and they had a huge dimly lit neon room of awesome arcade goodness. Certainly a special place at the right time for birthday parties and such. Happy Holidays!
Elevator action. How I loved shooting the lights so they fell on the bad guys' heads. Also crushing them under the elevator was fun. And the music is iconic.
Never heard of Wacko but I think I will be trying it out tonight. I hope you do more of this best of arcade by year series!! Love the channel. You've been knocking it out of the park for me lately. The big family gifts this year are an iiRcade and a Quest 2. I love your videos on those systems as well. Keep up the good work and I hope to see you more on Twitch to!
Yes i remember everything i was 10 and good part all Atari games was cheap at stores and arcades was everywhere and of Love mario ,tapper and spy hunter
Chattanooga, Tennessee...Pinball and Classic Arcade Museum. Pay $20 and play as many games as many times. About 25 pinball gamed and 15 classic arcade. You gotta go! Totally awesome!!
My favorite arcade game was a dinosaur by 83. Table top, X's v. O'S, black and white, football game. Buttons and a roller ball. I don't recall the name but I still remember loving it.
Crystal Castles and Mr Do's Castle are two 1983 arcade games I find myself revisiting the most. Thankfully they are in a collection cabinet at a local barcade near me. Not quite the same as original hardware, but still much closer than playing at home on MAME. I didn't really notice the crash because my Dad had a C64, which continued to steadily receive new games as if nothing happened. Also I was 4 years old at the time :P
you should have expounded on why rootbeer tapper came to be and the fact that Dragons Lair never had that awesome little directional cue down in the corner...good video
Mappy is an all time favorite of mine. Yes I hear you. The game crash didn't seem like such a big deal like they make it out to be. I really didn't know it was happening. I remember seeing more Colecovisions and 5200s that year. I had a Texas Instruments Home Computer and 3rd party titles were made available during that time so I got to play Donkey Kong, Burgertime, and a few others I could not play before.
Donkey Kong 3 was a weird title. More like Galaga Kong. I did like playing it. Probably the most obscure sequel I can remember. Wished it had been ported to more systems. Mappy console ports were just as scarce. Both games were ported to the NES. Spy Hunter sure had some awkward controls. I remember playing it on C64 before anything else.
I grew up in the 80's. Looking back on it now, it was a special time to be alive! My favorite arcade games were Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Pac Man, Cheyenne, Galaxian, Spy Hunter, Asteroids, Burger time, Dig Dug and Mr. Do.
Even with the big home video game crash...1983 was THE best year for arcade games in general. Heck...there was even "Starcade"...an actual game show on TV with arcade games (I still watch the episodes to this very day here on UA-cam)!
20 Underrated Arcade Games of the 80s and early 90s - ua-cam.com/video/IoGgCf3u1YE/v-deo.html
You gotta play Mario vs Donkey advanced. You'll love that game. It should've been a actual arcade machine.
I was 2 in 1983, i started playing coin op arcade in 1987, I also got a sega master system in 1987 and a nes in 1989.Then all the arcades died around 1999 to 2001,
$1.16/gallon
On point
@@Gohan1138 There was a gas station in Phoenix that sold gas @ 1987 for $.75 a gallon. I don't know how they swung that deal.
The mid 80's were amazing for arcade games and arcades in general. Our local mall didn't just have one but TWO full sized arcades in it. One upstairs and one downstairs!
I lived in a town of 5k people we had an arcade. Dairy Queens always had Galaga it seemed. And gas stations had arcades about until 92 in my area.
Time Out?
@@rufusmtvernon Fun n Games was the name of both arcades
The downtown area of my city had this amazing spot called Space Center, which was such a cool vibe growing up. In addition were the arcades at Hampton Beach, NH and of course Funspot in Laconia NH.
Alleluia!
I remember haunting the arcades in the very early 80s. Maybe 81-82.
There will never be a time like it. :)
Greatest memories ever.
I loved those days as a kid where every supermarket has an arcade game. My parents would do their groceries while I plunked quarters and enjoyed these arcade classics
Last new game I remember playing in an arcade was "Pole Position". I was working and still in high school in '83 and I haven't been in an arcade since then. Honestly I didn't even know there was a video game crash until I started collecting vintage consoles about 15 years ago.
Prepare to qualify!
I didn't realize Spy hunter was that old... what an amazing, and advanced game for the time.... loved it at our local bowling alley... great times.
Burgertime, Crystal Castles, Gyruss, Congo Bongo and Track and Field all came out in 1983.
All classics too
Man, I used to love the fact that every 7-Eleven and laundromat in the 80s had arcades!?!?! Me and friends would walk around town looking for new... Good Times!?!
I was really blessed to have worked at an arcade in 1983 (Games Galore - Thousand Oaks, CA). I had lots of time after my shift to play free games!
Remember Starcade on TBS each Saturday AM? Great year that 1983.
(John: Please do another 1983 arcade games video. You can make it a series? There are so many of them!) I really loved Gyruss, Star Wars and Track and Field which also came out in 1983. Gyruss is one that I actually got 3,000,000 points on with one quarter! The arcade games back then were great! was in 1983. It was a sight to see all of the arcade games lined up in rows ready too suck up your quarters like a sponge! Great days to think back on!
Gyruss had an amazing soundtrack and sound quality. It's a game you just love listening to, in addition to playing.
I was oblivious to the crash myself. I was 5, was playing my colecovision. Thanks for the nostalgia sir🙏
I was blessed to have grown up during the 70's and 80's. I fondly recall numerous hours spent in various arcades and pretty much anyplace that had a video game around my hometown of Los Angeles, CA. From the local liquor stores in my neighborhood to the SEGA center in Fox Hills Mall to the Santa Monica Pier.
What a time to be alive. I was too young (ie. short) to play these games myself, but I do remember hanging out at the local mall arcade watching others and the attract modes.
Mappy is sooo underrated! Very happy you put Mappy on the list :) Mappy is a really fun and great game. Even to this day, I still have a great time playing it. I never understand why Mappy is not as popular as Pacman, Dig Dug, and Galaga. If you ask me, out of all the Namco games, Mappy is the game I have most fun with.
@David Herrera, if I do recall correctly, both Mappy and Mappyland got good NES/FDS home ports as well, so that might do for you if you lack an arcade cabinet of either game near you.
Mappy was very popular and successful, but those are three amazing classics you're talking about.
Rally-X was another great game from Namco but hard as heck!
@David
I just bought a arcade1up that includes all those games in 1 cabinet👍
Great video! I remember playing Wacko for the first time on Midway Arcade Treasures 2 and I loved it. Loved how interesting it was an loved learning about the arcade cabinet being tilted! Another great 1983 arcade game that I'd have on my personal list is Crossbow by Exidy
ooh, yeah! Loved that one. The animation was so realistic to me.
I was born in 86 just in time to experience and love the NES and arcade games. I still own my nes and will probably be buried with it. And tapper is freaking legit!
I'm an 85 birth and my little brother was 86 and he still has our NES and SNES. His now 6 year old son loves both too. He's done well as a father. ;)
I remember being 12 in 83, walking into a sears and seeing Atari games in a bargain bin pile, these game would always be behind glass, knew something was wrong, bought ET for 5 dollars new, Dragons Lair in the arcade for 50 cents, unreal!
I can remember walking into a Western Auto in 1987 in the middle of the NES craze and Atari 2600 Pole Position was $37.
Dragons Lair was released in 1984 in Australia...for a full dollar as the dollar coin was introduced that year here.
There are so many of my favorite games on this list, and it boggles my mind to consider this period the start of a downturn, since I'll always consider it the birth of video games. It seemed like every week a new amazing game would appear at my local arcade.
But the downturn was mostly (only?) about bad 2600 atari games and even worse knockoffs because everybody wanted to make a quick profit. Solid quality arcade games were fine.
@@Blackadder75 I do recall going to a new arcade around early 80s, and it had only unmarked generic cabinets with weird games I'd never heard of, this was probably a sign if the crash as well.
I never saw the "crash" either and many other people I talk to that grew up back then say the same thing when the topic comes up. The truth is there never was a "crash" like so much pop media tries to portray after all these years. Atari crashed do to numerous terrible decisions made by Warner Communications (which had owned Atari for a while by then) which included grossly over-inflated projections, subsequent over production of game carts (more carts for some titles than were total consoles in existence at the time) and tons of poor quality games coming from everybody and their brother (since the lawsuit with Activision made it possible for anybody to make games for the system by then). Since other systems had nowhere near the market share in the home that Atari did people say the market crashed (not that it didn't affect the other companies to some degree). The arcade never really suffered in the same way. You didn't necessarily see as many arcades as a whole over time because the business model didn't scale well over time but as you mentioned you did still see them in all kinds of other places. There was a reason why the NES was able to come here in 1985 and "revive" the market - it was never truly dead. People still played and loved video games. Lol... and guys like me were still buying games for our Commodore 64's too during that time. Anyways, there's a lot of simplification there but the bottom line is that there was never really a crash like the fables of today tell tales of IMO.
There was a mass exodus from consoles, but I believe it was because of the home computers. All of my friends and family were buying 8-bit computers and the C-64 was so popular, that I'd see book stores selling its software. The consoles really couldn't compete with those home computers, especially since all of us were sharing copies of games with each other.
I think there was a real Crash for Consoles industry, but not for the Gamers at all.
Im uk and had a segamaster and commodore 64 only got an nes yeats later cos games were reallyhard to get as mattel were in charge and really fucked up nes game distribution in the uk.
I think the "crash" really was all us old school Atari 2600 players had moved to Atari 8bit computers or Commodore 64s, leaving the 2600 and other early consoles to collect dust (i.e. the console market dried up). The 2600 E.T. game was just a scapegoat, and really had nothing to do with causing the crash (just really bad returns on an overproduced/undersold game).
There was a crash for consoles as Atari, Intellivision and Coleco failed miserably with successors.
I always loved enclosure games. Discs of Tron had the basic uprights and the walk-in. The walk-in is still one of my favorite old school arcade games.
Loved Tapper! Hadn't seen many of the others but some that I loved from around that time were Commando and Timber.
I always explain to people younger than me that the crash was noticed by no one except executives. As a kid we got great games in 1983, tons of cheaper games in 1984 and the c64 and NES in 1985. There was no bump in the road or changes at all.
As per arcades kids kept going. The only difference was no more 30 year old dudes playing ms pacman on their lunch break.
Also worth noting that the crash is a North America thing, not a global issue.
I remember thinking the quality of games were bad and cheap and kids played outside until 1986.
The Atari 2600 stuff was real stale by then but Intellivision and Colecovision still had quality software that kids enjoyed. All generations were the same though. At the beginning of NES we couldn't believe we were playing almost arcade quality Popeye at home. A couple years later NES was garbage compared to the arcade. Then the cycle repeated itself with Genesis.
@@Daz555Daz , it was a global issue, so shut your unlearned pie holes, @Daz555, et al.
@@paxhumana2015 No, it wasn't at all.
I miss going to the arcades... I loved Discs of Tron - great vid 👍
Tapper still drives me nuts. Always start to struggle by the punk bar stage. I forgot that you can run up and collect the cash tips, though when things get hectic, it never feels like there's time to do so.
I never gave a damn for Tapper myself. However, one can rightly claim that it is the direct ancestor of games that are like Diner Dash, though.
I was working in Silicon Valley (San Jose and Milpitas areas) from 1983 to 1990. My favorite thing to do on my lunch breaks (at least in the early years) was run down to Chucky Cheese and play Missile Command. I would play it for an hour straight (sometimes two). I lost count of how many times my boss would scold me for walking back in to Engineering an hour or two late, and told me I was addicted and to seek help. LOL! Now THOSE were the days!
Great Video! I know what you mean John. I lived through the Arcade era. I was born in 76. There was arcades all over the place. I had three within walking distance from my house when I was a kid. Plus Arcade machines in every store,mall,bowling alley,roller rink,gas station and restaurant! I really miss those days.
I was 16 in 1983. Here in Australia my friends and I would hang out at a local Amusement arcade or bowling alley, and play video games and pinball. Great times !
Wow!! Plated most of these as a young man. Arcades were a big part of life for many of us and why we shoveled snow, cut lawns, and did so many other chores!!
I love Donkey Kong 3! I still play it today! Loved the music! Spy Hunter was fun but it was a bit too hard.
Oh man those take me back. I was seven that year, and was finally starting to be able to play a lot of the stand up games without having to find a stool.
Yes, the local Aladdin’s Castle had stools. Very thoughtful given the number of kids that were always in there. I don’t remember all these games, but Spy Hunter, Elevator Action, and Discs of Tron, and Mario Brothers joined the likes of Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Missile Command, Centipede, Turbo, and a bunch of pinball machines and that weird domed hockey game.
These are all epic arcade games here, John. I've always absolutely loved Spy Hunter from the start of my gaming days on computers! Seeing Mappy is really nostalgic too - I remember that one being a bit more challenging.
I was 5 years old in 1983 and I remember those days. Arcades in every store those were nice!
Awesome video man, A tribute to the time. Discs of Tron had a "walk-in" cabinet had light-up neon floor and Sark's voice. Still one of my favorite arcade cabinets ever.
Cool, I didn't know that about the discs of Tron arcade machine. I never saw a discs of Tron arcade machine
@@marccaselle8108 The "Environmental Cab" was an immersive experience like no one had ever seen in 1983
@@DrVernSFC I wish I could have seen that. By the time I started to go to arcades in 1989, Tron was long gone.
Discs of Tron had both stand up, as well as "walk-in", cabinets, whereas Spy Hunter had both upright and sit down cabinets.
Thank you! This was a fun trip down memory lane, and a few games I didn't know about like Mr. TNT and Birdy. Subscribed!
0:02 I used to love playing with that Fisher-Price gas pump toy in my Preschool I’m currently conducting a collection of old vintage toys and this gas pump toy would make a keen edition to my collection
Man, I love Satan's Hollow. Got a barcade near me that has a pristine cabinet. Such a great game.
Spy Hunter and Disks of Tron were my jams back in the day. I could play either of those for hours. At least until I got tired from standing on one foot playing Spy Hunter. Of course, if there was a sit down version available, all bets were off!
Agreed. The sit down versions of Spy Hunter and Star Wars were so cool.
I'm 41. I remember arcade cabinets being EVERYWHERE after 1983, at least up until the late-ish 80s. At least one cabinet would be in some random business. Nice list. Wacko is underrated!
A local skating rink where I lived in western Tennessee years ago had an arcade cabinet of Wacko. Sadly, I never got good at playing that game.
@@paxhumana2015 Admittedly, I could never reach the controller as a little girl. I was too short and Wacko was too high.
@@anactualmotherbear , that only applies to Player 1...Player 2 had lower to reach controls.
@@paxhumana2015 You're underestimating how tiny I was from age 4-6. I needed to be boosted up for most arcade games.
I recall the time. The cool arcades started closing but as you mentioned most bars, restaurants, stores, etc all had a mini arcade. Home gaming was fairly stuck in late 1970s tech.
Great video as always John! I was born in 1983, so it’s nice to see a collection of games that came out the year I was born and during the gaming crash. Quite a few quality ones such as Mappy and Beer Tapper
Retro gaming hippie approves! Fondly remember many of these while spending hours and nickel arcades.
Pretty sure satan’s hollow was the final games played in a very 80’s movie called
“Joysticks”
The C-64 had most of these games ported to it. Those awesome arcade ports were the reason why I got the C-64.
The NES had some pretty good arcade ports as well. Joust, Mappy, Mappy Land, Donkey Kong 3, Mario Brothers, Gyruss, and Spy Hunter were some damn good ports of arcade games.
John, I just discovered your videos, and all I can say is WOW and THANK YOU! Wow, because you’re a great narrator and super informative. Thank you, because I had forgotten about some of these games and also are seeing some games that I’ve never seen before (weird, since I grew up playing arcades all the time). Looking forward to watching the rest of your videos.
Damn, I used to play Spy Hunter having to stand on a bar stool to reach the controls...I was about age 5 or so?
I would have the quarters stacked up and just go to town. I got really excited one day when a crowd of people surrounded me to watch, as I must have been doing better than any of them ever did, with comments like "this kid is really playing this!!" 🤣
Nice.
Wacko...WOW. Just wow. I played it one summer visiting relatives in the diner of a small town. Never saw the game again after that week. Thank you for jarring my memory for this.
It's so great. I first learned of the game on, of all things, Starcade - that video game game show.
Thanks for this video I has bought back such fond MEMORIES I was fond of all the games on this list
John I am really enjoing these 1980 arcade videos. keep them coming dude! These are a home run for your video series.
Played most of them at Cosmic Empire a video arcade in the 80's. Elevator action and Spyhunter were great. In the late '80's Tournament Cyberball was huge, we had tournaments with other Cosmic Empire's in the area.
80’s Rocked!! Long time viewer!! New subscriber as a UA-camr!! I was 10 in 83 and your list is spot on!! Thanks for sharing!!
Yeah, that's very true. From an 80's kid perspective, we had no idea there was a video game "crash". Didn't even hear about it, let alone notice it. In our world, we had the arcades and the Atari 2600 at home. If you asked us, video games were taking over the world, very common and popular. I didn't learn about the "crash" decades later, until I was an adult.
Same.
I came to US in 84 as a refugee. Seeing a tv is for rich people in my country. Let along a video game. My uncle let me play a black box with controller when I came here and I was amazed that I can control a pic on tv. A decade later, I eventually found out it was the Atari 2600.
Video game crash? Never heard of it back then because I was awed by all the new modern things in a new country. The crash to me never happen. It's a beginning of my love for video games.
Every Saturday my buddy Tim and I would take a roll of quarters each and spend hours at the arcade. Such great memories.
Dude! I remember playing ALL these games back in the day.
Still some of my favorites to this day.
I was so obsessed w/Dragon's Lair, for YEARS after it disappeared from all my local arcade, I had countless dreams in which I went into an arcade & saw both Dragon's Lair & Space Ace among all the other cabinets. It was always either Dragon's Lair or a sequel to the game -- one which eventually came true once Time Warp came out in the 90's! XD
A company called "Digital Leisure" put out these games you can play on any blu-ray player using a standard remote. They work even better on a system where you can use an actual controller.
Look and play exactly like the arcade game.
I picked up the original Dragon's Lair. I wanted Space Ace as well, but the only copies I could find were ridiculously expensive.
Graduated in '83. Worked at an after school job in a hardware store. Right across the street was an arcade. My friend and I spent soooo much time and money in it.
Disc of Tron in the upright cabinet where you leaned back was so comfy.. :) and when you entered an arcade, who could resist not hitting the attract mode on Spy Hunter for that awesome theme only to be outdone a little later with Reactor.
I love Tapper! I had forgotten about Discs of Tron! Thank you.
God I hated Dragons Lair so much growing up. I have yet to experience a quarter-sucking video game as much as that one.
THANK YOU!!!! I've been trying to find some record of Wacko for decades. I couldn't remember the title and was convinced that I had imagined it.
I was a child of the 80's and also had no idea the video game crash had happened. My Atari 2600 kept me entertained right up until getting a Nintendo for Christmas in '87.
AWESOME series!!! Definitely looking forward to more like these!!
I would've added Gyruss to this list, which I think is an underrated classic. And I also had no idea there was a "crash" during this time. I was 6 years old, enjoying my Atari 5200, and playing games at Showbiz, at my local arcade (which stayed open well into the late 90s), and at every restaurant in town. It was a magical time to be a kid.
Great video John ! Thanks a lot.
Nice video. I played a lot arcade games during the classic era of acrade games (80s). Where I lived at the time, a mid size western town, arcade games showed up about 18 months after their original release (probably used games passed down from larger cities), so in 1983 the popular game around town were from 1981 and earlier, such as Tempest, Centipede, Missile Command, Asteroids, Defender, Battle Zone. The games in this video never really showed up where I lived because when the video game crash occured, no more new games showed up where I lived, and the older games only remained in a few bars in town where kids could not enter. The number of games that kids could play in town dropped from a couple of hundred to about a dozen in a very short period of time. I was smart, and managed to buy a Tempest arcade game in 1983, and I still own it. IMO, best arcade ever designed.
You ain't kidding about games being everywhere...funny part is, I can remember what places had what games and when they had them...
Same. At least in my walking distance. My local burger joint down the street had a couple, my grocery store had a couple more, the gas stations a few blocks one way and a few the other way. Gotta keep track.
Spy Hunter was one of my favourite arcade games. I was lucky enough to practically live on the Golden Mile in Blackpool at the time.
Disks of Tron was super dope, they had those half sitting cabinets with decent speakers. The music would swell and the voice would come booming out, good fing times!
I was 11 in 1983, didn’t know about the video game crash until years later. Here in NYC, every supermarket, candy store and pizza shop had arcade cabinets. While mom would shop for food at the market I’d be playing the arcade with a stack of quarters in my pocket.
Loving all the uploads lately. Hope to see more like this through 2022. Happy New Year John!
I’ve really enjoyed seeing arcade games that are from before my time. They’re all 100% fun factor and so interesting!
Little me had no idea about a home console crash either. My parents had a Magnavox Odyssey 2 that I played with, and arcades were doing great, so I was definitely getting my fix before the NES popped up.
Oh man, Elevator Action is great! I had the GB port. Played it a ton in middle school. Later found out that the GBC got an improved version, so now that's the one I play.
The game Sinistar wasn't shown here, but I think it's one of the best. Its difficulty is very punishing. Doesn't stop me from loving the game tho.
Awesome vid, John.
The NES/FDS version of Elevator Action is not bad, and the sequels, Elevator Action Returns, which had an arcade, PS2, OG Xbox, and PC release, and Elevator Action Deluxe, which is for the PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and PC, are both good games in their own right, @Jodeth.
@@paxhumana2015 Wow I had no idea there were so many versions. That's pretty awesome.
@@MetalJody1990 , Elevator Action Deluxe plays like a hybrid of the two previous Elevator Action games, plus it is also a much longer game, albeit not an endless loop like Elevator Action, but Elevator Action Returns is kind of gory, to be honest.
Punch out and Mario bros came out in 83 some of my favorite Nintendo arcade games of all time!🕹️🎮🕹️
Spy Hunter and Elevator Action are two classic arcade games that have surprisingly badass sequels in Super Spy Hunter and Elevator Action 2.
This was awesome. I hope to see more videos like this from different years.
I played about half these at Showbiz Pizza
One thing I vividly remember from 1983 is that the big games from 1981 and 1982 were still the biggest games in 1983.
Wow, this takes me back. I remember loving Spy Hunter and Elevator Action. Others from around this time that were cool included Hyper Olympics (you used to use your knuckles to hit the keys really fast), Ghost & Goblins (something like that), 1942 and Gauntlet (sadly I was never much good at this one but I know some people could last almost indefinitely).
Was always excited to go into any 711 to see if it had a game I'd never seen. Think I had at least 3 or 4 birthday parties at a nickel arcade.
Enjoyed the video. '83 was actually a pretty good year to be a gamer, there were bargain bins just full of cheap carts everywhere. It wasn't until 84 that I really started to feel the effects of the crash. Used my birthday money that year to buy an Atari 800xl because I couldn't find games for my 2600 & 5200 anymore. I remember most of those arcade games except for Birdiy, I'll have to give that a try. Makes me think a little of Bird Week on the NES.
The year I was born! This is gonna be epic! Keep up the great work Riggs!
So many fun memories! A great game is a great game, which makes them timeless. In southwest Michigan we had our usual fare of arcade games at supermarkets and Pizza Hut, but one place stood out near Kalamazoo called "Star World". This was before Chuck E Cheese or Showbiz Pizza rolled into town and they had a huge dimly lit neon room of awesome arcade goodness. Certainly a special place at the right time for birthday parties and such. Happy Holidays!
Elevator action. How I loved shooting the lights so they fell on the bad guys' heads. Also crushing them under the elevator was fun. And the music is iconic.
Back to the Arcade, South Mall Allentown, PA. I swear it feels like the 80s all over again in there.
Never heard of Wacko but I think I will be trying it out tonight. I hope you do more of this best of arcade by year series!!
Love the channel. You've been knocking it out of the park for me lately. The big family gifts this year are an iiRcade and a Quest 2. I love your videos on those systems as well.
Keep up the good work and I hope to see you more on Twitch to!
Not every year but plan on it for at least some of them. and I LOVE my iiRcade and Quest 2. Good on ya!
I never realized there was a video game crash when i was a kid. In 1983 we were enjoying our Atari 2600 and arcades everywhere.
Yes i remember everything i was 10 and good part all Atari games was cheap at stores and arcades was everywhere and of Love mario ,tapper and spy hunter
Chattanooga, Tennessee...Pinball and Classic Arcade Museum. Pay $20 and play as many games as many times. About 25 pinball gamed and 15 classic arcade. You gotta go! Totally awesome!!
My favorite arcade game was a dinosaur by 83. Table top, X's v. O'S, black and white, football game. Buttons and a roller ball. I don't recall the name but I still remember loving it.
Crystal Castles and Mr Do's Castle are two 1983 arcade games I find myself revisiting the most. Thankfully they are in a collection cabinet at a local barcade near me. Not quite the same as original hardware, but still much closer than playing at home on MAME.
I didn't really notice the crash because my Dad had a C64, which continued to steadily receive new games as if nothing happened. Also I was 4 years old at the time :P
you should have expounded on why rootbeer tapper came to be and the fact that Dragons Lair never had that awesome little directional cue down in the corner...good video
I graduated high school in 1983. Was super cool time for arcade games!
I was a teenager in the 90s, we had arcade games everywhere. I didn't miss out on anything.
Mappy is an all time favorite of mine.
Yes I hear you. The game crash didn't seem like such a big deal like they make it out to be. I really didn't know it was happening. I remember seeing more Colecovisions and 5200s that year.
I had a Texas Instruments Home Computer and 3rd party titles were made available during that time so I got to play Donkey Kong, Burgertime, and a few others I could not play before.
Donkey Kong 3 was a weird title. More like Galaga Kong. I did like playing it. Probably the most obscure sequel I can remember. Wished it had been ported to more systems. Mappy console ports were just as scarce. Both games were ported to the NES. Spy Hunter sure had some awkward controls. I remember playing it on C64 before anything else.
I grew up in the 80's. Looking back on it now, it was a special time to be alive! My favorite arcade games were Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Pac Man, Cheyenne, Galaxian, Spy Hunter, Asteroids, Burger time, Dig Dug and Mr. Do.
What about Mappy?
Those games look really cool. Thank you for the video.
1983..I was in my gaming prime. 12yrs old with a Mongoose BMX. I had to play arcades and keep one eye on my bike out the front of the deli 😄
Ah, yes...the year I was born. Fond of 1983 and all it's video game glory! Awesome video, good sir!
Even with the big home video game crash...1983 was THE best year for arcade games in general. Heck...there was even "Starcade"...an actual game show on TV with arcade games (I still watch the episodes to this very day here on UA-cam)!
In 1983 our local arcade was called 'Vidiots'. I loved that place.
I don't recall the crash much as a kid - we still got Atari 2600 games & went to the arcades all the time in 1983