Arcades were the hot trend back during the 80s, the Golden Age of Arcade gaming. During these decades, videogame characters that are still around made their appearance: probably you have obsessed with getting all candies during a Pac-man game session, or tried rescuing the beloved Princess Peach from Donkey Kong dumping barrels above. Learn how these classic games keep influencing developers today.
Arcades during the 80s were more than just a place to play a videogame: they were an opportunity to achieve glory and groupies that would worship any player skilled enough to dominate every character and moveset of Street Fighter, NBA Jam, or Mortal Kombat.
Now considered a stepping stone regarding game design and mechanics, the arcade somehow molded many types of games including gambling ones, with players transitioning to gambling entertainment at Aviator, which has a wide selection of casino games that you can enjoy also socially with your friends just like the old times. After all, arcade games pioneered the multiplayer mode, something casinos have incorporated, so players can either compete against one another or work together to achieve common goals.
The popularity of the Aviator game in particular is no mystery. A crash-style betting game where players wager on a virtual airplane’s ascent, the aim is to cash out at the highest multiplier before it crashes. It combines luck and quick decision-making, offering the chance of high payouts with simple gameplay mechanics. Even if you don’t win a prize, playing the game itself is a legitimately fun recreational activity thanks to the sophistication of modern casino entertainment. Let’s delve into how the arcade tradition led us to this point.
The Arcade Experience Was a Social Phenomenon
Walking into an arcade in the 1980s was a whole synesthetic experience with neon lights flickering, and the air was buzzing with electronic beats that repeated endlessly in catchy chiptune music.
As your eyes get used to the darkness and sparkles, you start noticing rows and rows of towering cabinets with eye-catching cartoons daring you to see if you can handle the adventures they go through.
You might think that this is a solo journey to the unconsciousness and pleasure of gaming. Still, you’re not alone: as you continue to beat every challenge of Tron, other players start gathering around you, and even though they seem annoyed that you own the arcade, your high ranking keeps them mesmerized and learning your moves and techniques.
Hours and hours pass by, and now every player has some colleagues to hang around the machines when they rest; this made arcades a social meeting point where even the shyest gamer could lurk in, and high scores were the biggest honor you could have. But it required hours and hours to become the master of a leaderboard and be able to claim fame.
The multiplayer mode wouldn’t exist without these precedents during the arcade era, and now the gamers create communities online, occasionally arranging events to meet and interact in person.
Iconic Games of the 80s
Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders: all made their breakthroughs during the 80s, and became cultural phenomena. Although the mechanics of the gameplay were very simple compared to modern games full of dramatic story arcs and realistic design, but were extremely creative considering the tech limitations of the time.
Do you remember Jumpman? You might not remember, but let’s try with his most popular name: Mario. Featured in the Donkey Kong arcade game, the gravity affecting the jumping Mario and the moving obstacles was a sensational innovation that challenged the precision skills of any player.
Fighting games also had their peak with Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, making player-versus-player mode a forever crowd-pleaser. Incorporating melee attacks and ranged attacks through weapons, and move-fast combos was a transformation of this game genre. The rivalries that were forged during these matches are similar to the ones you can witness today in any competitive gaming community.
The Innovation Behind the Magic
The ’80s games will be forever associated with pixels, joysticks, and vibrant designs. The mechanics of the games, as previously described, were simple and executed in pure and precise ways, cementing the principles of many other games ahead. But also the cabinet design played an important role.
Unique control schemes were added to the cabinet’s design according to the game such as a joystick and button for Asteroids or a trackball to play Centipede, creating also an immersive experience that appealed to the senses in a visual, auditory, and tactile manner.
The Decline and Lasting Legacy
Home gaming consoles like Nintendo NES and Sega started to beat the popularity of arcades, especially in the early 1990s. The comfort of home replaced the attractiveness of the machines as they could also offer multiplayer mode and other advantages such as intimacy.
However, the 80s refuse to die and the arcade’s influence is still present in different modern games that are a new version of the classic arcade ones available in modern consoles and mobile devices.
Now Gen Z, Alpha, and all the ones ahead will be able to enjoy the arcade classics that started to shape the current gaming era. However, the influence of arcade gaming is still felt today. Many of the games from that era have been ported to modern consoles and mobile devices, allowing a new generation to experience the magic of arcade classics.
The nostalgia is also felt in coffee shops and bars that occasionally feature a vintage arcade cabinet or machine. Game developers are still so hung up in the key influences of the arcade era that they keep using similar design mechanics for new gambling games or mobile options. Another example of these current arcades influences its skill-base elements in casino games where players need to complete mini-games or achieve specific targets to get a bonus or jackpot.