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The Top 100 Golden Era Arcade Games, and a challenge

Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 10:45 pm
by Weehawk
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So I've tentatively come up with an official GEGOTW-endorsed list of the top 100 arcade games of the golden era.

In case I've overlooked anything that should bump something off the list, I'll open it up for discussion. Remember though, with only 100 being listed, there are going to be lots of worthy contenders that just can't fit.

Let's have some fun with the process.

Try to predict which games I have tentatively chosen. For each game you name which is indeed on my list already, you get one point. If you name a game that I do not have already, but I decide is worthy of replacing something on the list, you get 10 points! Here's the catch: for every game you name which is not on my list, and I don't think deserves to replace anything on the list, you lose two points.

For the highest scorer in the end I have a 2006 GEGOTW t-shirt:

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If you already have one, you are just playing for fun.

How did I choose the games? Personal preference and my own perception of their popularity with others, back in the arcade days and in more recent emulation times. It is, obviously, very subjective. I don't have access to unit sales figures for all these games, or figures on play-income.

Restrict yourself to 10 guesses or less per post, and don't post again until I have responded with respect to your accuracy.

I will update this post with the games that have been identified thus far and each participant's point total.

The list so far:

Code: Select all

1 Alpine Ski (gs)         35 Jungle Hunt (dbh)        68 Round Up (gs)
2 Amidar (bj)             36 Kangaroo (dbh)           69 Satan's Hollow (dbh)
3 Arabian (dbh)           37 Karate Champ (dbh)       70 Scramble (bj)
4 Armor Attack (dbh)      38 Kick Man (dbh)           71 Sinistar (pro)
5 Asteroids (bj)          39 Krull (dbh)              72 Slither (dbh)
6 Asteroids Deluxe (gs)   40 Looping (gs)             73 Snake Pit (gs)
7 Battlezone (ceh)        41 Lost Tomb (dbh)          74 Solar Quest (dbh)
8 Berzerk (bj)            42 Make Trax (dbh)          75 Space Invaders (bj)
9 Black Widow (bj)        43 Marble Madness (dbh)     76 Space Fury (dbh)
10 Bubbles (gs)           44 Millipede (dbh)          77 Space Zap (dbh)
11 Burgertime (bj)        45 Missile Command (pro)    78 Spectar (dbh)
12 Centipede (pro)        46 Monaco GP (dbh)          79 Spiders (dbh)
13 Congo Bongo (gs)       47 Moon Cresta (dbh)        80 Spy Hunter (dbh)
14 Crazy Climber (bj)     48 Moon Patrol (bj)         81 Star Castle (dbh)
15 Crystal Castles (dbh)  49 Mouse Trap  (dbh)        82 Star Wars (dbh)
16 Defender (bsr)         50 Mr. Do! (bj)             83 Stargate (dbh)
17 Dig Dug (bj)           51 Ms. Pac-Man (dbh)        84 Stocker (gs)
18 Domino Man (gs)        52 Mystic Marathon (dbh)    85 Super Cobra (dbh)
19 Donkey Kong (pro)      53 New York, New York (dbh) 86 Super Pac-Man (dbh)
20 Donkey Kong Jr (dbh)   54 Nibbler (bj)             87 Targ (dbh)
21 Donkey Kong 3 (gs)     55 Omega Race (dbh)         88 Tempest (pro)
22 Elevator Action (bsr)  56 Pac-man (pro)            89 Timber (gs)
23 Frenzy (dbh)           57 Pengo (dbh)              90 Tron (pro)
24 Frogger (bj)           58 Pepper II                91 Turbo (bj)
25 Frontline (dbh)        59 Pole Position (bj)       92 Tutankham (dbh)
26 Food Fight (dbh)       60 Popeye (mm)              93 Track & Field (bj)
27 Galaga (bsr)           61 Q*Bert (dbh)             94 Vanguard (ceh)
28 Galaxian (pro)         62 Qix (ceh)                95 Venture (dbh)
29 Gorf (dbh)             63 Rally-X (dbh)            96 Wacko (dbh)
30 Gravitar (ceh)         64 Red Baron (ceh)          97 Wizard of Wor (pro)
31 Gyruss (bj)            65 Rip Off (ceh)            98 Xevious (bj)
32 Inferno (dbh)          66 Robotron (pro)           99 Zaxxon (ceh)
33 Journey (gs)           67 Root Beer Tapper (bj)    100 Zookeeper (dbh)
34 Joust (bj)

The Scores so far:

Beejay = 36
dbh = 28
The Pro = 10
mahlemiut = 0
Chad = 1
Phil Lamat = -2
Marco Marocco = -3
Zhorik = -5
sikraiken = -8

Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 10:49 pm
by The_Pro
Donkey Kong
Pac Man
Missile Command
Centipede
Sinistar
Wizard of Wor
Robotron
Galaxian
Tempest
Tron

The easy ones first ;).

Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 11:13 pm
by mahlemiut
I'll go with Elevator Action to start with - seeing as it's a game I personally enjoy. Also Defender and Galaga, as I remember those games being everywhere.

Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 11:27 pm
by Weehawk
The_Pro wrote:Donkey Kong
Pac Man
Missile Command
Centipede
Sinistar
Wizard of Wor
Robotron
Galaxian
Tempest
Tron

The easy ones first ;).
Well, I could have left out an easy one, but not those.

10 out of 10.

Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 11:27 pm
by Weehawk
mahlemiut wrote:I'll go with Elevator Action to start with - seeing as it's a game I personally enjoy. Also Defender and Galaga, as I remember those games being everywhere.
3 out of 3.

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 1:10 am
by BeeJay
Frogger
Space Invaders
Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom ;)
Asteroids
Berzerk
Crazy Climber
Mr Do
Bosconian
Moon Patrol
Phoenix

Cheers,
BeeJay.

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 1:29 am
by Weehawk
BeeJay wrote:Frogger
Space Invaders
Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom ;)
Asteroids
Berzerk
Crazy Climber
Mr Do
Bosconian
Moon Patrol
Phoenix

Cheers,
BeeJay.
IJATOD: I consider this a post-Golden Era title. I don't think there's anything on the list released after 1984. -2

Bosconian was on my preliminary list and was one of those titles pared down to get to 100. -2

Phoenix?????? :oops: You got me. Something currently on the list will have to say sayonara to make room for that one. +10

And the other 7 are correct for a net of 13.

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 2:26 am
by BeeJay
Hm.... I did wonder if IAJTOD might be too modern.... but I couldn't resist...

Joust
Pole Position
Gyruss
Juno First
Track 'n Field
Tapper
Bomb Jack
Time Pilot
Turbo
Dig Dug

Re: The Top 100 Golden Era Arcade Games, and a challenge

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 2:45 am
by Chad
Lunar Lander
Astro Blaster
Vanguard
Zaxxon
Qix
Battle Zone
Gravitar
Red Baron
Rip Off
Tac Scan
Spy Hunter
Xevious

successor guesses (dont mind exposing the -2's as i already have a shirt :)

Star Castle
Ms. Pacman
Donkey Kong Jr.
Scramble/Super Cobra

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 2:58 am
by Weehawk
BeeJay wrote:Hm.... I did wonder if IAJTOD might be too modern.... but I couldn't resist...

Joust
Pole Position
Gyruss
Juno First
Track 'n Field
Tapper
Bomb Jack
Time Pilot
Turbo
Dig Dug
Bomb Jack and Juno First didn't make it. -4

Time Pilot, dammit you got me again. Somthing else will have to go. +10

The other 7 are correct. Net is 13 again!

Re: The Top 100 Golden Era Arcade Games, and a challenge

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 3:02 am
by Weehawk
Chad wrote:Lunar Lander
Astro Blaster
Vanguard
Zaxxon
Qix
Battle Zone
Gravitar
Red Baron
Rip Off
Tac Scan
Spy Hunter
Xevious

successor guesses (dont mind exposing the -2's as i already have a shirt :)

Star Castle
Ms. Pacman
Donkey Kong Jr.
Scramble/Super Cobra
Weehawk wrote:Restrict yourself to 10 guesses or less per post, and don't post again until I have responded with respect to your accuracy.
Considering only the first 10:

Lunar Lander, Astro Blaster, and Tac Scan didn't make it. -6

Vanguard, Zaxxon, Qix, Gravitar, Red Baron, and Rip Off are correct. Net is 1.

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 3:27 am
by dbh
Millipede
Space Duel
Q*bert
Pengo
Gorf
Tutankham
Star Wars
Ms Pac Man
Stargate
Zookeeper

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 3:36 am
by Marco Marocco
Pooyan
Popeye
Starforce

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 4:17 am
by Weehawk
dbh wrote:Millipede
Space Duel
Q*bert
Pengo
Gorf
Tutankham
Star Wars
Ms Pac Man
Stargate
Zookeeper
All are their except Space Duel, and it should be.

Getting hard to say what would be dumped, but Space Duel will get in. Net is 19.

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 4:18 am
by Weehawk
Marco Marocco wrote:Pooyan
Popeye
Starforce
Popeye, yes.

Pooyan and Starforce, no.

Net is -3.