In our book, The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators, we explore the history of arcade video games as told by the developers who created them. To celebrate the book's release, we’re looking at a handful of innovative arcade games that changed the way we played.
Computer Space - First commercial arcade cabinet - 1971
Although it didn't have much impact in terms of sales revenue, Computer Space was the first commercial arcade video game and helped start an entire industry. It was responsible for Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney forming Atari and would be the basis for many popular space shooting games during the 1970s. Ed Logg cited Computer Space as the main influence for Asteroids, as did Space Wars creator Larry Rosenthal.
Its gameplay involved battling aliens by controlling a spaceship and shooting rockets whilst avoiding enemy fire, a concept that would become a popular genre in gaming. Computer Space also keeps score, one for the player and the other for the aliens, and it features a continuously counting timer that limits how long a game lasts. Aiming for scores and countdown timers became fundamental aspects of arcade gaming, and its roots can be traced back to the first commercial arcade video game.
Gran Trak 10 - First video game with a steering wheel - 1974
The history of arcade gaming is filled with fantastic peripherals that go beyond the standard joysticks, knobs, and buttons. One of the earliest examples of an arcade video game having something different is Gran Trak 10, which was the first video game to feature a steering wheel. It was a novel way to control the car on screen, and the game also features brake and accelerator pedals alongside a gear stick.
Gran Trak 10 didn’t just innovate controls, but featured a ROM chip that held the graphics data. It’s one of the first instances a ROM chip was used for an arcade game instead of diode arrays, which were more prevalent at the time. This set a new standard for storing graphics for most arcade video games going forward. It wasn’t the most famous game to be developed at Atari, but Gran Trak 10's influence on arcade games was profound.
Battlezone - First commercial 3D arcade game - 1980
Battlezone set a new standard for immersion in arcade gaming with its innovative tank control system featuring two joysticks, and groundbreaking gameplay seen through a periscope. While not the first video game to use vector graphics, it was the first arcade game to feature a 3D first-person perspective using the technique. Audiences were impressed, and it became a big hit for Atari that would influence its other 3D vector games such as Star Wars and Red Baron.
The game was so immersive that the U.S. Army hired Atari to produce several versions for use as training for tank gunners, although only two prototypes were made. Battlezone marked the start of pushing the boundaries of what video games could be and setting new standards for a game’s visuals. We explore the making of Battlezone further through interviews in The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators.
Donkey Kong - First narrative-driven arcade game - 1981
Before the release of Donkey Kong, Nintendo hadn’t made any impact on the arcade scene. The game came about after Nintendo wanted to reuse the cabinets of its failed Radar Scope title and would become the first platform game to feature a jumping character. Before Donkey Kong, most games used ladders to connect the platforms, but this innovation spawned the use of jumping from then on, and it’s now a mechanic in most platform games.
Donkey Kong wasn’t just an innovative platform game but was also the first arcade game to incorporate a story that played out on screen. Players would watch Pauline get kidnapped before controlling Jumpman, who would later be renamed Mario, up its four stages to take the giant gorilla down. The scenes before and after the levels were early examples of cutscenes in an arcade game, and the first time a complete story had been told.
Out Run - Redefined arcade immersion - 1986
SEGA was at the top of its game with the release of Out Run. While it didn’t do anything for the first time, its non-linear gameplay, giving players the choice as to where to drive next, hadn’t been used to such great effect before. It also gave players a choice of three synthwave music tracks represented as radio stations selected on a car stereo. The soundtrack was so good it was released as a standalone cassette with home conversions.
It wasn’t just giving players choices that made Out Run innovative. Driving the Testarossa was more immersive than any racing game that had gone before. Yu Suzuki, the game’s designer, simulated horsepower, torque, and gear ratios that brought driving closer to the real thing. All these features would start to become staples in racing simulators going forward. Out Run redefined the racing game genre and set a new standard of immersion.
Street Fighter II - Pioneered competitive video gaming - 1991
It would be hard to talk about innovation or influence in arcade gaming without mentioning Street Fighter II. Capcom’s mega hit revived the entire industry, getting gamers back into arcades. It also changed the experience beyond anything they could’ve imagined before. The game's popularity spawned the now multi-billion-dollar industry of esports that has over 500 million viewers each year, with Street Fighter II still an active competition in the scene.
Gamers were witnessing a revolution in 1991. Street Fighter II completely changed not just the fighting genre, but gaming as a whole. It set new standards for control accuracy and depth of gameplay with the introduction, albeit accidentally, of combos. The huge character sprites and a large roster of playable characters, who all played differently, were equally impressive. Its biggest impact, however, was with players challenging each other in real time instead of taking turns to top high score tables.
If this brief look at arcade gaming innovation has you fumbling for more coins, avoid the game over screen by picking up The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators. It features 120 arcade games, with each one’s story told by those who made them.
