Arcade Game Shorts
Description: Q*bert /ˈkjuːbərt/ is an arcade game developed and published for the North American market by Gottlieb in 1982. It is a 2D action game with puzzle elements that uses isometric graphics to create a pseudo-3D effect. The objective of each level in the game is to change every cube in a pyramid to a target color by making Q*bert, the on-screen character, hop on top of the cube while avoiding obstacles and enemies. Players use a joystick to control the character and when Q*bert collides with an enemy or harmful object in his path, he 'swears' by displaying a comic-style speech bubble and utters an incoherent phrase made of synthesized speech generated by the game's soundchip.
Description: Golden Axe is a 1989 arcade beat 'em up by Sega where players choose one of three fantasy heroes—Ax Battler (barbarian), Tyris Flare (amazon), or Gilius Thunderhead (dwarf)—to defeat the tyrant Death Adder, who has stolen the titular magical axe and captured the king. The game features side-scrolling combat, magic spells powered by magic vials, and unique mountable beasts, all set in a high-fantasy world inspired by movies like Conan the Barbarian.
Description: The Turok series is a collection of first-person shooter games featuring a tribal warrior, Turok, who battles dinosaurs, aliens, and cyborgs in a lost world. Gameplay emphasizes exploration of large 3D environments, gunplay with an extensive arsenal of weapons, and platforming elements like running, jumping, and climbing. A key feature is the ability to use neutral dinosaurs to hunt enemies, adding a strategic layer to the fast-paced, action-oriented combat against technologically advanced and prehistoric foes
Description: Street Fighter II is a competitive, one-on-one fighting game released in arcades by Capcom in 1991, which created the modern fighting game genre and features a diverse cast of international characters, command-based special moves, and a six-button control scheme. Players engage in timed matches, attempting to deplete their opponent's health bar to win rounds and the match, using a combination of regular attacks and special moves to outmaneuver their opponent.
Description: The Duke Nukem arcade experience involves the titular action hero, Duke Nukem, battling alien forces and other enemies in a first-person shooter (FPS) or side-scrolling platformer format, depending on the specific game in the series. Players shoot enemies, find power-ups like health and weapons, solve environmental puzzles to progress, and explore interactive levels, often with a comedic and irreverent tone.
Description: Spy Hunter was a vehicular combat action game developed for video arcades in 1983. Designed as a vertical scrolling driving game with the player in the role of a spy driving a heavily armed super car, the object of the game was to travel the freeway, destroying as many enemy vehicles as possible while protecting civilian vehicles. Spy Hunter was produced in both sit-down and standard upright versions, with the latter being more common. The game's controls consisted of a steering wheel in the form of a futuristic aircraft-style yoke with several special buttons, a two-position stick shift and a pedal used for acceleration. Spy Hunter was a success in American arcades, where it was one of the top five highest-grossing games for 84 and 85.
Description: Game Over • Classic 80s Retro Video Arcade Vintage 8-bit Pixel. Old School Japanese Gamer Vaporwave Aesthetic. A cool, nostalgic 1980s green bitmap graphic visual for old timers who, before game consoles and computers, played vinyl, cassette mix tapes, VHS, pinball, alien space invaders and tank battles. Remember spending loose change and hours trying to beat the high score? This retrowave, futurewave, synthwave design harks back to simpler times.
Description: Stargate, also known as Defender II, is a 1981 Williams Electronics arcade horizontal scrolling shoot-'em-up where players pilot a spaceship to protect humanoids from alien invaders on a constantly scrolling, yet wrap-around, planet. Players use a rapid-fire laser and limited smart bombs to destroy enemies, but must also rescue abducted humanoids before they are mutated into enemies. A unique feature is the titular Stargate, a teleportation device that players can use to warp forward to later waves, with every fifth wave featuring a special boss battle.
Description: Galaxian is a fixed shooter video game that began showing up in arcades in 1979. The player assumes control of the star fighter Galaxip in its mission to protect Earth from waves of Galaxian aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of aliens, who dive down towards the player in an attempt to hit them. The aliens appear in formation towards the top of the screen, with two escort ships, labeled the "Galaxian Flagship" or "Galboss." Enemies divebomb towards the bottom of the screen while shooting projectiles in an attempt to hit the player. The Galaxip can only fire one shot at a time, and the player must wait for it to either hit an enemy or clear the screen before being able to fire another, due to limitations of the hardware.
Description: Step onto the mat! Our Karate Champ design celebrates the groundbreaking 1984 arcade classic that pioneered the fighting game genre. Relive those iconic one-on-one bouts, master precise moves, and achieve true martial arts mastery. It's the original, pure pixelated combat that proved old school is always cool
Description: oust is a classic arcade action game developed by Williams Electronics, originally released in 1982. It quickly gained popularity and was ported to consoles and PCs starting in 1983. Although not the very first two-player cooperative video game, Joust stood out for its innovative gameplay and smooth mechanics, helping to popularize co-op gaming in arcades. In Joust, Player 1 rides an ostrich, while Player 2 rides a stork. Players flap to gain altitude using a button and steer with a two-directional joystick. The core mechanic involves mid-air collisions—the higher-positioned rider wins, knocking enemies (or the other player) off their buzzards. This simple yet strategic system was praised for its unique physics and competitive/cooperative
Description: If you enjoy playing retro video games -- especially the classic arcade machines of the 80s -- then let the world know with this cool retro gamer shirt. Bonus points if you have your own pinball or arcade collection! Featuring a vintage style design, this arcade tshirt makes the perfect gift or present for any nerd in your life.
Description: Q*Bert's Qubes is the 1983 sequel to the 1982 arcade hit, Q*Bert. The game features similar gameplay, but is now in three dimensions. Once again your goal is to change multicolored blocks to a target color, but now you must make sure all three visible sides of the blocks match the target color. You control Q*Bert on the playfield of blocks; Q*Bert changes the colors by jumping to a block, which will cause it to rotate in the direction of his jump. Unlike the original game, you don't need to change the colors of the whole playfield, but rather need to form straight line(s) of the target colors, and when you do, you can move on to the next round. The game achieved mild success, but due to the Gaming Crash of 1983, went relatively unnoticed.
