3 of the most classic arcade games of all time

While some of our LP fans started gaming for the first time with online bingo games, many people began playing back in the days when you had to go to the video arcade, your pocket bulging with coins prised from your piggy bank, making a right racket as you did. But while these machines may have gobbled up your money, for many players, it was well worth it.

If you’re old enough to remember this period of gaming, or just want to know more about this classic time in gaming history, join us as we take a nostalgic look at three of the top-notch arcade games from this era.

1. SPACE INVADERS – 1978

Space Invaders – the game that many believe kicked off the “golden age of arcades” – put players in control of a moveable laser cannon with one simple goal: stop the aliens from landing on Earth. The titular space invaders would move down and across the screen in rows, and it was up to the player to destroy them all, feverishly nudging their cursor left and right while firing on all cylinders. The game (and music) picked up speed as more aliens were destroyed, creating a nerve-wracking but incredible action experience. It was enough to bring your fingertips out in a sweat!

This game was a cultural phenomenon in the late 1970s and completely changed the public’s perception of video games.

Facts about Space Invaders

Here are a few facts about Space Invaders for you to blast through:

• The science-fiction theme was influenced by Star Wars, which came out in 1977.
• There’s an urban legend that Space Invaders managed to cause a shortage of 100-yen coins in Japan.
• Space Invaders inspired numerous other sci-fi shooter video arcade games, including Asteroids, Galaxian, and Galaga.
• Many famous video-game developers, including Shigeru Miyamoto (the creator of Super Mario), and John Romero and John Carmack (who created Doom) credit Space Invaders for sparking their interest in video games.
• USG reported that the game made $2.7 billion in revenue in just four years.

2. PAC-MAN – 1980

Pac-Man undoubtedly stands among the greatest arcade games of all time. This simple yellow circle with the giant mouth gobbled his way into the hearts of gamers across the world, as he outran ghosts and snacked on pellets in an attempt to survive and get an incredibly high score. No matter how many times you played, you’d never quite be satisfied!

Unlike any other game at the time, Pac-Man offered a completely new experience, and would go on to smash dozens of records, spawn numerous remakes and sequels; it even got its own cartoon show!

Facts about Pac-Man

Here are some bite-sized facts about this classic arcade game:

• The incredibly underrated 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs The World has a reference to Pac-Man. The main character, Scott, tries to hit on Ramona – the other lead character, love-interest, and all-round badass – with a story about where Pac-Man’s name came from. Sadly, she wasn’t interested (at first), but I’m sure there are gamers out there who would’ve appreciated his geeky attempt at flirting.
• Speaking about the name of the game, Pac-Man was originally called Pakkuman in Japanese, but people were worried that those in the know would vandalise the machines and make the name a little bit more… naughty. And so Pac-Man was born!
• Pac-Man was designed to stand out from the sea of shooting games that were available at the time, and also to appeal to both men and women. (So that was a tick, and a tick!)
• The game turned out to be a money-printing machine, bringing in approximately $3.5 billion (yes, billion) in revenue over 10 years, according to USGamer.net (USG).

3. STREET FIGHTER II – 1991

Despite being the second game in the Street Fighter franchise, Street Fighter II is the game that is credited for, er, kick-starting a new generation of fighting games. In this arcade game, players chose one of many skilled fighters from around the world, and battled it out, with the aim of defeating their rivals and becoming the number-one street fighter!

While the game was undoubtedly miles ahead of its peers at the time, it had a two-player feature that absolutely captured the attention of gamers everywhere. It allowed other players to jump into the game at any point and face off against you in a blood-pumping, sweaty, virtual clash of fists!

Facts about Street Fighter II

Here’s some interesting trivia for you to check out between rounds of your favourite fighting game:

• The combo system, which allowed players to link moves together in a chain-like sequence, is such a key feature of so many fighting games today, but it was actually the result of a happy accident. It came about after the designers gave players extra time to push a button for the game’s iconic special moves.
• Classic beat-em-up Final Fight was originally meant to be released as the sequel to Street Fighter.
• Western players know the boxer in this game as “Balrog”, but he was actually named “M Bison” in Japan. This was meant to be a reference to real-world boxer Mike Tyson. Street Fighter II developer Capcom was afraid of getting knocked out by the heavyweight in court, so they moved the names of some of the characters around.
• The classic fireball attacking move that street fighters Ken and Ryu can perform – the Hadouken – means “surge first” or “wave-motion fist”.
• Speaking of fireballs, Street Fighter II was the first game to feature characters with their own unique moves. (Of course, everyone had their favourite!)

BINGO – ANOTHER GAMING CLASSIC

No, bingo isn’t an arcade classic, but it is a great game that we all know and love. This popular game of chance has also made the leap to the digital realm, allowing people from across the world to play and find out if lady luck is on their side. Players can enjoy the game in many different forms, including 90-ball, 75-ball, and 5-line, depending on their taste.

It’s been played for literally hundreds of years now, and we’re sure fans and newcomers will continue to enjoy this gambling game for many more to come, since it’s so easy to pick up and play!

Facts about bingo

• Pasta is not the only great thing we’ve adopted from the Italians. Bingo is believed to have originated from an Italian game called Lo Giuoco del Lotto d'Italia. The first record of this game goes all the way back to 1530.
• It was originally called Beano before being renamed by an American toy salesman.
• The biggest win online for a bingo game is £5.9 million, at the time of writing.
• More men than women play this exciting game of chance, with the ratio being between 2:1 or 4:1 in regards to male to female players, depending on the source that you refer to.
• Queen Elizabeth II is supposedly a big fan.

TRY YOUR LUCK ONLINE AT LUCKY PANTS BINGO

When you’re done with your trip down memory lane, why not give online bingo a go at the online bingo site? At our bingo site, we have a great selection of bingo games for you to play, including 90-ball versions such as Speed Bingo, Naughty 90, and Penny Paradise, as well as 75-ball games like Deal or No Deal, Saucy 75, and Pattern Bingo! And if you’re done playing online bingo games but are in the mood for something else, you can also enjoy Slingo bingo, online slots, table games, and even scratchcards!

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