Introduction Pac-Man was developed by Namco and released in Japanese arcades in 1980, designed by Toru Iwatani as a deliberate departure from the space-shooting games that dominated the era. Players guide the yellow, dot-eating Pac-Man through a maze, clearing every pellet on the screen while being chased by four distinctly personality-driven ghosts, Blinky, Pinky, Inky,…
Introduction Bubble Bobble was developed and published by Taito, released in arcades in 1986 under the direction of Fukio “MTJ” Mihara. The game follows Bub and Bob, two friends transformed into bubble-blowing dragons, as they climb through 100 single-screen levels trying to rescue their girlfriends and reverse the curse turning them into monsters. Rather than…
Introduction 1942 was developed and published by Capcom, released in Japan in 1984 as the studio’s first vertically scrolling shoot ’em up, with early development work credited to Yoshiki Okamoto, who would go on to shape many of Capcom’s most important arcade titles. Set during World War II, the game puts players in control of…
Introduction Battle Circuit was developed and published by Capcom for its CPS-2 arcade hardware, produced by Noritaka Funamizu and Yoshiki Okamoto with designers Ken Kun and Tomoshi Sadamoto and a score by Syun Nishigaki, released in Japan and Europe in 1997 but never officially brought to North American arcades. It holds a distinct place in…
Introduction World Heroes 2 was developed and published by ADK, with assistance from SNK, for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system, released in April 1993 as the sequel to 1992’s World Heroes and notably the first release to carry the ADK name after the studio rebranded from its earlier identity as Alpha Denshi. The game…
Introduction Fatal Fury Special was developed and published by SNK, produced by Eikichi Kawasaki with design by Takashi Tsukamoto, released to Neo Geo arcades in September 1993 as an expanded update of the previous year’s Fatal Fury 2. Rather than a full sequel, it reworked that game’s roster and balance, promoting four previously CPU-only boss…
Introduction The King of Fighters ’97 was developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system, directed by Toyohisa Tanabe and produced by Takashi Nishiyama, released to Japanese arcades in July 1997 as the fourth entry in the series. It serves as the climax of the so-called Orochi Saga, a storyline running…
Introduction The King of Fighters ’98, known in Japan as Dream Match Never Ends, was developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home systems in 1998 as the fifth entry in the King of Fighters series. Rather than pushing the ongoing story forward, SNK explicitly marketed it as a special ‘dream…
Introduction Warriors of Fate was developed and published by Capcom for arcades, released in October 1992 under the Japanese title Tenchi wo Kurau II: Battle of Red Cliffs, making it the third Capcom game based on the Tenchi wo Kurau manga and the second actual video game adaptation, following 1989’s Dynasty Wars. Set during the…
Introduction Knights of the Round was developed and published by Capcom for its CPS-1 arcade board, released in Japan in November 1991 as part of a wave of fantasy-themed beat ’em ups the studio put out around that era, alongside titles like The King of Dragons. Loosely built around the legend of King Arthur, the…
Introduction Double Dragon is Technos Japan’s original 1987 arcade beat ’em up, created by designer Yoshihisa Kishimoto as a spiritual successor to his earlier Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun after company executives pushed for the next game to support two simultaneous players. Kishimoto drew inspiration from gritty street-gang pop culture of the era, citing the 1979 film…
Introduction Alien vs. Predator was developed and published by Capcom on its CPS-2 arcade hardware, licensed from Twentieth Century Fox and built by a team including designers Tetsuya Iijima, Toshihiko Uda, and Jun Matsumura with a score by Hideki Okugawa, releasing in Japanese arcades in May 1994 before reaching other regions shortly after. Capcom leaned…