The Collection

An Ode to the 80s and 90s

Typical Row in an 80s Arcade
Typical Row in an 80s Arcade

Hi, I'm Jason!

Join me on a personal journey through the treasured arcade games that defined my childhood in the 1980s and 1990s. This curated catalog isn't just a trip down memory lane for me; it's a heartfelt tribute to the pixelated wonders that once held me spellbound, clutching a pocketful of quarters, looking for adventure. From battling street thugs in the legendary Double Dragon to popping bubbles with the adorable dragons in Bubble Bobble, these games were my companions, my challenges, and my joy. (I killed so many imaginary people...)

This is my passion project that started to come together in the last 8 years, starting with my first arcade cabinet in 2017. However, the thrill of this endevour really started long ago when I chose to tag along with my father one time to a bowling alley he where and his friends would play. Behind all the lanes, up onto the seating area where all the adults would drink bear and smoke cigarettes -- Yes inside! It was the 80s, now focus! *Ahem* ...from the tables with the --agreed-- unhealthy adults and over to the side was a narroww space and coming from it was an odd glow and some strange sounds. Like a moth to the light, once I finally got there I found my new friends. Bubble Bobble, Wonder Boy in Monsterland, Double Dragon, Galaga, Shinobi to name just a few. This place was heaven to me and I found inspiration in a new form, arcade games. (There were others of course, but this was huge!)

With all that said... as we delve into these classics, I'll share my own stories and memories as that kid in the local arcades. Together, we'll rediscover the magic that made these games a timeless part of my life and the lives of countless others. Welcome to the world of my arcade wonderland, where the past comes alive with every pixel!

The Collection

Stacked Arcade Boards
Stacked Arcade Boards

Updated: Spring 2024

There are over 100 games in total as of this update, which include approximately;

These are all original and fully licenced game boards which can and will be used in a public entertainment venues and other entertainment projects over time.

This collection contains a variety of classic game titles, including several of my personal favourites and those that should have a stand-out level of replay appeal to the modern audience dispite the passing of time. Lots of hidden gems and popular tried and true legends in this batch! It's my intention to continue to grow this medley of gaming wonders and with each addition, a new and important part of our gaming past can be restored, preserved and shared with both old-timers and a new future audience alike.

Newest Additions

Here are my most recent games that have been added to the collection. Ordered from less recent to most recent. These are pretty cool and I hope you enjoy learning about them!

Donkey Kong

You may have heard about this one... Released in 1981 by Nintendo, you play as the infamous Mario (then called Jump Man) out to rescue his girlfriend (at the time) Pauline from the equally popular Donkey Kong. You jump barrels and avoid flame creatures as you climb girders and knock out bolts to get to her. When you need a helping hand there is always a few hammers to smash stuff with. This game is a classic and if you never played the arcade version, you should give it a go some time.

The one I happened to get was the first release of this game, the 4-board version. There were a few revisions as this game was so popular for years after release. It eventually was worked down to only 2 boards once sales ended years later. Unfortunately in order to play this game I need a fancy adapter, but when I tried to put it on there (wasn't easy either, so many pins!) it didn't seem to run the game properly. I assume it's working and it's the adapter that has issues. (as is with half of the adapters I buy) I'll have to send this one to my friend who knows a whole lot more than me, repair-side.

Note: I have the Donkey Kong Junior Remix mod for my Donkey Kong Junior board which adds a whole authentic feeling bunch of new levels and new bonus levels. I plan on doing the same with Donkey Kong adding it to this board as well! :)

Should you actually be unfamiliar with the game (rare!) or want to delve further into the game's history, head over to Wikipedia or Moby Games to read their write-ups: Wikipedia | Moby Games

Choplifter

Released in 1985, a coin-op remake by Sega of the original game by Brøderbund Software for the Apple II. It is a military themed scrolling shooter where you fight your way into enemy territory taking out jets and anti-air guns so you can land in front of enemy barracks where delegates UN are being held hostage. Blow a hole in the building and land to load up. However, there is a maximum number you can carry and if you sit too long along come tanks to blow you up. You go back and forth until you clear out all the hostages, going deeper and deeper into enemy territory.

Had lots of fun playing this one to test it out. No issues and such a great arcade title. I really think people will enjoy playing this game once I get it out there!

To check out more about this game head over to Wikipedia or Moby Games to read their write-ups: Wikipedia | Moby Games

Guerrilla War

I'll be honest, this one hurts a little. While this isn't my first copy of this game, it is also the second "not working" version of this game. I've been struggling to get a working copy to put into my planned SNK / Data East 2-player, vertical, rotary joystick cabinet that will host as many of these games as I can. So far I have TNK III, Ikari Warriors and Heavy Barrel. Having a working copy of this on would have made 4 in total. Alas another board with issues. I haven't tried it yet, but it's possible that I could swap out working components from the two boards to make a single working one, but that could take forever and I honestly don't have the expertise that I wouldn't miss something or just plain fail at the fix. Sadly there is now schematic to instruct the person that I've been sending my board to fix. This one will have to go in a box until it's needed I guess.

Dispite all that, it is a pretty cool game. Interestingly it was created by SNK with the storyline of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro leading a revolution. Well this obviously would not fly in North America. (and probably South I'm sure!) The US version was changed to be less specific, having the names, country and other details changed to be less obvious. Political stance aside, it's a really fun military style top-down shooting game (much like many early SNK games) where you run along shoting waves of enemies and tanks and so on. You even get to jump into your own tank and do some serious damage yourself. A worthy addition to any arcade... just not mine yet. :(

To check out more about this game head over to Wikipedia or Moby Games to read their write-ups: Wikipedia | Moby Games

Pyros

This was a cool find. I've never heard of the game until I ran into it just last year. Pyros, also called Wardner, is a platformer RPG-like game released in 1987 by Toaplan. This one is very similar to Ghould 'n Ghosts or Rastan. I tend to agree it's similar, but it has some thigs that sets it apart in my opinion. (Such as using magic instead of throwing javlins or weilding a sword.) I didn't get too play it very much while testing, but I did get a feel for the game and I think it's a worthy gave to get to know better and people should have a lot of fun with it.

Take a closer look at this very cool, yet not well known game on Wikipedia or Moby Games: Wikipedia | Moby Games

The King of Dragons

Oh boy was I excited that I get this one. I always knew there was an arcade version of this game, however I had only played the Super NES version. The game is from Capcom, release in 1991. A fantasy beat 'em up with RPG elements and a roster of 5 different character classes to choose from. Such a great lead-up to the later Dungeons & Dragons games that cam out just a few years later.

While a very faithful port, it pales in comparison to the arcade version. It has some very cool animations that are missing in the SNES version that make such a big difference. The ability 3rd player is another great difference between the two versions. Overall it's a amazing game where you fight a lot of well known fantasy creatures including some very cool boss fights. In the end you get to fight Gildiss who is aparently the king of all the dragons. (Well, if you have to fight a dragon why not the biggest one?)

Go see all about this excellent game at Wikipedia or Moby Games: Wikipedia | Moby Games

Namco Classic Collection Vol. 1

This latest purchase was a nice compelation that crossed off a couple games I was interested in getting. Not only does it include the original games, it also has an updated "arrangement" version for each. Namco sure made some memerable titles back in the early arcade timeline. Seeing how this a compelation game board, I'll break these games down one at a time.

Games included:

Galaga

Everyone knows this one, but for the sake of those that may not. You control a space fighter and you shoot bugs. A lot of bugs! You have 3 ships (up to 5 and as little as 2 depending on the operator's settings) and you can double up your ship to have a double shot which is easier to shoot them as they swoop down and shoot at you. (Don't let them fly into you either!) Simply let the larger bugs (green or blue) grab you with their wave / tractor beam thingy and as long as you have another player, you can rescue your ship by shooting the big fella that took your ship. Once to change him from green to blue and just once more if it is already blue. That will release you captured ship with a cool little diddy and you'll have a double ship for a more affective double shot.

I already have the follow-up to this one, Gaplus (also known as Galaga 3) so getting this one complete my pair. I could get Galaxian, but Galaga is a much better game and honstly makes that earlier title moot. A classic and always wirth a play. You can currently play this game if you are local here in the Cold Lake area. Biz has a dedicated cabinet at Axes & Apples so go check it out if you are from around here.

Galaga Arrangement

This is a pretty cool update & remix of the original. The patterns for the bugs are very different and their behaviour is much more diverse. The graphics have also been enhanced, the same size, but much more colourful, nice backgrounds and visual effects and better shading. Really worth checking out and a great addition to an already great game.

Mappy

So this one is a classic, but not as popular as some of the others I've covered so far. You are a police mouse trying to collect treasure and avoid and / or defeat a bunch of cats roaming around the multi-level platforms. You bound off trampolines and can use doors to knock out the cats. It's pretty neat and I recommend giving it a go if you ever get the chance. Not much else to say about this one other than it's a refreshing new type of game in my collection. Works well in this collection.

Mappy Arrangement

This is the new / remixed version of Mappy. The graphics are the same size, but much improved. It doesn't seem to have many more features other than the graphics. Still a fun game and worthy of the visual update.

To check out more about this game head over to Wikipedia or Moby Games to read their write-ups: Wikipedia | Moby Games

Xevious & Super Xevious

I've played this one a bit and it's pretty fun, though a bit dated compaired to some newer scrolling shooters. The ground attack in addition to the normal air to air shots you can fire is a nice addition, much like Dragon Spirit that came out a few years after. While it is an earlier version to use this type of gameplay its still worth a run. It also includes the Super Xevious update to the original which adds some new features, however is very much the same game for the most part. It is a harder game and there are added ships, such as Galaxian motherships. Other than that, thats what you get.

To check out more about this game head over to Wikipedia or Moby Games to read their write-ups: Wikipedia | Moby Games

Xevious Arrangement

The last one in this collection remixes and updates the original Xevious much the same as the others. The graphics are really nice and seem to bring it up to the mid 1990s standard. The game looks like some really intense gameplay so be prepared to move in this one. The music and sound it much improved as well with a cool little driving jam as you buzz past tanks and turrets along the ground ant flying disks or UFOs, whatever they are. Really nice experince and a nice upgrade for this older scrolling shooter. I can't wait to try it as I've not tested this board yet. Did I not mentions that? WellI'll plug it in and give it a go soon. It's my most recent grab and just got it a couple weeks ago. Not even out of the box yet!

A lot of games here, you may want to check out the YouTube video below and if you are interested there is a Wikipedia and Moby Games page to read more: Wikipedia | Moby Games

Hope you enjoyed this stroll though my latest games. I'm currently working on updating the Arcade Experience sub-page which will host more information about my entire collection and a few cool stats from all the games I've hosted so far, including high scores, popularity and detailed game information about each titles I own so far.

Preserving the Past

Cabinets Under Repair
Cabinets Under Repair

Much of what is in my collection is in fine working order and ready to be placed into a functioning cabinet and played. However, not every circuit board of part has made it out of decades past without some form of electrical breakdown or physical wear. Capacitors leak or burst, batteries die, the game board outlives it's intended purpose or just plain things happen. Fortunately for me, some folks saw it fit to sell them anyway and I was lucky (or stubborn) enough to want to fix it.

Often it's the case that it can be restored to working order. I do my research ahead of time usually so that I at least know what I'm getting into. Though from time to time the eBay listing will show that it's sold "as is" and I have to roll the dice and take that chance. This is typically calculated and I do have an electronics backgrund so there is only a few very specific things I can't fix or have someone more experienced fix.

My ultimate goal is to repair and restore as many games as I can and keep them in working order so that they may be enjoyed. For some games, that means they must be saved from someone's dusty basement or garage first.