The following article is a broad timeline of

arcade video game An arcade video game is an arcade game that takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. All arcade video games are coin-oper ...

Early history (1971–1977)

;1971 :At

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

, two students release the

PDP-11 The PDP–11 is a series of 16-bit minicomputers originally sold by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) from 1970 into the late 1990s, one of a set of products in the Programmed Data Processor (PDP) series. In total, around 600,000 PDP-11s of a ...

-based machine '' Galaxy Game''. It is a clone of '' Spacewar!'', one of the earliest video games, developed in 1962. :Syzygy Engineering, a precursor to Atari, Inc. launches '' Computer Space'', the first commercial video arcade game, also being a ''Spacewar!'' derivative. ;1972 :Atari, Inc. launches ''

Pong ''Pong'' is a 1972 sports video game developed and published by Atari for arcades. It is one of the earliest arcade video games; it was created by Allan Alcorn as a training exercise assigned to him by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, but B ...

'', the first commercially successful video game. It is also the first arcade sports video game. ;1974 :

Taito is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, Toy, toys, arcade cabinets, and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, Vending machine, vending machines, and Juk ...

releases '' Speed Race'', which introduces

scrolling In computer displays, filmmaking, television production, video games and other kinetic displays, scrolling is sliding text, images or video across a monitor or display, vertically or horizontally. "Scrolling," as such, does not change the layout ...

sprite graphics,Bill Loguidice & Matt Barton (2009), ''Vintage games: an insider look at the history of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the most influential games of all time'', p. 197, Focal Press, and features a

racing wheel A sim racing wheel, also known as racing wheel, is a control device for use in racing games, Sim racing, racing simulators, and driving simulators. They are usually packaged with a large Paddle (game controller), paddle styled as a steering whe ...

controller. Midway releases it as ''Racer'' in the United States. ;1975 : Midway MFG. releases '' Gun Fight'', an adaptation of Taito's ''Western Gun'' and the first arcade video game to use a

microprocessor A microprocessor is a computer processor (computing), processor for which the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit (IC), or a small number of ICs. The microprocessor contains the arithmetic, logic, a ...

, which the original incarnation did not use, allowing for improved graphics and smoother animation. :Exidy releases ''Destruction Derby''. :Dr. Reiner Foerst releases '' Nürburgring 1'' in Germany. It is recognized as the world's first first-person

racing video game Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic raci ...

or the first

three-dimensional In geometry, a three-dimensional space (3D space, 3-space or, rarely, tri-dimensional space) is a mathematical space in which three values (''coordinates'') are required to determine the position (geometry), position of a point (geometry), poi ...

racing video game. :Atari, Inc. releases '' Hi-way'', which was Atari's first game to use a cockpit cabinet. :Atari, Inc. releases '' Crash 'N Score'', Gameplay is an early example of a simulation of a demolition derby. :Atari, Inc. releases '' Indy 800'', Gameplay is a simulation of an

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...

style race, the cabinet also features overhead mirrors to allow spectators to watch the game while it's being played. :Atari, Inc. releases ''Steeplechase''. ;1976 :

Sega is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...

releases '' Moto-Cross'', which features haptic feedback, causing the handlebars to vibrate during collisions. Sega-Gremlin re-brands it as '' Fonz''. :Sega releases '' Heavyweight Champ'', which is the first video game to feature hand-to-hand fighting. :Atari Inc. releases '' Night Driver'', an early example of a first-person perspective racing video game. :Atari releases '' Breakout'', which inspires a number of ''Breakout'' clones. :Exidy releases '' Death Race.'' It was the first video game to inspire protest and cause panic. :Gremlin releases ''

Blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are ...

'', the first of what become known as snake games. :Taito releases ''Speed Race Twin'', a sequel to ''Speed Race'' that allows simultaneous

two-player A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...

competitive gameplay. ;1977 :

Cinematronics Cinematronics Incorporated was an arcade game video game developer, developer that primarily released vector graphics games in the late 1970s and early 1980s. While other companies released games based on raster graphics, raster displays, early ...

releases '' Space Wars'', the first vector graphics arcade game. : Kee Games releases ''Drag Race'', which was later adapted in 1980 into an

Atari 2600 The Atari 2600 is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977 as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS), it popularized microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on swappable ROM cartridg ...

video game by

Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...

called Dragster. :Atari, Inc. releases '' Canyon Bomber''. :Atari, Inc releases ''Super Bug'', which was designed by Wendi Allen' who also designed ''Canyon Bomber''. :Midway releases ''Boot Hill'', which is a sequel to the 1975 video game ''Gun Fight.''

Golden age (1978–1986)

;1978 :

releases ''

Space Invaders is a 1978 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Taito for Arcade video game, arcades. It was released in Japan in April 1978, with the game being released by Midway Manufacturing overseas. ''Space Invaders'' was the first fixed s ...

'', the first blockbuster arcade video game, responsible for starting the golden age of video arcade games. It also sets the template for the

shoot 'em up Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs) are a Video game genre, subgenre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain typ ...

genre, and influences nearly every

shooter game Shooter video games, or shooters, are a subgenre of action video games where the focus is on the defeat of the character's enemies using ranged weapons given to the player. Usually these weapons are firearms or some other long-range weapons, a ...

released since then. ;1979 :

Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French holding company Atari SA (formerly Infogrames) and its focus is on "video games, consumer hardware, licensing and bl ...

releases ''

Lunar Lander A lunar lander or Moon lander is a Lander (spacecraft), spacecraft designed to Moon landing, land on the surface of the Moon. As of 2024, the Apollo Lunar Module is the only lunar lander to have ever been used in human spaceflight, completing s ...

'' and ''

Asteroids An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...

'', a major hit in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and Atari's best selling game of all time. :

Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company founded in 1955. It operated video arcades and amusement parks globally, and produced video games, films, toys, and arcade cabinets. Namco was one of the most influential c ...

releases ''

Galaxian is a 1979 fixed shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of alien ...

'', which is in RGB colour. ;1980 : Sun Electronics releases ''Speak & Rescue'' (スピーク&レスキュー) in May 1980, released in North America as ''Stratovox'' and released in North America by

. It is the first video game with voice synthesis. :Atari releases '' Battlezone'', a

first-person shooter A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...

tank combat game. :Namco releases ''

Pac-Man ''Pac-Man,'' originally called in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The pla ...

'', its biggest-selling game. One of the most influential games, it had the first gaming

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...

character, established the maze chase genre, opened gaming to female audiences, and introduced

power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a Game mechanics, game mechanic. This is in contrast to an Item (game), item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that ca ...

s and

cutscene A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...

s. :

Data East , also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game, pinball and electronic engineering company. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, and released 150 video game titles. At one time, the company had annual sales of 20 billion yen in ...

releases DECO Cassette System, the first standardized arcade platform, for which many games were made. ;1981 :Sega/Gremlin releases '' Space Fury'', the first color vector arcade game. :

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...

releases ''

Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...

'', which was one of the first

platform game A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) is a subgenre of action game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels wi ...

s. It was also the game that introduced

Mario Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...

(named simply "Jumpman" at the time) to the video game world. :

releases '' Galaga'', sequel to Galaxian. :

Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...

releases '' Scramble'', the first side-scrolling shooter with forced scrolling and multiple distinct levels.Game Genres: Shmups
Professor Jim Whitehead, January 29, 2007, Accessed June 17, 2008 :Konami releases '' Frogger'', a popular arcade

action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, rhythm games and ...

. : Williams Electronics release '' Defender'', a more challenging shoot-em-up space game with control configuration of five buttons and a joystick. ;1982 : Williams Electronics releases ''

Joust Jousting is a medieval and renaissance martial game or hastilude between two combatants either on horse or on foot. The joust became an iconic characteristic of the knight in Romantic medievalism. The term is derived from Old French , ultim ...

''. :Namco releases ''

Pole Position In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the ra ...

'', one of the most popular racing games of all time. This is also Namco's first game to feature a 16-bit CPU making it the first 16-bit video game. :Nintendo releases '' Donkey Kong Jr.'' and features Mario as the villain. ;1983 : Bally Midway releases '' Journey'', the first game with digitized sprites. :'' Astron Belt'', the first laserdisc video game, is released by Sega. :''

Dragon's Lair ''Dragon's Lair'' is a video game franchise created by Rick Dyer. The series is notable for its film-quality animation by ex-Disney animator Don Bluth, and complex decades-long history of being ported to many platforms. It has also been adapte ...

'', the first video game to use cel-animated video instead of computer-generated graphics was advertised as the first truly 3D video game and as the meeting point of video games and animated films. :Atari brings ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...

'' to the arcades in the form of a 3D vector graphics simulation of the movie's attack on the Death Star sequence and featuring digitized samples of voices from the movie. : Nintendo releases “ Mario Bros.” and '' Donkey Kong 3''. :'' Star Rider'' is released as an arcade laserdisc game by Williams Electronics and is the first commercially released video game to use pre-rendered 3D graphics. :'' Cube Quest'' is released as an arcade laserdisc game by Simutrek and is the first commercially released video game with real-time 3D computer graphics ;1984 :'' Marble Madness'' is released by

Atari Games Atari Games Corporation was an American producer of arcade video games, active from 1985 to 1999, then as Midway Games West Inc. until 2003. It was formed when the coin-operated video game division of Atari, Inc. was transferred by its owner Wa ...

. :'' I, Robot'' is released by Atari, inc. and is the first commercially released arcade video game to be fully rendered in solid-filled, flat-shaded 3D Polygon Graphics in every element of the game and the first with a camera angle. :''

Return of the Jedi ''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas. The sequel to '' The Empire ...

'' is released by Atari, inc. :'' Karate Champ'' is released by Data East and is the first one-on-one arcade martial arts fighting game that helped defined the genre paving the way for games like

Street Fighter is a Media mix, Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. Street Fighter 1, The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by List of Street Fighter video games, six other ma ...

and

Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The original ''Mortal Kombat (1992 video game), Mortal Kombat'' arcade game spawned Lis ...

. :'' Kung-Fu Master'' is released by

Irem is a Japanese video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher and manufacturer of pachinkos. The company has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The full name of the company that uses the brand is Irem Software Enginee ...

and is the first beat' em up arcade game and was a success that defined the genre a few years before Double Dragon. :'' Pac-Land'' is released by

and is an early side-scrolling platform game. :'' Flicky'' is released by

and is one of the very popular side-scrolling platform games for its time. :'' Ninja Hayate'' is released by Taito and is a very popular arcade laser-disc game similar to

. :''

Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game series created by Genyo Takeda, and published by Nintendo. The player controls Little Mac, a boxer who aims to become the World Video Boxing Association (W.V.B.A.) champion. The original '' Punch-Out!!'' arcade game w ...

'' is released and is one of Nintendo's very successful arcade games. :'' Super Punch-Out!!'' is released by Nintendo later that same year and is another popular arcade boxing game. :'' Bally Midway'' released Zwackery and is their first game using M68000 16-bit CPU making it their first 16-bit game. :'' Turkey Shoot'' is released by Williams Electronics. :'' The Last Starfighter'' arcade game based on the 1984 movie of the same name was planned to be released by

. It was canceled due to the high cost of the hardware and Atari's President did not think the game was going to be a success and was too expensive to sell at that time. If released, it would have been the first arcade game with a 1st-person perspective to use 3D polygonal graphics. ;1985 :'' Gauntlet'' is released by

:''

Gradius is a series of shooter ( shoot'em up) video games, introduced in 1985, developed and published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper. ...

'' (''Nemesis'' in some countries) is released by

. :'' Space Harrier'' is released by

:'' Tehkan World Cup'', the father of soccer games with an above view of the field, is released by Tehkan, who also release its stablemate, '' Gridiron Fight''. :''Air Race'' was also planned to be released by Atari in 1985. Due to the high cost of the hardware, the game also was canceled. If released, it would have been the first arcade racing game to use 3D polygon graphics. :''

The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...

'' is released and became Atari's last major vector-based arcade game. :'' Paperboy'' was also released by

. ;1986 :'' Vs. Super Mario Bros.'', the arcade version of Super Mario Bros. originally on the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...

(Famicom in Japan), is released into arcades. :Taito releases ''

Bubble Bobble is a platform game series originally developed and published by Taito. The first entry in the series, '' Bubble Bobble'', was released in 1986 as an arcade cabinet. In most entries in the series, players control two dragons named Bub and Bob. Th ...

''. :Sega releases '' Out Run''. :''

Chiller A chiller is a machine that removes heat from a liquid coolant via a vapor-compression refrigeration, vapor-compression, adsorption refrigeration, or absorption refrigerator, absorption refrigeration cycles. This liquid can then be circulated th ...

'' by Exidy is released and is an early example of blood and gore. :Top Gunner by Exidy is released and is the last commercial arcade video game to use vector-based(wireframe) graphics. :Turbo Kourier is released by the Vivid Group and is the first coin-operated Virtual Reality arcade video game to use 3D Polygon Graphics.

Post–golden age (1987–present)

;1987 :

Technōs Japan was a Japanese video game Video game developer, developer, best known for the ''Double Dragon'' and ''Kunio-kun (series), Kunio-kun'' Media franchise, franchises (the latter including ''Renegade (video game), Renegade'', ''Super Dodge Ball'' and ...

releases '' Double Dragon''. It became a huge hit, paving the way for

beat 'em up A beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in Side-scrolling video game, scrolling, 2D c ...

games. ;1988 :'' NARC'', by Williams is released and is the first commercially released game to use a 32-bit processor. :

releases ''

Assault In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or consent, unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may ...

'', which was the first game to make use of massive sprite rotation as well as sprite scaling. It also released '' Splatterhouse'', which was the first game to get a parental advisory disclaimer. :Namco introduces the Namco System 21 "Polygonizer", the first

arcade system board An arcade video game is an arcade game that takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. All arcade video games are coin-opera ...

designed for 3D polygonal graphics. The first game to use it is the

'' Winning Run''. :'' Top Landing'' by

is released and is the first coin-operated flight simulation to use 3D polygon graphics and runs on

's Air System board. :''

Tetris ''Tetris'' () is a puzzle video game created in 1985 by Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet software engineer. In ''Tetris'', falling tetromino shapes must be neatly sorted into a pile; once a horizontal line of the game board is filled in, it disa ...

'' makes the jump from home to arcade as an Atari coin-op. ;1989 :'' Exterminator'' by

Gottlieb Gottlieb (formerly D. Gottlieb & Co.) was an American arcade game corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is best known for creating a vast line of pinball machines and arcade games (including ''Q*bert'') throughout much of the 20th century. ...

is released and is the first video game to use fully digitized graphics in every element of the game. This was

's last video game. :'' Hard Drivin''', by Atari Games is released and is the second arcade driving game to have 3D polygonal graphics. :'' S.T.U.N. Runner'' is released by ''

'' and is known for early use of high-speed 3-D Polygonal Graphics. ;1990 :'' Pit-Fighter'' is released by

and is the first-ever fighting game to use fully digitized graphics. Released two years before Midway's Mortal Kombat. :'' Galaxian³'' is released by

as a video game Theme Park Attraction and is the first to feature 8-players. This game is a sequel to the Galaxian series and is known for combining pre-laserdisc background images and 3D Polygonal graphics. It was later released as an arcade cabinet to the public in 1994. :'' NAM-1975'' is released by '' SNK'' and is the first game running on a Neo Geo hardware and became the standardized arcade platform throughout the 90s to the early 2000s. Many 2D fighting games like Fatal Fury, World Heroes, and Samurai Showdown ran on this hardware and was very popular in the arcades for its time. ;1991 :

Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...

releases ''

Street Fighter II is a 1991 fighting game developed and published by Capcom for arcade game, arcades. It is the second installment in the ''Street Fighter'' series and the sequel to 1987's ''Street Fighter (video game), Street Fighter''. Designed by Yoshiki O ...

'', revolutionizing competitive play in the arcade setting and setting the template for

fighting game The fighting game video game genre, genre involves combat between multiple characters, often (but not limited to) one-on-one battles. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappling, counter- ...

s. ;1992 :

Midway Games Midway Games Inc. (formerly Midway Manufacturing and Bally Midway, and commonly known simply as Midway) was an American video game company that existed from 1958 to 2010. Midway's franchises included ''Mortal Kombat'', ''Rampage (franchise), Ra ...

releases ''

'', which features blood and fatalities. :

releases '' Virtua Racing'', Sega's first 3D racer as well as Sega's first polygonal 3D game. ;1993 : '' Mortal Kombat II'' is released, featuring high quality digitized graphics, and the most advanced sound system in arcades at the time, the DCS sound system which allowed for MP3 style compression to all sounds. :

releases ''

Virtua Fighter is a series of fighting games created by Sega AM2 and designer Yu Suzuki. The original ''Virtua Fighter (video game), Virtua Fighter'' was released in December 1993 and has received four main sequels and several spin-offs. The highly influential ...

'', the first 3D fighting game. ;1994 : '' Killer Instinct'' is released, the first arcade game with a

hard disk A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating hard disk drive platter, pla ...

, up to that point the game with the highest quality graphics pre-rendered by a rendering program, featuring to this day the highest quality use of the movie background technique. :

releases ''

Tekken is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The franchise also includes film and print adaptations. The main games in the series follow the events ...

'', another fighting game. ;1995 :

releases '' Mortal Kombat 3'', which was part of the Mortal Kombat series. ;1996 :SNK releases '' Metal Slug'', a run and gun game widely known for its sense of humor, fluid hand-drawn animation, and fast-paced two-player action. ;1998 :Konami releases ''

Dance Dance Revolution (''DDR'') is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, ''Dance Dance Revolution'' is the pioneering series of the rhythm and dance ...

'', an arcade game with four arrow pads that the players used to "dance." This game would create many sequels and spin-offs. :'' Gauntlet Legends'' is released by

and it is the first game in the Gauntlet series to be produced in 3D and is the last Gauntlet game released by

. :Sega releases '' House of the Dead 2'' and is the first game running on Sega's NAOMI hardware. Like the Neo Geo arcade hardware, it became a standard for many 3D arcade games during that time. ;1999 :'' Rush 2049'' is released, the last arcade game to bear the Atari Games logo. Atari Games in Milpitas is renamed Midway Games West, and closes its coin-op product development division. :'' Hydro Thunder'' is released by

. It is a 3D speedboat racing game and was one of the first to run on QuickSilver II hardware, a windows-based hardware setup that was less expensive to use. The game was one of

most successful arcade games to date. :'' Derby Owners Club'' which was the first large-scale satellite arcade machine with

smartcard A smart card (SC), chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC or IC card), is a card used to control access to a resource. It is typically a plastic credit card-sized card with an embedded integrated circuit (IC) chip. Many smart cards include a ...

s, which have become a staple in Japanese game centers since. ;2000 :'' Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes'' is released by

and runs on Sega's NAOMI hardware. This game combines 2D character sprites, background arenas and special effects are 3D polygon based. ;2001 :Namco releases ''

Tekken 4 is a 2001 fighting game developed and published by Namco for arcades. Initially released for Namco's System 246 hardware, it was then ported to the PlayStation 2 home console in 2002. As the fourth main installment in the '' Tekken'' series fol ...

'', the first talking game to feature almost all characters talking to one another. :Sega releases '' Virtua Fighter 4'', the first arcade game with

online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity, and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed as "on lin ...

features in Japan. ;2002 :'' Arctic Thunder'' Special Edition is released and is the last arcade game by

and runs on a PC based Hardware Midway Graphite. Its arcade division was later shut down. :Sega launched '' World Club Champion Football'', which introduced

trading cards A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing (fictional or real) and a short description of the picture, along with other t ...

, which have become a staple in Japanese game centers. ;2020 :The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 caused many Japanese arcades to close down

Notes

References

External links

Arcade Games history
{{History of video games ! Arcade History History of video games

Early history (1971–1977)

Golden age (1978–1986)

Post–golden age (1987–present)

Notes

See also

References

External links