The Video Game Critic

Hi all, which games do you forget about for a while, and then decide to have a quick play on, before becoming obsessed and keep playing day-after-day trying to beat your high score, or finish? I'm talking about arcade style games, not ones that you HAVE to keep playing for ages to get anywhere. I'm asking this after becoming re-obsessed with Galaga for the last week on my MAME cabinet.

My list...
- Galaga
- Mad Planets
- Hunchback (still can't finish the last 2 screens!)
- Jr Pacman
- Robotron 2084
- Gaplus

Interesting question, and welcome aboard.

I don't know about obsessed, but there are lots of simple arcade or arcade-like games I return to all the time.

Pac Man
Bosconian
Berzerk
Missile Command
Gauntlet
Impossible Mission

These are both the NES versions, but two games that I often play for high score are Marble Madness and Tetris (Nintendo).

My highest Tetris score is somewhere in the 160k range. I'm not very good at it.

My best Marble Madness score is 171k. I've only managed to score that high once. My usual average is around 120-150k.

I've gotta go with Robotron 2084 on this one.

bolton80 wrote:- Galaga
- Mad Planets
- Hunchback (still can't finish the last 2 screens!)
- Jr Pacman
- Robotron 2084
- Gaplus

This is a good list. I can co-sign Galaga, Mad Planets (great, underrated game), and Robotron.

I've also chased high scores in I, Robot, Major Havoc, Tempest, and Timber, and worked hard to finish Marble Madness and Mortal Kombat II (though I don't think I ever beat MKII arcade, now that I think of it).

I'll gladly play any of these if I see them in the arcade!

Bagman
Tempest
Jr. Pac-man
Reactor
Chexx
Robotron
Dragon's Lair
Dodge-em
Burgertime
Food Fight

When I was a kid, I would go to this soccer gym and spend most of my parents quarters on Marvel vs Capcom (the first fighting game I ever played, let alone first Capcom game) and the Simpsons Arcade game. Games with an end goal grab my interest more so I spent more time (and money) on the Simpsons. After what may be 20 dollars later at one point, I beaten the game.
Pretty ticked that copyright is a thing because both those games really need a comeback (and stay, because digital delisting is terrible.)
(Oh yeah, Berserk was a pretty cool obscure game too. Too bad I only found the arcade game at Cedar Point.)

Hydro Thunder was always fun as hell despite the games not lasting very long. But c'mon! DISCS OF TRON, MAN! Getting in that little booth, using those amazing controls, the sound effects, it was pure GENIUS. I could sit in that thing for hours.

I don't think there are any arcade games I'd consider addicting. I mean, most of them do get old, at least after an hour or two. The closest two games I can think of though are Robotron and Joust.

As a kid I was addicted to Yie Ar Kung Fu. A local grocery store had a machine and I kept begging for quarters from my parents to play.

I could reach the last guy, but could never beat him. I've never been able to beat him, not even now on MAME.