"A-List" video arcades

AIR slave

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Is there a group of video arcade games that would be considered A-List like there is for pinball machines? I'm just getting into the vids. Thanks
 
Pit Fighter
Arkanoid Tournament
Space Panic
Max RPM
Time Pilot `84
Jack the Giantkiller
Arabian
Kangaroo
Spy Hunter II
 
Pit Fighter
Arkanoid Tournament
Space Panic
Max RPM
Time Pilot `84
Jack the Giantkiller
Arabian
Kangaroo
Spy Hunter II

I would not consider any of those 'A' games but maybe a few people would.

My list would be games like:

Donkey Kong
Pacman
Tron
Asteroids
Defender
Star Wars
Tempest
Galaga
Ms Pac
Burger Time
Joust
Robotron
Disc of Tron
Dragons Lair
Major Havoc
Qbert
Missle Command
Space Invaders
 
Vids are a little different from pins: the controls can make the game totally unique, whereas every pin has 2 flipper buttons and a plunger. So I personally think it's more important to have a variety of different controls than it is to collect "A" vids. This is why Major Havoc is so cool, for example. It's the only game that has that awesome roller controller. Same with Tempest and its spinner. Don't forget to add a Shooter (like Area 51) and a Driver (like Pole Position).
 
Pit Fighter
Arkanoid Tournament
Space Panic
Max RPM
Time Pilot `84
Jack the Giantkiller
Arabian
Kangaroo
Spy Hunter II


sarcasm01.jpg
 
Videos haven't reached the batshit insane and douchey "these are automobile level investments" market analysis area that Pinballs have gone. Where people aggressively market, promote and speculate what the next big 7-10K machine is.

Videos still enjoy the innocence of being cheap enough to allow enjoyability be a major factor of value. So the A-F rating kind of begins to fail here. Videos also are very generational in comparison. It's easier to find a pinball player that enjoys 70's to 2K era pins compared to video game players, who tend to dabble in the decades they aren't familiar with...but are very dedicated to the decade that effected them the most (typically 80's guys vs. 90's guys...is kind of like EM vs. post EM).

Things may seem expensive at times with vids, but count your blessings that most of the really valuable stuff is still pennies on the dollar compared to pins.
 
A lot depends on your age and personal preference. My list will be mostly stuff from 79 - 83, but if you asked my brother, who is several years younger than me, his list will be mostly fighting games and Jamma-type stuff.

Buy games you like, you can't go wrong that way. If you are not sure about what you like, try them in MAME or one of the Arcade Classics collections on one of the consoles first.

-JM
 
Buy games you like, you can't go wrong that way.

+1

My first year of grabbing games, I was all into classic Nintendo games (81-86). I had a row of maybe 5-6 of them at one point. Then, they just sat getting little to no play. The only one I kept and still play to this day is DK.

I then started collecting more JAMMA games (87-93) since those are the ones I remember playing the most. But I even let go of a few of those as well since many of them are broken and boring on the freeplay model (X-Men, Willow, etc.). The only ones I kept are SFII and Double Dragon (which is now a multi Taito).

In the end, I'm left with the games I actually play and I feel my guests can enjoy too. But like many guys, my lineup is ever changing and I have my few "keepers."

But then again, some guys just have the cash and room to fit as many games as they want, whether they get played or not. :)
 
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gawd forbid there becomes an A list for video games.
it already makes me cringe when people use the corny word, Grail, to reference a game.
 
When it comes to vids, you should buy and collect what you enjoy playing. The "A game", "B game" pinball labels are useless when it comes to vids. If you don't enjoy a vid, then you don't enjoy it. If you enjoy pinball in general, you can pretty much enjoy playing ANY pinball machine for at least some time. That's where the A and B game stuff comes in, it's kind of a generalized label for how good a pin is and what kind of staying power it might have in a collection.
 
Videos haven't reached the batshit insane and douchey "these are automobile level investments" market analysis area that Pinballs have gone. Where people aggressively market, promote and speculate what the next big 7-10K machine is.

Videos still enjoy the innocence of being cheap enough to allow enjoyability be a major factor of value. So the A-F rating kind of begins to fail here. Videos also are very generational in comparison. It's easier to find a pinball player that enjoys 70's to 2K era pins compared to video game players, who tend to dabble in the decades they aren't familiar with...but are very dedicated to the decade that effected them the most (typically 80's guys vs. 90's guys...is kind of like EM vs. post EM).

Things may seem expensive at times with vids, but count your blessings that most of the really valuable stuff is still pennies on the dollar compared to pins.

Nothing against Todd Tuckey who is great, but his new show could potentially make this a reality. :(
 
Just saw a Spy Hunter II at the St. Louis auction last night and played it for the first time ever. WOW, what a stinker of a game. It was on par to playing something on the Atari 2600.
 
Major havoc
quantum
warlords cocktail

I think these are at the top
maybe some of the laser disk low production games would be next or maybe they would just be rare.
 
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