Question: '80s Arcades Starring Female Characters

digitaleraser

New member
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Messages
8
Reaction score
3
Location
Minnesota
I was wondering if some of you might be able to help me with a little project I've been trying to research. I'm trying to put together a list of arcades from 1990 and earlier that feature playable female characters.

I was trying to use the search function at first and browse through arcades, but there are so many (and the search function will only list 150 maximum, so you can't even see a list of every videogame-specific arcade for a particular year), so I thought I'd see if any experts on the forum here could think of any to add to the list.

So far I have:

- Ms. Pacman (1981)
- Lady Bug (1981)
- Kangaroo (1982)
- Mrs. Dynamite (1982)
- Gauntlet (1985)
- Rampage (1986)

Any others that come to mind?
 
I was wondering if some of you might be able to help me with a little project I've been trying to research. I'm trying to put together a list of arcades from 1990 and earlier that feature playable female characters.

I was trying to use the search function at first and browse through arcades, but there are so many (and the search function will only list 150 maximum, so you can't even see a list of every videogame-specific arcade for a particular year), so I thought I'd see if any experts on the forum here could think of any to add to the list.

So far I have:

- Ms. Pacman (1981)
- Lady Bug (1981)
- Kangaroo (1982)
- Mrs. Dynamite (1982)
- Gauntlet (1985)
- Rampage (1986)

Any others that come to mind?

Dark Adventure from 1987 has Labryna, a woman in a pink dress who wields a sword.
 
Baraduke stars a female, but I don't think it's said in game that she is. In the Mr. Driller series she marries Dig Dug =P
 
Playable characters? Not main characters, but just playable?

Gauntlet was 1985 with the Valkyrie.

"Time Gal" had a late 80s JP release and somewhere near the early 90s North America release, no?

Street Fighter 2 was in '91.

Edit - Uh, duh, Metroid.
X-men in 1992.
Fatal Fury 2 in 1992.
.... there's a lot in 1992 onward.
 
Last edited:
Playable characters? Not main characters, but just playable?

Yeah, I'm looking for playable, specifically. So not like Carmen Sandiego or things.

Edit - Uh, duh, Metroid.

If you think of console or PC games as well, feel free to mention any...I just figured people here would be slightly more arcade enthusiast than console or PC. For those sorts of games, so far I've got:

- Metroid (1986)
- Sabotuer II: Avenging Angel (1987)
- Final Fantasy (1987)
- Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)
- The Guardian Legends (1989)
- Arrow Flash (1990)
- Xenomorph (1990)

There are also some other games, like various X-Men adaptations, or Alien/Aliens adaptations, but I'm trying to stick more to characters that appeared in videogames first.
 
Metroid in the 80s technically would've been an arcade title, too.

Friday the 13th had a playable female cast, didn't it?

Didn't California Games have a girl?
 
Last edited:
Arcade --

- Pooyan (It's a mother pig shooting the wolves from an elevator)
- Cotton (The witch on a broom shooter circa 1989)

Commodore 64 --

- Vixen
- Great Gianna Sisters

NES --

Super Mario Bros. 2 (You could play as Princess Peach...duh)
 
Last edited:
Here's a couple more not mentioned:
Gauntlet 2 (since you got Gauntlet, you gotta have Gauntlet 2)
Alien Syndrome (the one player you can choose looks like a female)
 
Who says Ladybug is female? :confused:

Well, I was figuring from this image, but then it doesn't resemble what actually happens in the game itself, so who knows.


Updated list so far (1981-1991):

1981 Ms. Pacman
1981 Lady Bug
1982 Kangaroo
1982 Mrs. Dynamite
1982 Pooyan
1985 Baraduke
1985 Flashgal
1985 Gauntlet
1985 Sega Ninja / Ninja Princess
1985 Time Gale
1986 Alien Syndrome
1986 Athena
1986 Gauntlet II
1986 Metroid
1986 Rampage
1986 Solider Girl Amazon
1987 Dark Adventure
1987 Final Fantasy
1987 Sabotuer II: Avenging Angel
1988 Phantasy Star
1988 Super Mario Bros. 2
1988 Vixen
1989 Golden Axe
1989 Guardian Legend
1990 Arrow Flash
1990 Gate Of Doom
1990 Phantasy Star II
1990 Xenomorph
1991 Cotton
1991 Street Fighter II
1991 Valis: The Fantasm Soldier

More than I thought there was between those years, actually!
 
Last edited:
Well, I was figuring from this image, but then it doesn't resemble what actually happens in the game itself, so who knows.


Updated list so far (1981-1991):

1981 Ms. Pacman
1981 Lady Bug
1982 Kangaroo
1982 Mrs. Dynamite
1982 Pooyan
1985 Baraduke
1985 Flashgal
1985 Gauntlet
1985 Sega Ninja / Ninja Princess
1985 Time Gale
1986 Alien Syndrome
1986 Athena
1986 Gauntlet II
1986 Metroid
1986 Rampage
1986 Solider Girl Amazon
1987 Dark Adventure
1987 Final Fantasy
1987 Sabotuer II: Avenging Angel
1988 Phantasy Star
1988 Super Mario Bros. 2
1988 Vixen
1989 Golden Axe
1989 Guardian Legend
1990 Arrow Flash
1990 Gate Of Doom
1990 Phantasy Star II
1990 Xenomorph
1991 Cotton
1991 Street Fighter II
1991 Valis: The Fantasm Soldier

More than I thought there was between those years, actually!

Thought of another one. Quartet...

http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9192
 
I got one. Stern's "Turtles". In the game, your a mother turtle saving her children turtles.

Edit: Jury's out, it doesn't specifically say it's a female.
 
Back
Top Bottom