Staple Arcade Games?

[Baloo]

As I've traveled to different arcades wherever I've been, I've noticed how there's always a couple of games that almost every arcade has. I've noticed that a LOT of arcades have these games:

The Simpsons
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 (Or some form of the MvC series)
Star Wars Arcade Trilogy
Donkey Kong
Ms. Pac Man/Galaga

Do you guys have any opinions as to what games you think all arcades should have to try to make a profit?

[skaar]

Pacman.

Always Pacman.

DDRs are fun too :D

[otaku]

around here they always seem to have pac man, ddr and neo geo mvs cabs. Sadly arcades around here focus alot less on games and focus more on amusement stuff-pinball is non existent to so as a result I almost never go anymore :(

[shawnbo42]

Pac-man is a nice classic, but not a "money-maker". Sure, it's an iconic piece, but Ms. Pac generally is more widely accepted as an "old-school" classic.

Neo Geos are another one. They are well-remembered, due to the fact that there were thousands of them out there at one point. Most of us at home prefer to have one, mainly because of the ease of changing software, and the versatility of the cabinet. However, in an arcade application nowadays, it's not a huge cash cow anymore.

Some of what I would consider "staple" pieces :

Cruisn' USA/World/Exotica - Very popular series, and well-liked by kids and adults.

San Fran Rush/Rush 2049 - Extremely profitable racing game, more geared towards the "racing" crowd, rather than the "driving" group.

Area 51 - Most likely one of the best gun games made, and still generates a decent amount of revenue.

Time Crisis - Same as above.

Daytona USA - What is an arcade without this?! Especially 4 or more player. Arguably Sega's best sit down driver of all time, at least where money is concerned.

DDR/ITG - Always replay value in these types of games, especially ones with a memory card. Great for tournaments, and also to attract people into the arcade, if it's put in a high-visibility spot.

Marvel vs. Capcom - Some of the other variants do ok, but for some reason, this particular title seems to take the cake.

4-player Konami quarter hogs - Turtles, Simpsons, Sunset Riders, X-men, Cowboys of Moo Mesa.....more or less cookie-cutter titles, but pretty much all good games in their own right. Me, I'd prefer to play a Turtles first, but any of the others are ok too.

Pinball - Ok, yes, these are basically (as earlier stated) non-existent, but a good-playing, well-working (key points there), pinball machine can generate some money. Unfortunately, we've gone away from the glory days of pinball, due to "lazy video game operators". Basically, a typical operator now lookas a machine. If it lights up, and appears to work (i.e. DDR), the it's ok. Never mind the fact that CHECKING the game is vitally important for a DDR or a pinball especially. The whole purpose of pinball is to score points, and if things don't work, well, yeah it lights up, but it still may not be working. Sadly, to find a well-maintained pin is tough, but if you can, it can have my quarters, that's for sure.

Lastly, one category we have not covered yet, the vertical shooter. A Raiden, or Strikers is ok, but there are other options out there as well. Regardless, at least one vertical shooter should be present in any self-respecting arcade. This is one area where the Neo can come through, because if you use that for your Viewpoint, Ghost Pilots, or Aero fighters, then you can also pop out Metal Slug, Bust a Move, etc, and fill some of those oddball categories as well.

[MrSparkle]

galaga/ms pac man 20th anniversary cab is in any reputable arcade. other than that arcades are mainly a mish mosh of random garbage and skill games these days. Id say that usually house of the dead 2 or time crisis 2 or 3 are staples. Maybe silent scope or one of the gauntlet legends games.

[Baloo]

Hmm, that's odd. In most of the arcades near me there's pinball machines. The only places that don't have Pinball machines is Chuck E. Cheese and Dave and Buster's. Chuck E. Cheese used to have Pins, but not anymore.
All the other arcades near me have 3 or more pins though. They're not always necessarily good, but as long as the arcade in Berlin, NJ has Super Mario Bros., and the one in the mall near me has Mideval Madness that'll satisfy me. Super Mario Bros. is an especially great Pinball machine.

I also love how versatile Neo-Geo machines are. You've got you're vertical, puzzle (Bust-a-Move), sidescrolling shooter (Metal Slug) and Fighter (Fatal Fury/Samurai Shodown) all in one machine. It's always nice to see them in arcades nowadays. I've actually seen them a good amount near me.

[kupomogli]

Star Wars Arcade Trilogy


I wish I had an arcade around me that had this. I love this game.

[IG-88]

Do you guys have any opinions as to what games you think all arcades should have to try to make a profit?

Are there actually arcades out there that make a profit? All I see are those flippin redemption machines because thats what the kids want. I heard a little blighter the other day ask is father "how do you get the prize out?" while trying to open the coin door on an ultracade machine at a local restuarant. I wanted to be sick....:beaten:

[Nikademus1969]

I wish I had an arcade around me that had this. I love this game.


We have it in the arcade at work. I play it before work sometimes if I come in early.

[Jorpho]

Almost everywhere I go there seems to be some flavor of The House of the Dead or Time Crisis. Not sure if they actually draw in the money, though.

[DefaultGen]

.....

[Nikademus1969]

Almost everywhere I go there seems to be some flavor of The House of the Dead or Time Crisis. Not sure if they actually draw in the money, though.

At the family amusement center accross from where I work at there are several games like that. The kids seem to like 'em.

[Jorpho]

At the family amusement center accross from where I work at there are several games like that. The kids seem to like 'em.Oh, there are many games like that. That's what makes it so much stranger that it seems to almost always be House of the Dead and/or Time Crisis. No Point Blank, no Police Academy Trainer, no Jurassic Park (well, most of the time): just TC or HOTD.

[Baloo]

I've only seen seen Police Academy Trainer once in the arcades near me, but I've seen Jurssic park a couple of times.

Crisis Cop seems to be hit or miss. Wherever that's found you're bound to see Time Crisis though.

[Ed Oscuro]

Police Academy Trainer and Jurassic Park (the later Konami one, not the first Sega title, both are shooters though) have both been in the same stretch of my mall - I think both are there (PAT was certainly there recently).

Hmm...there also is a nook in the mall with some various games, including a Sega racer that I had just found in MAME. Can't remember any names though. :?