Retro Arcade Games
Retro Arcade Games List is a structured gaming dataset with 15 entries. Its fields include Game, Release Year, Developer. Community voting appears as a separate signal beside eligible rows and does not replace the source values.
Every row is shown below and is also available as CSV, JSON, or Excel.
Dataset details
- Table scope
- All 15 rows
- Fields
- 5 columns
- Source
- Community curated
- Data updated
- Mar 7, 2026
Included fields: Game, Release Year, Developer, Genre, Known For.
The table contains every record in this dataset; the same records are available in each download format.
Preview observations
- Release Year span
- 1978 to 1983
- Across 15 preview rows
- Developer groups
- 9 distinct values
- Across 15 preview rows
Useful for
- Comparing Game, Release Year, and Developer across gaming entries
- Building reference tables, charts, or analyses from 15 downloadable records
Game↕ | Release Year↕ | Developer↕ | Genre↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pac-Man | 1980 | Namco | Maze | Best-selling arcade game of all time, 99.99% of cabinets still working, spawned Ms. Pac-Man, ghost AI personalities (Blinky, Pinky, Inky, Clyde) |
Space Invaders | 1978 | Taito | Fixed shooter | Caused a 100-yen coin shortage in Japan, kickstarted the golden age of arcades, descending alien rows that speed up as you destroy them |
Donkey Kong | 1981 | Nintendo | Platformer | Introduced Mario (as Jumpman) and Donkey Kong, designed by Shigeru Miyamoto, first platformer with a narrative, barrel-jumping mechanic |
Galaga | 1981 | Namco | Fixed shooter | Sequel to Galaxian, dual-ship capture mechanic, swooping dive-bomb attack patterns, one of the most ported arcade games ever |
Asteroids | 1979 | Atari | Multidirectional shooter | Vector graphics pioneer, thrust-and-rotate physics, infinite wraparound screen, highest-grossing Atari arcade game |
Centipede | 1981 | Atari | Fixed shooter | Designed by Dona Bailey — one of the first female game designers, trackball controls, mushroom-filled playfield, flea/spider/scorpion enemies |
Frogger | 1981 | Konami | Action | Cross the road and river without dying, deceptively simple but brutally hard, pop culture icon, logs and turtles as stepping stones |
Dig Dug | 1982 | Namco | Maze / strategy | Inflate enemies until they pop, dig tunnels through dirt, Pookas and Fygars, one of the most creative kill mechanics in gaming history |
Defender | 1981 | Williams Electronics | Side-scrolling shooter | Notoriously difficult, complex controls with five buttons + joystick, rescue humanoids from alien abduction, smartbomb panic button |
Q*bert | 1982 | Gottlieb | Action / puzzle | Isometric pyramid, change tile colors by hopping, comic-book-style swearing speech bubble, distinctive @!#?@! exclamation |
Missile Command | 1980 | Atari | Shooter / strategy | Cold War nuclear anxiety in game form, trackball-aimed anti-missile defense, no way to truly win — only delay inevitable destruction |
Tempest | 1981 | Atari | Tube shooter | Early color vector graphics, spinning geometric tube levels, rotary knob controller, Dave Theurer's masterpiece, psychedelic visual style |
BurgerTime | 1982 | Data East | Platformer / puzzle | Chef Peter Pepper assembling giant burgers by walking over ingredients, enemy hot dogs / pickles / eggs, pepper spray weapon |
Joust | 1982 | Williams Electronics | Platformer / action | Two-player co-op on flying ostriches, flap-button physics, lance jousting combat, buzzards as enemies, lava troll hand |
Dragon's Lair | 1983 | Advanced Microcomputer Systems | Interactive movie | First laserdisc arcade game, Don Bluth hand-drawn animation, Dirk the Daring rescuing Princess Daphne, cost 50 cents per play (double standard) |
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Frequently asked questions
How is Retro Arcade Games organized?
The table starts in the source data's order. Community voting is enabled as a separate approval signal beside eligible rows; votes do not replace the source values.
How much data is available on this page?
This dataset contains 15 entries, and every row is available in the table and in the downloadable files.
Can I download the complete dataset?
Yes. CSV, JSON, and Excel downloads contain all 15 rows. Before republishing the data, review the source and any usage terms listed on this page; dtbse does not replace the original source's licensing terms.
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