Even with all that’s happened, 2020 has been a good year for arcade games.
Most of that is due to the successful launch of a brand new development platform. Exa-Arcadia has been a big hit with the community, as were the games that came with it. Of course, there were plenty of other titles worth your attention as well.
Want to know what’s been going on in the arcade world? Here are the best arcade games that came out this year so far!
1. Mission: Impossible Arcade
As you may know, Paramount’s staple spy movie franchise is still going strong. This Sega rail shooter is another attempt to capitalize on it.
The massive arcade cabinet resembles an Impossible Mission Force hideout. Players compete in 2v2, playing three missions as IMF trainees. Each team uses its own 55-inch monitor, and all players have access to a set of dual pistols.
According to Sega R&D producer Shinichi Ogasawara, the game’s software was a great fit for their new hardware. This combination allowed them to make player elimination more interesting than ever.
2. House of the Gundead
Who knew that Enter the Gungeon developers were big arcade fans? House of the Gundead is their take on a two-player rail shooter genre. Like the original Gungeon, this game contains plenty of dungeon crawler elements.
House of the Gundead consists of players shooting their way through a series of floors. Along the way, they have to deal with the Cult of the Gundead. Collecting power-ups, weapons, and hidden secrets can make traversal much easier.
3. Pong Knockout
Remember the Atari Pong Table, a two-player rendition of the 1972 classic? Well, Pong Knockout is a new and enhanced four-player follow-up. It’s currently exclusive to Dave & Buster’s, with a mass-market release slated for 2021.
With four players, Knockout made everything bigger. All players start with five points and win the game by being the last survivor. Depending on where the ball hits, the game can go into speed mode or velocity mode (inverted knob controls).
4. Gimmick! Exact Mix
Gimmick is another game designed solely for the Exa-Arcadia system. It’s a complete remake of the 1992 Gimmick, a forgotten Famicom 2D platformer.
The remake features native 1080p support and a reworked scoring system. It also contains new artwork and an orchestrated soundtrack by Manabu Namiki. Players can switch between the classic and modern presentation at any time.
The original Gimmick struggled to gain a following out of Japan, but this brings it back to the spotlight. The game has a lot in common with classics such as Frogger, which is still playable in this local arcade.
More on Arcade Gaming
As you can see, arcades are here to stay. With games like these, how could they not?
Keep in mind that there are plenty of games we haven’t mentioned. For example, Centipede Chaos is a great new take on the Space Invaders formula. There’s also ATV Slam, another racing game with impressive feedback effects.
Want to know more about arcade gaming? Trying to keep track of the top arcade games that are yet to come out in 2020? Keep reading our tech-related content!