7 Arcade Games That Need to Make a Comeback to Smartphones

Arcade games evoke fond memories for many older gamers. Collectively, they represented the first gaming experience for an entire generation, and paved the way for what would eventually become the biggest entertainment industry of today.

Some of these older classics, such as Space Invaders and Tetris, for example, have been remade, remastered, and re-released for smartphones several times over. But there’s a whole host of other arcade games which have been left to gather dust. With that in mind, here are seven arcade-only titles we would love to play on a mobile device one day.

Final Fight

Final Fight is regarded as one of the best side-scrolling beat-em-ups ever made. The first arcade game came out back in 1989, delighting old-school gamers with its responsive controls, gorgeous pixel art, and an extensive roster of heroic vigilantes.

Players have to take on a variety of criminal gangs, and street justice can either be dispensed solo or with the help of your friends. It’s the perfect formula for a compelling mobile game, with just enough complexity to keep things interesting for modern gamers.

Metal Slug

The Metal Slug series has been ported to nearly every video game console ever made, including portable devices like the Gameboy Advance, for instance. However, we’re yet to see a smartphone-friendly version unless you count the iPod Touch as a smartphone.

The aim of the game is as straightforward as it gets; kill enemies as you move through each level. That’s not what made this series so special, though. Yes, the gameplay is a ton of fun, but the art style and humor of Metal Slug allowed it to stand out in a sea of generic titles.

Daytona

Whether or not an arcade racing game can be ported to smartphones is still up for debate, but we’re willing to see where the discussion leads for the sake of progress, especially if it means that we get the chance to play Daytona again. 

A mobile version probably won’t provide the same experience as sitting in a bucket seat and spinning a real steering wheel, but the nostalgia factor is too tempting to ignore. What’s more, the added multiplayer would be a game-changer, allowing every car to be controlled by human players.

Crazy Taxi

Crazy Taxi is another action-packed racing game that could be a blast on smartphones. Like Metal Slug, it’s a beloved series ported to several consoles and mobile devices, and we can’t help but wonder why a version for smartphones hasn’t been made yet.

The core gameplay mechanics of being a taxi driver and performing stunts make for a potent combination. The drop-in, drop-out nature of each level is ideal for gaming on the go, and the soundtrack is an absolute banger, too, featuring licensed hard rock and punk rock music.

Silent Scope

Difficult to complete yet extremely satisfying to play, Silent Scope takes the traditional on-rails mechanics of games like Time Crisis and slaps a literal scope on top, placing a second screen in the scope of a light gun to simulate the real deal.

The signature dual-screen setup was revolutionary at the time, and we can’t think of a better game to harness the enormous potential of augmented reality (AR). Pokemon Go and other successful AR implementations have proven the viability of the genre, and the strong concept behind Silent Scope could be exactly what AR needs.

NFL Blitz

NFL Blitz is best described as an exaggerated version of football. Unlike its modern counterparts, it’s not a hardcore sports simulator with complex physics, nor does it have pinpoint accurate statistics. What it does have, however, is an abundance of absurd action.

Every element of Blitz is designed for short bursts of intense and engaging gameplay, whether it’s the shorter games or the absence of late tackle penalties. It’s the type of sports game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, making it highly suitable for casual gaming.

Double Dragon

Double Dragon was released in 1987, two years before Final Fight. Both were incredibly popular arcade games, and we would be happy with either of them being remade, but the best-case scenario is for gamers to experience both of these side-scrolling classics.

Due to genre-defining gameplay, Double Dragon spawned a plethora of clones and imitators, eventually ushering in the first golden age of beat-em-ups. It led to a television series and a live-action film, and it’s one of the games most deserving of a remake or a remaster.