The King of Fighters
A team-based fighting game, The King of Fighters was a leading title in the genre for introducing the 3-on-3 battle mode at that time. This allows players to build a team of their favorite three warriors from various characters and battle against enemies. The characters have special moves and are given stories both from the show and the original arcs, which makes for a really interesting gameplay experience.
In addition to its unique team-based combat, the King of Fighters series is well-known for its hard-hitting impact and smooth controls. Overall, the character animations are detailed, and in general, players need to be very precise with their timings for executing skills and combo attacks. Every new release adds extra characters and tighter gameplay mechanics, and The King of Fighters (KOF 2002 / ROM set KOF2002) has been able to gain more attention in the worldwide scenes of an ultimate fighter.
Even now, the King of Fighters series continues to be an esports event with a rich character roster and a high level of competition, just like the classic arcade game that many players still take on today.
Metal Slug
Metal Slug is a run-and-gun game developed by SNK, consisting of side-scrolling shooters including seven main games. After its release in 1996, the game immediately won over fans of electronic entertainment and became quite popular in the arcades. The player, a soldier, will progress through levels in the game to kill enemies and free hostages as they face powerful bosses.
The game’s impressive pixel art and weapon system were also enough to create a devoted following. From handguns and machine guns to rocket launchers and even enemy vehicles, depending on the situation and enemy traits, players can choose from a variety of weapons that increase the game’s strategy. The humor in the game, from over-the-top-looking enemy death animations to witty dialogues, removes a sense of seriousness and enhances the enjoyment for players.
Raiden Fighters
Raiden Fighters is a run-and-gun series of vertical-scrolling shooter games in which players endure relentless waves of enemy craft and screen-filling bosses while piloting futuristic high-tech aircraft. It is also loved by many for its beautiful bullet patterns, frantic, addictive action, and great controls.
Unlike other shooter games, Raiden Fighters is not only a reflex test but requires skillful dodging of enemy bullet patterns while using limited weapon resources to defeat enemies. It is a game that comes with a menagerie of fighter jets, each armed to the teeth and bringing a specific set of weapons to whatever fight they find themselves in. In the game, each player can choose their fighter to complete levels.
Since the Raiden Fighters series’ difficulty ratchets upward sharply, this means that each level contains many more and much tougher enemies than the prior stage. You have limited control over the screen and are, therefore, more likely to take a hit (your aircraft only has a single energy gauge), but this makes it necessary to have greater focus and stronger abilities in order to withstand the denser patterns of enemy fire as fights drag on. This high level of difficulty and intense gameplay is what has turned Raiden Fighters into a classic amongst fans of the genre.
Double Dragon
Double Dragon is a leading side-scrolling action game. The game was released for the first time in 1987, and it is one of the most famous arcade titles. In the game, players control a pair of martial artists, Billy and Jimmy, who set out to rescue their kidnapped girlfriend by fighting through streets, warehouses, and other environments.
Not only did Double Dragon introduce us to a number of combat moves, but it also let friends team up to play through levels fighting off waves of enemies. The game offers punch and kick melee attacks towards enemies. Players have weapons like baseball bats or chains to make the combat fun and varied.
Although it did this with a relatively simplistic visual style, Double Dragon managed to help pioneer the side-scrolling beat them up with its smooth action and clever level design. Double Dragon inspired many action games that followed, and its mechanics and design would later be borrowed from other titles, advancing the genre.
Bomberman
Bomberman is a popular arcade puzzle game first released in 1983. Players control a character that places bombs in a maze-like map, destroying enemies and walls while making sure not to blow themselves up.
While Bomberman is straightforward enough in how it plays, there is a great deal of strategy involved. Players need to calculate the range of a bomb blast correctly and plant them at just the right time to defeat enemies or open up a path. The thrill of the gameplay is because combat occurs incredibly quickly. As time progresses, the map continues to shrink with fewer and fewer obstacles on the ground for players, rendering it chaotic, intimidating, and challenging.
The Bomberman series was released each year, getting various game modes thereon out. Bomberman is a game with modes for all tastes, whether single-player or multiplayer, with various competitive ideas, always demanding more than the eye can see and attracting players of different ages.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a classic side-scrolling action game based on the popular cartoon show of the same name, released back in 1989 by Konami. Gamers can choose one of the famous Ninja Turtles and fight crime to save the city. The game has support for co-op play for up to four players, who can work together to combat enemies in urban environments.
The Ninja Turtles each have different weapons and skills, and characters can customize their squad based on what they need for a given scenario. Another plus point of the game is that it has a wide variety of enemies based on the iconic foes from the cartoon itself, making this one more enjoyable and challenging.
