Jason Miller

A kill screen is a level in a video game where a programming bug makes it impossible to continue playing. The Donkey Kong kill screen is the most famous example in arcade history, occurring at level 22 when an integer overflow crashes the bonus timer down to just 4 seconds. For over 40 years, players … Read more

Tomohiro Nishikado invented Space Invaders in 1978 while working as a designer at the Japanese arcade company Taito. He conceived the game, designed the cabinet artwork, programmed the code, built the custom microcomputer inside the cabinet, drew the aliens, and even mixed the sound effects all on his own. That single-person creation story is part … Read more

Street Fighter II was released on March 7, 1991 in Japan and February 6, 1991 in North America as an arcade game developed and published by Capcom. I still remember the first time I saw a cabinet glowing in a pizzeria corner, the screen pulling quarters out of my pocket like a coin-eating dragon. That … Read more

Street Fighter debuted in arcades on August 30, 1987, created by Takashi Nishiyama and Hiroshi Matsumoto at Capcom. It pioneered command-based special moves and introduced the six-button control layout that became the foundation of the fighting game genre. Over nearly four decades, the franchise has grown from a modest arcade title into a global cultural … Read more

If you have ever walked into a bar, tavern, or arcade and seen a glowing cabinet with a giant trackball next to a virtual fairway, you have met Golden Tee Golf. Golden Tee Golf is an arcade golf game series by Incredible Technologies that uses a trackball to determine the power, direction, and curve of … Read more

When you roll the Golden Tee trackball, you turn two perpendicular rollers fitted with slotted discs. Optical sensors count light pulses as the slots pass through a beam, measuring both speed and direction of movement. The cabinet converts those pulses into real-time aim and swing-power input. I have spent years tinkering with coin-op cabinets and … Read more

I have spent more late nights than I care to admit standing in front of a Golden Tee cabinet, chasing that perfect 30-foot slider that bends back toward the pin. When I dug into the history of Golden Tee for this guide, I found a story far bigger than a bar game. It is the … Read more

If you’ve ever heard someone mention a “barcade” and pictured a smoky bar with a Pac-Man cabinet in the corner, you’re halfway there. A barcade is a hybrid entertainment venue that pairs a full-service bar with a wall of classic arcade games and pinball machines, built specifically for adults who want to drink, play, and … Read more

A ticket redemption game is an arcade game of skill that rewards players with tickets based on their score, which can be exchanged at a central prize counter for merchandise. Walk into any Dave & Buster’s, Chuck E. Cheese, or seaside boardwalk arcade and you will see rows of these machines, each one promising a … Read more

Arcades declined in the 1980s because home gaming consoles like the Atari 2600 reached technological parity with arcade hardware, eliminating the need to pay quarters at public venues. The 1983 video game crash damaged consumer confidence, rising commercial rents crushed profit margins, and changing teen social habits pulled players toward living rooms. By 1985, US … Read more