I finally have enough room in the basement to bring all three of my machines together in one place. Felt like I needed a stereotypical “Arcade” neon sign to go with them.

The first machine I got was Ms Pac-man. IMO she is the most important version of Pac-man that was ever made and is the most widely recognized arcade machine from the 80s. I’m sure it varies from place to place but in my world the cabinet fully encapsulates what early arcade games were.

Then I got the Mortal Kombat machine. I still remember when Mortal Kombat first showed up on the scene and how much of a taboo there was around playing it. News stations did specials on how violent it was, it was almost a version of the satanic panic that gripped parents around Dungeons and Dragons in the early 80s. This just made everyone want to play it more and more and figuring out how to do fatalities and seeing someone perform them, live, in the arcade, in the days before YouTube, was just something we will never have again. Putting your quarters up to challenge the next winner, it was just a special time in arcade gaming.

Finally, I got the Dragons Lair machine. It was expensive but I was able to get it brand new, from a retailer, so I laid down the money and got it as soon as I could. I don’t regret spending the money in the least. I loved Dragons Lair so much as a kid that I remember going to the wave pool and re-enacting the scenes from it in my imagination. I’ve passed the mythos down to my kids now. I also just finished the game for the first time in my life today. My son is also able to get to the Dragons Lair now and will be finishing it in the next day or two I’m sure. Seeing him love the game and laugh at Dirk’s voices and antics fills me with pure joy.

Having these three machines together in my house has fulfilled a dream I’ve had since I was 8 years old: I have an arcade in my basement, and all the quarters a kid could ask for.

The Trifecta of Early Arcade Gaming