Top 5 golden-age arcade games

Today Mark is talking the golden age of arcade games, which ran from 1979 til around 1983. Mark and Nick start with their own childhood arcade memories, and Mark gets quizzical about the American quarter as a “unit of fun”. As this was recorded during the Quarantimes, conversation inevitably turned to the decline in in-person entertainment like arcades and cinemas.

  • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (10:38) - Nicholas's pick: Pac-Man
  • (22:17) - Mark's pick: Space Invaders
  • (26:57) - Nicholas's pick: Defender
  • (32:44) - Mark's pick: Pole Position
  • (36:41) - Nicholas's pick: Mario Bros
  • (46:58) - Mark's pick: Paperboy
  • (48:40) - Nicholas's pick: Galaga
  • (53:22) - Mark's pick: Asteroids
  • (56:17) - A primer on vector graphics
  • (59:56) - Nicholas's pick: Robotron 2048
  • (01:03:32) - Dispatches from the past
  • (01:08:38) - Building the final list
  • (01:11:20) - Honourable mentions
  • (01:13:08) - More of Nicholas Bond

Nick blogs at the Retrogame Deconstruction Zone, and you can find him on Twitter @MrVGBrow.

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Creators and Guests

Mark Steadman
Host
Mark Steadman
My mum thinks I’m an internet thought leader. I haven’t had the heart to tell her I just have a microphone and some good intentions.
Nicholas Bond
Guest
Nicholas Bond
Creator of the Retrogame Deconstruction Zone, and NASA astrophysicist.
Top 5 golden-age arcade games
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