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How old is your favorite retro arcade game on ?

 
 
how old is your favorite arcade game today

Align your milestones with iconic arcade games on our timeline!

Many of us can relate our life's milestones relative to various pop culture events from music and movies to arcade games. Take a look at our Arcade Game Chronology below and see how many of your life's events happened with the release of Asteroids or the advent of laser discs in Dragon's Lair! What was happening in your life when Mortal Kombat came on the scene? Is 1996 important to you because you discovered Metal Slug or was that the year you graduated? :)

While the Console and Arcade timelines are viewable on every page of our site, this page generates a properly formated printout.

The original release date (North American) and current age of various arcade games can be found on every page of our site! Click the link at the bottom of the right-hand column →
to switch between the Video Game Console Timeline and the Arcade Game Timeline.

Retro Arcade Game Timeline
DATE Arcade Title AGE
1970's
11-1971 Computer Space
9-1972 Pong
4-1976 Breakout
3-1977 Boot Hill
10-1978 Space Invaders
8-1979 Lunar Lander
11-1979 Asteroids
12-1979 Galaxian
1980's
6-1980 Missile Command
9-1980 Star Castle
10-1980 Pac-Man
10-1980 Berzerk
12-1980 Phoenix
1-1981 Wizard Of Wor
2-1981 Scramble
2-1981 Defender
6-1981 Centipede
6-1981 Frogger
7-1981 Donkey Kong
10-1981 Vanguard
10-1981 Tempest
12-1981 Galaga
1-1982 Zaxxon
3-1982 Robotron 2084
4-1982 Dig Dug
6-1982 Moon Patrol
9-1982 Joust
10-1982 Q*bert
11-1982 Chexx Bubble Hockey
6-1983 Dragon's Lair
11-1983 Spy Hunter
6-1984 Birdie King 3
5-1985 Gradius
10-1985 Space Harrier
9-1986 Out Run
12-1986 720°
2-1987 Contra
7-1987 Double Dragon
8-1987 Street Fighter
11-1987 Operation Wolf
12-1988 NARC
9-1989 S.T.U.N. Runner
1990's
3-1990 Aliens
2-1991 Street Fighter II
8-1991 Steel Talons
7-1992 Mortal Kombat
5-1993 Out Runners
12-1993 Virtua Fighter
3-1994 Daytona USA
10-1994 Killer Instinct
11-1994 Crusin' USA
12-1994 Tekken
6-1995 Alpine Racer
10-1995 Area 51
4-1996 Metal Slug
10-1997 San Francisco Rush: The Rock - Alcatraz Edition
3-1998 California Speed
9-1998 Dance Dance Revolution
2-1999 Crazy Taxi
2000's
5-2000 Metal Slug 3
11-2000 Ridge Racer 5
12-2000 Smashing Drive
7-2001 Tekken 4
— 20 Year mark —
3-2002 Initial D Arcade Stage
7-2002 Soul Calibur II
12-2003 Out Run 2
4-2003 Virtua Cop 3
3-2004 Ollie King
4-2005 Lethal Enforcer 3
2-2006 Metal Slug 6
6-2006 Time Crisis 4
7-2006 Virtua Fighter 5
11-2007 Tekken 6
9-2008 Rambo
5-2009 H2Overdrive
5-2009 Terminator Salvation
2010's
1-2017 Space Invaders Frenzy
Based on North American release dates.
This list shows a selection of iconic arcade games representing each year and is not meant to be comprehensive.

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