10 Nostaglic Star Wars Arcade Games Guaranteed To Take You Back To 1983 (Ranked By How Good They Were) (2024)

Before the era of the rebootedBattlefront games, theStar Wars film franchise had spawned a wide range of arcade games that satisfied fans of the franchise as well as die-hard arcade aficionados. A highpoint in this regard was the 1983 classic simply titledStar Wars. The game is still regarded as one of the best arcade games of all time, being released at the highpoint of thearcade gaming's golden age.

✕ Remove Ads

RELATED: Top 10 Star Wars Games On Nintendo Consoles, Ranked

Such was the game's legacy that gamers continued competing on it against each other, breaking records over the years. Even though the highest scores have been attained in the 1980s, Brandon Erickson set a world endurance record in 2004 by playing the game for 54 hours on a single credit. The impact of the game been on several other Star Wars arcade favorites.

Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi (1984)

10 Nostaglic Star Wars Arcade Games Guaranteed To Take You Back To 1983 (Ranked By How Good They Were) (1)

A follow-up to 1983's Star Wars, Return of the Jedi relies on raster graphics in a scrolling shooter format. The isometric perspective might confuse some, but the game is definitely a solid arcade entry given the era during which it released.

✕ Remove Ads

The players are required to pilot fan-favorite vehicles in the different stages of the game. This includes a Speeder Bike, the Millenium Falcon, and the iconic AT-STs.

Star Wars Trilogy Pinball (1997)

10 Nostaglic Star Wars Arcade Games Guaranteed To Take You Back To 1983 (Ranked By How Good They Were) (2)

Based on the titular trilogy, Star Wars Trilogy Pinball builds upon a vast set of characters, each with their own missions. So, if one plays as Leia, one's mission would be to choke Jabba the Hutt. For Chewie, the mission is to re-build C3P0. There are similarly six alternate scenarios in total that players can choose from.

The pinball machine was launched to coincide with the release of the special editions of the original trilogy. It was also unique for featuring a 3-D backglass, a first in the pinball industry.

Star Wars Episode I (1999)

10 Nostaglic Star Wars Arcade Games Guaranteed To Take You Back To 1983 (Ranked By How Good They Were) (3)

To coincide with the release of The Phantom Menace, a pinball arcade game was designed by John Popadiuk, the pinball legend known for designing the machines for World Cup Soccer. The gameplay revolves around the ultimate mission of turning into a Jedi Spirit. To reach this Spirit level, one must battle Darth Maul in a lightsaber duel on different levels.

The game's historic value comes from the fact that it was the second and final game to incorporate the Pinball 2000 hardware/software platform by the Williams company. It was also Williams' last game, as the pinball manufacturer shut its doors in the same year.

✕ Remove Ads

Star Wars Episode I: Racer Arcade (2000)

10 Nostaglic Star Wars Arcade Games Guaranteed To Take You Back To 1983 (Ranked By How Good They Were) (4)

The pod race sequence was one of the redeeming elements from the otherwise-disappointing Stars Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Racer Arcade recreates this scene while serving as a tribute to vehicular arcade classics from the past. It borrows influence from Star Wars Episode I: Racer that was earlier released on Windows and Nintendo 64.

Players assume control of Anakin's pod racer with the intention of outracing Sebulba. Developed under Sega, the game benefits from its multi-player formats and multiple playable characters like Gasgano and Ben Quadrinos.

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

10 Nostaglic Star Wars Arcade Games Guaranteed To Take You Back To 1983 (Ranked By How Good They Were) (5)

✕ Remove Ads

The Empire Strikes Back pinball machine was not only the first officially-licensed Star Wars pinball game, but it's also the rarest, asonly 350 copies were sold, all exclusive to Australia.

Recreating scenes from the film of the same name, the Battle of Hoth is given major focus just like the aforementioned arcade game based on the film. Visually, the machine seems to be reminiscent of other pinball classics like Space Invaders (manufactured by Bally) and Firepower (manufactured by Williams).

Star Wars: Starfighter Arcade (2003)

10 Nostaglic Star Wars Arcade Games Guaranteed To Take You Back To 1983 (Ranked By How Good They Were) (6)

Even though 2001's Star Fighter is most popular for its PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions, a variant for the TsuMo arcade motion multi-game system was launched two years later. Set over five levels, the flight simulator takes place in the time period of The Phantom Menace.

✕ Remove Ads

RELATED: Star Wars Squadrons: 10 Classic Space Battles We'd Love To See Recreated In The Game

Players can ride several starfighters in order to stop the invasion of Naboo. The game was praised for its visually-rich environments and its role as a spin-off to Episode I.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1985)

10 Nostaglic Star Wars Arcade Games Guaranteed To Take You Back To 1983 (Ranked By How Good They Were) (7)

The second installment in the Star Wars original arcade trilogy by Atari, The Empire Strikes Back is a first-person game offering Luke Skywalker's perspective during the Battle of Hoth, and the escape from an asteroid field aboard the Millenium Falcon.

✕ Remove Ads

Even though it didn't match the cult status of its predecessor, its vector graphics were updated with clearer details. Despite this change, The Empire Strikes Back turned out to be a really rare Star Wars arcade game as it was released as an upgrade/conversion kit for the original 1983 game.

Star Wars Trilogy Arcade (1998)

10 Nostaglic Star Wars Arcade Games Guaranteed To Take You Back To 1983 (Ranked By How Good They Were) (8)

As evident from its title, this arcade game from Sega incorporated elements from all three films of the original trilogy. Players were given the option to choose three missions, each picked from key scenes in the films. There's scope for diverse gameplay due to the changing settings.

RELATED: 10 Best Sega Franchises That Aren't Sonic The Hedgehog

✕ Remove Ads

For instance, the mission based onA New Hopefeatures a re-enactment of the final space battle in which Luke Skywalker pilots an X-Wing fighter. Meanwhile, the segment on The Empire Strikes Back features the opening scene at Hoth. After one plays through the conventional missions, Boba Fett and Darth Vader appear in the boss stages.

Star Wars Battle Pod (2014)

10 Nostaglic Star Wars Arcade Games Guaranteed To Take You Back To 1983 (Ranked By How Good They Were) (9)

While Star Wars Battle Pod is fairly recent given its year of release, the game still succeeds at evoking nostalgia for fans of vehicular arcade games like Return of the Jedi and Racer Arcade.

RELATED: Star Wars: 10 Best Pilots In The Galaxy, Ranked

First launched at the New York Comic-Con and produced by Bandai Namco, Battle Pod is yet again based on significant scenes from the original trilogy. The game machine is a bubble with a wraparound screens and intricate details incorporating styles from various vehicles in the three films. The interactive nature of the 'pod' shows the extent to which Star Wars arcade games have progressed.

✕ Remove Ads

Star Wars (1983)

10 Nostaglic Star Wars Arcade Games Guaranteed To Take You Back To 1983 (Ranked By How Good They Were) (10)

The ultimate classic in not just the Star Wars universe, but also in the pantheon of arcade games in general, 1983's Star Wars was revolutionary in its own right. Boasting vector-based 3D graphics, it was the first game in the franchise ushering in a legacy of diverse reinterpretations of the first three films.

It was essentially a first-person rail shooter as players were to control an X-Wing Fighter as Luke Skywalker, setting up the finale dogfight of A New Hope. The graphics might appear minimalistic in today's time, but the arcade favorite was arguablyfar ahead of its time.

NEXT: Every Star Wars Game Released By EA, Ranked According to Metacritic (& 3 Cancelled Games We’d Love To See)

✕ Remove Ads

10 Nostaglic Star Wars Arcade Games Guaranteed To Take You Back To 1983 (Ranked By How Good They Were) (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Edwin Metz

Last Updated:

Views: 5941

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (58 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Edwin Metz

Birthday: 1997-04-16

Address: 51593 Leanne Light, Kuphalmouth, DE 50012-5183

Phone: +639107620957

Job: Corporate Banking Technician

Hobby: Reading, scrapbook, role-playing games, Fishing, Fishing, Scuba diving, Beekeeping

Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.