Epic Games recently added a new service called Antstream Arcade. For free with ads or for a small subscription fee, players have access to over one thousand classic video games. Some are bonified legendary titles, while others fall on the more obscure side.
Players could spend years diving through every title in this collection and probably not go through all the games available. To help sort through the massive collection, this list will point out the cream of the crop. There are certainly more classics in the pile, but these are absolute must-plays for anybody interested in retro gaming goodness.
10 Dig Dug
This simple Namco game has players digging through the earth to destroy all the targets burrowed deep underground. Instead of a pre-determined maze-like Pac-Man, players in Dig Dug have to create their own pathways.
Use this mechanic to trap enemies. The trick about killing enemies here is players inflate them to blow them up. Because they take a few seconds to pop, the player is vulnerable to attack from other foes in the meantime.
9 Rampage
Not to be confused with the recent movie, this is the arcade classic that started it all. Players control giant monsters and traverse through cities in this side-scroller, destroying everything possible along the way.
Even 35 years later it is still extremely satisfying to scale buildings and eat the tiny humans. Several sequels also came out and expanded upon the concept, but it is still a joy to revisit the original.
8 Centipede
This arcade game is one of the many that has the player shooting descending enemies. The screen is static, but the titular foes come zooming down toward the bottom and players have to destroy them before they reach it.
There is an extra element of strategy here since players want the centipedes to be in a narrow spot so they are easier to shoot, but this also means they make it down to the bottom faster.
7 Earthworm Jim
The retro scene was filled with classic platformers. While the genre is not as prevalent as it once was, many of the classic titles hold up excellently, and Earthworm Jim is no exception.
The unique art style is enough to draw any player in, but the gameplay will keep them playing for hours. An HD version was developed for PS3 and Xbox 360, but this has been delisted for a few years now.
6 Gauntlet
The Gauntlet series is some awesome mindless fun for friends. Players go through a series of dungeon floors while hordes of enemies attack. It is overwhelming but this is exactly what fans desire from the franchise.
There were several 3D entries for the arcades, PS1, and N64, though the 2D classics are still wildly entertaining. In some ways, it feels like a predecessor to dungeon crawlers like Diablobut with simpler gameplay.
5 Monkey Island
This game is an outlier on the list. Monkey Island does not rely on quick reflexes or strategy; it is a puzzle game through and through. The answers to some of the puzzles can be tricky and seem downright unfair, but it is worth going through for the story and humor.
Besides, these days players can always look up a guide for the answers to the harder questions. Tim Schafer worked on the series, who would later found Double Fine games.
4 Double Dragon
Double Dragon is a side-scrolling beat ’em up perfect for two players. Like the best entries in the genre, the controls are simple, making it perfect for anybody whether they be experienced or not. The two sequels are also available on the service.
It won’t take long to go through all three games, but it will be time well spent. Players who enjoy them can then jump to the more recent Double Dragon IV, which is a throwback to the old graphics and gameplay.
3 Metal Slug
Metal Slug has an instantly recognizable art style. One does not need to see the logo or UI to understand when they are looking at a Metal Slug game.
The service has three games from the franchise available, though Metal Slug X is a remake of the second game, which is also in the selection. There are seven mainline entries in the franchise, so players have plenty more to explore if they are taken with these classics.
2 Pac-Man
Who could have guessed that such a simple concept would become one of the most revered games of its era? Ms. Pac-Man is sadly missing from the service, but Super Pac-Man and Pacmania are here for players’ enjoyment.
Super Pac-Man changes up the gameplay to have players open up parts of a larger level by collecting keys. Pacmania feels like a remake of the original but with new levels and different graphics.
1 Mortal Kombat
The first entry in this legendary series is far from the best, but it is still a blast to play so many years later. It is just a shame Mortal Kombat 2 and 3 are currently absent since they hold up better.
All the same, facing off against friends is still a great time. Anybody who has played the more recent games but never explored the classics owes it to themselves to discover where the fighting game series started.
