THE CABINETS

Ten original games, 1972 to 1984

Every cabinet in Arcade 84 is an original built on a mechanic that existed by the end of 1984: the rules, the timing and the feel of a golden-age classic, with its own names, sprites, sounds and layouts. Free, no download, no account. Walk in and click a cabinet, or go straight to one below.

• GLOWCHASE Maze chase · 1980

  Clear the neon maze while four drones hunt you. Grab a pellet and hunt them back.

  Arrows or W A S D move. Enter starts, Space pauses. On a phone, the on-screen pad. Any gamepad works.

  PLAY GLOWCHASE

• HIVEFIRE Fixed shooter · 1981

  Drone hive above, one interceptor below. Shoot the divers, dodge the beam, win your ship back.

  Left and right move, or the mouse. Z fires. On a phone, the on-screen pad. Any gamepad works.

  PLAY HIVEFIRE

• PADDLEDUEL Two-paddle tennis · 1972

  Two paddles, one ball. First to eleven. The rally gets faster every hit.

  The mouse moves the paddle, or up and down. On a phone, the on-screen pad. Any gamepad works.

  PLAY PADDLEDUEL

• BRICKSTORM Brick-breaker · 1976

  One paddle, one ball, six rows of neon brick. Clear the wall and it comes back faster.

  The mouse moves the paddle, or left and right. Click or Z serves. On a phone, the on-screen pad. Any gamepad works.

  PLAY BRICKSTORM

• ROCKBURST Multidirectional shooter · 1979

  Turn, burn and blast the drifting rock into smaller rock. Watch for saucers, and hyperspace only when you must.

  Left and right turn, up thrusts, Z fires, down is hyperspace. On a phone, the on-screen pad. Any gamepad works.

  PLAY ROCKBURST

• SKYSIEGE Fixed shooter · 1978

  Rows of drones march down the sky. Hold the line from under crumbling shields, one shot at a time.

  Left and right move, or the mouse. Z fires. On a phone, the on-screen pad. Any gamepad works.

  PLAY SKYSIEGE

• SERPENTINE Snake · 1976

  Hunt the embers and grow. Every one makes you longer and faster. Do not touch the walls or yourself.

  Arrows or W A S D steer. On a phone, the on-screen pad. Any gamepad works.

  PLAY SERPENTINE

• CITYSHIELD Point defense · 1980

  Six cities, three batteries, thirty shots a wave. Tap the sky and let the rings do the rest.

  The mouse aims and a click fires, or arrows and Z. On a phone, the on-screen pad. Any gamepad works.

  PLAY CITYSHIELD

• ROADHOP Lane crossing · 1981

  Hop a hover-robot through traffic, across the river on diving plates, and home before the clock runs out.

  Arrows or W A S D hop. On a phone, the on-screen pad. Any gamepad works.

  PLAY ROADHOP

• MANYLEGS Vertical shooter · 1981

  A chain of pods winds down through the crystals. Every hit splits it. Keep the zone clear.

  Arrows or W A S D move, or the mouse. Z fires. On a phone, the on-screen pad. Any gamepad works.

  PLAY MANYLEGS

Coming soon

Seven more cabinets stand in the room with their marquees lit and their screens dark: WELLFIRE, HUEHOP, SUBSOIL, ROLLWAY, LINEFALL, HEXHOLD and LAVAMAZE. Each one opens when it plays as well as the ten above.

How to play

On a laptop, W A S D or the arrows walk the room and the mouse looks around; click a cabinet to step up to it. At the cabinet, Enter starts a credit, Space pauses and Escape steps back. Every game plays standing at the machine in 3D or flat on the screen; the panel at the cabinet switches between them. On a phone the on-screen pad walks and plays, and a credit opens the flat screen so the game fills the width. A real arcade stick or a console controller works everywhere: how to connect one.

Scores

Every cabinet keeps a world board for today and for all time, entered with three initials at game over, the way it was done. Your own best stays on your device as well. No account, nothing to sign up for.

WALK INTO THE ARCADE