What are arcade games? Classification of computer games, types of arcade games Genre of arcade racing where the player.

Race

Racing (racing.) - a characteristic feature of the genre - simple controls, distant from realityx.

Classic

Classic (classic), where the goal is to pass the level for speed, collect bonuses and get the most points.

Fighting games

Fighting, Wrestling (fighting, fighting game) - two characters take part in the battle, who fight in the arena, using different blows, throws. Often there is a choice of a large number of fighters and different punch combinations for each player. Most often used on game consoles.

Prefixes

Platformer (platformers). The term platforming comes from game consoles. This is where the genre is most popular. The peculiarity lies in the fact that the player overcomes obstacles by jumping. Most often you have to jump on sticks (platforms) placed in the air, hence the name came from. The most popular games are Mario, Sonic, Aladin.

Scrolls

Scroller (scrollers). In a scroller, the screen continuously moves in a certain direction, and the player's goal is to destroy the enemies that appear, overcome obstacles and collect bonuses. Scrollers are made into 2 types: horizontal (from bottom to top) and vertical (from left to right). Scrollers were at the peak of popularity in the mid-90s, unfortunately now they are almost not produced.

Virtual Shooting (shooting range in virtual reality). It originated on slot machines, but has subsequently moved to many gaming platforms, including PCs. The goal in the shooting range is to hit the targets. Shooting range has not become popular due to monotonous levels, a small selection of weapons and lack of dynamics.

Arcade as a genre

The word arcade itself translates as an adventure game. In our time in Russia, this is a term that denotes, first of all, computer games with a simple process. This type cannot be considered as a separate genre, rather it is a game direction. Quite often, arcades are opposed to simulators.

Arcades are divided into several types:

• Racing
• Classic(classic.)
• Fighting, Wrestling
• Platformer (platformers.)
• Scroller
• Virtual Shooting(shooting range in virtual reality)

Until now, developers are creating more and more new projects that combine elements of both arcade and other genres, trying to attract the attention of more people and create something interesting and unique. Despite the fact that the peak of arcade popularity came at the end of the 20th century, to this day this genre has a huge number of loyal fans, preventing it from ending its existence.

What is happening now?

Like many other genres, arcades are gradually moving from computer to real world. In fact, this is a real madness in the world of action games. Just imagine the combination of arcade machines with the popular TV show “Fort Boyard” and the result will be arcade quests.

The mechanics of this entertainment is that teams of 2-3 people compete with each other, trying to score more points than their opponents.

A huge plus is that in this type of leisure you do not need special equipment and preliminary physical training. But take with you a good mood and a sense of self-irony, you also need a good reaction and dexterity.

Also, mini-arcades are increasingly being inserted into full-fledged quests. Such inserts are fun entertainment for people who want to take a break from the constant intellectual activity and puzzles. However, the developers leave the choice for customers - to play an arcade game or go according to your usual scenario.

With deliberately primitive gameplay. Some magazines about computer games Ah, they are singled out as a separate genre and platformers are ranked among them.

Arcades are often directly contrasted with simulations. For example, if we are talking about the “racing” genre, then some of its representatives can be “arcade games”, “simulators”, or (most often) something in between. Need for Speed ​​racing (Except Porsche, ProStreet, Shift series) is a typical example of arcade games while GTR is a simulation.

Most of all, arcade games are common on game consoles (including portable ones) and, of course, arcade machines.

Types of arcades

The list of examples in this article or its section is not based directly on the subject of the article or its section. Fighting, fighting, wrestling Fighting, Wrestling ) In fights, two characters fight in the arena, using various blows, throws and combinations. It is characterized by a large number of characters (fighters) and strikes (sometimes more than a hundred for each character). The genre is not very popular due to the focus on a joint game, and it is quite problematic to play together on the keyboard at the same time. However, it is well developed on game consoles. For some games of this genre, world championships are even held. Often, in some arena games, four opponents can converge at the same time, for example in Guilty Gear Isuka. A gamepad is recommended to control these games. the Mortal Kombat series; the Street Fighter series; Tekken series; Guilty Gear series. platformers (English) platformer ) The concept of platformers came from game consoles (console). This is where the genre is most popular. The main task of the player is to overcome obstacles (holes, spikes, enemies, etc.) by jumping. Often you have to jump on "sticks" (so-called platforms) abstractly placed in the air, hence the name of the genre. scrollers (English) scroller ) In scrollers, the screen constantly moves in one direction, and the player is invited to destroy the enemies that appear and collect the bonuses that appear. In the direction of movement, vertical (from bottom to top) and horizontal (from left to right) scrollers are distinguished. The genre was very popular in the mid-90s, now scrollers are practically not produced. Of the modern games of this genre, Jets'n'Guns and the Touhou series can be noted, examples of other games: Virtual shooting range Virtual Shooting ) First born on slot machines, later moved to many gaming platforms, including . The gameplay is a shooting of unexpectedly appearing enemies, but unlike action games, we cannot control the player’s movement or the camera, we seem to be driving along the “rails” throughout the game. In this regard, video shooting galleries are sometimes made, that is, the entire game is filmed on a video camera, substituting different versions of video clips in certain places. Also, modern players sometimes jokingly call monotonous and simple shooters "virtual shooting range" (for example, "Soldier of fortune 3: Payback"). Series House of the Dead Other arcades The gameplay in them falls under the definition of "arcade", they are usually very dynamic, and the goal in them is to collect all the bonuses or score the maximum possible number of points. However, they are usually distinguished from representatives of other varieties of this genre by some original finds of the developers, which do not allow one to attribute these games to one of the above categories. action RPG Strategy Quest Vehicle Simulator life simulator Other

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An excerpt characterizing the Arcade (game)

But at once he remembered his word of honor given to Prince Andrei not to visit Kuragin. But immediately, as happens with people who are called spineless, he so passionately wanted to once again experience this dissolute life so familiar to him that he decided to go. And immediately the thought occurred to him that this word meant nothing, because even before Prince Andrei, he also gave Prince Anatole the word to be with him; finally, he thought that all these words of honor were such conditional things that had no definite meaning, especially if one realized that perhaps tomorrow either he would die or something so unusual would happen to him that there would be no more honest , nor dishonorable. This kind of reasoning, destroying all his decisions and assumptions, often came to Pierre. He went to Kuragin.
Arriving at the porch of a large house near the horse guard barracks in which Anatole lived, he climbed onto the illuminated porch, onto the stairs, and entered the open door. There was no one in the hall; there were empty bottles, raincoats, galoshes; there was a smell of wine, a distant voice and a cry could be heard.
The game and dinner were already over, but the guests had not yet left. Pierre threw off his cloak and entered the first room, where there were the remnants of dinner and one footman, thinking that no one could see him, was secretly finishing his unfinished glasses. From the third room came fuss, laughter, cries of familiar voices and the roar of a bear.
About eight young people crowded preoccupiedly near the open window. Three were busy with a young bear, which one dragged on a chain, scaring the other with it.
“I hold a hundred for Stevens!” one shouted.
– Look not to support! shouted another.
- I'm for Dolokhov! shouted a third. - Take it apart, Kuragin.
- Well, drop Mishka, there's a bet.
- In one spirit, otherwise it is lost, - shouted the fourth.
- Yakov, give me a bottle, Yakov! - Shouted the owner himself, a tall handsome man, standing in the middle of the crowd in one thin shirt, open in the middle of his chest. - Stop, gentlemen. Here he is Petrusha, dear friend, - he turned to Pierre.
Another voice of a short man, with clear blue eyes, which was especially striking among all these drunken voices with its sober expression, shouted from the window: "Come here - break the bet!" It was Dolokhov, the Semyonov officer, famous player and a breeder who lived with Anatole. Pierre smiled, looking cheerfully around him.
- I don't understand anything. What's the matter?
Wait, he's not drunk. Give me a bottle, - said Anatole and, taking a glass from the table, went up to Pierre.
- First of all, drink.
Pierre began to drink glass after glass, scowling at the drunken guests, who again crowded at the window, and listening to their conversation. Anatole poured him wine and said that Dolokhov was betting with the Englishman Stevens, a sailor who was here, that he, Dolokhov, would drink a bottle of rum, sitting on the third floor window with his legs down.
- Well, drink it all! - said Anatole, giving the last glass to Pierre, - otherwise I won’t let him in!
“No, I don’t want to,” said Pierre, pushing Anatole away, and went to the window.
Dolokhov held the Englishman's hand and clearly, distinctly pronounces the terms of the bet, referring mainly to Anatole and Pierre.
Dolokhov was a man of medium height, with curly hair and light blue eyes. He was twenty-five years old. He did not wear a mustache, like all infantry officers, and his mouth, the most striking feature of his face, was completely visible. The lines of this mouth were remarkably finely curved. In the middle, the upper lip fell energetically onto the strong lower lip in a sharp wedge, and something like two smiles constantly formed in the corners, one on each side; and all together, and especially in combination with a firm, insolent, intelligent look, made such an impression that it was impossible not to notice this face. Dolokhov was a poor man, without any connections. And despite the fact that Anatole lived in tens of thousands, Dolokhov lived with him and managed to put himself in such a way that Anatole and everyone who knew them respected Dolokhov more than Anatole. Dolokhov played all the games and almost always won. No matter how much he drank, he never lost his head. Both Kuragin and Dolokhov at that time were celebrities in the world of rake and revelers in St. Petersburg.
A bottle of rum was brought; the frame, which did not allow one to sit on the outer slope of the window, was broken down by two lackeys, apparently in a hurry and timid from the advice and cries of the surrounding gentlemen.
Anatole, with his victorious air, went up to the window. He wanted to break something. He pushed the footmen away and pulled the frame, but the frame did not give up. He broke the glass.
“Well, come on, strong man,” he turned to Pierre.
Pierre took hold of the crossbars, pulled, and with a crack turned the oak frame inside out.
- All out, otherwise they will think that I am holding on, - said Dolokhov.
“The Englishman is boasting… huh?… good?…” said Anatole.
“Good,” said Pierre, looking at Dolokhov, who, taking a bottle of rum in his hands, went up to the window, from which he could see the light of the sky and the morning and evening dawns merging on it.
Dolokhov, with a bottle of rum in his hand, jumped up to the window. "Listen!"
he shouted, standing on the windowsill and turning into the room. Everyone fell silent.
- I bet (he spoke French so that an Englishman could understand him, and he did not speak this language very well). I bet fifty imperials, want a hundred? he added, turning to the Englishman.
“No, fifty,” said the Englishman.

It turns out that arcades are coin-operated slot machines, which are often installed in public institutions, restaurants, bars, and most often in slot machine halls. And only recently the term "arcade" began to be used in relation to computer games.

The first known arcades were the arcade games on the way to the amusement park, such as shooting range, ball toss, and the first coin-operated machines that told people their future or played mechanical music. The era of such machines reigned in the 1970-1980s. They were especially popular in Japan.

The hit of the arcade computer games that took over from mechanical slot machines in the late 70s was Space Invaders. The success of this game ushered in the golden age of arcade video games. From that moment on, arcades appeared in restaurants, bars, shops, cinemas.

With the advent of Street Fighter II in 1991, there was a renaissance in the arcade. During this period, games in the genre of "wrestling" or "fighting" appeared. With the advent of graphic 3D images, racing and shooting games have also gained considerable popularity.

In the mid-90s, there was a sharp decline in the popularity of arcade video games. In addition, in early 2000, networked computer games began to spread, which radically changed the social atmosphere that arose exclusively in arcades.

Today, arcade games have found their place in the market among games that use special controllers, mostly inaccessible to home users. We began to perceive differently, they became more socially oriented. The central place in the game began to be occupied by individual performance, and not by the content of the game.

In the West, the arcade game industry still exists, although it is not as developed. In Japan, however, such games are still popular today. Also, the arcade game development industry is booming in China.

Today, arcade games are also represented in huge numbers thanks to Flash technology. Many independent developers are currently creating games in this genre that are intended for use on the Internet only. You can find a collection of worthy arcade games

The flash arcade genre is characterized by short levels, simple intuitive control schemes, and rapidly increasing difficulty. gameplay. All this gives a special rhythm to the game, where the user can play as long as he can last until his life or coins in his pocket run out :)

Arcade machines can still be found today in various establishments, such as bars, bowling alleys, you can find them in supermarkets, cinemas and shopping centers. In a word, arcades remain popular in public places where people want to have a good time in their free time.

The article tells about what an arcade is, what features such computer games have, and describes their most common genres.

Games

Computer games have long ceased to be fun for children, in our time they are played by representatives of various segments of the population, age and social status. Although there are still those who consider this industry extremely harmful and see it as the reason for the allegedly growing number of crimes among young people.

The process of creating some of these new products is not much inferior in scope and cost to shooting, for example, another Hollywood movie. A large team of specialists is working on the creation of the game, actors are invited to voice characters, historical consultants, etc. However, there are some genres of games that do without all this, and people love them not for the detailed world and plot, but for the gameplay itself . And it's arcade. So what is arcade? How does it differ from other games and what varieties of it are the most popular? We will talk about this.

Definition

Arcade is a common term that refers to games with a deliberately simplified process, graphics or other component. And, by the way, some game reviewers, magazines or websites even single out such games as a separate genre, including various platformers among them. But first things first. We figured out what an arcade is, now let's talk about how such a direction arose in general.

It all started with slot machines, which used to be very common. In conditions when not everyone could afford computers, and there were no game consoles at all, slot machines were very popular. And in the case when the game is ported from a similar machine to a computer, it is called arcade. Well, or when it is simply similar in essence and style to other machine games. So now we know what an arcade is.

Now a whole generation has grown up for which computer and other digital technologies are a familiar thing, but nevertheless, arcade games are still very popular. Of course, not everyone, it is not enough to create or port a game from a slot machine to a computer - not everyone is attracted to this genre. However, what are their varieties for a computer in general?

Race

Arcade races are distinguished primarily by extremely simplified controls and car physics. While driving, a lot of factors are not taken into account, such as the speed of entering a turn, the type of road surface, and much more. True, some of them gradually outgrew the arcade genre and began to be released separately on the computer. But in the end, they lost the definition of "arcade". Games of this kind are very popular and always compete with each other for the attention of the audience.

Fighting games

Such games originated on the first consoles, and many remember the founders of this genre - games such as Tekken and Mortal Kombat. Usually they are a two-dimensional image, in which the characters try their best to defeat each other using hand-to-hand combat and wrestling techniques. And they are loved because the players are given a large number of heroes to choose from, each of which has its own unique combat skills. True, it makes sense to install such arcades on a computer only when a joystick is available, since it is difficult to play them with a mouse and keyboard.

Platformers

The very concept of “platformer” came from the world of game consoles and consoles, since this genre is most popular there. Their meaning is to pass the level and overcome various obstacles and traps with the help of jumping, running or ingenuity.

The heyday of arcade games refers to the period from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, calling it the golden age of arcade games[remove template] .

The name "arcade" comes from the English. arcade - arcade, a covered arcade of shops that traditionally housed arcade arcade machines.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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  One of the first arcade games is Computer Space[remove template], which was established in the year. It is the first industrial electronic game (English) Russian of this genre. Despite its name, which began to be associated with games of this type only in the late 1970s.

  The first arcade games such as Asteroids, battle zone, star castle used vector graphics for rendering, when the image was built from lines. After the advent of color bitmap graphics, cartoon video games and characters such as Pac man and Donkey Kong, which have become cult and manifested themselves as a cultural phenomenon.

  In the mid-1980s, arcade games began to become widespread, becoming more diverse, both in terms of the control interface (arcade machine) and in terms of themes, graphics and genres. More realistic controllers were used, such as double spaceships Tail Gunner (English) Russian or Ferrari's control Out Run. Over time, arcades were supplanted by home systems as their graphics began to outperform most arcade games, and thus arcades left the industry by the late 1990s.

  In the 2000s, the arcade genre began to be used in social and online gaming, with game centers providing hourly computer and console game services. The difference was the atmosphere of an Internet cafe, and the use of the advantages of a video room. Some companies developed games trying to combine the arcade experience of the players and the advantages of the attraction approach. For example, Disney and Sally Corporation in 2008 in the game Toy Story Midway Mania! (English) Russian for four players, giant video screens, carnival style, and special effects using VFX spray were used.

  Characteristic features of the genre

  Classic arcades are characterized by the following properties:

  • Single screen game. In classic arcade games, the entire gameplay is concentrated on one screen. First of all, this is due historically, which happened due to technical limitations, but at the same time it significantly influenced game design. Thus, players at any time could see the entire game world and make decisions based on complete information about its state. Many games in the genre had more than one screen, and they changed each other like levels. Typical examples here are Joust, Pac man, Mario Bros..
  • Endless game. Potentially, players can play the arcade for an infinite amount of time, and therefore cannot win. This influenced the fact that the players made a challenge to themselves - how long they could hold out. Regarding game design in arcades, the player never won, and every game ended in defeat. At the same time, games were designed to become increasingly difficult for the player over time, and thus an endless game offered infinite difficulty. This situation changed with the advent of the home computer market, when publishers changed their desire for players to play the game and then want to buy a new one.
  • Many lives. Usually, the classic arcade offers the player several attempts (lives). This approach allows beginners to get a better opportunity to learn game mechanics before the game ends. If the player understood the game better, then the likelihood that he would return to it again increased. This feature also allowed players to receive extra lives as a reward for their success.
  • Game score. Almost all classic arcade games include a game score (English) Russian when the player receives points for completing various goals or objectives. For example, in Centipede players get 1 point for killing the mushroom, 10 for the Centipede segment, 100 for her head, and 1000 for the scorpion. There is another important arcade concept here, inherited from pinball games: points allow the player to understand how well he played, despite the fact that it is impossible to win. At the same time, the typical playing time of an average player is about two minutes, and for an experienced player up to tens of minutes. Based on this feature, arcades usually have a table of records, where a player can enter his initials next to his results, and thereby compare himself with other players, and then “boast” and compete.
  • Fast learning, simple gameplay. Classic arcade games are characterized by the fact that it is easy for players to learn the gameplay, but it becomes almost impossible to master the game due to its complexity. However, if a player dies in an arcade, it almost always happens through his fault. These games don't have "special keyboard shortcuts" that the player has to learn from the documentation in order to do something special. Very few games expand the concept with health points, shields, or power pills. (English) Russian. This is because, from a commercial point of view, arcades needed to reach as wide a range of players as possible, that is, in fact, every person in a bar or store should be able to come up and try to play. At the same time, simple gameplay does not mean that it is "bad" or "limited" - it can be "elegant" and "polished".
  • No plot/story. Classic arcade games have almost always shied away from trying to tell any story, and this trend continues for modern arcade games. Games of the genre have always required players to quickly understand what is happening - is it science fiction, war, sports or something else. Many arcades created their own unique settings, for example Pac man and Q*Bert. The game designers of classic arcade games didn't feel they needed to fill their worlds with something and explain to the players why they had to shoot at certain targets of various shapes.

  Naturally, the classic arcade games broke some of the rules described above, but they are nevertheless considered representatives of the genre. For instance, Sinistar (English) Russian and Defender, whose game worlds were scrolling, but at the same time, in them, players could see all aspects of the gameplay. Another example is battle zone, which is fundamentally different from the games of its time. If these three games are knocked out of the described rules, then for example Space Invaders and Asteroids fully correspond to them.

  The artificial intelligence (AI) of arcade games tends to be simple patterns and does not respond to player behavior. Even though the AI ​​is simple, polishing it is a challenge, as the developer must balance between two factors: the player's passion and