Deep Scan

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Sega

The concept of Deep Scan is solid enough…take the typical space shooter from the time, flip it upside down, and have the player battle enemy submarines instead of space ships. That may be over simplifying it a tad, but it's not too far off. In Deep Scan, you control a ship floating in the ocean, at the top of the screen. However, navigating the waters below are enemy subs that send mines floating to the top that, apparently, explode as soon as they sense fresh air after hitting the surface. Your goal is to avoid those mines while you play. You're not defenseless, though. You've got the ability to drop bombs that slowly sink down below. The catch? You can only send a certain number of bombs down at a time, so you've got to be strategic about when you decide to blow up an enemy ship or leave them be. Likewise, since the bombs only go straight down, you need to get good timing to be able to "drop the bomb," as the kids say, and have it hit one of the enemy submarines…until you get that timing down, it'll be pretty common to drop a bomb (or several) at an enemy, just for them all to pass by, just in front or just behind their sub. Also, if you survive long enough, much like in some other shooters, a red submarine will eventually appear at the bottom of the screen. If you manage to bomb that fella, you'll net yourself plenty of points. The downside to the game, however, is that it can be painfully slow in the beginning while you wait for subs to appear…it does eventually get frantic and hectic, but it takes some time to get to that point. If it got to the more frantic gameplay a little quicker, I think it would have gone a long way. Anyway, Deep Scan was still a solid game in arcades. It was later ported to the Atari 2600 as Sub Scan, but this arcade version is the better choice if you can only play one or the other.

Review added: 11/06/2025

Defender

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Williams

I think Defender intimidated a lot of people when it first came out. Up until Defender, most arcade games had some difficulty, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be overcome with some minimal practice. Defender, however, ramped up the challenge…and rather than avoid that challenge, players in arcades seemed to welcome it with open arms. Defender It would become Williams Electronics' best -selling arcade cabinet and one of the highest-grossing arcade games in history. Essentially, Defender is a scrolling shooter, where you can move your ship to scroll left and/or right while also moving the ship up and down on the screen to line-up shots with the enemy, or to dodge shots fired by the enemy. You start with three "smart bombs" that can destroy all visible enemies on the screen and you've also got a "hyperspace" button that will warp you to a random part of the screen. Both methods can be very helpful in situations where you get overwhelmed…though the hyperspace option can sometimes put you in worse danger, so it's best used as a last resort. Your goal is to destroy all alien invaders while protecting astronauts on the landscape from being abducted. If an astronaut gets abducted and is taken to the top of the screen, they become a mutant, which must be eliminated. If you manage to shoot down a ship that was abducting an astronaut, you then need to catch them as they fall back towards the planet and fly them down to safety. If you can defeat all aliens, then you advance to the next level. If you fail to protect the astronauts, however, then you'll be faced with a destroyed planets and few waves of mutants…after the mutants have been destroyed, however, the planet is restored and you'll advance on as normal. Switching your focus between being offensive to shoot down the enemy and defensive to save the astronauts is the key to survival in Defender. However, Defender isn't exactly a pick up and play game. You'll likely die shortly after putting your first quarter in, while you get adjusted to how the game controls and how fast it is when compared to other games of the time. After putting some time in it, though, like most games, you'll find yourself getting better and better…though, one could argue that Defender took longer to get better at than most of the games that came before it. Still, Defender is one of the best-remembered games from the early days of video games and one that showed the game industry, that folks popping those quarters in were hungry for something a bit more challenging than they had been used to playing.

Review added: 02/24/2026

Digger

Also known as: Heiankyo Alien (Japan)

Developer: Denki Onkyo

I've listed this game as Digger because that was its North American release name, but it found much, much more success in Japan under the name Heiankyo Alien. In fact, when an updated variation of the game returned to North American shores on the Nintendo Game Boy, it stuck with the Heiankyo Alien name. Anyway, regardless of what you call it, this is a very well-made, obscure game that doesn't seem to get enough credit here in the West. Meanwhile, over in the Land of the Rising Sun, Heiankyo Alien cracked the top 10 grossing games in arcades in both 1979 and 1980. The North American name of "Digger" comes from how the game plays. In this game, you'll find yourself in a maze with a few enemies. The goal is to dig holes to trap the enemies in, then close the hole up before they can escape. According to the Japanese instructions, you're basically luring the alien enemies into holes, then burying them alive. That doesn't sound like something very kind to do to a visitor. Anyway, digging a hole isn't as simple as hitting the button once - you've got to hit it three times to get the hole big enough. If any enemies make their way over before you can get that hole large, they'll cover it up and you'll have to start from scratch. The concept is to try to guess the movements of the aliens, and dig holes to leave in their path…but you can't just settle for stalking the aliens one by one. If you do, a swarm of aliens will fill the maze after a set period of time, basically making it near impossible to complete the level. So, you'll find yourself digging holes, then walking away to dig more holes…then frantically running back when an alien falls in a hole so you can cover that hole up before they manage to escape. It's a simple game with a very addicting concept. While it may not have been as popular in the West as it was in the East, Digger is still a very, very well made game and well worth playing, if you've got an opportunity to do so.

Review added: 02/22/2026

Dodgem

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Zaccaria

I played Dodgem since I thought it was the arcade version of the Astrocade game of the same name…and it's a completely different title. Where the Astrocade game, released in 1978, was all about avoiding an assortment of cars on a freeway, this version of Dodgem, developed and published by Zaccaria instead of Bally Midway, was released in 1979 and is a variation of Sega's Head-On. The idea of Dodgem is that you want to drive around a stage and collect all of the lines in a level, and pick up any flags that appear for bonus points along the way. The catch? There's another vehicle also driving around and their goal is to crash right into you. Thankfully, though, there's a few different lanes for you to drive in, so the key to surviving is to swap lanes frequently. The suicidal car will always change lanes to be in the lane that you're in, though, so you need to plan accordingly. You do also have the ability to put the pedal to the metal and boost yourself forward, rather than move at the default pace, so if it looks like you're doomed, you may be able to hit the gas and squeeze your way out of danger. The downside is that once you figure out a pattern, this game isn't too difficult…so there's not much of a reason to come back for more. Overall, Dodgem is a pretty forgettable arcade game, especially since Head-On came before it and Head-On 2 is better than it…however, it was still passable for its time. Just don't expect to spend too much time with it, especially if you've played a bunch of Head-On or Head-On 2 before.

Review added: 11/09/2025

Dolphin Blue

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Sammy Studios

I like Dolphin Blue, but for the same reason that I like it, I also feel like I have to dock my score for it a tad. Basically, Dolphin Blue is a game very much like Metal Slug…and if you've seen my reviews on the Metal Slug games, you'll probably know that I adore those run-and-gun shooters. So, obviously, when I started playing Dolphin Blue and realized it was a run-and-gun shooter with plenty of explosions, plus a dolphin buddy that helps you make things explode, I was sold. The downside, though, is that it's so similar to Metal Slug that it doesn't have a lot of unique ideas…and it doesn't do the Metal Slug formula as well as Metal Slug does. One thing that does separate the games is the dolphin pal that I mentioned. Instead of having grenades, like in Metal Slug, instead you've got a meter at the bottom of the screen. You can activate special moves when that meter if filled up enough…usually involving the dolphin, but in the non-dolphin areas of the game, your character will do a special move instead. Also, while the game itself is still difficult, it's a little more forgiving in the fact that if you die while armed with a special weapon, when you revive, you've still got that weapon. Unfortunately, as I said, this game doesn't do the Metal Slug formula as well as Metal Slug…and much of that is because of the personality. Metal Slug oozes personality from nearly every aspect of the game…and Dolphin Blue simply doesn't. Dolphin Blue is a neat take on the Metal Slug formula, with different visuals, but with that lack of personality, I simply didn't enjoy myself playing this as much as I would have hoped. I'm glad I played through it, I still think it's a decent game, but I'll be returning to Metal Slug in the future rather than Dolphin Blue.

Review added: 11/14/2025

Dominos

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Atari

Dominos is a two-player game where each player controls an arrow. Once the game begins, the arrow is constantly in motion, and it leaves a trail of dominos behind it. The goal is to make your opponent bump into either your trail of dominos or their trail. Regardless of which trail that they bump into, their dominos will then begin to tumble….or yours, if you're the one that did the bumpin'. While it's kind of neat to see those dominos fall the first time, this is a game where you have to cause your opponent's dominos to topple a few times before you're declared the victor. If you've got two skilled players against each other, and they fill the screen up with dominos, then they're stuck sitting there for a while as the dominos topple over after one finally crashes into a trail. The game, like many arcade games, starts slow, but speeds up as the game goes longer, making it more difficult to "time" your turns. You may think that you're time a turn just right to trap your opponent, and find yourself crashing into their stack of dominos or turning too early and leaving a gap for them to escape through. My only real complaint about the game may not even be valid - Checkmate is a similar game that also came out in 1977, but I don't know when. It gives this gameplay, but for four players battling against each other, which is significantly more fun. If Checkmate came out first, then Dominos is slightly disappointing. If Dominos came out first, which I believe is the case, but have no proof, then it's a solid game that influenced a better game that came out later that year, Checkmate. Either way, if you've got a friend to play against (or just want to battle against a computer-controlled opponent) Dominos can be decent fun for a few minutes.

Review added: 02/25/2026

Donkey Kong

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Nintendo

Fun fact – Donkey Kong’s strange name came from Shigeru Miyamoto using a Japanese-English dictionary to find different words to use for the term “stubborn gorilla.” And much like a stubborn gorilla (some folks call me “ape,” you know) I find myself frolicking over to this gem every time I visit my local arcade…or any arcade that has this masterpiece available to play, for that matter. Donkey Kong is probably most famous for introducing players to two of the most iconic video game characters of all-time – Donkey Kong and Mario. However, just as importantly, it was the first great platformer to ever be released. It, perhaps, was the main reason for Nintendo gaining the momentum towards them becoming the powerhouse that they would be in just a few short years. The Colecovision’s port of Donkey Kong helped give that console some traction in sales, and in Japan, Nintendo used a port of Donkey Kong to help sell their brand-new Famicom system, and while both ports are well done, there’s still just something about popping some quarters in a machine, trying to grip a joystick covered in pizza grease, and entering your initials when you’ve broken into the top scores of the area. Like most great games from the past, Donkey Kong is still just as fun to play today as it was back when it was released nearly four decades ago.

Review added: 07/16/2019