Warp Warp

Also known as: Warp & Warp (Japan)

Developer: Namco

Namco was on quite a roll in 1980-1981, putting out a lot of really, really good video games. However, one game that doesn't seem to get much love in that time period is Warp Warp…or Warp & Warp as it was originally released as in Japan. According to the arcade flyer, you control "this fighter" and your goal is to attack the enemy monsters. You've got a red, crab called Snapper, a blue octopus called Octo, a green frog named Hopper, and a weirdo yellow creature named Bobo. Your goal as a "fighter" is to just decimate these poor creatures. When the game begins, you'll be shooting at all of these "monsters" with the goal of shooting three of the same-colored monster in a row, which will cause a "mystery monster" to appear, which if you hunt that poor creature down, you'll get bonus points. The game is called Warp Warp because the center of the screen has a warp zone. By entering the warp zone, you will be transported from Space World, where the game starts, to Maze World. Maze World is where you find that the "fighter" that you control is really just a psychopath with way too much time on his hands. In Maze World, you don't have a gun…you're just armed with explosives like some sort of madman. While Bomberman hadn't been created yet, the Maze World of Warp Warp plays like a crude version of what Bomberman would become. Essentially, you lay down an explosive, and after a few seconds, it explodes, with the explosion stretching out a bit, and anything touching the explosion perishes. Hiding behind walls can protect you from your own blasts. This area is fun, and may be the inspiration behind Bomberman, released roughly two years later, but it's nowhere near as deep as the Bomberman games would be. When the warp zone flashes, you can enter it and warp back to Space World. While it's not as well-made as other games that Namco put out of the time, like Pac-Man, Galaga, Bosconian, and Rally-X, Warp Warp is still a solid, fun little game that can be a fun way to spend a few minutes if you happen to come across a cabinet.

Review added: 04/09/2026

World Heroes

Also known as: N/A

Developer: ADK

I played World Heroes about a decade ago, and while it wasn’t a bad fighting game, I don’t remember it being too great, either. Revisiting it for this list, it’s better than I remember. I thought I remembered World Heroes having choppy controls, like many early fighting games, but I was wrong. The controls here are smooth. While it’s not Street Fighter II in quality, it still provides pretty solid fighting action. What does set World Heroes apart from other fighting games of the time is a second variation of Arcade mode - Death Match mode. This plays just like Arcade mode, except with different stages to battle in - most with hazardous areas to damage your opponent with…or for them to damage you with. Tired of attacking the enemy and them blocking all of your attacks? Well, attack them enough and you may push them into a spiked wall in Death Match mode, putting the hurt on them and temporarily putting an end to your inability to cause any damage. Again, World Heroes likely won’t be considered one of the greatest fighting games by anyone, but it’s still a very solid fighter and well worth checking out if you’re a fan of the genre.

Review added: 01/30/2022

WWF Superstars

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Technos

A lot of arcade-playing wrestling fans fondly remember WWF Wrestlefest, but not many seem to remember the game that laid the groundwork for that classic - WWF Superstars. Taking a tag team to the gold is the goal here, and the final challenges before getting gold around your waist are the Mega Bucks; Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant. Andre is near invincible and DiBiase is a wrestling machine...Making this one of the most difficult boss fights I've played in any game...I literally spent about an hour and a half of continuing before finally outsmarting the duo by getting Andre counted out. But anyway, the wrestling action here is very solid and fun to play. Some difficulty issues with the unforgiving computer (mostly only against the Bucks) may make some folks shy away after playing a few matches, though. WWF Wrestlefest tweaks everything found here and improves upon it, but Superstars ain't no slouch, either.

Review added: 10/19/2019

WWF Wrestlefest

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Technos

If you're a wrestling fan and you've never played WWF Wrestlefest, you really need to go out of your way and find a cabinet. In 1991, this game was so easy to pick up and play while also being  incredibly, and deceptively, deep for a wrestling title. There are reversals, finishing moves, double-team moves...And the controls are so simple and easy to understand that anyone can do the features mentioned above with very little effort. Techno’s second time in the WWF ring has the tag team mode returning from WWF Superstars, but the real charm to this game, and the mode that will likely hook you,  is the Royal Rumble mode. Much like the popular timed battle royal, you start out with wrestlers in the ring - here it's six instead of two. As each man gets eliminated, another wrestler enters the ring until only one is left standing at the end. I don’t know how many quarters I’ve lost to this game over the years, but I’m sure it’s enough where I could’ve bought my own WWF Wrestlefest cabinet by now....or a house.

Review added: 07/31/2020