5 Arcade Games From 1981 That Still Hold Up Today

The arcade scene was alive and well in 1981, with the video game crash of 1983 and its temporary implosion of the industry not yet on the horizon. Many of the early '80s arcade games that defined its golden age were first released in 1981. This includes franchises that still thrive today, introduced during this period as a testament to its continuing influence in the industry. Simply put, 1981 is a pivotal year for the development of gaming as we know it, with its legacy this holding strong decades later.

We're taking a look back at 1981 and the arcade games that debuted throughout the year. From space shooters to early platformers, gameplay steadily became more varied as developers explored what was possible for the medium. Now, decades later, these games retain much of their appeal with the added quality of nostalgia and pixelated charm in a high-definition world. 

Here are five arcade games from 1981 that still hold up today, each still fun to play.

Whereas most space shooters in the wake of "Space Invaders" took a similar top-down perspective, "Defender" went a different way. Developed and published by William Electronics, the arcade game is an early side-scrolling shooter instead and also not from a fixed position. True to its title, the objective is to defend humans from invading extraterrestrials trying to abduct them from the planet's surface. In addition to laser cannons, players can launch a limited number of bombs to clear the screen or hyperspace to different parts of the screen.

"Defender" is a welcome alternative to the "Asteroids" and "Space Invaders" knock-offs that were crowding the market at the time. Removed from that, it's still a solid side-scrolling shooter that has a surprising level of intricacy. The game was eventually ported to virtually every major home gaming platform of the era, but there's still an irreplaceable charm to that original arcade release. Perhaps not as well-known today as other titles on this list, "Defender" still provides a great time all these years later.

The video game that cemented Nintendo's place in the North American market was "Donkey Kong," which reached the continent in November 1981. The titular ape is actually the game's antagonist, with Mario – originally known as Jumpman – pursuing him after the simian kidnaps Pauline. The player climbs the top of the three first levels, avoiding obstacles that Donkey flings at them, forcing him to retreat. The fourth and final level has Mario remove locks on girders below Donkey Kong, sending him plummeting to his defeat.

"Donkey Kong" was an '80s video game that made arcades crowded, catapulting Nintendo to new levels of success. The game's 1994 remake on the Game Boy and a port hidden in "Donkey Kong 64" wisely don't mess with the level design and its core gameplay. This highlights how much of a timeless title that Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi had created all those years ago. Proof positive that Nintendo has a long history of building gameplay experiences that are made to last, "Donkey Kong" is an enduring classic.

Forever immortalized as the centerpiece of a death-defying "Seinfeld" stunt, "Frogger" holds a special place in many '80s gamers' hearts. The objective of the game is simple, with players maneuvering the titular protagonist across the street and its adjacent stream. This linear journey is completed by the street constantly featuring cars speeding across it, while alligators lurk in the water. Originally developed and published by Konami, the game spawned its own line of copycat titles but few retained its appeal.

"Frogger" is another enduring icon from its era, with its relevance undoubtedly reinforced by "Seinfeld." But beyond providing the sitcom with a one-off premise, the game itself is still a lot of fun to play on its own merits. Like many of the titles on this list, the beauty in the game lies within its simplicity, both with its gameplay and presentation. In a market dominated by space shooters and maze games like "Pac-Man," "Frogger" carved its own celebrated place in the arcade scene.

Rather than extraterrestrials, Atari's big 1981 arcade shooter "Centipede" had players blasting bugs as part of its frenetic fun. Players control a small green craft at the bottom of the screen, relegated to moving horizontally while it fires upwards. The game's enemies include all sorts of creepy crawlies, lurking around mushrooms and other obstacles that take several hits to destroy. The game's titular antagonist is a large centipede that rapidly coils around these obstacles, descending towards the player.

While mirroring many of the broader layouts of a space shooter for its time, "Centipede" definitely feels distinct. The centipede enemy adds a sense of anxiety-inducing urgency that'll keep players on their toes as it advances, growing more desperate the closer it nears the bottom of the screen. Fortunately, the game handles well, making the frustration more from player ability than technical limitations. A strong reminder why Atari was such an industry giant in the early '80s, "Centipede" is a fun-filled shooter experience with a unique art design.

In the wake of 1978's "Space Invaders," space shooters flooded the market with players similarly fixed to move horizontally on the bottom of the screen. After creating its own space shooter with 1979's "Galaxian," Namco crafted an even more memorable sequel with "Galaga." Released in arcades towards the end of 1981, the game featured a full-color display and varied enemy types. As opposed to "Space Invaders," the enemies in "Galaga" regularly break formation and descend on the player in differing attack patterns.

Especially compared to other space shooters of its era, "Galaga" is truly an '80s game with endless replay value. The game stands tall for its genre, still more well-known than Namco's subsequent follow-ups to it, including a return to the "Galaxian" branding. While advanced for its time, there is an enduring quality to the presentation and gameplay that just puts it far above its contemporaries. Amidst all the space shooters in the early '80s, "Galaga" is still the one that we can't put down.