5 Arcade Games From 1988 That Still Hold Up Today

Even as the Nintendo Entertainment System was picking up momentum for home consoles after the video game crash of 1983, arcades were still popular in 1988. Now competing with a resurgent home console market and the growing proliferation of personal computers, arcade titles had to pull out all the stops. Established franchises were revamped significantly for the arcade scene, while new properties were introduced. This meant that many of the arcade games released in the late '80s were developed to be technologically superior to their home platform ports.

For this article, we're taking a look at the arcade games released in 1988 with an enduring fun factor. Even nearly 40 years after their initial release, these games still have us coming back for more. And while several of these titles received home platform ports, there's something special about their respective original arcade release. 

Here are five arcade games from 1988 that still hold up today, each well worth revisiting.

As far as arcade games went in 1988, few cabinets could catch attention on the floor better than "Metal Hawk." The original arcade cabinet was shaped like a helicopter cockpit, reflecting the aerial action for players to dive into. The game itself is a top-down shooter, with players controlling a helicopter not unlike the preceding year's "Thunder Blade." Rather than being isolated to a single scrolling direction like "1941," the game lets players rotate and proceed in multiple directions as they navigate combat zones.

Because of its ambitiously audacious cabinet, "Metal Hawk" is a retro arcade game that vanished without a trace, at least in terms of its original presentation. The game itself has since been ported to modern gaming platforms, but there's something about sitting in a faux cockpit to experience its thrills. But even without this arcade cabinet peripheral, the game is still an enjoyable vehicle shooter decades later. A visual marvel with intuitive vehicle controls, "Metal Hawk" still packs the high-flying thrills, even just in its home port.

While "Splatterhouse" may have been an '80s horror game that was too disturbing for kids, we're the perfect age for it now. Taking visible inspiration from the horror movies of the era, the game has college student Rick Taylor bond to a mythical relic known as the Terror Mask. Imbued with superhuman strength and endurance, Rick cuts down waves of monstrous enemies in side-scrolling action. Compared to the home platform release, the arcade version brings plenty of unfiltered gore reflecting the game's sanguine influences.

"Splatterhouse" really is best played through its original arcade version, which has been re-released digitally for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. The game brings a vicious edge compared to its fellow beat'em up counterparts, especially in its unrelenting boss battles. The title spawned a short series for the Sega Genesis, but the original release still stands as the franchise's pinnacle. A must-play for horror fans, "Splatterhouse" offers a bloody good time and plenty of quarter-munching challenge.

Just as the original "Double Dragon" was an arcade game from 1987 that still holds up today, its sequel the following year is a worthy successor. "Double Dragon II: The Revenge" goes in a much darker direction than its predecessor, with Marian, the woman you rescued in the previous game, murdered in the opening. In response, Marian's boyfriend Billy Lee and his brother Jimmy take on the street gang responsible to avenge her death. The side-scrolling beat'em up gameplay that the series is known for is retained and visibly improved upon compared to its predecessor.

Even released just 19 months after the preceding game, "Double Dragon II: The Revenge" feels like a considerable upgrade. Beyond the more robust combat system, there is also a greater variety in enemy types and weapons that keep the action feeling fresh. Like the original, the game received a version for the Nintendo Entertainment System, though it feels significantly different from the arcade title. Maintaining the franchise's position as the premier beat'em up title in arcades, "Double Dragon II: The Revenge" is an ambitiously staged sequel.

When it comes to challenging arcade games, few '80s titles could match the difficulty of "Ghouls 'n Ghosts." The sequel to 1985's "Ghosts 'n Goblins," the Capcom title has Sir Arthur suit up to rescue the lovely Princess Prin-Prin once again. The gameplay is marginally more intuitive, increasing the directions in which Arthur can attack, while the technical presentation has been improved considerably. Like the preceding title, players have to complete the game a second time on a higher difficulty setting in order to unlock its true ending.

For gamers who love an intense challenge, "Ghouls 'n Ghosts" delivers on that expectation and then some. While still incredibly difficult, the game doesn't feel as cheap as its predecessor and has aged better overall. Subsequent titles in the series would take cues from the 1988 game accordingly, particularly 1991's "Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts" for the Super Nintendo with its own enhancements. Before the advent of soulslike games, it was titles like "Ghouls 'n Ghosts" that put players to the test and that intense appeal is retained today.

Among the hit arcade games of 1987 was "Contra," which helped popularize run-and-gun titles both in arcades and on home platforms. The Williams Electronics' game "Narc" took those sensibilities and applied them to a more urban setting. The game has players take on various street gangs and crime syndicates linked to drug trafficking, with the character blasting through waves of enemies and recovering contraband. Unlike "Contra," players are relegated to a single plane of movement but can also move laterally, like "Double Dragon."

"Narc" feels like an arcade game developed to capitalize on the Reagan Administration's War on Drugs. The game feels over-the-top in its spectacle, which feels cheesily endearing now, nearly 40 years after its debut. With playable protagonists named Max Force and Hit Man, the experience is farcical, while the action is delightfully explosive. At once a product of its time and a fun cross between a run-and-gun and beat'em up title, "Narc" brings the crime-infused thrills.