Hilton Jones has worn just about every hat in pinball: collector, competitor, and the longest-running operator in Madison, WI. He helped write the rules for Spooky's Evil Dead and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, then built his own arcade game, Aliens of Destruction, which won Best New Arcade Game at Midwest Gaming Classic 2026. Matt Owen talks shop with him about operating, ruleset design, and indie arcade games.
The 1970s to 1990s was truly the golden era for public arcades. Take a stroll through arcade history with our roundup of 10 arcade chains that people still reminisce about today.
Step back in time and relive the glory days of arcade gaming with our list of the 11 must-play arcade games of the '90s. From classic fighting games to addictive shooters, these timeless arcade classics are sure to get your nostalgia and competitive spirit going.
Most people are familiar with bubble hockey as the table arcade game with a plastic or glass bubble over the top of it. However, if you have never played bubble hockey, you're in for a treat!
Michael Jordan. LeBron James. Steph Curry. What do they have in common? They all cut their chops on basketball arcade games. While that may or may not be a lie, you will feel like an NBA superstar when you get a high score on your own basketball arcade game.
The year? 1999. There were disappointments, for sure, but we did get something spectacular; crazier than The Matrix’s bullet-time, crazier than Smash Mouth topping the charts…we’re talkin’ the Crazy Taxi arcade craze.
If you've found yourself at the arcade drawn in by the lights, sounds, and motion of a coin pusher machine, you're not alone. It's captivating watching the machine's parts push coins and tokens around, just waiting for that jackpot moment where hundreds of tokens all fall into the machine at once.
Do you love the game of air hockey? The sound of pucks bouncing off the table edge, the slap of a mallet, the rattle and clink of a successful shot on goal? If so, then you know that there's nothing quite like playing a game on an arcade style air hockey table.
Do you love to dance? Do you love video games? Were you an arcade kid who came of age in the late 1990s and early 2000s? If so, then you should consider buying a DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) arcade machine for your home game room!
Are you a Skee Ball fanatic? Is there nothing more entertaining or relaxing than rolling that ball down the playfield in search of the perfect score? If this sounds like you, you have probably thought to buy a Skee Ball machine for your home at least once (we know it's true).
