Top 10: Classic Arcade Games

The '80s were a time of cultural excess: Headbands, funky music, and neon clothing. Anyone remember break dancing? Pee-Wee Herman was on top of the world and Madonna began belting out the hits. But technology also made quantum leaps forward in that bodacious decade. The age of the microchip was born and everything went into addicting the masses to these new computers.

Arcades, which were the perfect venue to introduce the younger generations to the wonders of technology, have existed since the 1930s, but only in the era of Boy George have they grown into a cultural phenomenon. I hereby present the top ten classic video arcade games.

Number 10

Tag Team Wrestling

In 1985, Data East decided to take advantage of the growing wrestling craze sweeping the nation. Game play was easy: You control a pair of wrestlers, Jocko and Spike, and you must defeat your evil foe The Mad Maulers. Only one of your men fights at a time, the other rests and gets ready to jump in to relieve his partner. The graphics were quite good for the period, making moves such as the Body Slam, the Drop Kick and the Piledriver believable.

Number 9

Q*bert

Is it possible to become obsessed with an orange creature with a big nose? Spend five minutes playing Q*bert and you'll find out. The game was released in 1982 and is well remembered today, having sprung merchandise like dolls and lunchboxes, and even a Saturday morning cartoon character on CBS's Saturday Supercade .

The object of the game, which takes place solely on a pyramid designed to look 3-D, is to have Q*bert jump on every square to make it change color. Beware of your enemies though: Coily the snake, Uggs, Wrong-Ways, Slick and Sam, and the deadly red balls!

Number 8

Double Dragon

Fighting games have always been popular but never quite as influential as the revolutionary Double Dragon . The concept was rather simple as brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee, who you may also remember as Hammer and Spike, were martial artists looking for Billy's girlfriend and annihilating the Black Warriors street gang in order to do so.

The game featured a side-scrolling game play, in addition to some of the best graphics of 1987, and became a legend. There have been three sequels, a cartoon series, and even a feature film with Scott Wolf and Alyssa Milano. This is the true granddaddy of fighting games.

Number 7

Frogger

You remember that Seinfeld episode where George purchases a Frogger machine? Well, it's just that addictive. The concept couldn't be simpler: You're a frog and you want to cross the street. Easy, right? It would be if it weren't for the speeding vehicles, snakes, alligators, and impulsive turtles.

Basically, it's a game of rhythm where you must time your actions to make your moves when there's no danger, circumventing obstacles. The only reason there weren't any game sequels is that there was a fierce war over the distribution rights. Again, this 1981 classic made the jump to cartoons and its catchy theme song was actually released on an album.

Number 6

Punch-Out!!

You stand behind your digital alter ego, a transparent green being, taking on a series of boxers from around the world, vying to win the coveted belt from Mr. Sandman. There was one joystick, three buttons, and a time limit for you to pummel your adversary into submission.

Failing to achieve knockout, you had to fall back on the judges' decision. This 1984 title spawned an arcade sequel before Nintendo took the franchise to its new console.

Arkanoid, and the game that spawned Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. ...