Chronology of Arcade Video Games

Copyright © 2006-2009 Ken Polsson
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URL: http://vidgame.info/arcade/

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References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2009 October 28.


1970-1982 1983-1991 1992-1999 2000-end

2000

January
  • Konami releases the Keyboardmania arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11]
February 20
  • Fox Network airs the Malcolm in the Middle TV show in the USA. A scene briefly takes place in a video game arcade. [1106]
March
  • Konami releases the Beatmania III arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11]
May 21
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. A pizza restaurant has an arcade video game, called "Monkey Fracas Jr." This is a reference to the Donkey Kong Jr. video game. [844]
June
  • Konami releases the Dance Maniax arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11]
July
  • Capcom releases the Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Super Heroes video game for the arcade in the US. [626.93] [734.63]
September
  • Konami releases the Para Para Paradise arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11]

2001

March
  • Capcom ceases arcade game production. [674.48]
April 20
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. While travelling back in time, a traveler passes a Pac-Man arcade video game. [886]
(month unknown)
  • Midway closes its coin-op division. [388.26]
August
  • Namco releases the Tekken 4 video game to arcades. [388.60]
December 2
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A bowling alley shows three video arcade machines, including Pong and Nuke Canada. [917]
December
  • Atari releases the Ikaruga video game in arcades in Japan. [514.147]

2002

January 6
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. A "what if" scenario is shown: "what if life were more like a video game". The space ship in Asteroids shoots some asteroids, then lands in the main building. The president of the Earth signs peace with Ambassador Kong (Donkey Kong) of planet Nintendo 64. The Donkey Kong character throws barrels, climbs ladders, and the sounds of the Donkey Kong game can be heard. The Mario character also appears, as the representative of Italy. A green wireframe tank from Battle Zone roams the street. Doors in a military building are labelled Missile Command, Secretary of Defender, and Moon Patrol. Monitors in the War Room show Centipede playing. The main general is Pac-Man. One sequence takes place on a full-screen Pac-Man board, complete with ghosts pellets and power pills. Above the city, a real game of Space Invaders takes place, with the familiar alien ships advancing left, right, and down. One of the main characters plays Space Invaders on an arcade machine, shooting the ships above the city. When General Pac-Man is killed, Ms. Pac-man mourns his loss. When the last space ship lands on Earth, out step Donkey Kong, an egg from Burger Time, Q*Bert, the main Robotron character and one of the brain people. [863]
February
  • Sega, Namco, and Nintendo announce an agreement to jointly produce a 3D arcade graphics board called Triforce, based on GameCube technology. [321.30]
March 17
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. A video arcade machine is used on board a space ship for blasting other ships. [875]
April 19
  • US District Judge Stephen Limbaugh rejects a request against a St. Louis ordinance of 2000 limiting access of minors to video game arcades. The judge rules that video games are not protected by freedom of speech. [960.225]
April 28
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. An arcade video game Shark Bait appears. [918]
June 7
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A scene takes place in a videogame arcade. [847]
July
  • In Greece, Greek Law Number 3037 is enacted, making electronic games with electronic mechanisms and software illegal in public and private places. The law was introduced in response to some arcade games being modified to allow gambling. (The law is repealed within two months.) [295.27] [439.40] [597]
September 13
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A scene takes place in a video game arcade. Two characters play a "Virtua-Stud" virtual reality video game. In an arena battle, a giant ape throws barrels down steps and ladders, a reference to the Donkey Kong video game. [890]
October
  • The November issue of Mac Addict magazine includes a picture of a yellow apple eating white dots, a reference to the Pac-Man game. [1038.4]

2003

January 5
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A video arcade is shown at a large theme park. Some games are "PONG 3000", "LARRY THE LOOTER", "SHARK BAIT", "Halloween Hit and Run" and "TIME WASTER". [946]
April 13
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. An Asteroids arcade video game appears. [951]
(month unknown)
  • Sega releases the Virtua Cop 3 arcade video game. [427.32]
August 10
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. In one scene, two characters on stairs jump over falling barrels, creating "100" point signs, and making the same jumping sound as Mario in the arcade game Donkey Kong. [848]
(month unknown)
  • Namco releases the Space Invaders: 25th Silver Anniversary arcade machine. It includes the original 1978 Space Invaders game and Qix. [504.33]
December 7
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. The "Noiseland Arcade" includes at least eleven arcade video game machines. [1018]

2004

November 27
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A building with a sign "VIDEO GAMES / ARCADE" is destroyed by spaceship blasts. [867]

2005

May 9
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. The characters go to a videogame arcade and play "CATFIGHTER". [891]
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. One scene takes place in a party restaurant, with several arcade video games. [892]

May 12
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A video arcade is shown in a castle. [893]
June 1
  • In Yokohama, Japan, Namco celebrates its 50th anniversary. David Hawksett, science and technology editor at Guinness World Records, presents an official Guinness plaque to Namco founder Masaya Nakamura and "Pac-Man" creator Toru Iwatani. The game was recently listed in the record book as the "most successful coin operated game" in history. [597]
June 10
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. An arcade video game machine appears, as an example of "fun". A video game arcade building appears. [896]
June 22
  • Buena Vista Pictures releases the film Herbie Fully Loaded to theaters in the US. A newspaper shows a car playing a video game in an arcade. [899]
(month unknown)
  • Abdner Ashman sets a new high score record on the Ms. Pac-Man arcade game: 921,360. [866.141]
October
  • Namco releases the Mario Kart Arcade GP arcade game in the US. The game was developed with Nintendo. Players can choose among eleven characters, including Mario, Luigi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Bowser, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and Blinky. 24 courses over six worlds can be played, with 57 choices of weapons. [797.26] [827.32]

2006

May 23
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A brief scene takes place in a video game arcade. [S01]
October 24
  • Capcom releases the Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded video game for the PlayStation Portable in the USA. Price is US$29.99. Includes 15 games: Street Fighter II, Street Fighter II: Championship Edition, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fightiung, Ghosts 'N Goblins, Commando, Knights of The Round, 1942, 1943. [956.56] [968.49] [974.50] [979.44] [1081.77]
November 14
  • Capcom releases the Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 video game for the PlayStation 2 in the USA. Price is US$19.99. Included are 20 games: Super Street Fighter II Turbo, 1941, Strider, Knights of the Round, Quizard Dragons. [974.50] [977.32] [1082.80] [1084.130]
(month unknown)
  • Konami releases the Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits video game for the Nintendo DS. Included are 15 arcade games: Contra, Track & Field, Time Pilot, Gradius, Scramble, Pooyan, Roc 'n Rope, Circus Charlie, Basketball, Rainbow Bell, Shao-Lin's Road, Rush 'n Attack, Horror Maze, Road Fighter, Yie Ar Kung-Fu. [1079.84]

2007

March 11
  • The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A rec room includes arcade game "Triangle Wars". [1109]
November 27
  • 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment releases the film Bender's Big Score on DVD in the USA. An arcade video game appears. A person plays a video game. [1249]

2008

January 29
  • The film The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is released on DVD in the USA. [1233.88]

End of 2000-2008.
The complete timeline can be purchased in a PDF file for US$10 from the author.

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1970-1982 1983-1991 1992-1999 2000-end


A list of references to all source material is available.

Other web pages of interest:

  • Chronology of Video Game Systems
  • Chronology of Nintendo Video Games
  • Chronology of Sega Video Games
  • Top Selling Video Games by Month
  • Video Game References in Pop Culture
  • Polsson's Garage Sale - Video Games
  • This Day in History
  • Last updated: 2009 October 28.
    Copyright © 2006-2009 Ken Polsson (email: pacman@vidgame.info).
    URL: http://vidgame.info/arcade/
    Link to Ken P's home page.

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