You push through the glass doors and step into a dark room. It’s like a haunted house in a scary movie. Pings and dings ring out in the air. Rows of machines line the walls, giving off a spooky glow.

    But you’re not scared—you’re excited. You see your friends crowded around a machine that’s taller than you. As you rush over to them, quarters clink in your pocket. 

    What is this strange place? 

    It’s an arcade in the year 1980.

    You push through glass doors. You step into a dark room. It’s like a haunted house. You hear pings and dings. You see rows of machines. They have a spooky glow.

    But you’re not scared—you’re excited. You see your friends. They’re crowded around a machine. It’s taller than you. You rush over to them. Quarters clink in your pocket. 

    What is this strange place? 

    You push through the glass doors and step into a dark room. It reminds you of a haunted house in a scary movie. Pings and dings fill the air, and a spooky glow comes from the rows of machines lining the walls.

    But you’re not scared—you’re excited. You spot your friends crowded around a machine that’s taller than you. Quarters clink in your pocket as you rush over to them. 

    What is this strange place? 

    It’s an arcade in the year 1980.

    Today, we can play video games almost anywhere. The people we play with don’t need to be right next to us. But in the early 1980s, most gamers went to an arcade to play with friends. In an arcade, there might be dozens of games lined up side by side. To play, you needed to put quarters into a small slot. 

    The goal of early arcade games was simple: Score points. Top scorers earned a spot on what was known as the game’s leaderboard. Seeing your name at number 1 was the biggest win.

    Early arcade games were pretty basic. The pictures and sounds were simple. Even so, people couldn’t get enough. 

    They shot space rocks in Asteroids. They hit a ball back and forth in Pong. They tried to outrun hungry ghosts in Pac-Man. 

    By 1981, there were thousands of arcades across America. But the world of video games was about to change.

    Today, we can play video games almost anywhere. The people we play with can be anywhere too. They don’t need to be near us. But in the early 1980s, things were different. To play with friends, most gamers had to go to an arcade. An arcade might have dozens of games. You paid with quarters to play. 

    The goal was simple: Score points. Many games had a leaderboard. It showed the top scorers. Seeing your name at number 1 was the biggest win.

    Early arcade games were basic. The pictures and sounds were simple. Still, people loved them. They shot space rocks in Asteroids. They hit a ball back and forth in Pong. They tried to outrun ghosts in Pac-Man. 

    By 1981, there were thousands of arcades across America. But the world of video games was about to change.

    Today, we can play video games almost anywhere. The people we play with can be anywhere too. They don’t need to be near us. But in the early 1980s, things were different. To play with friends, most gamers had to go to an arcade. An arcade might have dozens of games. You paid with quarters to play. 

    The goal was simple: Score points. Many games had a leaderboard. It showed the top scorers. Seeing your name at number 1 was the biggest win.

    Early arcade games were basic. The pictures and sounds were simple. Still, people loved them. They shot space rocks in Asteroids. They hit a ball back and forth in Pong. They tried to outrun ghosts in Pac-Man. 

    By 1981, there were thousands of arcades across America. But the world of video games was about to change.

    By 1983, people were tired of playing the same arcade games over and over. Companies made new ones. But they didn’t put much work into them. Many of them weren’t fun. Some barely worked. Others were too hard.

    At the same time, America was in a recession. People had less money. They couldn’t afford extras like video games. Game companies began to fail. By 1985, it seemed like video games were doomed.

    Then a new gaming console came out. It was called the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It was fast, easy to use, and powerful. You could play Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda on it. These were new and better games.

    And you could play them at home!

    By 1983, people had grown tired of playing the same arcade games over and over. Companies were creating new ones as quickly as possible, but little time or thought was put into them. As a result, many games just weren’t fun: Some barely worked, and others were too challenging.

    Meanwhile, America was going through a recession. People had little money for extras like video games, and game companies began to fail. By 1985, video games seemed to be doomed.

    But then the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) came out. This new gaming console was fast, easy to use, and powerful. You could play Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and other new and better games on it.

    And best of all, you could play them without ever leaving your home!

    After the NES, video games got more and more popular. Companies made fancier consoles. All kinds of new games were released. There was John Madden Football for sports lovers. There was Tetris for puzzle masters. 

    As for arcades? They’re still around—just a lot harder to find. But if you see one, go in. Say thanks. Without arcades, we wouldn’t have the games we know and love today.  

    After the NES, video games got more popular. Companies made fancier consoles. They released new games. John Madden Football was for sports fans. Tetris was for puzzle masters. 

    Arcades are still around. They’re just harder to find. If you see one, go inside. Say thanks. Without arcades, we wouldn’t have the games we love today.  

    After the NES, video games became more and more popular. Companies produced fancier consoles and released all kinds of new games, including John Madden Football for sports lovers and Tetris for puzzle masters.

    As for arcades? They’re still around, but they’re a lot harder to find. If you see one, go in and say thanks. Without arcades, we wouldn’t have the games we know and love today.