48. Gorf
Released: 1981
Developer: Midway Games
Publisher: Midway Games
With its title doubling as an acronym for "Galactic Orbiting Robot Force," Midway's top-down space shooter undoubtedly has one of the silliest names in arcade history. Released in 1981, Gorf immediately grabbed players by talking to them in a terrifyingly eerie robotic voice, via the cutting-edge Votrax speech chip -- one of the first uses of synthesized speech in a game. Once they were in, players found themselves shooting up alien hordes across five distinctly different stages, several of which were well-made clones of popular arcade titles like Galaxian and
Space Invaders. It may not have been entirely original (fun licensing fact: It was initially developed to be a Star Trek game), but that didn't make Gorf any less fun.
47. Frogger
Released: 1981
Developer: Konami
Publisher: SEGA
All blockbusters must combine a unique character with a gripping storyline. E.T. isn't just about an alien, it's about a child of divorce; Moby Dick isn't just about a whale, it's about being swallowed by obsession. In this vein, Frogger isn't about just a frog, it's about how even the simplest things can feel overwhelming due to the stresses of modern life. Never had a protagonist been so delicate: a frog caught on a superhighway. That pulled us in, making us desperately desire for the hero to succeed, emotions not evoked any arcade game before then. It's no wonder the game still has a huge following; so many elements about it evoke the nostalgia of being a child caught in a huge and confusing world.
