Having a party - need game suggestions!

[javeryh]

OK, my cab is about 95% complete but there is still a ton of software tweaking and game management I need to do.  I am having a party on the 30th of this month for my daughter's second birthday and I'd love to have my cab playable with 100 or so games to choose from and I think with a little effort I could get it in playable shape.

I'm trying to keep it simple so I'm using Gamelauncher as my Front end and it will just list the 100 or so games in alphabetical order.  I have a 3 sided cocktail table with a spinner on the Player 1 short side and a trackball on the long CP.  What are your must-have party games?

[ahofle]

Shuuz, Shuffleshot, World Class bowling, Gauntlet, Golden Tee, some of those quiz type games like trivial pursuit for the uncoordinated in your party  .....and I'll think of more soon...

[Kremmit]

I like games with 2 or more players simultaneous if I'm having people over- more people involved = more fun. 

Joust
Mario Bros. (not Super Mario Bros.)
TMNT
Gauntlet
Smash TV
Street Fighter II
...etc.

I also like to avoid the kind of games where one person can play forever on one quarter, there's nothing worse than having everybody standing around watching one guy hog the machine until they all get bored and wander off.  Super Mario Brothers comes to mind.

And of course, you've got to have the common classics, that everybody remembers and will undoubtedly ask you if it can play.

Pac Man
Ms. Pac Man
Donkey Kong
Asteroids
Space Invaders
Galaga
...etc.

If you've got a spinner and a trackball, you'll need to have games that use them, or guests will be saying "WTF?" when you tell them they can't use those controls.

Tempest
Arkanoid (hopefully your spinner can handle both of these)
Marble Madness
..etc

[ddrmanxbxfr]

Don't forget neogeo's games 

Like Metal Slug or WindJammer (I love that game hehe)

[MaximRecoil]

I also like to avoid the kind of games where one person can play forever on one quarter, there's nothing worse than having everybody standing around watching one guy hog the machine until they all get bored and wander off.  Super Mario Brothers comes to mind.

You must have "regular folks" for company, lol. Back in the arcades of the 80's, a really good player on a machine would draw a crowd of spectators, hoping to get a glimpse of uncharted territory or see a new high score get set. Well, probably not with Super Mario Bros., since nearly everyone is good at that game.

We had local "stars" that people would step aside for, give up games in progress or even offer free quarters to just to watch them play, and it wasn't because they were known for losing quickly.

Regarding the OP, make sure you have Frogger and Puzzle Bobble, especially if there are going to be females there.

[Kremmit]

Back in the arcades of the 80's, a really good player on a machine would draw a crowd of spectators, hoping to get a glimpse of uncharted territory or see a new high score get set. Well, probably not with Super Mario Bros., since nearly everyone is good at that game.

Yeah, I remember the arcades in the 80's too. 

The thing is, I just don't get many 13 year old boys showing up at my social functions these days.  Gotta entertain 30+ year old guys who used to behave like you describe, and their wives/girlfriends.  Ever see a 33 year old woman watch somebody play Gyruss all the way to Earth?  Me neither.

Now, when it's just the guys over for beers, then the rules change.

[TOK]

If its a mainstream kind of crowd, not gamers, there is no way you need 100 games. Of the 14 or so non-gamers I asked what they wanted to see, only 1 didn't say Pac Man/Ms. Pac Man. The off-the-beaten-path one asked for Galaga. 

Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Frogger and Centipede if you want to use a trackball. Pac/Ms. Pac will frustrate newbies if you have 8 way sticks.

My current strategy is to keep people totally out of the gameroom unless it happens to come up. 

[jerryjanis]

Over the years here are the games that have really been popular:

Here are some rarer ones that I think you just gotta have:
Hat Trick, Irritating Maze (trackball game), Contra, SuperC, Rastan, Ghosts N Goblins, Ghouls N Ghosts, Chicken Shift, Ninja Baseball Batman, Snacks'n Jackson, Snakepit, Tapper, Space Zap.

Here are some of the more normal must-haves at my house:
Gauntlet, Gauntlet II, Robotron, Street Fighter II, Ms. Pac Man, Punch-Out!, Super Punch-Out, Marble Madness, Centipede, Tempest, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Contra, SuperC,  Arkanoid, Shinobi, Bad Dudes, Robocop, Galaga, Rampart,

However, the machine always ends up on Shuuz and it will stay that way until the party's over...  Not by my choice, it just happens that way.

[vrf]

The Irritating Maze is a blast in a mixed setting.

[Bluedeath]

You could organize a Street fighter an SNK beat em up  tournament with direct elimination.
Other games that are fun played in 2 are:
Wizard of wor
XMen (every player must leave the place to the next once his/her characher is dead).

[gonzobrian]

I have a 3 sided cocktail like yours javeryh.  I like how you changed how the 3rd cp is connected to the cab.  Wish I had of done that.  After a while I noticed my 7 year old son leaning hard on the cp durring game play and it started to seperate from the cab. 

But just wanted to note I have found the best time to test the software set up was to let him and several of his friends play on it.  Kids have a way of finding problems you never knew you had.  After several sessions of them playing on it I finally have the kinks worked out.  So you may want to turn some kids loose on it before the party. Noting worse than having to "fix" stuff durring a party.

[ahofle]

The classics like Pacman, Donkey Kong, Centipede, etc never really do that well when I have people over (our guests rarely share my passion for old arcade games though).  I usually only use those to demonstrate the cabinet.  IMO for parties you want 3-4 player games that let more than one or two people get in on the action, and are harmless yet still competitive like shuuz, Shuffleshot, and bowling.  Mini-Golf by Bally Sente is also another great game.  Whoever mentioned Chicken Shift, thanks for the recommendation!  That one is probably a riot when you have been drinking.

[torez]

You must have "regular folks" for company, lol. Back in the arcades of the 80's, a really good player on a machine would draw a crowd of spectators, hoping to get a glimpse of uncharted territory or see a new high score get set. Well, probably not with Super Mario Bros., since nearly everyone is good at that game.

We had local "stars" that people would step aside for, give up games in progress or even offer free quarters to just to watch them play, and it wasn't because they were known for losing quickly.

LOL, there was one guy who kicked some butt on Omega Race.  I loved this game and every couple of days would see a new high score by him.  I started seriously playing it after school and in few weeks I doubled his latest high score LOL:).  The guy kept coming for a while, but was able to add scores below me only.  There was one day, finally, when all my scores wiped out his scores from the display and he stopped showing up anymore hehe.  Oh, I would have 5-10 people trying to watch my game.  I could see their reflection in the glass, but game was too intense to relax by then.  Funny thing, sometimes the game would get these wacky sounds that it looked like the computer is choking or couldn't keep up ... loved these moments.  My top score stayed (even after other lower scores got wiped out) for couple of years when one day the game disappeared.  That was a sad day.  I looked couple of years ago on some official top world score list and my score would take third place (second was not far off).  I think I would get much higher, but had to go home for dinner hehe.

Anyway, enough for the rant.  Yes, games that involve team play and/or vs. games are great.  I would recommend Rampart (up to three people), but you need trackballs for it.  Tetris would be great, as you can play it with two people too.  Klax, Moon Patrol, old Asteroids, Star Castle and Space Invaders.  How about Qbert, Phoenix, Time Pilot, Pole Position (with a spinner) and a bunch of fighting games (Street Fighter, King Of Fighters, etc.)?  Hmm, how about a pinball emulator (Future Pinball is easy to setup) ?  Addam's Family, Terminator, Black Knight, Playboy would be great.  Hehe, it's a party-in-a-box.

[NickG]

Trog.  4-player simultaneous pacman style play.  In "playmation"
 My two year old niece tried to play it.  Well she slapped the buttons anyway...

[subcriminal]

Track & Field, Hyper Sports, Numan athletics, for some button mashing fun! StreetFighter 2 Everyone seems to remember Dhalsim's stretchy limbs,  Mortal Kombat for the cliche voices and effects, MoonWalker gets plenty of laughs these days saving the children then get some proper classics on.

[javeryh]

Wow, thanks for all the replies guys!  I'll post the "definitive list" in a little while and if there are any glaring omissions I'll add those too!  The party is this weekend and I have to get serious about finishing up...

[NIVO]

if your invitin the parents....once the kids go down for a nap, break out the polka-dotted plastic for some naked twister melee.

[leapinlew]

We've been having couples bowling in world class bowling. Husbands and Wives on a team. We've had 3 couples bowling on teams. Great fun.

When it's just the guys - it's a street fighter\joust night.

[postalp123]

Don't forget "The Simpsons", a fun 4 player game.