Atari 400 Mini review – a fascinating adventure in the land of 8-bit
‘A portal to a new world’: when the Trocadero was the centre of the video game universe
January 2024
Chomp chomp: the curious history of Pac-Man snacks
The 15 greatest Sega arcade games – ranked
September 2023
The quest for Sky Skipper, the rarest Nintendo arcade machine in the world
How a dedicated collector rallied an international team to track down the long-forgotten 1981 title and painstakingly recreate the original cabinet
July 2023
Best culture of 2023 so far
‘You can play it for five minutes or play it for five hours’: Guardian readers’ best games of 2023 so far
From new iterations of Street Fighter, Diablo and Zelda to modern takes on 80s arcades and an evil pizza atop a pizza tower, readers share their picks
June 2023
Remember the Quickshot? Why it’s worth rediscovering the joy of joysticks
The suction-padded joystick was once the games controller sans pareil until it was usurped by the multi-button joypad – but with the return of retro gaming, it’s making a comeback
February 2023
A beautifully preserved slice of video game history – Toaplan Arcade Shoot ‘Em Up Collection Vol 1 review
Four games from a cult 1980s shoot-em-up developer – from Zero Wing to Truxton – show the value of game preservation
January 2023
Game over: UK arcades face closure threat as energy bills soar by 1,000%
Some operators weigh up weekend-only opening as soaring energy prices remain stubbornly high
December 2022
Infinite lives: the company saving old arcade machines
For a generation of players, these colourful cabinets house not just ailing electronics, but formative memories. Meet the people who save them from landfill
September 2022
Pushing Buttons newsletter
Pushing Buttons: the viral music game that revived my teenage obsession
This ridiculous Trombone Champ is an encore to all of the wild rhythm games I grew up on – and a fitting return for a forgotten genre
July 2022
When life gives you lemons, video games can be the escape we need
Dominik Diamond
Dominik Diamond hasn’t had the best month – but scampering around in a virtual world full of robot dinosaurs has at least given him a break
February 2022
Windjammers 2 review – resuscitated sports game brings back joy of the arcade
With its special combos and metres, this frenetic and summery Air Hockey-style game has more in common with Street Fighter than with other sports games
November 2021
Experience
Experience: I’m the best Tetris player in the world
I’m only 13, but my brother and I both qualified for the World Championships. In the final it was just us, facing off for the title
October 2021
‘My housemates and I are addicted’: 15 video games perfect for lockdown brain
Guardian Australia staff – and their children! – recommend games they’ve turned to for joy, diversion and much-needed escapism
May 2021
The 15 greatest video games of the 80s – ranked!
Button-bashing arcade sports vied with the thrill of urban planning, Pac-Man ate up everything, and Super Mario Bros smashed gaming into the mainstream
Capcom Arcade Stadium review – recapture the magic
A bundle of 32 retro games offers classic Street Fighter action, ghostly quests, air battles – with the added bonus of not having to stop when your pocket money runs out
The 15 greatest video games of the 70s – ranked!
From the simplicity of Pong’s two bats and a ball to Space Invaders’ advancing ranks of aliens, the 70s saw the rise of a phenomenon that mesmerised the world
February 2021
How I fell in love with ...
The claw machine is not a cool hobby. But I love it
Farz Edraki
Ocean swimming and tennis are acceptable summer pastimes – spending time in a dark arcade in the middle of the day is not
May 2020
The game that ate the world: 40 facts on Pac-Man's 40th birthday
The iconic maze chase has been played billions of times, created one of the 80s’ strangest sex symbols, stupefied Martin Amis – and is now enshrined in a leading art museum
