Arcade games that had no home port but should have

[thanonyx]

What are some arcade games that were never ported to home consoles or PC but should've been?

My vote goes to Ninja Baseball Bat Man because that game is fun, especially when you have 3 other players and the whole team gangs up on enemies and bosses. Honestly, it had franchise potential. I could see it getting some sequels and even a cartoon.

 

[Waffles]

The Simpsons Arcade absolutely should have been on Genesis and SNES. It'd have been a top-selling game the minute it hit store shelves (and yes, I'm aware of a C64 port? But that hardly counts due to that system's age and capabilities).

 

[Stingy Perry]

My vote goes to this one it should’ve been ported to Saturn or PS1
Waku Waku 7

 

[thanonyx]

My vote goes to this one it should’ve been ported to Saturn or PS1
Waku Waku 7

Waku Waku 7 DID get a Saturn port.

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

Alien Vs. Predator

 

[Cu-Neo]

The Simpsons Arcade and the X men arcade. In both cases we didn't have a SNES port thanks to Acclaim who had the console rights for the console games while Konami had the arcade ones. Just like what happened to the AVP capcom beat em up, another great game that to this day Haven't received a console port mostly because of licensing issues.

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

The Simpsons Arcade and the X men arcade. In both cases we didn't have a SNES port thanks to Acclaim who had the console rights for the console games while Konami had the arcade ones. Just like what happened to the AVP capcom beat em up, another great game that to this day Haven't received a console port mostly because of licensing issues.

Someone ported the X-Men Arcade game to the Saturn, I do believe it's in the Repo.
It's also on Xbox Live and PSN

 

[Clippy]

All of them. No reason to limit a release strictly to arcade unless some hardware/physical gimmick is absolutely necessary to play.

 

[DanVzare]

The Simpsons Arcade absolutely should have been on Genesis and SNES. It'd have been a top-selling game the minute it hit store shelves (and yes, I'm aware of a C64 port? But that hardly counts due to that system's age and capabilities).

You beat me to it.
I mean it's such an obvious choice, why on earth didn't it ever get a proper home port?

To add my own entry though, I don't think House of the Dead 4 ever got a home release.

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

All of them. No reason to limit a release strictly to arcade unless some hardware/physical gimmick is absolutely necessary to play.

The OG Street Fighter cabinet had 2 pressure sensitive buttons instead of the 6 button array per joystick. They switched to the 6 button set up when too many pressure sensitive cabinets needed replacements or repairs.

 

[Cu-Neo]

Someone ported the X-Men Arcade game to the Saturn, I do believe it's in the Repo.
It's also on Xbox Live and PSN

Legally for like almost a year in 2012 and then gone for licensing issues with EA in the case of the Simpsons

 

[Glimbo]

Light Bringer / Dungeon Magic. Isometric beat em up.

 

[Clippy]

The Simpsons Arcade absolutely should have been on Genesis and SNES. It'd have been a top-selling game the minute it hit store shelves (and yes, I'm aware of a C64 port? But that hardly counts due to that system's age and capabilities).

There was also a DOS port. It was 1991 though, so it's not that great.

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

I'm noticing a lot of these games are multiplayer belt scrolling beat 'em ups.

 

[Clippy]

I'm noticing a lot of these games are multiplayer belt scrolling beat 'em ups.

Best genre ever. It's not like a 60h JRPG would fly in the arcade.

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

Best genre ever. It's not like a 60h JRPG would fly in the arcade.

Unless it's a belt scrolling beat em up like the Capcom D&D games... which did get ports. Go play them.

 

[ConanTheDestroyer]

Golden Axe Revenge of Death Adder is my favourite Golden axe game and should've gotten a home port.
The third Rastan game is another great one. Dead connection is a fun shoot'em up with film noir influences.

 

[Lee__Kanker]

It needed a GOOD one

 

[Cu-Neo]

Speaking of more beat em ups:
Cadillacs & Dinosaurs

 

[Leifang]

All these 2D games people post are good, but can be emulated on any phone, what we're really missing out are either the early mechanical or the later 3D arcade games that never got a port so many already are or are bordering on becoming lost media now.

There's also modern-ish arcade games that use cards for saves, notably MANY Initial D racers... and lightgun stuff that still exist in arcades, you can watch ReRez tour video on Niagara Falls, those Rambo and Jurassic Park games are super fun!

Also tons of arcade exclusive fighters that are hard to emulate, or arcade-only updates like SoulCalibur 3 Arcade, never ported anywhere... also, IGS PGM2 stuff, it finally works, but only in latest MAME, which limits devices you can run it on, games like Knights of Valour 3 or Oriental Legend 2.

 

[Nicolás]

Speaking of more beat em ups:
Cadillacs & Dinosaurs
View attachment 9811

View attachment 9812

My autistic ass was so overstimulated the first time I played this at like 7... best memories

 

[Waffles]

There was also a DOS port. It was 1991 though, so it's not that great.

Nice catch! I didn't remember that at all.

 

[Dyne]

Dragon Saber. It's the sequel to Dragon Spirit, which got an NES port that I loved.
Actually this game did get a home port in Japan, apparently. But not in the West.

 

[tropicalavera]

Namco's seminal 1995 title 'The Outfoxies'!
A sorta proto-platform fighter - think a 2D sidescrolling Power Stone and you've got the right idea - similar to something like Duck Game, but with highly interactable stages. Sakurai himself pilfered the automatically zooming/panning camera seen in Super Smash Bros. from this, I believe! I think a home port for the likes of the Playstation or even the Dreamcast later on would've been lovely.
(yes you CAN play as a top hat wearing monkey)

 

[Dyne]

View attachment 9856
Namco's seminal 1995 title 'The Outfoxies'!
A sorta proto-platform fighter - think a 2D sidescrolling Power Stone and you've got the right idea - similar to something like Duck Game, but with highly interactable stages. Sakurai himself pilfered the automatically zooming/panning camera seen in Super Smash Bros. from this, I believe! I think a home port for the likes of the Playstation or even the Dreamcast later on would've been lovely.
(yes you CAN play as a top hat wearing monkey)

This is a great answer. This game was ahead of its time for sure