View source for Microsoft Arcade

{{short description|Series of arcade game compilations}}
{{Infobox VG series
|title       = Microsoft Arcade
|image       = Microsoft Return of Arcade cover.jpg
|caption     = ''Return of Arcade'' cover art
|genre       = Various
|developer   = [[Microsoft]]
|publisher   = Microsoft
|platforms   = [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Classic Mac OS|Mac OS]]
}}

'''''Microsoft Arcade''''' is a series of classic arcade game [[Video game compilation|compilations]] released by [[Microsoft]] between 1993 and 2000.

Although the games included in these compilations were very similar to the original arcade games in both appearance and gameplay, they were newly written versions, not ports of the original arcade game code; these versions of the games were programmed specifically for Windows, with each game running in a small window (or in a large window with a border). Each game allowed certain customizations not available in the original arcade game, ''i.e.'' the number of lives and bonus levels. The Microsoft Help files included with the games contained history of the development of the original arcade versions of the games.

[[File:Microsoft Arcade Packaging Front.jpg|thumb|Photograph of the front of the Microsoft Arcade Packaging]]

[[File:Microsoft Arcade Packaging Rear.jpg|thumb|Photograph of the rear of the Microsoft Arcade Packaging]]

== ''Microsoft Arcade'' ==
The first compilation was released in August 1993 on a single 1.44MB floppy for both [[Microsoft Windows]] 3.1 and the [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] [[Classic Mac OS|Macintosh]]. It contained versions of the following arcade games by [[Atari]]:
* ''[[Asteroids (video game)|Asteroids]]''
* ''[[Battlezone (1980 video game)|Battlezone]]''
* ''[[Centipede (video game)|Centipede]]''
* ''[[Missile Command]]''
* ''[[Tempest (video game)|Tempest]]''

== ''Microsoft Return of Arcade'' ==
Two follow up versions were released, including the arcade games from [[Namco]]. The first was '''''Microsoft Return of Arcade''''', released in April 1996.<ref name=launchdate>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970205042141/http://www.gamespot.com/puzzle/returnar/index.html | url=http://www.gamespot.com:80/puzzle/returnar/index.html | title=GameSpot: ''Microsoft Return of Arcade'' at a Glance | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=February 5, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=April 3, 2020}}</ref> The compilation sold 335,176 copies in 1996 making it the 8th best-selling PC game that year.<ref>{{cite news | last1=Miller | first1=Greg | title=Myst Opportunities: Game Makers Narrow Their Focus to Search for the Next Blockbuster | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-03-fi-34360-story.html | access-date=10 May 2020 | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=3 March 1997}}</ref>
This compilation contains:
* ''[[Dig Dug]]''
* ''[[Galaxian]]''
* ''[[Pac-Man]]''
* ''[[Pole Position]]''

In 2000, to celebrate ''[[Pac-Man]]''{{'}}s 20th anniversary, [[Microsoft]] re-released ''Return of Arcade'' and added ''[[Ms. Pac-Man]]'' (as presented in ''Revenge of Arcade'') to the roster of games. None of the other games from ''Revenge of Arcade'' were included. This updated package was called '''''Microsoft Return of Arcade: Anniversary Edition'''''.

== ''Microsoft Revenge of Arcade'' ==
The second follow-up, released in 1998, was called '''''Microsoft Revenge of Arcade''''' and contained:
* ''[[Mappy]]''
* ''[[Motos]]''
* ''[[Ms. Pac-Man]]''
* ''[[Rally-X]]''
* ''[[Xevious]]''
Officially, both of these follow-ups required [[Windows 95]] or later, though the demo for ''Return of Arcade'' is a 16-bit program that requires only [[WinG]] to run in Windows 3.1.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Microsoft_Return_of_Arcade.html|title=RGB Classic Games - Microsoft Return of Arcade|website=www.classicdosgames.com|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref> This game will not work on 64-bit versions of Windows.

''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' criticized the PC version of the game, stating that "(with the exception of ''Mrs. Pac-Man'') all these games are sort of past their sell-by date, and you have an unmitigated disaster, callously cashing in on people's misremembered childhood memories."<ref name="NG">{{cite magazine|title=Finals|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=48|publisher=[[Future US|Imagine Media]]|date=December 1998|page=136}}</ref>

==Reception==
''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' in 1993 stated that ''Microsoft Arcade''{{'}}s adaptation of the five games was "nearly flawless". It favorably cited the many hints and strategies included in [[WinHelp]] files for the games, and the [[boss key]]. The magazine liked ''Battlezone'' the most out of the five games in ''Microsoft Arcade'', but stated that "it's been done better since" by games like ''[[Spectre (1991 video game)|Spectre]]''. Despite finding that the games were "made obsolete by technology", it predicted that ''Arcade'' would be very successful because of nostalgia, and wished that Microsoft would have updated the games with modern graphics and gameplay.<ref name="harris199312">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=113 | title=They Came from The Ancient Past | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=December 1993 | access-date=29 March 2016 | author=Harris, Neil | pages=180, 182}}</ref> ''Microsoft Arcade'' was named the best computer arcade game of 1993 by ''[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]]''.<ref name="cgm1993awards">{{cite journal|author=Bauman, Steve|date=November 2000|title=A Decade of Gaming; Award Winners of 1993|url=https://archive.org/details/ComputerGamesMag120/page/n55/mode/2up|journal=[[Computer Games Magazine]]|issue=120|pages=58}}</ref>

In the United States, ''Return of Arcade'' debuted in position 16 on [[PC Data]]'s computer game sales rankings for April 1996. It rose to 10th place the following month,<ref name=may1996>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970205063930/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,25,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,25,00.html | title=May's top 20 games | author=GamerX | date=July 9, 1996 | work=[[CNET Gamecenter]] | archive-date=February 5, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=April 3, 2020}}</ref> and continued to chart in the top 10 through August, peaking at #5.<ref name=june1996>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970205063051/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,140,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,140,00.html | title=June's top 30 games | author=GamerX | date=August 8, 1996 | work=[[CNET Gamecenter]] | archive-date=February 5, 1997 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=july1996>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970205062617/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,91,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,91,00.html | title=July's top 30 games | author=GamerX | date=August 23, 1996 | work=[[CNET|CNET Gamecenter]] | archive-date=February 5, 1997 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=aug1996>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970205061646/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,137,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,137,00.html | title=August's top 30 games | author=GamerX | date=September 27, 1996 | work=[[CNET Gamecenter]] | archive-date=February 5, 1997 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all}}</ref> The game's streak in the top 20 held through November,<ref name=sep1996>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970205060645/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,195,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,195,00.html | title=September's top 30 games | author=GamerX | date=October 29, 1996 | archive-date=February 5, 1997 | work=[[CNET Gamecenter]] | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=oct1996>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970205055806/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,348,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,348,00.html | title=October's top 30 games | author=GamerX | date=November 27, 1996 | archive-date=February 5, 1997 | work=[[CNET|CNET Gamecenter]] | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=nov1996>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970205054929/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,444,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,444,00.html | title=November's 30 best-sellers | author=GamerX | date=January 10, 1997 | archive-date=February 5, 1997 | work=[[CNET Gamecenter]] | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all}}</ref> but ended with a fall from the charts in December.<ref name=dec1996>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970718224800/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,527,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,527,00.html | title=December's 30 best-sellers | author=GamerX | date=February 3, 1997 | work=[[CNET Gamecenter]] | archive-date=July 18, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=April 3, 2020}}</ref> According to PC Data, ''Return of Arcade'' was the eighth-best-selling computer game in the United States for 1996 overall,<ref name=nextgen1996>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970606030526/http://www.next-generation.com/news/022697a.chtml | url=http://www.next-generation.com:80/news/022697a.chtml | title=1996 PC Best Sellers | archive-date=June 6, 1997 | date=February 26, 1997 | author=Staff | work=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] | url-status=dead | access-date=April 3, 2020}}</ref> after claiming 16th in the rankings for the first half of the year.<ref name=1996first6>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970606062336/http://www.news.com/SpecialFeatures/0,5,3471,00.html | url=http://www.news.com:80/SpecialFeatures/0,5,3471,00.html | title=A whole new ball game | author=Yoshitake, Dawn | date=September 14, 1996 | work=[[News.com]] | archive-date=June 6, 1997 | url-status=dead | access-date=April 3, 2020}}</ref> PC Data reported the game's sales at 335,176 units that year, which earned revenues of $9.5 million.<ref name=slow>{{cite news | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518142834/http://articles.latimes.com/1997-03-03/business/fi-34360_1_pc-game | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-03-fi-34360-story.html | title=''Myst'' Opportunities: Game Makers Narrow Their Focus to Search for the Next Blockbuster | date=March 3, 1997 | author=Miller, Greg | newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] | archive-date=May 18, 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Microsoft Entertainment Pack]]''
* ''[[Microsoft Entertainment Pack: The Puzzle Collection]]''
* ''[[Microsoft Pinball Arcade]]''
* [[Game Room]]
* [[List of Bandai Namco video game compilations]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061230203717/http://www.microsoft.com/games/arcade/prodinfo.htm Microsoft Arcade]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071024153228/http://www.microsoft.com/games/pc/arcade2.aspx Return of Arcade Anniversary Edition]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050306100034/http://www.microsoft.com/games/revenge/home.htm Revenge of Arcade]

{{Atari compilations}}
{{Bandai Namco compilations}}
{{navboxes|list1=
{{Asteroids series}}
{{Centipede series}}
{{Dig Dug/Mr. Driller series}}
{{Final Lap series}}
{{Galaxian series}}
{{Mappy series}}
{{Pac-Man series}}
{{Tempest series}}
{{Xevious}}
}}

[[Category:1993 video games]]
[[Category:1996 video games]]
[[Category:1998 video games]]
[[Category:Classic Mac OS games]]
[[Category:Microsoft franchises]]
[[Category:Microsoft game compilations]]
[[Category:Microsoft games]]
[[Category:Bandai Namco video game compilations]]
[[Category:Atari video game compilations]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United States]]

[[ja:マイクロソフトリターンオブアーケード]]