References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 June 26.

1970-1982

1983-1991

1992-1999

2000-end

1992 January 9 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show. A scene shows an arcade video game, Larry the Looter. [762] May 7 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show. A character says "Let's go to the arcade". [765] June 10 Capcom releases the Street Fighter II Championship Edition arcade video game in the US. [715.93] [1167.36] (month unknown) Konami releases the X-Men arcade video game in the US. [626.93] Capcom re-releases the Bionic Commando arcade video game in the US. [715.93] Capcom releases the Knight of the Round arcade video game in the US. [715.93] Capcom releases the Quiz & Dragons arcade video game in the US. [715.93] Capcom releases the Varth arcade video game in the US. [715.93] August 9 Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat video game Version 1.0 to arcades in the US. [460.76] [808] August 18 Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat video game Version 2.0 to arcades in the US. [808] August 31 Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat video game Version 3.0 to arcades in the US. [808] September 28 Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat video game Version 4.0 to arcades in the US. [808] November 12 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. One scene shows children playing in a video game arcade. [775] December 3 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A character says "Ms. Pacman struck a blow for women's rights" (in the spring of 1983). A flashback scene shows kids playing "early" arcade video games: Mumblity Peg, Stickball, and Kick the Can. [776] 1993 February 11 Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat video game Version 4.0 (T-Unit) to arcades in the US. [808] March 19 Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat video game Version 5.0 (T-Unit) to arcades in the US. [808] (month unknown) The Amusement & Music Operators Association holds its annual International Exposition, AMOA Expo '93 in Anaheim, California. Most Played Video Game of the Year: NBA Jam by Midway. Most Innovative Technology: Virtua Racing by Sega. Midway unveils the Mortal Kombat II arcade game. Capcom unveils the Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers arcade game. [784.18] November 18 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. One scene takes place in a video game arcade. [799] December Sega releases the Virtua Fighter arcade game. [389.49] [785.165] 1994 April 14 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A character's mansion includes an unnamed arcade video game. [800] June Capcom introduces the Super Street Fighter II arcade game. [234.D1] (month unknown) Tekken is released in arcades. [906.24] September 9 Acclaim Entertainment introduces the Mortal Kombat II arcade video game. (Sales of machines in the first week are US$50 million.) [236.D7] Year Unit sales of arcade video game machines in the US during the year: 10.5 million. [43.51] 1995 January 22 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A bowling alley shows arcade video game Time Waister. [802] March 23 In Reno, Nevada, the American Coin Machine Exposition is held. Williams Bally/Midway unveils the Mortal Kombat 3 arcade game. [637.22] [736.27] [1093.34] April 10 Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat 3 video game Version 1.0 to arcades in the US. [808] May 1 Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat 3 video game Version 2.0 to arcades in the US. [808] June Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat 3 video game Version 2.1 to arcades in the US. [808] (month unknown) Namco releases the Soul Edge arcade video game. [477.16] Capcom releases the X-Men: Children of the Atom video game in arcades in the US. [626.93] Capcom releases the Marvel Super Heroes video game in arcades in the US. [626.93] Universal Studios releases the film Ski School 2 to theaters in the USA. The arcade game Pole Position appears. [1104] September 24 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. An actor's trailer has two video arcade machines, one with dual joysticks, the other with dual trackballs. [805] 1996 May 5 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. Two arcade games are shown: "Great White Hunter", and "Nuke". [833] (month unknown) Namco releases the Soul Edge Ver. II arcade video game. [477.16] Capcom releases the X-Men vs. Street Fighter video game in arcades in the US. [626.93] The film Subliminal Seduction is aired on TV in the USA. The arcade game Ms. Pac-Man appears. [907] July 10 Sega releases the Sonic Championship video game to arcades in the US. [779.39] October 23 The National Broadcasting Company airs the NewsRadio TV show in the USA. An arcade video game replaces a sandwich vending machine in an office. It is called Stargate Defender, but no actual game play is shown. [1034] December Intel announces the Open Arcade Architecture, a common hardware platform specification incorporating a Pentium II processor and high-end graphics accelerator. Arcade machines built to this specification will be able to have their games changed by software only, with minimal hardware changes. [597] 1997 January 12 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. Ouside the "Noiseland Arcade", a sign is displayed above a live gorilla: "Friday Meet Donkey Kong in Person". The gorilla throws a barrel at a man, knocking him down. [834] February 16 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A sit-down arcade game is played in a store, called Astro Blast. [835] February (month) Top selling arcade game in the US for the month: X-Men Vs. Street Fighter by Capcom. [794.28] March 15 In Seattle, Washington, the GameWorks video arcade opens. Partners of the GameWorks company are DreamWorks, Universal Studios, and Sega Enterprises of Japan. The main attraction is the Vertical Reality interactive game designed by Steven Spielberg. Up to twelve players are seated around columns of three video screens; as cyborgs are shot, the player is raised, with the object being to reach the top. Cost to play is US$4. [688.72] (month unknown) SNK releases the 64-Bit Hyper NeoGeo 64 system in arcades. [595.27] Capcom releases the Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter video game in arcades in the US. [626.93] September 11 Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat 4 video game Version 1.0 to arcades in the US. [808] October 15 Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat 4 video game Version 2.0 to arcades in the US. [808] October 17 Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat 4 video game Version 2.1 to arcades in the US. [808] October 23 Four game developers release the first arcade games based on Intel's Pentium II platform and the Open Arcade Architecture. This system allows game changes by software only, without requiring a physical machine change. [597] November 9 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. In a convenience store, a child plays an arcade game called Cat Fight. [838] December Konami releases the Beatmania arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11] 1998 January 20 Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat 4 video game Version 3.0 to arcades in the US. [808] April 23 The National Broadcasting Company airs the Seinfeld TV show in the USA. One of the plot lines revolves around transporting a Frogger arcade machine from a closing-out business, without losing the high score record. The arcade machine is taken across a street, back and forth like playing the game. [674.45] [1041] April 30 Namco ships the Tekken 3 arcade game. [545.18] (month unknown) Midway releases the Gauntlet Legends arcade video game. [418.28] Namco releases the Soul Calibur arcade video game. [477.16] Capcom releases the Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes video game to arcades in the US. [626.93] September Konami releases the Pop'n Music arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11] September 27 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A videogame arcade includes various stand-up and sit-in machines, with some names visible: "Larry the Looter", "Touch of Death", "Pack Rat Returns", "Shark Bait", "Satans Funhouse", "Time Waster". [859] November Konami releases the Dance Dance Revolution arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11] 1999 February Konami releases the Beatmania IIDX arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11] March Konami releases the Guitar Freaks arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11] March 28 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. An arcade video game is played, Monkey Fracas Jr., with a space ship fighting a giant ape throwing barrels pulled from inside a planet. This is a reference to the video game Donkey Kong Jr.. [840] April 4 The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. Several references to actual arcade video games are shown: Gender Neutral Pac Person (Pac Man), Mortal Kooperation (Mortal Kombat); security patrols at the arcade are called Moon Patrol, the same name as an arcade video game. [841] April Midway releases the NBA Showtime arcade game in the US. [810.15] July 3 In Weirs Beach, New Hampshire, over six hours Billy Mitchell plays a "perfect" game of the arcade game Pac-Man, achieving the highest score that the game allows: 3,333,360. This can only be accomplished by guiding Pac-Man to eat every dot, fruit, and ghost in all 256 levels without dying. [578.134] [682.77] [1032.110] [1098.34] July Konami releases the DrumMania arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11] September Konami releases the Dance Dance Revolution Solo Bass Mix arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11] (month unknown) WMS Industries announces it will no longer manufacture arcade cabinets. This includes companies Midway, Williams, and Bally. [1100.34] October 6 United Paramount Network airs the Seven Days TV show in the USA. The episode involves a video game player remotely controlling a live missile aimed at the US Pentagon building. A few arcade video game machines appear at a nightclub. A brief scene takes place in a videogame arcade, showing a wrestling game. [908] October 22 The 33rd annual Tokyo Motor Show is held in Tokyo, Japan. Sega has a F355 Challenge arcade machine in the Ferrari booth. [820.24]