Arcade Machines That Take Coins: Types & Common Names

The general term is arcade game or coin-operated amusement machine. Specific cabinet types:

Major Categories

• Video Arcade Cabinets: Upright, cocktail (table), sit-down, deluxe (motion, gun, bike). Genres: Fighter, Shooter, Racer, Rhythm, Puzzle.
• Pinball Machines: Mechanical playfield, flippers, bumpers, ramps, dot-matrix/LCD display. Solid-state (post-1977) or EM (electromechanical, pre-1977).
• Redemption / Ticket Games: Skill-based ticket payout.
  • Skee-Ball (roll balls up ramp)
  • Claw / Crane Machines (plush, capsules)
  • Stacker / Key Master / Barber Cut (stop light, cut string)
  • Coin Pushers / Dozers (quarter falls)
• Sports Simulators: Air Hockey, Bubble Hockey (Chexx), Hoops (basketball), Golf (Golden Tee), Bowling (mini-lane).
• Novelty / Merchandisers: Photo booths, prize vendors (candy, capsules), fortune tellers, strength testers.

Industry Terms

• PCB (Printed Circuit Board): The game logic board inside a JAMMA cabinet.
• JAMMA / JVS: Wiring standards for swapping PCBs.
• Dedicated Cabinet: Built for one game (artwork, control panel fixed).
• Conversion Kit: PCB + marquee + control panel overlay to repurpose a cabinet.

Next time you're in an arcade, you're surrounded by a taxonomy of coin-op engineering.