Arcade & Classic Games · 53

Arcade sound effects had to cut through real room noise, which helps explain why classic machines are full of short, sharp tones that remain recognizable decades later. The category's past supplies the companion fact: Cabinet artwork mattered before the first second of play. Side panels, marquees and control layouts had to sell an experience from across a noisy arcade. A continue screen is thirty seconds of negotiation between pride, curiosity and another coin.