Long before we called strangers various cuss words on our headsets while deep in the trenches of Fortnite, video games were a communal affair, defined by overpriced game tokens, extremely short shorts and doing your darndest to nab that high score. Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, arcades were the place to be for gamers everywhere, and looking back at photos, it's very clear why.

From a teenage Tony Hawk getting into the zone to a glimpse at pals duking it out with their controllers, here are 26 vintage arcade photos that are worthy of a spot on the leaderboard.