When an arcade machine isn't being played by anybody, it typically switches into something called "Attract mode". It's exactly what it sounds like: the game attempts to attract passers-by into playing it. Usually, this would include the game playing itself, displaying high scores, cut-scenes, or - in certain instances - exhorting players not to "do" drugs.
Some games machines, however, take this attempt to attract players to another level of ridiculousness - and are housed in hardware which is in itself an attraction. Indeed, it's probably fair to say, that most modern arcades are entirely full of machines of this ilk, like being at an entertainment industry party where everybody is trying to be noticed.
Maybe somebody should tell them not to do drugs!!!!!!
Here are ten arcade games which took their cabinets to the absurd heights of peacockery, ensuring that players had to have a go, regardless of whether the game itself was any good or not.
Some games machines, however, take this attempt to attract players to another level of ridiculousness - and are housed in hardware which is in itself an attraction. Indeed, it's probably fair to say, that most modern arcades are entirely full of machines of this ilk, like being at an entertainment industry party where everybody is trying to be noticed.
Maybe somebody should tell them not to do drugs!!!!!!
Here are ten arcade games which took their cabinets to the absurd heights of peacockery, ensuring that players had to have a go, regardless of whether the game itself was any good or not.
TX-1
A sort of third instalment in Atari's well established Pole Position series, 1983's TX-1 was quantifiably three times better than either of its two predecessors. How so? It had no fewer than three screens - giving players a sort of panoramic view from the cockpit of their racing car.
Multiple monitors wasn't the only TX-1 innovation: it was also the first arcade racing game to feature force feedback, via a vibrating steering wheel, and branching gameplay. At each checkpoint, the player was confronted with a choice of paths. You know: like when you're up the woods.
I was so inspired by TX-1 that I later stole its display when I was working as a graphic designer for Ladbrokes Racing. I created a similar Formula 1 animation sequence to run in Ladbrokes betting shops, but get this - mine ran over six screens. Thus: it was six times better than anything Atari ever did.
Multiple monitors wasn't the only TX-1 innovation: it was also the first arcade racing game to feature force feedback, via a vibrating steering wheel, and branching gameplay. At each checkpoint, the player was confronted with a choice of paths. You know: like when you're up the woods.
I was so inspired by TX-1 that I later stole its display when I was working as a graphic designer for Ladbrokes Racing. I created a similar Formula 1 animation sequence to run in Ladbrokes betting shops, but get this - mine ran over six screens. Thus: it was six times better than anything Atari ever did.
SPACE HARRIER
One of the most iconic arcade games of all time, with or without its fancy sit-down cabinet (its digitised speech alone made us all go "Wha... wha... whaaaaaa?!") it was nevertheless in the latter configuration that Yu Suzuki's Space Harrier turned heads so fast that it was responsible for a pandemic of "cricked necks".
With a visual style inspired by the movie The NeverEnding story (running time: 94 minutes) and the prog rock album covers of Roger Dean, the motorised cockpit-style cabinet responded to the player's joystick movements. Sega had been initially hesitant to commit to a machine with such high production costs, but a cocksure Suzuki reportedly offered his own salary by way of compensation, were it to fail.
It did not fail.
Also... ha ha: "cocksure".
With a visual style inspired by the movie The NeverEnding story (running time: 94 minutes) and the prog rock album covers of Roger Dean, the motorised cockpit-style cabinet responded to the player's joystick movements. Sega had been initially hesitant to commit to a machine with such high production costs, but a cocksure Suzuki reportedly offered his own salary by way of compensation, were it to fail.
It did not fail.
Also... ha ha: "cocksure".
FIRE TRUCK
Way back in 1978, Atari straddled the arcades like a lewd oligarch, though one of its lesser-known, less successful, releases nevertheless remains one of the more remarkable.
Fire Truck was probably the first video game ever to feature co-operative gameplay, as two players - one lurking behind the other - controlled the steering, respectively, for the front and rear portions of a fire engine.
I've no idea whether this is how a real fire truck is controlled - frankly, I can't be bothered to find out - but it scarcely matters, given that Fire Truck didn't exactly (ha ha) set arcades on fire. Here's a thought: had it done better, they could've released a sequel called Pantomime Horse, and a six-player game called One Of Those Chinese New Year Dragons They Have.
Fire Truck was probably the first video game ever to feature co-operative gameplay, as two players - one lurking behind the other - controlled the steering, respectively, for the front and rear portions of a fire engine.
I've no idea whether this is how a real fire truck is controlled - frankly, I can't be bothered to find out - but it scarcely matters, given that Fire Truck didn't exactly (ha ha) set arcades on fire. Here's a thought: had it done better, they could've released a sequel called Pantomime Horse, and a six-player game called One Of Those Chinese New Year Dragons They Have.
TIME TRAVELER
Billed as the world's first holographic video game, Sega's Time Traveler was nothing of the sort, of course. It was a laserdisc adventure, designed by Dragon's Lair creator Rick Dyer, and though it appeared superficially to be a sort of live action beat 'em up, it played very much like - yes - Dragon's Lair.
Nevertheless, the optical illusion - its black backgrounded video footage was reflected onto a curved mirror - was damned impressive, and certainly made it look like a hologram, a bit. Time Traveler wasn't built for longevity, however.
Apparently, if a player was able to make it through to the pant-tighteningly hard choices without dying, it would only take them about ten minutes in total to reach the end.
Nevertheless, the optical illusion - its black backgrounded video footage was reflected onto a curved mirror - was damned impressive, and certainly made it look like a hologram, a bit. Time Traveler wasn't built for longevity, however.
Apparently, if a player was able to make it through to the pant-tighteningly hard choices without dying, it would only take them about ten minutes in total to reach the end.
AFTER BURNER
Another Yu Suzuki classic, like Space Harrier, After Burner featured several cabinets, the most unique and impressive of which boasted a horizontally rotating seat, and a vertically rotating cockpit. Yes: with all the attendant nausea that implies.
Notably, this deluxe cabinet featured prominently in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, foreshadowing John Connor's future as an heroic warrior, while the T-1000 searched an arcade for him, like a disappointed parent.
Notably, this deluxe cabinet featured prominently in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, foreshadowing John Connor's future as an heroic warrior, while the T-1000 searched an arcade for him, like a disappointed parent.
HANG-ON
Prior to both Space Harrier and After Burner, Yu Suzuki had major arcade success with the motorcycle racer Hang-On.
As well as two more mundane cabinets, the deluxe version boasted one of the first ever motion control systems, with players mounting a replica motorbike, and steering by tilting their bodies left and right - viewing the action via a monitor built into the windshield.
This is the closest I've ever come to riding a motorbike, though I have been on a Segway, and did once have a go on my brother-in-law's moped. I attempted to ride it down the length of my parents' garden, but took off at such speed that I wasn't able to apply the brakes before crashing into the shed. I was catapulted off the seat, and landed on the crossbar, hurting my testicles.
Apparently, it was really funny, and nobody cared that I was crying.
As well as two more mundane cabinets, the deluxe version boasted one of the first ever motion control systems, with players mounting a replica motorbike, and steering by tilting their bodies left and right - viewing the action via a monitor built into the windshield.
This is the closest I've ever come to riding a motorbike, though I have been on a Segway, and did once have a go on my brother-in-law's moped. I attempted to ride it down the length of my parents' garden, but took off at such speed that I wasn't able to apply the brakes before crashing into the shed. I was catapulted off the seat, and landed on the crossbar, hurting my testicles.
Apparently, it was really funny, and nobody cared that I was crying.
DISCS OF TRON
A contender for Most Beautiful Arcade Cabinet Ever, the frisbee-lobbing Discs of Tron was housed in a gorgeous, upright, cabinet featuring authentic artwork from the film, and stunning backlighting effects.
I remember finding one on a day trip to Calais with my parents, stuffed away at the back of a little arcade, and being blown away by how mysterious it looked. The game itself wasn't all that, but the cabinet... man alive, that was some sweeeeeeet hardware.
Interestingly, that was one of several day trips my parents and I took with some friends of their called Jo and Tony. On another we took the train to York, and my father blocked the toilet with a massive poo. Some boys found this hilarious, and kept returning to look at it - "Urrrgh! It's huge!" - until my furious and embarrassed mother told him to go and "break it up" so that it would flush.
He did as he was told, and for years I've wondered whether he used his foot or something else.
I remember finding one on a day trip to Calais with my parents, stuffed away at the back of a little arcade, and being blown away by how mysterious it looked. The game itself wasn't all that, but the cabinet... man alive, that was some sweeeeeeet hardware.
Interestingly, that was one of several day trips my parents and I took with some friends of their called Jo and Tony. On another we took the train to York, and my father blocked the toilet with a massive poo. Some boys found this hilarious, and kept returning to look at it - "Urrrgh! It's huge!" - until my furious and embarrassed mother told him to go and "break it up" so that it would flush.
He did as he was told, and for years I've wondered whether he used his foot or something else.
RIDGE RACER FULL SCALE
"The soul of virtual reality appeared finally!"
I didn't learn to drive until I was 30-ish. The closest I got to it prior to that was playing Ridge Racer Full Scale - a super-deluxe version of Namco's Ridge Racer, which you played by sitting inside a real Mazda MX5, in front of a massive front-projected screen. Even starting the game required you to turn an ignition key, and braking was done using - yes - the actual brakes.
I can't have been the only person to play Ridge Racer Full Scale while screaming "I'm a big boy!" at the top of my lungs.
I didn't learn to drive until I was 30-ish. The closest I got to it prior to that was playing Ridge Racer Full Scale - a super-deluxe version of Namco's Ridge Racer, which you played by sitting inside a real Mazda MX5, in front of a massive front-projected screen. Even starting the game required you to turn an ignition key, and braking was done using - yes - the actual brakes.
I can't have been the only person to play Ridge Racer Full Scale while screaming "I'm a big boy!" at the top of my lungs.
R360
Used for a number of different games, including G-LOC, Galaxy Force, and Power Drift, Sega's R360 hardware built upon technology utilised in After Burner and Space Harrier. Getting into it was more like sitting down in a roller coaster than an arcade machine - with a harness that held players in place, as the machine turned completely upside down.
There were a number of safety features included, such as an emergency stop button, pressure sensitive mats which triggered an alarm if anybody got too close to the gyrating machine, and a plexiglass safety barrier. Typically, the machine would have an attendant supervising at all times, to ensure nobody, y'know, died.
Not included: vomit bags.
There were a number of safety features included, such as an emergency stop button, pressure sensitive mats which triggered an alarm if anybody got too close to the gyrating machine, and a plexiglass safety barrier. Typically, the machine would have an attendant supervising at all times, to ensure nobody, y'know, died.
Not included: vomit bags.
GALAXIAN 3
A long way from the original Galaxian, the enormous Galaxian 3 was more amusement park attraction than arcade game. Far too big and expensive for most arcades, it was only a moderate hit for the company - a failed bid to fight back against increasingly arcade-quality home consoles.
Up to six players could compete simultaneously on the shooting gallery-style game, firing at enemies superimposed on a pre-rendered backdrop, running from a pair of laserdiscs. The entire thing sat on an hydraulic platform which vibrated the floor in synch with the on-screen action, and featured a pneumatic arm which would occasional pop out and slide a hot cone into the players' mouths
The Theatre 6 hardware - as it was known - was reconfigured for a follow-up, the less well-remembered Attack of the Zolgear, whatever that was.
Up to six players could compete simultaneously on the shooting gallery-style game, firing at enemies superimposed on a pre-rendered backdrop, running from a pair of laserdiscs. The entire thing sat on an hydraulic platform which vibrated the floor in synch with the on-screen action, and featured a pneumatic arm which would occasional pop out and slide a hot cone into the players' mouths
The Theatre 6 hardware - as it was known - was reconfigured for a follow-up, the less well-remembered Attack of the Zolgear, whatever that was.
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