The Arcade Files

In the summer of 1982, Taito released Jungle King to the arcades, but was quickly met with lawsuit and had to change the game to Jungle Hunt. Not only is this classic remembered for that little uh-oh, but it was the first game to introduce players to parallax scrolling, with the player jumping over enemies. Hmm...sounds familiar.

Atari's Jungle Hunt commercial featured in this episode is sole property of Atari and was used as an educational piece. No copyright infringement was intended in its use.

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It's late 1982 and Taito is releasing their first military themed, run & gun coin op title. It does great in Japan, but does that translate well to the rest of the world? Unfortunately, Front Line feels like a forgotten game during the Golden Age of Arcades, but it's worth mentioning and should be fondly remembered. 

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Check out Taito's Egret II mini arcade console coming in March 2022, but this link is only in Japanese!

https://www.taito.co.jp/egret2mini/shop

During the development of Donkey Kong, many ideas and concepts were laid out, so many in fact that not all could fit in one game. Shigeru Miyamoto wanted a sequel to Donkey Kong and wanted Donkey Kong to be playable character, but it was not to be. Enter, Donkey Kong Junior, the son of DK, who must rescue his father from Mario. This is the only title featuring Mario as the bad guy and it sure made an impact, enjoy the episode.

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It's 1981 and SNK still hasn't released an arcade title to North America, but that all changed with Vanguard. SNK licensed the game to Centuri who released it, not only was it the first "talking" game for Centuri, but it was one of few arcade titles in 1981 to introduce a continue screen. Vanguard has great history and story to share, enjoy the episode!

Learn more about Retro Raccoons, mentioned in today's episode, via https://glitchbit.com/

Or if your feeling froggy, order the game, via https://amusement.itsgames.com/

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How does one follow up the massive success of Pac-man? Well, apparently you work with a third party entity to develop the idea. That's exactly what happened with Ms. Pac-man, not originally conceived by Namco or Midway, but by General Computer Corporation. How did this happen? Only one way to find out, enjoy the episode!

Source codes article mentioned in today's episode: https://github.com/historicalsource?tab=repositories

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It's September of 1980 and Cinematronics released Star Castle to the arcades. Using experimental artificial intelligence (A.I.) to challenge the player, Star Castle helped pave the way for future creators in expanding computer A.I. for video games even into today's time. This was also "color" vector graphics game, which wasn't common at the time. Star Castle has a great history and I hope you enjoy the episode.

Link to Bandai Namco Studios Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYC5taNHZWnASB-Z0Mf3BHA

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It's December of 1980, a new game shows up at the local arcades from Centuri it's called Phoenix. Never heard of it, but it's an important one. Doing something Space Invaders and Galaga didn't do, introducing a "boss" as the final encounter of the game and progressive level game design, no repeats here, a true first indeed. Enjoy the episode!

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In late 1980, Namco released a maze chase game, Rally-X, in Japan and with the help of Midway, Rally-X was brought to North America in 1981. Originally, Rally-X was thought to be a big hit, however, when it finally released against Pac-man and Defender, it fell to the wayside. Regardless, Rally-X was a pioneer in the video game industry, being the first to have a bonus stage and background music. Enjoy the episode!

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It's 1980 and arcades are dominated by One Player games. However, Midway is here to solve the problem with Wizard of Wor, a pioneer of Two Player cooperative play, even with the computer AI helping if you are a lone gamer. Also an early adopter of synthesized speech and a maze like game at that. A truly unique title during the early years of the Golden Age. Enjoy!

Forbes Article Link mentioned in today's episode

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattgardner1/2021/02/19/insanely-rare-sega-arcade-cabinet-found-abandoned-in-uk-field/?sh=4195c73256bd

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It's 1981 and arcades are in desperate need of some variety. Enter Qix, the first puzzle game for the arcades and developed by a married couple. Qix went on to be a initial big hit for Taito America and is an incredibly unique game to this day. What many consider a sleeper hit today, this game paved the wave for future puzzle games that would later pop up in the gaming industry. Enjoy the episode!

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Released in 1981 by Stern in North America, Scramble made quite a bit of money and brought some new features never before seen in an arcade game. However, many have forgotten about this pioneer, but not today. Enjoy a very early game in the shoot-em-up genre, that helped define it. Check out the social media links and email for the podcast, as well as, articles and YouTube video mentioned in today's episode.

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Arcade Heroes article: https://arcadeheroes.com/2021/01/16/newsbytes-atgames-launches-arcadenet-new-videos-vr-wow-arcade-ports/

Wilcox Arcade article: https://www.wilcoxarcade.com/single-post/my-thoughts-on-arcade-port-begging

YouTube Video with discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS8XRSskN30

It's the late 1970s and Taito dominated the arcades with Space Invaders. However, Namco wanted to cash in as well by releasing Galaxian in 1979. They had developed never before seen hardware and a complete 100% RGB color game, Galaxian quickly became the game to play in the early 1980s. Galaxian has a history and story worth sharing, helping propel Namco in the arcade scene, especially in North America and creating the iconic little spaceship we all know and love. Enjoy today's episode and check out the links mentioned in the podcast.

Play Conquest Online: http://www.codemystics.com/conquest/

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It's May 1983 with Star Wars: Return of the Jedi coming out in theaters and Atari has timed it just right to release a Star Wars arcade game. With the blessing of George Lucas, Atari created a beloved game that is still enjoyed today. This is the story of Star Wars: The Arcade Game, enjoy!

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It's 1981 and the Gorfian Empire is invading Earth, you must protect it all cost! Gorf was a pioneer in during the Golden Age of Arcade, being an early adopter to use synthesized speech and the first arcade game to feature multiple screens. We can thank Jamie Fenton for creating this little gem and giving other developers new ideas for future titles. I hope you enjoy the history and story of Gorf.

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Insert Coin Documentary

https://www.insertcoindoc.com

Hot off the heels of his successful Missile Command game, David Theurer used inspiration from a childhood nightmare to create what many considered to be his magnum opus, Tempest, and provided another legendary title for the Golden Age of Arcade. However, Tempest had a rather interesting beginning that could have lead to a disastrous release, if Theurer hadn't changed course.

Plus today's episode features special guest music from Night Rider 87, if you are interested in their music, check out the following links and follow them on social media.

Links

http://nightrider87.com/

http://www.youtube.com/c/NightRider87

http://twitter.com/nr87_official

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3VAER4DIsFQnc5plsXy1X4

https://www.instagram.com/nightridermusic

https://nightrider87.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/nightrider87

Released by Atari in June of 1981, David Theurer created the legendary game, but one that has a no win scenario. The game was released during the middle of The Cold War, between the USA and the USSR. It hit a little too close to home for the developers, but they were trying to convey a message to the player. What message was that? Tune in to find out.

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It's the 1-Year Anniversary for The Arcade Files podcast, so let's do a Halloween Special and talk about the Urban Legend of Polybius. How did it get started and did it ever actually exist? Only one way to find out. A big thank you to all who have listened and enjoyed the show. Don't hesitate to reach out to me on social media or send me an email.

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Check out the link for the book mentioned in today's episode:

https://www.bitmapbooks.co.uk/products/metal-slug-the-ultimate-history

In 1979, Williams Electronics decided to expand from the pinball market to the video arcade market, but needed a dependable hand to guide the way. The task was assigned to Eugene Jarvis, a young, successful employee at Williams, who put together a team and went on to create a legend for the arcade industry. What is considered the one of the most difficult, yet one of the most successful arcade games of all time, this is the history and story of Defender.

A special thank you to Techno Mage for allowing use of their content in this episode. If you enjoyed their music, check out their webpage:

https://technomage.bandcamp.com

You can also follow them on social media and support them on Patreon by clicking the above link.

The shoot'em up genre was starting to lose steam by 1982, but leave it Sega/Gremlin to keep it alive with it's isometric approach to Zaxxon. Not only that, but advertisement for upcoming arcade titles was forever changed with Zaxxon, being the first to be featured in a TV commercial. Money was spent and money was made, Sega was on the rise in the arcade industry. Enjoy!

In 1981, Sega/Gremlin nearly passed up the opportunity on Frogger, due to up tight executives. However, we can thank Elizabeth Falconer who not only pushed for the game, but wasn't afraid to step on some toes to do so. How did Frogger come about? Stay tuned and find out!

Released in June 1981, Centipede became the second best selling coin-op game for Atari, but why? A female's touch may have been the answer, thanks to Dona Bailey who helped program the game. So sit back, relax and enjoy the episode. 

Twitter: @arcade_files

The following links are referenced in today's episode:

https://www.retrorgb.com/13-more-games-on-astro-city-mini.html

https://readonlymemory.vg/shop/book/sega-arcade-pop-up-history/

https://arcadeblogger.com/2020/05/15/atari-centipede-prototype-surfaces/

A two for one episode as we learn about Atari making waves in 1979 and 1980 with these two classics. Both brought vector graphics to the arcade scene during the Golden Age and share a small, government connection. Despite that, these two arcade games also brought a very unique look in the control design for their respective game play and helped Atari make a little bit of money in the process. Enjoy the show!

Namco wanted to repeat Pac-man's success with Dig Dug and provided a new approach to the maze game genre. This quirky game brought something fresh to the arcades during the Golden Age and quickly became a legend among the giants. Tune in for the history and story of Dig Dug.

Joust is one of the earliest arcade games to offer a true two-player experience. It also gained a lot of attraction of being a very unique and quirky game, when so many other choices seemed to fall under space combat, sports or racing. I mean, who doesn't want to play an arcade game, playing as a Knight, riding an Ostrich and fighting bad guys who ride on Vultures. Check out the history and story of Joust!

A pioneer in arcade gaming that used voice synthesizer to not only get your attention at the arcade, but would even intimidate and mock you based on your game play.  However, Berzerk would mostly be remembered for the urban legend of being an actual player killer. Was Berzerk responsible for the death of a young gamer? Only one way to find out, enjoy the show. 

We are going way back on this episode. In November of 1979, the dream of going into space and blowing up rocks, with the occasional flying saucer was fulfilled for many lives. Asteroids is one the early games to help usher in the Golden Age of Arcades and was the most successful game ever released by Atari, Inc. I hope you enjoy!

Having a relatable video game character is one of the keys to the success of a game. Q*bert is that such character, with his "swearing" thought bubble that pretty much all of us can relate to when we play a game. I know I've said a few swear words over the years of playing arcade and console games. Regardless, in this episode, you will learn the about history of Q*bert and legacy he left on the arcade industry. Enjoy!

Who doesn't love to play vehicular combat games? We can thank George Gomez for creating that genre with the debut of Spy Hunter in 1983. By taking an incredibly catchy tune and adding to the game play, a classic was born. Spy Hunter has a history worth telling, so put on your favorite three piece suit, grab a martini and queue the Peter Gunn theme.

Dragon's Lair shook the arcade industry when it debuted in 1983. Many thought this was the game that was going to forever change the industry, but in the end, was nothing more than a "one hit wonder". Despite that, Dragon's Lair made it's mark and just like everything else, has a history waiting to be explored. 

Highly regarded as the father of the shoot'em up genre, Xevious blessed the arcade scene in 1983. This game set many standards for arcade games and became a great influence to future creators. A fantastic game for those interested in the genre of SHMUP's, due to it's easier game play, unlike some of the monsters that would later release. 

What is considered the most important racing video game ever made? Well, that's Pole Position! Every game has a story and in today's episode you'll learn how Pole Position, not only made a lot of money, but how it set the standards for racing games today. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

This fantastic puzzle game had to contend against some giants in 1982, but it still managed to get some notice and is beloved by many. Tune in to learn more about Burgertime, it's history and a little strategy on how to get that high score.

The one, the only, the legendary, Space Invaders. If it wasn't for this game, the video game industry may have simply been a whimper and sigh in history. Space Invaders changed everything, kicked off the Golden Age of Arcade Games and influenced the lives of so many people, including creators even into 2020. Discover the history of this legend and pay some respect to the one that truly started it all.

The classic Williams arcade game released in 1981 has been forgotten in the main stream, aside from hardcore arcade enthusiast. Today's episode covers this very important game and how it impacted the industry. So sit back, relax and enjoy the episode.