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EspañolPOLE POSITION (ARCADE GAME)
(Redirected from Pole Position)
'''Pole Position''' is a racing video game released in 1982 by Namco, the creators of ''Pac-Man''. In ''Pole Position'', the player has to complete a lap in a certain amount of time in order to qualify for an F1 race at the Fuji Racetrack. After qualifying, the player has to face other cars in a championship race.
For release in the United States, Namco approached Bally Midway with a choice of two games in 1982. Bally Midway chose ''Mappy'' while Atari was forced to go with ''Pole Position'' — which turned out to be the most popular game of 1983.
''Pole Position II'' was released in 1983, and adds to the original Fuji track three additional courses: Test (resembling Indianapolis), Seaside (resembling Long Beach), and Suzuka. It features slightly improved graphics, as well as a different starting tune.
While many considered the three-screened racer ''TX-1'', released in 1984 by Atari and designed by Tatsumi to be a sequel to ''Pole Position II'', the true sequel arrived in 1987 with the release of ''Final Lap'', which may be considered an unofficial ''Pole Position III''.
''Pole Position'' was ported to a number of home computers and consoles by ''Atarisoft'' in the early 1980s. In the late 1990s ''Pole Position'' made a comeback on the Sony PlayStation system, alongside ''Pac-Man'' and other Namco games, in a game collection named ''Namco Museum''. Since then, ''Pole Position'' has been included in most Namco Museum releases, such as on the Playstation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Xbox.
It should be noted that presumably due to licensing issues, Fuji Speedway was renamed "Namco Circuit" in the Namco Museum versions.
''Pole Position'' was the leading game in arcades worldwide due to its breathtakingly realistic graphics at the time. It wasn't the first game to use the "rear-view racer format" (examples include Night Driver by Atari and Turbo (released the same year as Pole Position) by Sega), but it did pioneer the format which is used in many games today, and many imitators of the format appeared after its release, most notably Sega's ''Out Run'' in 1986.
The game has also become synonymous with the original television commercial promoting the game, considered by some to be the greatest video game commercial of all time.
This game was one of the first, if not ''the'' first instance of product placement in a video game. A complete list of billboards (including those specific to the U.S. release) can be found here.[1]
★ The Atari 8-bit version of the game was featured in the 1985 movie D.A.R.Y.L..[2]
★ In Pac-Man World Rally, Inky uses the Pole Position car.
★ One of the most problematic arcade games of all time and is prone to hardware problems.
★ NASCAR driver Tony Raines was playing this game while in an interview during the rain delay at the 2007 Pocono 500.
★
★
★
★ Arcade History Database entry
★ Twin Galaxies' Scoreboard for Pole Position
★ Youtube video of original TV commercial
★
★ http://www.alsarcade.com/Andy/arc/atari/ Official Atari memos documenting the hardware issues with the original arcade game
'''Pole Position''' is a racing video game released in 1982 by Namco, the creators of ''Pac-Man''. In ''Pole Position'', the player has to complete a lap in a certain amount of time in order to qualify for an F1 race at the Fuji Racetrack. After qualifying, the player has to face other cars in a championship race.
For release in the United States, Namco approached Bally Midway with a choice of two games in 1982. Bally Midway chose ''Mappy'' while Atari was forced to go with ''Pole Position'' — which turned out to be the most popular game of 1983.
| Contents |
| Sequels |
| Ports |
| Legacy |
| Screenshot gallery |
| Advertising |
| Trivia |
| External links |
Sequels
''Pole Position II'' was released in 1983, and adds to the original Fuji track three additional courses: Test (resembling Indianapolis), Seaside (resembling Long Beach), and Suzuka. It features slightly improved graphics, as well as a different starting tune.
While many considered the three-screened racer ''TX-1'', released in 1984 by Atari and designed by Tatsumi to be a sequel to ''Pole Position II'', the true sequel arrived in 1987 with the release of ''Final Lap'', which may be considered an unofficial ''Pole Position III''.
Ports
''Pole Position'' was ported to a number of home computers and consoles by ''Atarisoft'' in the early 1980s. In the late 1990s ''Pole Position'' made a comeback on the Sony PlayStation system, alongside ''Pac-Man'' and other Namco games, in a game collection named ''Namco Museum''. Since then, ''Pole Position'' has been included in most Namco Museum releases, such as on the Playstation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Xbox.
It should be noted that presumably due to licensing issues, Fuji Speedway was renamed "Namco Circuit" in the Namco Museum versions.
Legacy
''Pole Position'' was the leading game in arcades worldwide due to its breathtakingly realistic graphics at the time. It wasn't the first game to use the "rear-view racer format" (examples include Night Driver by Atari and Turbo (released the same year as Pole Position) by Sega), but it did pioneer the format which is used in many games today, and many imitators of the format appeared after its release, most notably Sega's ''Out Run'' in 1986.
Screenshot gallery
Advertising
The game has also become synonymous with the original television commercial promoting the game, considered by some to be the greatest video game commercial of all time.
This game was one of the first, if not ''the'' first instance of product placement in a video game. A complete list of billboards (including those specific to the U.S. release) can be found here.[1]
Trivia
★ The Atari 8-bit version of the game was featured in the 1985 movie D.A.R.Y.L..[2]
★ In Pac-Man World Rally, Inky uses the Pole Position car.
★ One of the most problematic arcade games of all time and is prone to hardware problems.
★ NASCAR driver Tony Raines was playing this game while in an interview during the rain delay at the 2007 Pocono 500.
External links
★
★
★
★ Arcade History Database entry
★ Twin Galaxies' Scoreboard for Pole Position
★ Youtube video of original TV commercial
★
★ http://www.alsarcade.com/Andy/arc/atari/ Official Atari memos documenting the hardware issues with the original arcade game
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