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Universal Arcade Facts

@universalfacts.bsky.social

Shedding some light on the arcade manufacturer that time (mostly) forgot. | Account run by @clipthejester.bsky.social (owner uses he/him)

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GSK | ALL CITY SLOP SHOP (ETA SOON)@allcityslopshop.com · 2w ago

to recap: Egret II Mini Arcade Collection vol.2 , out March 25, ¥9878 w/32pp Taito Station zine Universal games: Lady Bug Cheeky Mouse Jumping Jack Mr. Do vs Unicorn Snap Jack Irem games: Yakyuu Kakuto League Man Thunder Blaster Perfect Soldiers Gallop Undercover Cops

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Universal Arcade Facts@universalfacts.bsky.social · last yr.

Screenshots of the currently undumped DoJa version of Mr. Do!, released by Bothtec for Japanese feature phones in 2006. This release included both a straight port of the original game, as well as a revamped version with a more "cybernetic" feel to the game's graphics.

Play History@playhistory.bsky.social · 3w ago

Deep Scan presumably for its use of vertical space. Defender and Rally-X both have vast and colorful scrolling worlds, which Miyamoto initially wanted for his Popeye game. Space Panic's influence is obvious, with its ascension focus and use of ladders.

Gameplay of Sega/Gremlin's Deep Scan, a submarine bombing game with a radar screen.Screenshot of Williams' defender, featuring a fast spaceship in a limited, horizontally-scrolling world. It also features a radar screen.Rally-X by Namco featured a large maze map and multi-directional scrolling. It also features a radar screen.The game Space Panic - often called the first platformer - introduced players ascending different levels via ladders to trap enemies which were then buried and fell downwards.
Play History@playhistory.bsky.social · 3w ago

The most fascinating development document from the Donkey Kong case files: Shigeru Miyamoto's notebook page from March 16, 1981. One of the listings on this page are four arcade games that presumably influenced Donkey Kong: -Deep/Scan -Defender -Rally-X -Space Panic

A photocopy of Miyamoto's notebook from a page dated March 16, 1981 while proposing the Popeye game concept that became Donkey Kong. https://archive.org/details/miyamoto-design-documents-1981-03-30-popeye-game-layout/Miyamoto%20Design%20Documents%20(1981-03-16%20Popeye%20Game%20Pitch)/mode/2upA close-up of the translated names of the games in Miyamoto's notebook. https://archive.org/details/miyamoto-design-documents-1981-03-30-popeye-game-layout/Miyamoto%20Design%20Documents%20(1981-03-16%20Popeye%20Game%20Pitch)/mode/2up
Universal Arcade Facts@universalfacts.bsky.social · last mo.

Gameplay footage of Kick Rider, a racing game released by Universal in 1984. Using the same combination of bird's-eye/third-person perspectives as found in Irem's Traverse U.S.A./Zippy Race, this game's main innovation on the formula comes in the form of its titular kick mechanic.

Universal Arcade Facts@universalfacts.bsky.social · last yr.

Gameplay footage of "Yankee DOodle/Yankee Do!", an aftermarket speed-up/conversion kit for Mr. Do!. Based loosely on the Gulf War, this kit modifies the in-game graphics to turn Mr. Do! into Uncle Sam and the Mini-Dinos into loosely-defined "Arabian" men riding camels, amongst other edits.

Universal Arcade Facts@universalfacts.bsky.social · last yr.

The Super Famicom port of Mr. Do! was released in Japan on June 23rd, 1995, exactly 30 years ago today. The second entry in a planned series of Universal arcade ports to the SFC, this port of the game, introduces a "battle mode" in which two players can simultaneously compete against each other.

A scan of the Japanese front cover for the 1995 SNES port of the 1982 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!; illustrations of both the titular protagonist and a Blue Muncher are overlaid over an edited screenshot of the game. (scan courtesy of "RFH", sourced from https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/snes/588502-mr-do/boxes/4278)
Universal Arcade Facts@universalfacts.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Two photos of Asteroid Killer, a pinball table released by Universal in 1979, as featured in Roger Sharpe's review in Play Meter. Much like its contemporary, Harem Cat, Asteroid Killer supported up to six players & used a video monitor in order to display both score & animations during play.

A clipping from a low-quality scan of pg. 79 of vol. 5, no. 22 of Play Meter (Dec. 15th, '79), featuring a photo of the backglass of the Universal pinball table, Asteroid Killer; the artwork depicts a futuristic warrior doing battle with a gigantic, lizard-esque beast on some sort of alien planet. At the bottom right of the backglass is a monitor designed to display both scores and animations, similar to Harem Cat. (sourced from KLOV's e-library's scan of the issue)A clipping from a low-quality scan of pg. 79 of vol. 5, no. 22 of Play Meter (Dec. 15th, '79), featuring a photo of Asteroid Killer's playfield; the artwork, as perceptible as it is, very much follows in the same theming as the backglass. Below the photo is a caption labelling the table's manufacturer and name. (sourced from KLOV's e-library's scan of the issue)
🃏 Clip 🃏@clipthejester.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Random question: by any chance would anybody have a copy of volume 5, no. 23 of Play Meter (Dec 15th, 1979) that they'd be willing to scan? As far as I'm aware it includes the one and only review of Universal's "Asteroid Killer" pinball table, complete with B&W photos of the backglass and playfield.

Universal Arcade Facts@universalfacts.bsky.social · 5mo ago

A magazine ad for "TypeTunes: Chase the Music!", a 2005 rhythm game in which players had to type the lyrics to J-pop songs along to the beat. TypeTunes would end up being the last arcade game to be released in any capacity under the Universal/Aruze umbrella.

A scanning of a print advertisement in pg. 148 of Arcadia #0060 (May '05) for the 2005 Universal/Aruze arcade game, TypeTunes: Chase the Music!, a rhythm game in which the objective is to type along to the lyrics of popular songs in-beat, somewhat similar in concept to SEGA's Typing of the Dead. The ad features an image of the cabinet, which features two screens, one for watching the music video and the other for typing the lyrics with the keyboard, a handful of screenshots from the game, and short descriptions on how to play the game. (scan courtesy of JapaneseMagazinesScans, sourced from https://archive.org/details/arcadia0060)