Prepare To Qualify!
Pole Position, the grandfather of modern racing games, was a must-play at the 80s arcade. It had everything you needed to feel like you were behind the wheel of a Formula 1 racecar...the steering wheel, the gas pedal, the low-high gear shifter, the high speed crashes! It truly was a slot machine for 9 year olds that paid off every time. But I also remember playing during my high school years in the early 90s, even though it was introduced ten years earlier. A good friend and I frequented a hole-in-the-wall burger and ice cream shop that had an attached game room. It had all old school arcade and pinball games. (The pool table was even 50 cents per game.) Pole Position was one of the games and it was always one that we played every time we visited. Even after playing over many years, it still had what I call "initials quality," meaning that getting your three initials on the high score screen was still meaningful.
Pole Position was released in Japan by Namco in 1982. They approached two gaming companies in the United States, Bally Midway and Atari, Inc to produce either Mappy or Pole Position. After Bally Midway chose Mappy, Atari produced Pole Position, which turned out to be a fortunate circumstance. Even though it wasn't the first to have the 3rd person "look from behind" gameplay (Turbo by Sega in 1981), the driving simulator quickly became the most popular game on the planet in 1983. Atari not only released an upright model but also a "cabinet" or cockpit style model that included a brake pedal! Though the game play was primarily the same, the beautiful racing scenes on the outside and automobile-like feeling on the inside combined for an awesome experience.
To say that Pole Position's gameplay was ahead of its time is really an understatement. It was the first racing game to feature a qualifying lap before the actual race took place. The better the qualifying lap you had (if you could complete it), the better your starting position in the race. Combine that with the time limit, the AI cars, and the course being based on a real racetrack, Pole Position had the blueprint for many racing games to come.
To say that Pole Position's gameplay was ahead of its time is really an understatement. It was the first racing game to feature a qualifying lap before the actual race took place. The better the qualifying lap you had (if you could complete it), the better your starting position in the race. Combine that with the time limit, the AI cars, and the course being based on a real racetrack, Pole Position had the blueprint for many racing games to come.

2 Comments
The storm kept me on the sidelines for awhile, but when I saw "Pole Position", I RACED over here. No pun intended.
ReplyDeleteGod I loved this game. I can hear the beeping pre race countdown lights now. Just the tones....
Damnnnnn... Dude, you're likr the nostalgia king man, I get 80s flashbacks everytime I stop here!!
Thanks man. I live for writing stuff like this. So much fun doing the research and linking the youtube videos of these old games. So many great memories that I can't wait to put on this site!!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I enjoy your blog as well. Some great discussions in the comments on just about every post. That says to me you have a great following.