Once upon a time gaming belonged in Arcades, not in your living room, bedroom or on your smartphone. Honoring those days, Michael Mateyko and Hans Thiessen decided to make a series of posters, providing a sort of field guide to the different designs of machines in arcade gaming.
The Amusement Field Identification Kit provides fun to look at sketches and diagrams of iconic gaming cabinets, as classic games get re-imagined in the style of field manuals.
Pong vs Space Invaders
Pong (Atari) was one of the first real hits in the Arcade. The same goes for Space Invaders, which also had a unique and memorable cocktail table design that to this day is considered iconic.
Donkey Kong vs Robotron: 2084
Donkey Kong was the first big hit for Nintendo, also introducing the character of Mario. Robotron was a shoot ’em up type of game that introduced several innovations, including the use of twin control sticks — one for movement, and another for shooting.
Ms. Pacman & Vs. System
Ms. Pac-Man became the most successful American-produced arcade game, selling 115,000 arcade cabinets, without introducing too many changes to the actual gameplay. The Vs. System by Nintendo probably served as foreshadowing device – not just two people playing together, but gaming moving from the arcades into homes.
Neo-Geo MVS & Vewlix
The Neo-Geo MVS allowed arcade owners to switch games without switching the cabinet. Taito’s Vewlix can still be found in arcades, featuring standard PC parts inside and can even run Windows.
The full set of illustrations is available from Komboh’s store in a variety of sizes, with prices ranging from $20 to $60.
Via: The Verge
For a bit more on classic gaming, check out these classic handheld games, or find out how some of the more famous games you’ve had the privilege of playing over the years got their names.
