Pole Position (2024)

Pole Position

Pole Position is an arcade racing simulation video game released by Namco in 1982 and licensed to Atari, Inc. for US manufacture and distribution, running on the Namco Pole Position arcade system board. It was created by Galaxian designer Kazunori Sawano, Tank Battalion designer Shinichiro Okamoto, and Sho Osugi, who was behind Namco’s electro-mechanical racers of the seventies. Pole Position was an evolution of Namco’s earlier arcade racing electro-mechanical games, notably F-1 (1976), whose designer Sho Osugi worked on the development of Pole Position. It was the first racing game to become a hit in arcades.

Why is Pole Position Popular?

Pole Position is considered one of the most important titles from the golden age of arcade video games. It was unlike any racing game to date, with tremendously advanced graphics for the time – thanks to its revolutionary 16-bit microprocessor – and even had synthesized speech. It was an instant hit, becoming the highest-grossing arcade game in North America in 1983 and 1984. Pole Position quickly migrated to home systems like the Atari 2600 and Commodore 64, and was followed by a sequel, a board game, and a short-lived, 13-episode cartoon series that shared its name.

We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no extra cost for you. Learn more.