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.
Game Components of Pole Position
Game board, 8 plastic cars, 2 dice, 1 deck of cards, 1 set of instructions.
Game Setup of Pole Position
Each player chooses a car and places it on the starting line. Shuffle the deck of cards and place it face down on the board. Roll the dice to determine the starting order. The player with the highest roll goes first, followed by the player to their left, and so on. The first player draws a card and follows the instructions on it to move their car. Play continues clockwise until one player completes the required number of laps and crosses the finish line.
Gameplay Mechanics of Pole Position
Players move their cars by drawing cards from the deck and following the instructions on them. The cards may instruct players to move forward or backward, or to perform other actions such as changing lanes or spinning out. Players must also manage their fuel and tire wear, as running out of fuel or having worn-out tires will cause them to lose the game.
Game Objective of Pole Position
The objective of Pole Position is to be the first player to complete the required number of laps and cross the finish line.
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