To anyone who didn't experience them firsthand, it's hard to accurately convey the mesmerising power of amusement arcades in the '80s and '90s. A furious storm of light, sound and smell (the latter not always pleasant, we should add), your typical arcade was dominated by flashing screens and packed, jostling bodies. This was raw 'social' gaming before online play came long and connected the entire globe; your mettle was tested against friends and complete strangers, with victory and defeat playing out in a very public arena.
However, for a certain period of arcade gaming's 'golden years', the biggest attraction was not the spectacle of beating all comers at your favourite one-on-one fighter, but stepping into one of Sega's many 'Taikan' arcade machines. Taikan stands for 'body sensation' and was Sega's answer to restoring some excitement in the otherwise uniform world of arcade cabinets.
Hang-On was the first to employ this approach, giving players the chance to ride on a full-size replica of an actual bike. It would be followed by After Burner, Out Run and Power Drift, and it is these iconic machines that are featured in Read-Only Memories' most lavish coffee table art book to date: Sega Arcade: Pop-Up History.
Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, Sega Arcade: Pop-Up History is finally finding its way into the hands of backers, and while it's a relatively slim read at just 45 pages (including the pop-up sections), it seems like the perfect way to pay tribute to this incredibly exciting time in gaming history.
With text penned by highly-respected journalist Keith Stuart, the narrative surrounding these remarkable feats of consumer engineering is fleshed out; Stuart explains how Yu Suzuki's AM2 division hit upon the Taikan concept, and each game has its own entry which delves into its history in more granular detail. These sections are accompanied by screenshots (complete with an authentic CRT filter, of course) and even cabinet concept artwork taken directly from Sega's archives.
Then there are the pop-up sections themselves. Engineered by Helen Friel, these paper-based models boast incredible detail, giving you a 3D impression of what these cabinets would have looked like when they were given pride of place at your local arcade. Of course, a small paper replica can't possibly match the sheer majesty the real thing, but given how rare these units are becoming, it could end up being the next best thing.
At £35, this isn't your typical retro-themed book, however. If you're the kind of person who craves value for money and simply wants to know as much as possible about Sega's arcade past, then The Sega Arcade Revolution by Ken Horowitz is arguably a much better investment. However, for pure visual spectacle, this book takes some beating – and if you're especially nostalgic for this period in time, then the intricately-detailed pop-up designs in Read-Only Memories' book will trigger those rose-tinted memories perfectly.
This article was originally published by nintendolife.com on Thu 13th February, 2020.
Comments (17)
I'd rather Sega explores their arcade history by releasing more of their 90's arcade games on modern systems.
@KitsuneNight It is really criminal that for Sega Ages we get Sonic 1 & 2 but no arcade ports of Golden Axe 1 & 2 etc.
@grewupnintendo
Or anything other then the usual suspects.
I doubt we wil ever get Model 2, Saturn or Dreamcast games.
@KitsuneNight
Dreamcast has a decent chance. SEGA rereleased a bunch of DC games last gen on PS3/360/Steam. On a technical level, DC games are easier to port than Saturn games.
I’d be shocked if we see any Saturn games. I wish SEGA would stop teasing them like they did with the launch of SEGA Forever and SEGA Ages. It just leads to disappointment.
@Damo
Is there any reference to Super Hang-On in this book as I have a huge affection for that game. I'm very tempted to buy this just for the Space Harrier pop up cabinet alone.
Huh, does the book really consistently misspell taikan as 'taiken', or is that just this review?
I'll buy this beaut when I'm feeling flush...
@KitsuneNight I think Sega aren't willing to invest in the time and money required to bring their more complex arcade games to Switch, hence we get the same old games over and over. It's a criminally wasted opportunity.
@nmanifold
Totally.
There was some hope after the release of Virtua Racing.
But it's been dire ever since.
Thankyou sega for so many happy memories, feel blessed to have been around arcades in the 80 s and 90s. Agree it is frustrating that they don’t bring most to consoles now x x x
But Hang on wasn't the first game to employ that approach. Battle Zone used a periscope, Tron had a walk in dome thing, And I remember a vector space game where you sat in the cockpit to name a few. There were also a lot of rifle/gun games before this in arcades. Hang on might have been the first motorcycle game with a vibrating moving motorcycle I guess.
A Sega arcade compilation in the vein of SNK, Konami, Midway, Namco, or any number of other collections would be guaranteed to sell like crazy. Imagine all the Sega arcade machines from Zaxxon and Congo Bongo all the way through their Model 3 lineup, including titles never before released on home consoles, like Daytona USA 2/SCUD Racer, all in one place. I know I'd have that pre-order locked down ASAP. Too bad we're talking about Sega here, though; if it isn't Sonic they frankly don't seem to care anymore.
@AtlanteanMan
And they can't even get Sanic right anymore.
I’d like to see one for F Zero AX personally
Yes, keeping those ride machines in working order decades later has to be a real commitment.
@Priceless_Spork That's not what Sega's machines were about. 'Body sensation' is about combining such cabinets with movement and force feedback as well.
I guess this book will be so interesting for my generation. Arcades are the games of my childhood, it brings me to nostalgia feeling. I was preparing my essay and reading https://eduzaurus.com/free-essay-samples/american-dream/ when those posts made me think about one thing. Some thoughts from free essay samples pushed me to find out more about American dream and American culture at all. So, what do you think, how much arcade is a part of our culture?
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