This Month’s Pickup
（Left）
Monaco GP
Original Company: SEGA
Release Date: 1979
(Middle)
OUTRUN
Original Company: SEGA
Release Date: September 1986
(Right)
R360
Original Company: R360
Release Date: November 1990
A full body experience arcade unit that gave Mana-Sama a big shock
This time, its no exaggeration to declare this was like a romance for boys (?), so why don’t we introduce this full body experience arcade game from back in the day.
The Racing Game Enthusiast
Mana-Sama’s starting point was?
The first full body experience game I encountered was a giant unit, characteristic of SEGA’s “Monaco GP”. It was released in 1979, making it a fairly retro game, so the screen was just a simple top view. Now days we’re used to seeing a 3D view, so the extremely simplistic image is something you have to bare.
However, at that time, as I [watched from] the sky, my heart wouldn’t stop pounding when I climbed into the covered cockpit for the first time. I felt just like I was an F1 racer. Although, I was just a child, so I didn’t know how to operate a car, but since you only needed to work with a simple low gear and top gear, anyone could have a taste of what its like to be a racer, which made me happy.
Furthermore, even though its called “Monaco GP”, the screen is nothing like Monaco, and it seemed quite bland. None the less, there were still sudden slip zones that would appear with narrow bridges, tunnels, and obstacle zones which were thrilling. I particularly remember it being extremely frightening when you went in the tunnel and couldn’t see anything but a few meters ahead of you when you shined a light.
The memories of this late game are where my history of liking racing games started out.
Enjoying the pursuit of driving with the innovation “OUTRUN”
After that, I got into Namco’s “Pole Position”. This game was also a large unit, but it took on pseudo-3D, and after being so used to the 2D top view of “Monaco GP”, I was shocked. Three-dimensionality on the screen made it seem just like a real circuit, and together with the intoxicating feeling of speed, and the 3D [effect] when turning a curb, along with the music that played when you did the out-in-out technique, it became enjoyable.
Also, SEGA’s “OUTRUN” really gave you a true taste of “operating a car”. The unit itself was designed as a sports car. Games up until that point, when comparing the emphasis raised in competition, OUTRUN’s concept was being able to enjoy the scenery as you enjoyed driving. Right from the start, the bright red Ferrari Testarossa has has a girl with long blonde hair blowing in the wind on the passenger side, as you cruise casually by the beach! Ahh, it was an irresistible situation for super car lovers!! Although, my [favorite] was the Lamborghini Countach (laughs).
Aside from that, the real pleasure of this game was how the car would sway with the steering wheel. This innovative racing game made your body feel like it could experiencing a virtual reality, although, I guess I should say it was more like a whole new genre, a driving game. There were also junctions in the course, so you could never get tired of it no matter how many times you played. Furthermore, you could choose BGM [background music] to match the mood; it created the definition for severe race games.
The Blooming of the Arcade
SEGA’s Full Body Experience Series
At this point in time SEGA’s arcade full body experience series became a legend. With the exception of race games, “After Burn” was profoundly memorable. You boarded an compact intimate unit for an air battle and at the same time the entire fuselage would shake in all directions. I thought it seemed cool, but it was even more amazing in person. So, this flight simulator fighter craft was the ultimate unit known as “R360”! The really amazing thing about it was, there was a seat belt hanging from it, which you had to fasten, and then when you controlled it with the joy stick, you could turn the cockpit around acrobatically 360 degrees. This would become the frame work for arcade games far off in the distant future — you could even go as far as to say it was like an amusement park ride. Even I was taken aback by it, and could feel the heated passion hoisted in SEGA’s arcade games. However, when I actually tried to play this game, I would get intense motion sickness…….
However, being able to personally ride in a fighter craft was like a dream, so it was still awesome!
Now days, this art has advanced, so even at home the beautiful images displayed in the game look like real life, so you can feel like you’re really experiencing it. In time, the power of expression within games has evolved remarkably, but I still want to relish in units with fully body sensation type games.
(Translation by ManaSamaDotNet)
