This early version only has 13 of the full roster of 16 games working, with Pole Position and Pole Position II, as well as Pac-Mania currently not implemented. We're not surprised since most of these games are from Namco's "early years," and lesser systems have had no problems pulling most of these titles off perfectly. In the version we've tinkered with, most of the games in the package are fully playable and emulated to nearly 100 percent accurate compared to the actual arcade hardware. Pac-Man, Pac-Mania, Galaga '88, Galaga, Galaxian, Dig Dug, Pole Position, Pole Position II, Rolling Thunder, Rally X, Bosconian, Dragon Spirit, Sky Kid, Xevious, and Mappy. The full lineup of games include Pac-Man, Ms. When all's said and done, Namco 50th Anniversary will feature fully emulated versions of 16 of Namco's most recognizable arcade games from the 1980s. The game is scheduled for a late August release, but we were able to get an early look at the compilation pack several weeks before the product goes final. Pole Position was later included in Namco Museum 50th Anniversary in 2005, and both titles were included in Namco Museum Virtual Arcade in 2008.Namco made about a gazillion dollars with a clever five-pack labeled collection of old-school arcade games on the original PlayStation nearly a decade ago, and the company's set to do the same with a single shot compilation with Namco Museum: 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection. Pole Position was ported to Namco Museum Volume 1 in 1995 for the PlayStation, and Pole Position II was included in Namco Museum Volume 3 in 1996. It was removed from the App Store on March 30th, 2013. It features three new tracks ( Suzuka, Seaside and a basic test track), a blue design for the car, and several graphical updates.Ī spiritual successor was released in 1987 titled Final Lap it featured several tracks and selectable cars.Īn iOS game titled Pole Position Remix was released in 2008.
The track will then have long sharp turns and narrow roads.Ī sequel, titled Pole Position II (ポールポジションII) was released in 1983.
If the player makes it into the final race, the player will race for four laps around the track. The race is completed when the car drives under a large Pole Position sign to the finish line. The car will stop for a short while if it hits a road sign or enemy cars on the track however, unlike most arcade games, the player will not lose a life, much like Namco's own King & Balloon.
The game starts at a qualifying lap which will determine if the player makes it into the final race. The gas pedal will increase the speed of the car, while the brake slows down your car. The player uses the steering wheel to control the Formula racer on the Fuji Raceway, while the shifter can shift the car into high or low gear. Pole Position was the most successful arcade game in 1983 in North America, and spawned a sequel, animated series, and many ports. The game came in a sit-down cockpit cabinet, as well as a regular upright machine. It runs on Namco Pole Position hardware, and was developed by Toru Iwatani, who previously made Gee Bee and Pac-Man. Pole Position (ポールポジション) is a 1982 racing arcade game developed and published by Namco, and was licensed to Atari for North America.