You could TILT a Space Invaders cab?

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RetroRomper
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You could TILT a Space Invaders cab?

Post by RetroRomper »

Computer Archeology wrote:In the early eighties you would have found the Space Invaders cabinet in an arcade right next to the pinball machines. So a "tilt" switch, like you would find in a pinball machine, would not have seemed as strange as it does today. If you shake, slap, or otherwise physically abuse an SI cabinet you will get a TILT message and your game will end.
http://computerarcheology.com/Arcade/SpaceInvaders/

Huh... I did not know that...
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Ice Cream Jonsey
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Re: You could TILT a Space Invaders cab?

Post by Ice Cream Jonsey »

There were a few other arcade games that have "slam" switches as well - Tempest has one, if you get too rough with it, it makes the world's most annoying sound. I think the idea was to notify the operator in a loud arcade that someone was abusing the machine.
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Jizaboz
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Re: You could TILT a Space Invaders cab?

Post by Jizaboz »

Yeah Space Invaders and many of the other 1984 and before games had so many components that it made sense to use these things. By the time dynamo cabinets were all the rage in the 90s, in most cases with a typical dynamo-shape cabinet the only thing you risk messing up by tilting it is the monitor.
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RetroRomper
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Re: You could TILT a Space Invaders cab?

Post by RetroRomper »

After reading up on slam switches a little bit, apparently Centipede, both the upright and cocktail versions of Space Invaders, and Tempest apparently have them.
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