Custom PC - UK (2020-07)

CUSTOMISATION / HOBBY TECH

REVIEW

SEGA Arcade: Pop-Up History

,

T

here are plenty of books covering
vintage computing and gaming.
There are also lots of pop-up books,
but with the exception of a few gag-gift and
extremely adult exceptions, they’re typically
aimed at small children looking for 3D
dinosaurs or diggers. Pop-up books covering
vintage computing and gaming, though, aren’t
so common, but that’s the exact gap that Read
Only Memory’s hardbound coffee-table tome.
SEGA Arcade: Pop-Up History, aims to fill.
SEGA Arcade is, as the name implies, a look
at coin-operated arcade machines from the
company formerly known as Service Games.
It’s in no way an exhaustive history, though,
in that it covers only six machines: Hang-On,
Space Harrier, Out Run, After Burner, Thunder
Blade and Power Drift.
Arcade buffs may have already spotted the
common theme: each of these games hada
SEGATaiken‘bodysensation’cabinet,where
yousatin(orsaton,in
On’

them into pop-up cardboard shells hous

the rear half of the book. Turn the page,a

each cabinet appears before you – comp

with a monitor displaying the game’stitl

screen or attract mode.

It’s a neat trick, and the full-colourmo

are impressively recreated from theirre

world equivalents. The side art is accura

screenshots are surprisingly crisp, and

the control sticks, handlebars, steering

and yokes stand out. The models don’t

out fully without a helping finger, buttha

true of almost any pop-up book, includ

typically much less complex modelspl

kids’ books.

There’s been some effort to avoidma

SEGA Arcade a one-trick pony too. The

fronthalfofthebookcontains 32 pagesof

back-story,history,conceptsketc

screenshots,

Each

sedin

and

plete

e

odels

eal-

ate,the

even

wheels

fold

at’s

ingthe

aced in

aking

of a two-column,single-pa

write-upfromGuardiancolumnistKeithStuar,

aningheavilyonaninterviewwithdirector

d designerYuSuzuki.Forgameswhere

zukiwaslessinvolved,suchasTakashi

ama’shelicoptercombattitleThunderBlade,

ere’saccordinglyconsiderablylesspersonal

collectionandmoredryhistoricalrecounting,

t that’snottosay there’s nothing of interest

be learne

e

e racerHang-

n a machinethatmovesaroundin

sponsetotheplayer’sin-gamemotion.

ThebrainchildofDarrenWall,and

iginallycreatedfollowinga

owdfundingcampaignon

ckstarter,SEGAArcade

kesthesebulky

stems and shrinks

s

glossy full colour.

gets a two column single page