Attract Mode: The Rise and Fall of Coin-Op Arcade Games

by Jamie Lendino

From their haunts in the shadowy corner of a bar, front and center at a convenience store, or reigning over a massive mall installation bursting with light, sound, and action, arcade games have been thrilling and addicting quarter-bearers of all ages ever since Pong first lit up its paddles. Whether you wanted a few minutes’ quick-twitch exhilaration or the taste of three-initial immortality that came with topping the high score screen, you could get it from the diverse range of space shooters, dot-eating extravaganzas, quirky beat-’em-ups, and more that have helped define pop culture for more than four decades. In Attract The Rise and Fall of Coin-Op Arcade Games, author Jamie Lendino celebrates both the biggest blockbusters (Pac-Man, Star The Arcade Game) and the forgotten gems (Phoenix, Star Castle) of the Golden Age of coin-op gaming, and pulls back the curtain on the personalities and the groundbreaking technologies that brought them to glitzy, color-drenched life in the U.S., Japan, and all over the world. You’ll start your journey exploring the electromechanical attractions and pinball games of the early 20th century. Next, you’ll meet the earliest innovators, who used college computers and untested electronics to outline the possibilities of the emerging form, and discover the surprising history behind the towering megahits from Nintendo, Sega, and others that still inform gaming today. Then you’ll witness the devastating crash that almost ended it all—and the rebirth no one expected. Whether you prefer the white-knuckle gameplay of 2084, the barrel-jumping whimsy of Donkey Kong, or the stunning graphics and animation of Dragon’s Lair, Attract Mode will transport you back to the heyday of arcade games and let you relive—or experience for the first time—the unique magic that transformed entertainment forever.

383 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2020

About the author

Jamie Lendino is an author, editor, mix engineer, and technology enthusiast. He writes books about old computers and video games, and what it was like to experience them when new. Jamie has written for PCMag, ExtremeTech, Popular Science, Electronic Musician, Consumer Reports, Sound and Vision, and CNET. He has also appeared on CNBC, NPR’s All Things Considered, and other television and radio programs across the United States. Jamie lives with his wife, daughter, and two bonkers cats in Collingswood, New Jersey.

Reviews

[David Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, comprehensive, and fun history of arcade games

Thoroughly researched and complete overview of all the important games, the stories behind them, and the dynamics of the industry. The author sprinkles in his own memories and experiences that are sure to resonate with anyone who grew up with these games in the 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s. I was reminded of many games that I had forgotten, and inspired to fire them up in an emulator to experience them all over again!

[John Galluzzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up on a peninsula in Boston Harbor known for 3.5 miles of sandy beach and all the amusements that went with it. When I was 13, in 1984, my first job was exchanging quarters for dollar bills at a video arcade. In short, as far as this book goes, I was there. Sad to say, "there" no longer exists; the arcade in which I worked was demolished within the past 30 days.

I have to say, though, that we never felt the rises and falls of the industry on the day-to-day basis. Perhaps it was because of the fact that we were predominantly a seasonal affair. We knew that the summer would be crazier than the rest of the year. Throughout the years - about 12 altogether - I watched the newest games come in on a regular basis, and, in later years, even took sledgehammers to outdated cabinets that were past their primes. Yes, I probably destroyed your favorite game, but it was strictly business. There was precious little room in the warehouse. Couldn't be avoided. Had to be done.

I did not know, until I read this book, about the mini and major economic crashes that hit the industry. I knew that when the home consoles outpaced the coin-op games there would be a reckoning. I could see the games becoming more experiential as the years passed, with dance floors, car seats and more. It was obvious that save for a few games, like the Mortal Kombat series, the upright joystick-and-button experience was fading. When I left the industry in the mid-1990s, the arcade, at least where I worked, was still going strong.

Lendino takes us on a walk through time, from the simplest coin-op games to the most complex. I remembered 95% of the games, had my memory jogged by a few and had a handful more I thought should have been covered but were not. Overall, this book took me on a deeply nostalgic journey back to my teen years and helped me understand not just the outward spectacle of the games, but their inner workings and backstories. As I was reading I thought about how so often we take that quarter or token and walk down a row of games glancing at screens, saying "Nah, nope, no, nope, nah..." never realizing how much inspiration, work and effort went into each machine. I don't think I'll ever so summarily dismiss coin-op games again.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun and interesting book

I love arcade and pinball games and their histories. This book was perfect for that. I loved every minute of reading it. Learn ed a lot as well. It brought back memories of the arcades and video games from when I was a kid in the 1980s. It was interesting to see how technology gradually evolved in the different games. This book was a fun way to learn about pop culture and video game history.