Pole Position 🏎️ Versions Comparison

✅ Decide which is the DEFINITIVE VERSION of the Formula 1 racing game Pole Position / ポールポジション (Namco 1982).

00:00 Intro
00:15 Arcade (JP) (1982)
01:36 Arcade (World) (1982)
02:58 Arcade (Atari) (1982)
04:23 Atari 2600 / VCS (1983)
05:36 Atari 5200 (1983)
07:50 Atari 8-bit family (1983)
09:53 Vectrex (1983)
11:29 VIC-20 (1983)
12:55 Commodore 64 / C64 (1984)
15:00 BBC Micro (1984)
17:36 Texas Instruments TI-99/4A (1984)
19:13 ZX Spectrum (1984)
22:11 PC DOS / MS-DOS (1988)
24:19 Intellivision (1988)
26:08 PlayStation / PS (Namco Museum Vol. 1) (JP) (1995)
27:37 PlayStation / PS (Namco Museum Vol. 1) (USA) (1996)
29:05 Windows (Return of Arcade) (1996)
30:24 Nintendo 64 / N64 (Namco Museum 64) (1999)
31:53 Dreamcast (Namco Museum) (2000)
33:22 Game Boy Advance / GBA (Namco Museum) (USA) (2001)
34:53 Game Boy Advance / GBA (Namco Museum) (JP) (2001)
36:22 Jakks Pacific (Ms. Pac-Man 5-in-1) (2004)

This game was also released on iOS, but unfortunately it is no longer available for download.

Which are your favorite ports or conversions?

#retrogaming #retrogames #oldgames

[Akira]

I recently found out that the original arcade version of Pole Position is actually a 16-bit game. Namco often used 8-bit Z80 CPU's for their games, but this time around, they went with the 16-bit Z8000, and used _two_ of them. That's pretty impressive for 1982.

[LITTLE]

Looking at the Atari 2600 version, it is surprisingly well done

[TheSwordUser]

I discovered this channel recently. I appreciate that someone keeps gaming history well documented and does such thorough comparisons.

Btw, please share music title you use for your intro.

[adroharv]

my faveourite version by far is the 2600 one. It's quite different to the others but exceptionally satisfying once you adjust to the control. This coming from someone grew up with playing Pole Position in our local arcades

[ArttuTheCat]

I have the original Arcade version of
POLE POSITION for my PlayStation 2 in a compilation called NAMCO MUSEUM.
I'm still looking for the Commodore 64 version.
The Atari 2600 version of this game looks awesome 😺👍🕹️.

[Wflash]

I grew up with the PS1 versions of Pole Position. Fun game!

Namco Museum vol. 3 had Pole Position 2 on it, so it wasn't mentioned here, but PP2 was much better represented there than PP1 Namco Museum vol. 1 (which was shown here).

Something that this footage doesn't capture is the fact that the framerate randomly drops a lot when you're in the race (and there's no rhyme or reason behind it either, not when there are lots of cars on screen, or anything like that; there could be no other cars on screen and the framerate still drops). That and the fact that the music and sounds are so different (and the lack of "Prepare to qualify") made me not like that one that much. I mean hell I'll take it over some of the ones shown here, like the Sinclair 2068 or Intellivision versions, but of all the Namco Museum ports that one was my least favorite.

[DueNorthGaming]

I love how the turning sounds like a guy screaming 😂

[kenwheeler]

As ill adapted as the original Atari 5200 controllers were for a a lot of it's catalog they were perfect for Pole Position.
On the other side of that coin is the Intellivision port; it's near unplayable.

[BetaRabbit]

I used to play a lot of Pole Position on Return of Arcade and Namco Museum 64 in my day.

[Tiredcream]

For some strange reason the PS1 museum version of this game fails to use the audio clips but the N64 museum actually plays the "prepare to qualify" quote but also leaves out the clip before you go into a actual race.
There was also a Tesla branded version but it was removed from later models because Tesla failed to acquire the licensing rights for Pole Position.

[fradd]

Cant see any differences between 3 arcade versions, except occasional text in Japanese. Vic20 is a bit slow (not choppy, just slow), while c64 runs smooth and fast but its ugly with all those expanded sprites (lame). TI-99 doesnt look right, something is so off with that version. ZX looks surprisingly good but its a slideshow. Windows is a great version (PS also) and i will search for it online.

[Synthematix]

TBH im very suprised that the atari 2600 version was possible with the machines limitations

[Tepic]

The Vic version has to be the best racer on the platform! Not that the little machine has many.

[MeatySpag]

You're Gonna Play POLE POSITION *the hand of god reaches from the sky*

[ItsJustTrevor]

The Vectrex version literally makes me think of Vib-Ribbon everytime I see gameplay of it for some reason

[adm]

I will be 90 years old in a nursing home with Alzheimer's, I will still remember the opening tune of Pole Position and the voice "prepare to qualify".

[Lightblue]

You need an analog controller to get slower smooth turning from 5200 version.

You're using digital control which is why it skips the turning animation, skidding and losing speed, compared to the Atari 8 bit computer ver which has been tweeked for digital control.

That's the only difference between the 2 I believe.

[rheylew]

Really good work on this video! Retro gaming is where it's at!

[segahatty]

The Vectrex version is satisfying to look at to me.

[jonathanbranhamsgaminganda]

One of my favorite arcade games ever from my childhood namco was always innovating with new ideas back in the 80s