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Pop-Up Book Celebrating the Design of Immersive Sega Arcade Game Cabinets from the 1980s

In the videogame arcades of the ‘80s, the rank-and-file games were pushed up against the wall. But in the middle of the room were the special ones–larger, immersive cabinets that you climbed into, paying 50 cents rather than 25 for the privilege. For an extra quarter you got to sit in a cockpit, in a driver’s seat or on a superbike.

In the early 1980s, Yu Suzuki, a young videogame developer working at SEGA developed a series of groundbreaking arcade games – physically impressive, custom-built cabinets that utilised motion control, hydraulics and frenetic pseudo-3D visuals. These games provided players with immersive, heart-pounding simulations of motorcycle racing, air-to-air combat, and high speed driving.

“Nicknamed 'taikan’ or 'body sensation’ games, these cabinets remain high water marks for the once-vibrant arcade game scene,” reckons UK-based art director and videogame historian Darren Wall. “[They were] seductive, gaudy fusions of industrial design and 1980s graphic art.”

Now wall’s publishing company, Read-Only Memory, has put together a book detailing the development history, game artwork and context of six notable Sega cabinets: Hang-On, Space Harrier, OutRun, After Burner, Thunder Blade and Power Drift.

Incredibly, the book contains detailed pop-up models of all six cabinets.

The book, SEGA Arcade: Pop-Up History was Kickstarted in 2018 and is now available here.