Fonz

Fonz

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Release History:

1976 - Fonz

Manufacturer:

Sega/Gremlin
It's hard to understate the appeal Arthur "Fonz" Fonzarelli, resident cool guy of the hit TV show Happy Days. Soon after Henry Winkler's character appeared in the series, the Fonz permeated through every layer of pop culture available at the time, including arcade games. Sega introduced their Fonz racing game in 1976 and teenagers across the land jumped at the chance to step into the role of the hippest man on Earth.

The game cabinet featured a pair of motorcycle handlebars the player used to control a bike's motion on the screen. The object was to steer the bike around a winding road within the allotted time, without crashing into other motorists or running off the pavement. Opening up the throttle on the handlebars caused the bike to go faster but there were other motorcycles to avoid on the road. Bumping into one them cost the player three seconds off the clock and thrillingly, jarred the handlebars so you could feel the impact.

Fonz didn't have lasting power in the arcade world contrary to his immense popularity on the TV show. Maybe the game would have fared better if it included a leather jacket for the player.

Arcade Games