Though many companies had released racing games prior to 1983, Namco hit the jackpot with Pole Position, a Formula 1 simulator that had players revving their engines and jangling their quarters.

The game featured scaleable graphics and exciting sounds like the "Prepare to qualify!" announcement kicking off the race. Actually, there was a qualifying race before the main event, where players would negotiate a circular track full of twists and turns.

Then it was on to the starting line to race against other cars and against the clock. Controls included a steering wheel, a two-speed gear shift and a gas pedal in the stand-up console; the sit-down cabinet also featured a separate brake pedal (for wussies).

Based on your qualifying time, the game assigned your racecar a line position from one to eight; the best times had a chance at the #1 spot, or pole position. After the green light went on, the cars roared off to complete the lap within the time limit and then run the lap again.

There were no obstacles or swooping alien monsters to distract you from your goal, just the track unfolding in front of you. Collisions and crashes were still common though because at the speeds of Formula 1 racing, one car inevitably got in the way of another.

The realistic graphics and challenging course attracted many fans to the game and spawned a Saturday morning cartoon and Pole Position II. The follow-up game featured four different tracks to choose from, adding Test, Suzuka and Seaside courses to the original Fuji track.