Pooyan

Pooyan was one of those cabinets that made you grin the second you saw it. A mother pig rides a basket up and down on a pulley, bow in hand, while wolves float down on balloons trying to snatch her piglets. It looks like a storybook, but once the screen fills up with balloons it turns into a serious test of aim.

It isn't in the UsuArcade arcade yet, but it's on our wishlist. If you remember it, give it your vote.

History

Konami released it in 1982, right as its games were starting to fill arcades around the world after Frogger. The fairy-tale twist, with the three little pigs and the big bad wolf, set it apart from the space shooters and maze games of the day.

It was ported to a bunch of early-80s home computers and consoles, but the arcade cabinet, with its cheerful music and bright graphics, is what most people remember.

How to play

You move Mama's basket up and down along the side of the screen and fire arrows straight across. Every arrow that pops a wolf's balloon sends it tumbling. In one round the wolves float down and come after Mama if they make it to the bottom; in the other they rise toward the top of a cliff, and if enough of them gather up there, things get ugly.

Every so often you can toss a slab of meat that takes out several wolves at once. The trick is to keep moving: line up with the balloons that are going to arrive first and don't waste arrows on the ones that are still far away.

Fun facts

• The game is inspired by the story of the three little pigs and the big bad wolf.
• Mama never moves sideways: the whole game is played by raising and lowering her basket.
• It was one of Konami's first big arcade hits.

In the arcade

Pooyan is coming soon to UsuArcade. It's on the arcade wishlist and you can vote for it with the “I want to play it” button; the most-wanted games are next in line.

Until then, the arcade has other classics from the same era and spirit: Frogger, also from Konami; Tapper, where your aim is all about sliding drinks down the bar; and Amidar, another early-80s Konami. Free in your browser, with chat, spectators and arcade high scores.

FAQ