Tron

In 1982, Tron was everywhere: in theaters, on lunchboxes, and of course at the arcade. The cabinet wasn't some throwaway movie tie-in, either. It pulled you inside the film's computer world with all its neon and glowing lines, so you were playing a video game about being inside a video game.

With its glowing panel and trigger-grip joystick, you could spot the cabinet from across the room. And the minute somebody started the light cycle round, a crowd formed to see how long they'd last.

History

Bally Midway released the Tron arcade game in 1982, the same year Disney's movie hit theaters. Instead of a single game, it packed in several mini-games based on scenes from the film, all in that signature glowing style.

It was a big hit in arcades and is still remembered as one of the best movie games of its era. A follow-up, Discs of Tron, arrived the next year.

How to play

Each level is split into four challenges you pick from a menu: light cycles, where you box in your opponents with your trail without crashing; tanks, in a maze; grid bugs, which you blast your way through to reach the I/O tower; and the MCP cone, where you chip through a spinning wall of blocks to get inside.

You move with the joystick and aim with a spinner knob, so you can shoot one way while heading another. It's confusing at first, but it's the key to surviving the shooting rounds. Clear all four and you move on to the next level, faster and tougher.

Fun facts

• It came out in 1982, the same year as the Disney movie.
• It's split into four mini-games inspired by scenes from the film.
• You steer with a joystick and aim with a spinner knob.

In the arcade

Tron isn't in the arcade yet. It's on the wish list, and you can hit “I Want to Play It” on this page to move it up. Coming soon to UsuArcade if the votes roll in.

Meanwhile, the arcade has plenty of classics from the same era to keep the '80s spirit going: Asteroids, Space Invaders, and Rally-X.

FAQ