Namco's Pole Position is rightly regarded as one of the most influential video games of all time. The first racing game to feature a real-life circuit and a qualifying lap, it was also notable for offering a degree of realism that previously hadn't been encountered in arcades, combining large sprites viewed from 'behind the car' viewpoint and a smoothly-scrolling track.
As such, Pole Position is the perfect game to launch My Arcade's new mini-cab range, dubbed the 'Racing Player'. This new design comes with an analogue steering wheel and gear lever and will be reused when My Arcade releases its OutRun cab later this year.
The cab features a bright and reasonably sharp 2.75-inch screen, built-in speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C port for power—but you can also use x4 AA batteries for more portability if you wish. There are volume controls on the back, and you can adjust the screen brightness with a dedicated button, also located on the rear of the device.
The headline here is the steering wheel, which, at first glance, looks pretty uninspiring. However, I was really shocked at how good the wheel is; it makes Pole Position (and its sequel, which is also included) an absolute blast to play and delivers a gameplay experience that is a close match to the coin-op original. The wheel can be spun infinitely and doesn't snap back when released, and while I'm not totally sure it will withstand a lot of punishment, it has been flawless during my playtest. Consider me impressed.
The gear lever, which is situated between the wheel and the action buttons, toggles between low and high gears, just like the original arcade machine. Like the wheel, this doesn't feel all that robust, and I'd worry that a hard knock could potentially damage it, but it's easy to reach during play. The Brake and Gas buttons are big and easy to locate. All in all, the control setup for this device is actually pretty decent; I found myself gripping the cabinet with my fingers and using my thumbs to steer and press the buttons.
My Arcade has included the original arcade ROMs here, with one notable difference—the real-world advertising that was present in the coin-op versions has been removed. Thankfully, the unit is capable of saving your high scores, which is a nice bonus.
Despite the relatively low price point, only having two games on offer (which are pretty much identical—in fact, Pole Position II makes the original almost redundant) means this doesn't offer amazing value for money. I'd like to have seen a few more titles thrown in for good measure, but I understand that the control setup means only racing games could make the cut.
In terms of build quality, the Racing Player isn't going to win any awards. It's functional and reasonably attractive, but the plastic looks and feels cheap; compared to say, Sega's Astro City Mini, you can tell this is a product that costs significantly less.
My Arcade's Pole Position Racing Player certainly impressed me more than I expected. The biggest plus is that the controls work really well, and I was able to skillfully dodge and weave between rival racers within minutes of booting it up. This bodes well for the forthcoming OutRun cab, which marks the home debut of the original OutRunners arcade game (the terrible Mega Drive / Genesis port doesn't count).
Time will tell if the controls can withstand months of repeat play, and I'd personally have liked to have seen a wide selection of pre-installed games and a slightly nicer-looking (and feeling) external design, but for $50, My Arcade has given Pole Position fans a cool little tabletop device here.
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