Hey Arcaders!
I thought we would start at the beginning of Universal’s rise to fame with their work in the 1970s. from the start, Universal was about fun. Fun in their hardware design, and fun in their game choices! Their clone games took on a special life of their own with unique graphics and sound… not just a copy… but a whole NEW GAME! Even their logo showed their fun side…
Look familiar? Universal knew where they were going even back in the beginning!
Universal started with clones of successful arcade games (Breakout, Space Invaders, Pac-Man) but quickly found originality.
- 1977 — Scratch
One of Universal’s very first video efforts: a Breakout-style paddle/ball game (typical of late-’70s arcade output).
- 1978 — Cosmic Monsters / Cosmic Alien (series)
A group of Space-Invaders-style fixed shooters Universal released as part of their late-1970s “cosmic” line that followed the Invaders boom. Cosmic monsters was a space Invaders clone- while Cosmic alien was Galaxian.
- 1980 — Magical Spot (aka Magical Spot / Magical Spot II variants)
Early shooter/arcade titles in Universal’s catalog (often listed among their 1980 releases).
- 1980 — Space Panic — arcade (Nov 1980)
Historically important: widely credited as the first true platform / “ladder” game (climbing between platforms, digging holes to trap enemies). Designed by Kazutoshi Ueda; commercially successful in Japan.
We’ve have to talk about the cabinet- Universal made one of the most beautiful cabinets… ever. The curves, the slopes… it’s a thing of beauty. And the art… magnificent. So much so- eventually I’m going to build my own. someday. Sadly, we didn’t see a whole lot of dedicated Universal cabinets back in the day. They were usually in a converted cabinet- or the game was released by another company. It wasn’t until the early 2000’s we started to see these beautiful machines.
Universal even dabbled in… pinball machines!
They only made four- Harem Cat (which had a monitor in the head!) Hard Rock, Hercules, and Asteroid Strike.
Absolutely amazing!
And that was just the 1970s!
Next time- we start in the 1980s proper!
Keep Playin’ Like It’s 1981!
The Arcade Archives! 
When it comes to Arcade games and Universal, it’s always Mr. Do that comes to mind. Heck, my own sister, who is not a hardcore gamer loved that title, which I guess shows that this company definitely had something that could get audiences they never expected. And I’m glad they went with that fun approach because that allowed them to stand out from other companies.
Speaking of the cabinet’s art – I don’t think enough attention is given to how much even those contribute to the overall aesthetic of the arcade appealing to consumers. It may have been later in the company’s life, but even for me looking at those cabinets right now definitely showed Universal’s commitment to doing their games their way for sure.
As always, awesome post Ray! 👍
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