Here at Williams Amusements we are arcade game specialists. One of our all time favourites is the Atari Star Wars cockpit. Hitting the arcades in 1983, this classic arcade machine is a favourite for many, although it was released in Atari’s twilight years. But why is it so popular?

Licensed

This Star Wars arcade machine is fully licensed. This means that the player is dropped straight into the Star Wars universe, fighting as Luke Skywalker, and there are even sound snippets from the movie itself. As a result, it attracted a lot of following, based mostly on its connection to the movies.

Gameplay

Furthermore, the Star Wars arcade machine isnt just great for its links to the film. After all, that wouldnt have seen repeat customers coming back time after time. The gameplay itself was fantastic, and well thought out.

A full colour game, made with vector imagery, while sitting inside the cockpit with a realistic control system meant that the gameplay on this machine made this game a huge earner for Atari.

The player begins inside an X-Wing, taking down enemy Tie-Fighters, playing as hero Luke Skywalker. Once, these enemies have been destroyed, you move onto the Death Star, to take out towers and turrets. You are even cheered on by voices from the movie! This takes you to the games final sequence, but we won’t spoil that for you here!

Formats

This arcade machine was released in two formats, but there is no debating which of the two was more popular. The cockpit allows players to be totally immersed in the game, and really feel like part of the film.

Success

Star Wars became a multi-million dollar money maker for Atari. And it isn’t really surprising given the gameplay and thought behind the machine. Even though it was competing in 1983, against many of the Golden Age classic arcade machines, The Atari Star Wars cockpit was hugely successful.

Here at William’s Amusements we have an Atari Star Wars Cockpit for sale. Why not own your own piece of arcade history? Take a look today.