You turn a knob and the whole world rotates. OK not the whole world, but the whole world under glass. The platform shifts. The playfield tilts with your delicate wrist movements.
Rotation is one of the fundamental mechanisms used in game design, going back to the skill games of the 1900s. As with our other Niche Mechanism examinations, rotation is mechanism embedded throughout arcade history across the globe. While it might not give the same kind of thrills in the 21st century, the inherent simplicity has helped it be resurrected endlessly for over a century.
Within the topic of "rotation" we are going to be breaking things down in to a few sub-categories:
- Coin guidance
- Ball guidance
- Tilting labyrinths
- Fire Escape style
- Hill climbers
- other ball guidance games
For all of these we are letting gravity do the work, and just adding a bit of rotation into the mix.
Let's get nerdy about arcade games. We begin in Germany, thanks to the amazing work over at Alte-Spielautomaten.
section 1: Rotation - Coin Guidance
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| 1909 Schlaumatz (smartass) by Athenia GmbH |
Guide the coin down to the slot at the bottom of the wheel. If the coin enters the slot it falls out at the bottom right, advances the ratchet wheel, which dispenses your winnings. If you fall off the track, your coin is added to the payout coin stack.
