Pedal-powered Space Invaders

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spadgy
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Pedal-powered Space Invaders

Post by spadgy »

Last weekend I went to a music festival called Boomtown, and stumbled upon this pedal-powered Space Invaders.

The festival's most distinguishing feature is that in front of all the bars, shops and many performance spaces that make up the festival's 'streets' they build something of a film set facade. The place becomes something of a cartoon town, and stages and the like are hidden everywhere. Open a phone box and you might find a tunnel to a hidden rave, for example.

And around one corner, I found this (sorry for the crappy picture; in fact the game screen itself was all fuzzy).

Image

So, you pedaled to fire, on a bike mounted on a small 'rolling road' rig. You turned the handlebars left and right to move your ship the corresponding direction. It was set on freeplay with a small button near the break lever, which served as a start button. The bike itself was a typical chunky 1980s BMX; not dissimilar to a Grifter or Mag Burner.

It was silly, but tonnes of fun. I couldn't trump the high score some other raver had set (the pair in the photo are strangers that were playing before me).
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KAI
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Re: Pedal-powered Space Invaders

Post by KAI »

This has a lot of potential.
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Pretas
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Re: Pedal-powered Space Invaders

Post by Pretas »

Prop Cycle will always be the definitive arcade bicycling experience.
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spadgy
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Re: Pedal-powered Space Invaders

Post by spadgy »

KAI wrote:This has a lot of potential.
I thought so. And in terms of other potential, I was pondering if a portable arcade could be turned into something to tour around festivals. These days (in the UK at least) music festivals now have not just shops, foodplaces and bars, but all sorts of other novelty and functional venues; blacksmiths, galleries, mini casinos, places for all kinds of classes, little puppet theatres; loads of weird things like (at Boomtown) a place with life size board games like Operation.

Could a small arcade/pinball hall be made into a business in a place where arcade lore would be out the window? Barcade type set-up perhaps.

Back more dire rely on topic...
Pretas wrote:Prop Cycle will always be the definitive arcade bicycling experience.
The thing I photographed was way more of a maniac's contraption, held together in a somewhat bodged manner; not a patch on Prop Cycle.
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shmuppyLove
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Re: Pedal-powered Space Invaders

Post by shmuppyLove »

Wii Cycle!!

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Muchi Muchi Spork
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Re: Pedal-powered Space Invaders

Post by Muchi Muchi Spork »

Bona drag
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MOSQUITO FIGHTER
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Re: Pedal-powered Space Invaders

Post by MOSQUITO FIGHTER »

The snes had a exercise bicycle controller game.

http://www.siliconera.com/2006/08/04/ex ... s-fitness/
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Ed Oscuro
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Re: Pedal-powered Space Invaders

Post by Ed Oscuro »

Hmm, it doesn't surprise me that The Man With No Name would be so surprised by Space Invaders. He's a century out of his time there.
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xavierjesus
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Re: Pedal-powered Space Invaders

Post by xavierjesus »

spadgy wrote:
I was pondering if a portable arcade could be turned into something to tour around festivals.
This really needs to fucking happen!
spadgy wrote:Could a small arcade/pinball hall be made into a business in a place where arcade lore would be out the window?
I definitely believe so. Fuck the lore!
spadgy wrote:Barcade type set-up perhaps.
If executed well, then why the hell not?!
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shmuppyLove
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Re: Pedal-powered Space Invaders

Post by shmuppyLove »

Ed Oscuro wrote:Hmm, it doesn't surprise me that The Man With No Name would be so surprised by Space Invaders. He's a century out of his time there.
Image

Clint approves.
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Ed Oscuro
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Re: Pedal-powered Space Invaders

Post by Ed Oscuro »

Actually, maybe it's the bike. Where's the horse? I sure as shit ain't hitching myself to this thing.
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Koa Zo
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Re: Pedal-powered Space Invaders

Post by Koa Zo »

shmuppyLove wrote:Wii Cycle!!
This exists?!
Why hasn't Alex Kidd BMX been ported yet?!
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