The Last Starfighter arcade cabinet

For those that grew up with even a vague interest in video games, the movie to watch was The Last Starfighter. Ironically enough, the game to go with the film was never published or put into the arcade cabinet form, although it turns out Atari did produce a polished and final version. Now the game has been made complete thanks to the work of an extremely talented cabinet designer who refurbished the cabinet shown in a documentary of the film. It looks almost indistinguishable from the film version: damn what we woulda' given to play one of these back in the day! You can even download a full version of the game used in the cabinet in a convenient executable file, free of charge.

[Via MAKE]

[Charlotte @ Nov 5th 2007 6:43AM]

"Greetings Starfighter. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Zuur and the Kodan Armada..."

OMG, that movie defined my pre-adolescent life for a time. I think it was partially responsible for making me the geek I am today! And believe it or not, the movie still stacks up to this day as not-a-bad-wee-sci-fi.

Kudos to the guy who made this, I'd always wondered where the arcade cabinet was. I'm sure this movie would have got the sequel it so cried out for, if only they'd released the cabinet!

[Mike @ Nov 5th 2007 7:23AM]

Nice! The big question is whether or not the game sucks. Can I use Death Blossom?

[Vagrant @ Nov 5th 2007 7:02AM]

It's all about the "Death Blossom"

Saw this again on TV the other day. Still fun to watch.

[HineyWipe @ Nov 5th 2007 7:25AM]

I just wanted Catherine Mary Stewart (Maggie) to be my girlfriend too. Sigh.

[Galley @ Nov 5th 2007 7:41AM]

It definitely had ground-breaking CGI.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Starfighter#Production

[dj-kenpo @ Nov 5th 2007 7:55AM]

engadget, there are times you post things in passing that may change the life of someone forever. this is one of those times. you've made me the happiest geek. thank you for bringing this to my attention, I shall now download it, and begin work on my own cabinet.

[Tom Boucher @ Nov 5th 2007 8:23AM]

I had a version of the Atari game that would play on my Atari 800 back in the day. It was a great game and I was really sad that it never was released at the time. Don't remember a lot of it except that you had to warp to the sun to 'recharge' and if you stayed too long recharging it'd melt your ship.

From what I do remember you went from planet to planet cleaning off the bad guys. You'd intercept them after they made it through the outer wall, and then fight above the planet as they got closer. Its been 20 years so I don't remember much about it, except I do remember beating it.

[Magallanes @ Nov 5th 2007 12:33PM]

The Last starfighter indeed was released for 800/xl microcomputer but was renamed as Star Raiders 2 (with some minor changes). The copy in circulation was a leaked prototype.

[superfresh @ Nov 5th 2007 8:31AM]

"What do we do?"
*Lord Kril's eyepiece swings into position
"We die."

[james @ Nov 5th 2007 8:34AM]

You've been able to download the game for a few years. Talk abotu walk down memory lane.

[Vasquez @ Nov 6th 2007 4:18PM]

Spooky, I just watched this on HD DVD last night.

[scolen2 @ Nov 5th 2007 11:52AM]

Its out on HD DVD? On crap, bluray just lost. :-(

[Fruition @ Nov 5th 2007 9:00AM]

What I wouldn't give to have been cognizant in the eighties... I feel like I missed out on a lot.

[JeffinLA @ Nov 5th 2007 9:06AM]

I remember looking forward to this movie when I was a student in Computer Science at College.

Last week I watched it with my son... awesome!

[Dave @ Nov 5th 2007 9:17AM]

WOW!!!!!! For someone who saw this movie in the theaters when they were a kid and loved it for years to come. This is awesome!!! Engadget you have made my day!!!!!!

[psypherium @ Nov 5th 2007 9:28AM]

Damn, game download link is down, :(. Sweet cabinet install though.

[Licotto @ Nov 5th 2007 10:00AM]

where's the download link??

[Dave @ Nov 5th 2007 10:01AM]

keep trying... server is really busy

[Licotto @ Nov 5th 2007 10:03AM]

I just got it!

http://www.roguesynapse.com/games/last_starfighter.php

This is where I was able to dl it.

[psypherium @ Nov 5th 2007 10:39AM]

Nice, yep, it's going now, :D

[Chaz @ Nov 5th 2007 10:30AM]

Is there any information on where this was made this and where it belongs? Like to get in touch with maker. Any infor that anyone can provide it would be most appreciated.

[psypherium @ Nov 5th 2007 10:41AM]

http://www.roguesynapse.com/about.php

mailto:[e-mail]

[Peter Thompson @ Nov 5th 2007 11:17AM]

The reason the game never made it out was that it was really boring to play. At least the Star Wars game was fun. :)

[thachief @ Nov 5th 2007 11:51AM]

Human - "Us against the whole alien armada!?"
Alien - "That's the spirit!"

[scolen2 @ Nov 5th 2007 1:41PM]

Where do i put the quarter? I'm looking, but i dont see where! NNOOOOOOOOOoo!!!!

[CosterMonger @ Nov 9th 2007 12:25AM]

5

[Twitchy @ Nov 5th 2007 1:57PM]

Ah yes, the days where movies exuded genuine cool, like the first 'Terminator' and 'Indiana Jones'. The days where Hollywood had not only talented individuals, but original ideas.

Now the only thing that oozes onto silver screens is colourful baby-poo....

"We need a script"
"Hmm I've been out of ideas since the 80's, how about we base it on something already popular?"
"Ooohhh, the first two Resident Evil movies did well, let's make a third!?!"

[geoff @ Nov 5th 2007 11:24PM]

I just want to know if you finish it do you get recruited into the Star League?

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Nov 5th 2007 10:24PM]

so its like you download the game then you build your own arcade cabintet how ever you want it then you upload the game into the cabinet. Thats pretty much what you do then right or am I wrong?

[Dan Jensen @ Nov 5th 2007 11:02PM]

After winning any video game subsequent to seeing that movie in the 80's, I half expected Centauri to show up saying, "We're going to Rylos, my boy!" And man, could I use a Beta-Unit.

[kyle allen @ Nov 6th 2007 1:23AM]

i think someone should make one of those cabnets and send it to some random little town, and drive up with some futeristic looking ford taurus with gull wing doors and.... say congradulations or something

[Ed @ Nov 6th 2007 5:24AM]

*best posting ever*

I went into super geek mode when I saw this. Awesome cabinet. I just downloaded the game too. That was a great movie. Groundbreaking special effects, good original story.... man hollywood is just fucked up now. Nothing out for a long time even close to this movie.

Thanks for the nostalgic flashback to childhood :)

[Special-K @ Nov 6th 2007 3:13PM]

Lord Kril: Damage report!
Kodan Officer: Guidance system out. Auxiliary steering out.
Lord Kril: Divert! Divert!
Kodan Officer: She won't answer the helm! We're locked into the moon's gravitational pull. What do we do?
[sound of Lord Kril's eyepiece swinging over left eye]
Lord Kril: We die.

[Hax Or @ Nov 6th 2007 4:38PM]

Sweet! I'm glad this was recently profiled on Engadget. I helped Doc with some sound effects for the game (as 'Blue Fugu').

I am really impressed by his 'remake'. It's funny because all of the videogame scenes in the movie were rendered on super computers back then.

WELCOME TO RYLOS MY BOY!

[Simon @ Nov 9th 2007 9:57PM]

How the hell do I play this thing? Keeps saying "insert coin"... no coin slot on my freakin thinkpad!

[Hax Or @ Nov 15th 2007 12:35PM]

There's info in the file package somewhere that shows you how to customize the keys. I made the Insert key my "Insert Coin" key. :)