Death Race

Here's a quick video we shot of Exidy's Death Race arcade game from FunSpot. Believe it or not this game sparked a huge controversy when it came out in 1976. In the game you play as one of two Grim Reapers trying to put "gremlins" back to the grave. Of course, people saw this and though you were killing pedestrians. So think of it as Grand Theft Auto 76'.

This machine at FunSpot is very rare because the cabinet is all in yellow. Most of the machines of Death Race know to exist were all black and white. They spent a lot of time getting this machine back in full working order and it looks and plays great, hopefully they'll fix the first player wheel and find the person who stole the skull shifters.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• Exidy
• Death
• Race
• 2000
• Arcade
• Game
• Video
• FunSpot
• Fun
• Spot
• XI
• 11
• Weirs
• Beach
• New
• Hampshire
• NH
• 1976

[ThePhantom2K9]

How could a 8-bit game like this cause controversy? I could understand MK and the PS2, XBox 'till now could cause controversy but this? I say overeaction. I know that's probably not the point but were they fucking serious?

[PressStartComic]

@ThePhantom2K9 This isn't even 8 bit, that's WAY too advanced.

But seriously, the game pissed people off. Look it up on Wikipedia. I know their not the end all be all of info, but it's all true. Parent groups blasted the game, it was featured on CBS's 60 Minutes and there's even stories of people dragging the games out into the middle of the street and setting it on fire.

[rockfantasysteve]

where is funspot ??

[PressStartComic]

@rockfantasysteve Weirs Beach New Hampshire. look up FunSpot online, you should be able to find their website with more info.

[djargus]

Maybe you could do a video series of controversial arcade games, maybe Timekillers next one around.

[PressStartComic]

Timekillers will definitely have a very special video in the near future. I am going to be purchasing a Timekillers PCB for my home arcade that we will also use for the video.

[1xWertzui]

@KrazieKennie Thanks.

[KrazieKennie]

@1xWertzui I was doing BA Journalism Studies in England. It has to be Culture Related with a Journalism twist. It cased quite a lot of debate in my group of friends.

[1xWertzui]

@KrazieKennie What do you study where you have to write a dissertation about video games? Where I live, people's reaction to anyone who has got anything to do with video games are like "You must be a slacker" or "VIDEO GAMES?! XDXDXD GROW UP KID!"

I still don't know what to study, but what I am doing most in my free time is playing recent or researching for very old console/computer/arcade games.

[Alaska1925]

I beg someone to program the rom of this game!!! It would be a bombshell on MAME :D

[cronoxin]

I LOVE THE SOUND OF PAIN >>> WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUUU­UUU!!!

[blahaha]

OMFG This violence disgusts me and I am going to write my senator that they should ban this. Because Fox news in 1976 told me so lol j/k idk about that last part. But WOW hahahahahahaa

[Sillyrobert255]

VECTOR GRAPHICS!!

[THEMACHINESOFDEATH]

I USED TO LIKE THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[librarianeric]

@ThePhantom2K9 Fuck yeah, they were serious! I used to love this game! To be fair, it didn't get the sort of attention Grand Theft Auto did, but it was the subject of a few news stories.

All I remember was how much fun I had running down the "gremlins" and the vague twinge of guilt I'd feel doing it. Not so guilty that I stopped pumping quarters in the damn thing, of course ... ;)