Early Arcade Classics: 1985-1987 Developer Interviews (Patreon)

This compilation of short interviews covers the arcade classics of Pac-Man, Galaxian, Pole Position, Track & Field, and Space Invaders. The 1985 interviews are taken from a special feature called “Video Game Graffiti” in the legendary BEEP! Magazine; the 1987 interviews come from the book TV Game: denshi yuugi taizen. Anecdotes of design and development abound, and the lyrical mood of Pac-Man designer Toru Iwatani is particularly interesting. Also noteworthy is the cynicism and perceived stagnation in the arcades that Iwatani and Sawano both remark on.