Poly Play
Encyclopedia
Poly Play is an arcade game
developed in the German Democratic Republic in 1985
; it is the only such machine to originate in the GDR. It was created by VEB Polytechnik
and contained a number of games, including a knock-off of Pac-Man
.
CPU
, which was clocked at 2.457600 MHz
and a custom sound chip. Its display ran at a resolution of 512*256 at 50 Hz
and supported a palette of ten colours, though it could also use coloured overlays. The machine's coin slot was designed for 50 Pfennig
, but it was flawed - the pressure sensor could be deceived by pressing a 1-Pfennig coin very sharply into the top of the slot. However, this was largely tolerated because the machine was not a capitalistic
commercial venture, but a state-owned product found predominantly in FDGB
holiday homes, youth hostel
s and non-profit clubs. The machine ran with a deactivated coin slot in many youth clubs. However, the free play often caused large crowds to form around it, which incited their reactivation.
A Poly Play machine is currently on display with the touring video game show "Game On" (archived, 2006-10-13). Two machines can also be seen at RetroGames e.V. in Germany. It is also prominently on display at the Computerspielemuseum Berlin
.
Four other games were planned. In the source code, there are paragraphs referring to the following games: "Der Gärtner / The Gardener", "Im Gewächshaus / The Greenhouse", "Hagelnde Wolken / Hailing Clouds" and "Der Taucher / The Diver". At least two games (probably "Hagelnde Wolken", a Space Invaders clone, and "Der Taucher" (a game where malicious fish attack a diver) have been installed on some machines.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
developed in the German Democratic Republic in 1985
1985 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific Carmen Sandiego series* Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. on September 13, 1985, which eventually sells 40 million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time until 2008.*...
; it is the only such machine to originate in the GDR. It was created by VEB Polytechnik
VEB Polytechnik
VEB Polytechnik was a company from the German Democratic Republic, located in Chemnitz . In the GDR it was mainly known for producing overhead projectors, called PolyLux....
and contained a number of games, including a knock-off of Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
.
Hardware
Poly Play ran on a Soviet clone of the Zilog Z80Zilog Z80
The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor designed by Zilog and sold from July 1976 onwards. It was widely used both in desktop and embedded computer designs as well as for military purposes...
CPU
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
, which was clocked at 2.457600 MHz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
and a custom sound chip. Its display ran at a resolution of 512*256 at 50 Hz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
and supported a palette of ten colours, though it could also use coloured overlays. The machine's coin slot was designed for 50 Pfennig
Pfennig
The Pfennig , plural Pfennige, is an old German coin or note, which existed from the 9th century until the introduction of the euro in 2002....
, but it was flawed - the pressure sensor could be deceived by pressing a 1-Pfennig coin very sharply into the top of the slot. However, this was largely tolerated because the machine was not a capitalistic
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
commercial venture, but a state-owned product found predominantly in FDGB
Free German Trade Union Federation
The Free German Trade Union Federation, in German Freier Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund , was the trade union federation in East Germany. It was part of the National Front and had representatives in the Volkskammer....
holiday homes, youth hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
s and non-profit clubs. The machine ran with a deactivated coin slot in many youth clubs. However, the free play often caused large crowds to form around it, which incited their reactivation.
A Poly Play machine is currently on display with the touring video game show "Game On" (archived, 2006-10-13). Two machines can also be seen at RetroGames e.V. in Germany. It is also prominently on display at the Computerspielemuseum Berlin
Computerspielemuseum Berlin
The Computerspielemuseum Berlin was founded in 1997. From 1997 to 2000, it had a permanent exhibition in Berlin. Afterwards, it became an online only museum. In 2011, it reopened its permanent exhibition in Berlin's neighborhood of Friedrichshain...
.
Games
| Hirschjagd (Deer Hunt) is similar to Robotron 2084. Translation from the game: The fleeing deer must be pursued and hunted, but only 10 shots are available. A shot that hits the deer is not deducted. Around every 15 seconds, a shot must be fired or it will be lost. |
| Hase und Wolf (Hare and Wolf) is a faster-paced Pac-Man clone and was based on the Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... n cartoon Cartoon A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works... series Nu, pogodi! Nu, pogodi! Nu, pogodi! is a Soviet/Russian animated series produced by Soyuzmultfilm. The series was created in 1969 and became a popular cartoon of the Soviet Union. Additional episodes have been produced in Russia since 2006... , popular in the GDR. The Hare must eat everything that it can get. It has to avoid the Wolf, who wants to eat it! Scoring: Pea 1 point, carrot 5 points, pear 7 and/or 10 points |
 |
Abfahrtslauf (Downhill Run) is a simple sport game in which one must ski Ski A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes... between the flags. The gates go from 6 metres wide, half the screen size (very easy) down to 0.2 metres (impossible). This game can become very fast. |
 |
Schmetterlinge (Butterflies Butterfly A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured... ) with Pittiplatsch Pittiplatsch Pittiplatsch, also known as Pitti for short, is a German fictional kobold character who was very famous in East Germany , especially as a puppet character on children's television... or Mole Mole (Zdenek Miler character) The Mole is an animated character in a series of cartoons, created by Czech animator Zdeněk Miler.It was first to be seen in 1956 in Prague, when Miler wanted to create a children's cartoon... , both stars of children's television series in the GDR; however, the game is more suited to adults. The flowers act as obstacles that must be traversed. |
| Schiessbude (Shooting Gallery) is a Carnival Carnival (game) Carnival is a fixed shooter arcade game created by Sega in , and has the distinction of being the first video game with a bonus round.- Gameplay :... clone. Shoot to score. A balloon gives you one point; a duck, two; and a flower, three. Ammunition can be reloaded by shooting into the left magazine. For each of the three rows there is, in the top right, a multiplier field to hit (coloured yellow, blue and pink). The longer one plays, the greater the number of ducks to emerge; ducks in the lowest row can steal one's ammunition if not dealt with quickly. |
 |
Autorennen (Motor Race) is a racing game. The player's red car must win 2 out of 4 rounds. It is not a very difficult game as you start in a good initial position and can pass the first curve more easily than the other racers. |
 |
Merkspiel (Memory Game) Remember all pictures and reveal them, playing against time. Each picture also has its own sound. If you forget a picture, its sound plays. |
 |
Wasserrohrbruch (Water Pipe Burst) This is the last Poly Play game. The objective is to prevent a room from flooding. In the room above, a water pipe bursts. By catching drops with the bucket, you can prevent the water level from rising. The bucket can be emptied out of the cellar windows (play button). If the bucket is full, one does not obtain any points. Scoring: Water level too high: -1 game; Caught drop: +5 points; Bucket emptied into the cellar: -x and Bucket emptied out of the window: +3x (where x = amount of drops caught); with good play: +1 game (max. 3). |
External links
- Andy's Arcade page with many internal views of the surviving cabinets.
- RetroGames e.V. German Club with two working Poly Play machines.
- BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
article about Poly Play - PolyPlay.de - German Website about Poly-Play, here you can play the Poly-Play-Games.
- Poly Play at robotrontechnik.de (in German, with screenshot of the game "Der Gärtner / The Gardener")
- Two games Hase und Wolf & Schiesbude gameplay video on youtube.