Designer(s) Howard Delman Initial release date 1978 Publisher Atari, Inc. Mode Single-player video game | Cabinet Sit-Down, Upright Developer Atari, Inc. Genre Racing video game Platform Arcade game | |
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CPU Motorola 6800 (at 1Mhz) Sound Amplified Mono (one channel) Display 23" Black-and-white CRT monitor Similar Super Bug, Atari Football, Canyon Bomber, Night Driver, Dominos | ||
Fire Truck is a black-and-white 1978 arcade game. It was developed and published by Atari, Inc.. According to GamesRadar, it was the earliest video game with cooperative gameplay where two players were forced to work together. A one-player version of the game, called Smokey Joe was also released. This was internally identical to Fire Truck.
Fire Truck is built on the technology created for Atari's Super Bug released the previous year. Both games were programmed by Howard Delman.
Gameplay
While there is no real "goal" to the game, Fire Truck is considered to be a "racing game" where the two players must cooperate to drive the truck through traffic as far as possible without crashing. While the game can be played with one player, it was clearly meant to be played with two. The front player steers the tractor of the truck sitting down, controlling the gas and brakes, while the rear player stands, and steers the tiller for the rear wheels, controlling the swing of the trailer. The cabinet also provides the players with bells and horns, although these have no use in the actual game.