Poly Play

Infobox VG
title = Poly Play


developer = VEB Polytechnik
publisher = VEB Polytechnik
designer =
release = 1985 (estimate, exact date unknown)
genre = Various
modes = Single player
cabinet = Upright
arcade system =
display = Raster, standard resolution (Used: 512 x 256), horizontal
input = Joystick; 1 button
platforms = Arcade

"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".

Hardware

"Poly Play" ran on a Soviet clone of the Zilog Z80 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 hostels 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 [http://www.gameonweb.co.uk/ "Game On"] . Two machines can also be seen at RetroGames e.V. in Germany.

Games

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.

External links

* [http://www.andys-arcade.net/personal/polyplay/polyplay.htm "Andy's Arcade" page with many internal views of the surviving cabinets.]
* [http://www.retrogames.info "RetroGames e.V." German Club with two working Poly Play machines.]
*KLOV game|id=9070
*BBC [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/features/polyplay.shtml article about "Poly Play"]
* [http://www.polyplay.de "PolyPlay.de" - German Website about Poly-Play, here you can play the Poly-Play-Games.]
* [http://www.robotrontechnik.de/index.htm?/html/computer/polyplay.htm Poly Play at robotrontechnik.de] (in German, with screenshot of the game "Der Gärtner / The Gardener")