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Universal Arcade Facts

@universalfacts.bsky.social
251 followers 1 following 159 posts

Shedding some light on the arcade manufacturer that time (mostly) forgot. | Account run by @clipthejester.bsky.social (owner uses he/him)

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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 27/04/2025
J2ME versions of Mr. Do! and Mr. Do!'s Castle were released by Namco Networks in 2008. These featured both an "arcade" mode, which were straight ports of the original games, and an "enhanced" mode, which featured completely redrawn graphics and new power-ups. Neither port has been dumped.
Three compressed screenshots of the J2ME port of the 1982 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!, released by Namco Networks in 2008. The first two screenshots appear to feature Mr. Do! using the two new power-ups added in this version of the game, those being the seltzer bottle and the clown car respectively.
(screenshots sourced from http://www.mobiset.ru/news/text/?id=5383)Three screenshots of the J2ME port of the 1983 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!'s Castle/Mr. Do! vs. Unicorns, released by Namco Networks in 2008. All three screenshots feature completely different castle themes, which appear to be an Aztec temple, an Arabian palace, and an ice castle.
(screenshots sourced from:
https://www.droidgamers.com/news/full-namco-force/
http://www.mobiset.ru/news/text/?id=5383)A promotional image for the Mr. Do!'s Circus Pack, a two-pack including the remakes of both Mr. Do! and Mr. Do!'s Castle.
(Sourced from graphics designer Jose Erazo's portfolio: https://jerazo.weebly.com/game-portfolio.html)
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
The artwork featured on the "Taiwan Cooper" bootleg release of Donkey Kong for the Atari 2600 is actually heavily based upon (although not directly traced from) a print ad for the home conversions of Mr. Do's Castle.
A scan of the "Taiwan Cooper" bootleg release of the 1982 Atari 2600 port of Donkey Kong. The artwork present on the box is clearly representative of Mr. Do!'s Castle, as opposed to Donkey Kong.
(scan courtesy of @stevelin.bsky.social)A scan of a print ad for the Parker Brothers home ports of the 1983 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!'s Castle/Mr. Do! vs. Unicorns, featuring the original version of the artwork that would be heavily referenced for the Taiwan Cooper Donkey Kong box artwork. Note that it is not identical, and that the Taiwan Cooper version makes several changes to the artwork, including flipping the position of the blue unicorn and the platform, simplifying the perspective on the ladder, and making Mr. Do!'s ruff white instead of orange.
"THERE'S NOT A SECOND TO CLOWN AROUND!
It's do! Or doom! For Mr. Do! The wacky, hammer-slappy clown under siege in Mr. Do!'s Castle™ home video game.
Mr. Do! is back from the arcade. And now he's in his castle about to become a fast food lunch for voraciously clever unicorns. Doing them in or escaping takes all the split-second ingenuity Mr. Do!'s got. Like when to use his trusty hammer or his fast little feet.
Can he do it? It'll take all you can do to help him! But hurry, you haven't got a second to lose."
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
A selection of contemporary Mr. Do! and Mr. Do!'s Castle fan artwork, from the short-lived Amusement Life/AM Life magazine.
A clipping from pg. 102 of issue 8/9 of the short-lived Amusement Life magazine (Aug./Sept. 1983), featuring fan art of the 1982 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!, in which the titular protagonist is depicted as a young woman, submitted by a reader. The text seems to roughly translate along the lines of "where is "Mister" Do? Where did the hungry man go?".
(scan sourced from: https://archive.org/details/amusement-life-magazine-0809)A clipping from pg. 102 of issue 16 of the short-lived Amusement Life magazine (Apr. '84), featuring fan art of the 1982 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!, featuring the same interpretation of the protagonist, entitled "Panic in Game Center". Various characters from both Mr. Do! and several other arcade games (e.g. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong Junior, Pengo) can be seen in the drawing.
(scan sourced from: https://archive.org/details/amusement-life-magazine-16)A clipping from pg. 82 of issue 13 of the short-lived Amusement Life magazine (Jan. '84), featuring fan art of the 1983 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!'s Castle/Mr. Do! vs. Unicorns, depicting a maze in the shape of one of the unicorns (specifically referenced from promotional artwork for the game).
(scan sourced from: https://archive.org/details/amusement-life-magazine-0809)
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
The instruction card for "Hammer Bang", the original title for Mr. Do!'s Castle/Mr. Do! vs. Unicorns before it was rebranded as a sequel to Mr. Do!.
A photograph of the instruction card for Hammer Bang, the name originally used on location tests for Mr. Do!'s Castle/Mr. Do! vs. Unicorns, before the game was rebranded into a Mr. Do! sequel. Judging from the card's contents, the gameplay seems to be mostly identical to the final Japanese release, with the exception of Mr. Do! himself instead appearing to be a knight.
(photo sourced from Twitter user and researcher @Area51_zek)
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
A rather blunt advertisement for Mr. Do!'s Castle, found in volume 10, no. 4 of Play Issue magazine. At the time, Universal USA were directly positioning themselves as being "the street operators' manufacturer".
A scan of pg. 13 of vol. 10, no. 4 of Play Meter magazine (Mar. 1st, '84), which is an advertisement for the 1983 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!'s Castle/Mr. Do! vs. Unicorns; the ad simply reads "ATTENTION STREET OPERATORS: If you're not operating Mr. Do!'s Castle, YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE MONEY!", followed by the Universal logo and the ad telling you to contact your local distributor of Universal's games.
(scan sourced from https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-10-number-4-march-1st-1984)
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GSK | ALL CITY SLOP SHOP (ETA SOON) @allcityslopshop.com · 27/08/2026
to recap: Egret II Mini Arcade Collection vol.2 , out March 25, ¥9878 w/32pp Taito Station zine Universal games: Lady Bug Cheeky Mouse Jumping Jack Mr. Do vs Unicorn Snap Jack Irem games: Yakyuu Kakuto League Man Thunder Blaster Perfect Soldiers Gallop Undercover Cops
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GSK | ALL CITY SLOP SHOP (ETA SOON) @allcityslopshop.com · 27/08/2026
title #4: Mr. Do vs. Unicorn (Mr. Do's Castle) title #5: Snap Jack (not Star Jack, Sega's always on the mind)
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GSK | ALL CITY SLOP SHOP (ETA SOON) @allcityslopshop.com · 27/08/2026
notably, Lady Bug features the original music, which was edited for the recent ACA reissue Cheeky Mouse sounds like it was a massive pain to emulate, just due to age title #3: Jumping Jack
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GSK | ALL CITY SLOP SHOP (ETA SOON) @allcityslopshop.com · 27/08/2026
Egret II Mini Arcade Collection vol.2 it is! the first collaborator: Universal! titles #1 & #2: Lady Bug & Cheeky Mouse
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
Screenshots of the currently undumped DoJa version of Mr. Do!, released by Bothtec for Japanese feature phones in 2006. This release included both a straight port of the original game, as well as a revamped version with a more "cybernetic" feel to the game's graphics.
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Play History @playhistory.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Deep Scan presumably for its use of vertical space. Defender and Rally-X both have vast and colorful scrolling worlds, which Miyamoto initially wanted for his Popeye game. Space Panic's influence is obvious, with its ascension focus and use of ladders.
Gameplay of Sega/Gremlin's Deep Scan, a submarine bombing game with a radar screen.Screenshot of Williams' defender, featuring a fast spaceship in a limited, horizontally-scrolling world. It also features a radar screen.Rally-X by Namco featured a large maze map and multi-directional scrolling. It also features a radar screen.The game Space Panic - often called the first platformer - introduced players ascending different levels via ladders to trap enemies which were then buried and fell downwards.
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Play History @playhistory.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The most fascinating development document from the Donkey Kong case files: Shigeru Miyamoto's notebook page from March 16, 1981. One of the listings on this page are four arcade games that presumably influenced Donkey Kong: -Deep/Scan -Defender -Rally-X -Space Panic
A photocopy of Miyamoto's notebook from a page dated March 16, 1981 while proposing the Popeye game concept that became Donkey Kong.

https://archive.org/details/miyamoto-design-documents-1981-03-30-popeye-game-layout/Miyamoto%20Design%20Documents%20(1981-03-16%20Popeye%20Game%20Pitch)/mode/2upA close-up of the translated names of the games in Miyamoto's notebook.

https://archive.org/details/miyamoto-design-documents-1981-03-30-popeye-game-layout/Miyamoto%20Design%20Documents%20(1981-03-16%20Popeye%20Game%20Pitch)/mode/2up
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Metin Seven, Moon Child's dad 🌝 @seven.eurosky.social · 03/08/2026
🧵 Voxel thread, image 6… Next up in my Inside Video Games series from the 2000s was another arcade classic: Mr. Do, inspired by the also timeless Dig Dug, preceding Mr. Do in the same year: 1982. #VoxelArt #voxels #retro #RetroGaming #arcade #3D
Voxel-style 3D interpretations of the Mr. Do game's 2D pixel graphics.
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Metin Seven, Moon Child's dad 🌝 @seven.eurosky.social · 02/08/2026
🧵 Voxel thread, image 4… I think this was my very first voxel work back in the 2000s, using extruded quad polygons in 3ds Max: a tribute to the classic 1981 Lady Bug maze chase game in the arcades, a great and tense variation upon Pac-Man. #VoxelArt #voxels #retro #RetroGaming #arcade #3D
Voxel art style tribute to the classic Lady Bug arcade game.
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Video footage of Time 80, a pachinko/prize machine first manufactured in 1972 by Nihon Jidô Hanbaiki and Universal, with new revisions being sporadically released until 1977. This is the first amusement machine to feature the Universal name.
youtube.com
【プレイ動画】タイム80をプレイしてみた。
YouTube video by 南海9000系[淀川あやめのYouTube第2サブチャンネル]
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Gameplay footage of Kick Rider, a racing game released by Universal in 1984. Using the same combination of bird's-eye/third-person perspectives as found in Irem's Traverse U.S.A./Zippy Race, this game's main innovation on the formula comes in the form of its titular kick mechanic.
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
Gameplay footage of "Yankee DOodle/Yankee Do!", an aftermarket speed-up/conversion kit for Mr. Do!. Based loosely on the Gulf War, this kit modifies the in-game graphics to turn Mr. Do! into Uncle Sam and the Mini-Dinos into loosely-defined "Arabian" men riding camels, amongst other edits.
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the original Aloof Wife @cpi.pinball.horse · 04/07/2026
scans: Universal pinball flyers pinballnovice.blogspot.com/2026/07/scan... 3 incredibly rare games released 1977-1979 #pinball #eremeka #japan #arcade #retroarcade #universal
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Lady Bug is the second Universal game to be released via Hamster's Arcade Archives series, following the rerelease of Mr. Do! to celebrate the series' 12th anniversary. Unlike Mr. Do!'s usage of the Astro Boy theme, the renditions of Ladybug Samba featured in the game have indeed been altered.
youtube.com
Arcade Archives Lady Bug
YouTube video by HAMSTER Corporation
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GSK | ALL CITY SLOP SHOP (ETA SOON) @allcityslopshop.com · 01/07/2026
another Universal game on Arcade Archives this week: the 1981 maze game Lady Bug, best known by many by its Colecovision port www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL2WCuHWyMU
youtube.com
Arcade Archives Lady Bug - YouTube
"Lady Bug" is an action game released by UNIVERSAL in 1981.Control...
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
An unlicensed SNES multicart which, for unknown reasons, uses key art from Dr. Mario to represent Mr. Do!.
A scan of the front of an unlicensed "5-in-1" multicart for the SNES, which, according to the label, features the games Super Mario World, Contra III (labelled as "Contra '98"), "Sonic & Knuckles" (a ROM hack of a Speedy Gonzales platformer), Mr. Do! (emblazoned with a starburst reading "NEW"), and Aladdin.
(sourced from SNES Central: https://snescentral.com/article.php?id=0820)A close-up of the image used to represent Mr. Do! on the label, which is actually vertically-stretched key artwork from Dr. Mario with the words "MR.DO" in a red serif font inserted directly above said art.
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the original Aloof Wife @cpi.pinball.horse · 24/06/2026
HOT NEW SCAN! 1977-10 Universal Amusement Machine - ユニバーサル 総合カタログ '77 (Universal General Catalog '77) pinballnovice.blogspot.com/2026/06/scan... #pinball #retroarcade #arcade #eremeka #medalgames #japan #videogames
1977-10 Universal Amusement Machine - ユニバーサル 総合カタログ '77 (Universal General Catalog '77)
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
The Super Famicom port of Mr. Do! was released in Japan on June 23rd, 1995, exactly 30 years ago today. The second entry in a planned series of Universal arcade ports to the SFC, this port of the game, introduces a "battle mode" in which two players can simultaneously compete against each other.
A scan of the Japanese front cover for the 1995 SNES port of the 1982 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!; illustrations of both the titular protagonist and a Blue Muncher are overlaid over an edited screenshot of the game.
(scan courtesy of "RFH", sourced from https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/snes/588502-mr-do/boxes/4278)
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downchasm @downchasm.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
GAMEST 1995年7月号 (via IA, scanned by "JapaneseMagazinesScans“)
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GSK | ALL CITY SLOP SHOP (ETA SOON) @allcityslopshop.com · 13/05/2026
your* prayers have been answered: Mr.Do! is coming to Arcade Archives this Friday (not Thursday) www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyHgCW7GIo4
youtube.com
Arcade Archives Mr.Do! - YouTube
"Mr.Do!" is an action game released by UNIVERSAL in 1982.Take cont...
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the original Aloof Wife @cpi.pinball.horse · 10/05/2026
Hercules comic ad from Amusement 1978-97
Hercules comic ad from Amusement 1978-97
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the original Aloof Wife @cpi.pinball.horse · 10/05/2026
ah thank you! Well spotted!! This is wonderful. Luckily I have a high res scan of that issue. Great to knock that one off my list, and will hunt for a colour version
Asteroid Killer by ユニバーサル (Universal)
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Louis Koziarz @koziarz.com · 09/05/2026
Found the Harem Cat flyer in my files! (TOTAN research) @cpi.pinball.horse @universalfacts.bsky.social
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Two photos of Asteroid Killer, a pinball table released by Universal in 1979, as featured in Roger Sharpe's review in Play Meter. Much like its contemporary, Harem Cat, Asteroid Killer supported up to six players & used a video monitor in order to display both score & animations during play.
A clipping from a low-quality scan of pg. 79 of vol. 5, no. 22 of Play Meter (Dec. 15th, '79), featuring a photo of the backglass of the Universal pinball table, Asteroid Killer; the artwork depicts a futuristic warrior doing battle with a gigantic, lizard-esque beast on some sort of alien planet. At the bottom right of the backglass is a monitor designed to display both scores and animations, similar to Harem Cat.
(sourced from KLOV's e-library's scan of the issue)A clipping from a low-quality scan of pg. 79 of vol. 5, no. 22 of Play Meter (Dec. 15th, '79), featuring a photo of Asteroid Killer's playfield; the artwork, as perceptible as it is, very much follows in the same theming as the backglass. Below the photo is a caption labelling the table's manufacturer and name.
(sourced from KLOV's e-library's scan of the issue)
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Christopher Jay @s1ckh4nds.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Giving this game its own post, because I have NEVER seen it ANYWHERE. The owner Adam was pretty proud of having it in his collection. "Devil Zone" by Universal, a fast-paced old school vertical shooter that is absolutely brutal. Amazing artwork on the cab, too. #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip
Devil Zone full cabinet.Close up view of the internal artwork and screen.Closeup of the front panel and coin door.Close up of the control panel and instructions.
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🃏 Clip 🃏 @clipthejester.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Random question: by any chance would anybody have a copy of volume 5, no. 23 of Play Meter (Dec 15th, 1979) that they'd be willing to scan? As far as I'm aware it includes the one and only review of Universal's "Asteroid Killer" pinball table, complete with B&W photos of the backglass and playfield.
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Many of Tekhan/Tecmo's earliest staff were actually ex-Universal employees. When Kazutoshi Ueda left Universal after the release of Mr. Do!, he explicitly told the higher-ups that he was not quitting to join Tekhan. He joined Tekhan not long after. (shmuplations.com/mtjdesign/)
An excerpt from an interview translated by @shmuplations.bsky.social written by the late Fukio "MTJ" Mitsuji with Michishito Ishizuka, Kazutoshi Ueda, and Hideyuki Yokoyama, originally published in issue 0034 of Gamest (Jul '89).
"MTJ: Can you tell us about the relationship between Universal and Tecmo?
Ishizuka: Yeah, things were just going along at Tecmo, and then one day I looked up and realized over half our developers were ex-Universal! It was something like 20 people. (laughs) We used to joke around the office, “If you didn’t come from Universal, you can’t get promoted here.” (laughs)
MTJ: So Universal must have seen Tecmo as the enemy then, right?!
Yokoyama: Indeed, they did. We were told that explicitly. They didn’t care if we switched companies, so long as it wasn’t Tecmo we were going to! (laughs)
Ueda: I told them I wasn’t going to Tecmo when I quit, and then I did! (laughs) The thing was, I was originally planning to join that company in Kansai I mentioned earlier, when without warning I got a call from a former chief at Tecmo who said he was nearby and wanted to talk about something."
(https://shmuplations.com/mtjdesign/)
(original interview: https://archive.org/details/gamest0034, pg. 70)
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
A magazine ad for "TypeTunes: Chase the Music!", a 2005 rhythm game in which players had to type the lyrics to J-pop songs along to the beat. TypeTunes would end up being the last arcade game to be released in any capacity under the Universal/Aruze umbrella.
A scanning of a print advertisement in pg. 148 of Arcadia #0060 (May '05) for the 2005 Universal/Aruze arcade game, TypeTunes: Chase the Music!, a rhythm game in which the objective is to type along to the lyrics of popular songs in-beat, somewhat similar in concept to SEGA's Typing of the Dead. The ad features an image of the cabinet, which features two screens, one for watching the music video and the other for typing the lyrics with the keyboard, a handful of screenshots from the game, and short descriptions on how to play the game.
(scan courtesy of JapaneseMagazinesScans, sourced from https://archive.org/details/arcadia0060)
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
The Mr. Do! Telephone Q&A Corner, as featured in issue 19 of Amusement Life magazine. This features a handful of questions relating to the Mr. Do! series sent in, answered in-character by Mr. Do! himself.
A scanning of pg. 9 of issue 19 of the short-lived Amusement Life/AM Life magazine (Jul. '84), which features the Mr. Do! Telephone Q&A Corner, with questions answered by Mr. Do! himself; the questions in question revolve around the creation of Mr. Do!, the probability of diamonds in both OG Do! and Wild Ride (Vs. Unicorns does not feature the diamond), the inconsistencies in Mr. Do!'s appearance throughout the games, and the possibility of a fourth game in the series (this predates Do! Run Run's release). Near the bottom of the page is Jumping Jack and a unicorn holding up a sign stating that Universal are open to answering more questions sent in by fans.
(scan courtesy of DFJustin, sourced from https://archive.org/details/amusement-life-magazine-19)
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Game Mag Print Ads @gamemagprintads.famiconsumer.com · 23/02/2026
Arcade Classics: Years ago, they took all your quarters. Now it's Payback Time! Source: Ultra Game Players 89 (October 1996) Scan Source: RetroMags #retrogaming #nintendo #sega
Arcade Classics: Years ago, they took all your quarters. Now it's Payback Time!
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🃏 Clip 🃏 @clipthejester.bsky.social · 29/11/2025
Finally managed to figure out actually functioning enemy chase AI (with the help of an asset on Itch). Still not sure on how to make it actually respect the dirt barriers, but it's definitely a huge improvement. #gamedev #indiedev
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Gameplay footage of Twin Brats, an unlicensed adult clone of Lady Bug released in 1995 by Elettronica Video Games S.r.l. Alongside several presentational alterations, Twin Brats' main gameplay innovations are its simultaneous two-player and an attack the player can use to temporarily stun enemies.
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Sasha's Retrobytes 🏳️‍⚧️ @sharkabytes.bsky.social · 25/12/2025
All your early 80s Japanese arcade favourites, sketched out in pen and sent into the pages of GAME FREAK in 1984 by Hiroaka, member 102.
A scan of a page from GAME FREAK 'zine, with black ink doodles of various arcade characters such as from Xevious, Pac-Man, Mappy, Dig Dug, Galaxian, and Mr Do. The names are written out in English, with a little bit of charming 'Engrish' to some of them. Mario Brozouvs and Garaxian.
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Gameplay footage of Snap Jack, a game released in 1981 by Universal. Based on the framework of their previous Cosmic Avenger (released only a few months prior), players must avoid giant fireballs, barrels, and "Medusa Jacks" while also eating enough dots to acquire the table-turning "Power Dot".
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Game Mag Print Ads @gamemagprintads.famiconsumer.com · 28/11/2025
Mr. Do's Wild Ride Source: Amusement Life 16 (April 1984) Scan Source: DFJustin (Internet Archive) #retrogaming #arcadegaming
Mr. Do's Wild Ride
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japmagads @japmagads.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
🕹️ Neo Mr. Do! 📚 Monthly Coin Journal 1995 09 👤 @thestacks.ca
Ad for Neo Mr. Do! from Monthly Coin Journal magazine, issue 1995 09
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
The cover for a bootleg Italian release of the C64 port of Mr. Do!, in which the protagonist is inexplicably depicted as a Jawa from the Star Wars series.
The cover for the unlicensed Italian "Supersoft" release of the Commodore 64 port of the 1982 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!; the cover artwork is quite crude and seems to depict the titular protagonist as a Jawa from the Star Wars series.
(sourced from Lemon64)A cropped image of a Jawa firing an ion blaster from the original Star Wars (1977); this image frequently shows up in merchandise (trading cards, etc.) and it is therefore highly likely that this was the exact pose used as a reference for the bootleg Mr. Do! cover.
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
Unlicensed releases of Cosmic Avenger, Lady Bug, and Space Panic for the Splicevision, a clone of the ColecoVision sold in Brazil.
A scan of the cartridge artwork for "Bombardeio", a Brazilian bootleg release of the ColecoVision port of the 1981 Universal arcade game, Cosmic Avenger; the artwork does not appear to bare any resemblance to any official art made for the game.
(sourced from https://datassette.org/softwares/splice-br-brasil-jogos-colecovision-softwares/bombardeio)A scan of the cartridge artwork for "Papa Tudo", a Brazilian bootleg release of the ColecoVision port of the 1981 Universal arcade game, Lady Bug; the artwork present is a crudely redrawn version of the art of the protagonist used for the flyer and backglass.
(sourced from https://datassette.org/node/104223)A scan of the cartridge artwork for "Panico Cosmico", a Brazilian bootleg release of the ColecoVision port of the 1980 Universal arcade game, Space Panic; the artwork is a loose approximation of the arcade game's kickplate artwork.
(https://datassette.org/softwares/splice-br-brasil-jogos-colecovision-softwares/panico-cosmico)
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
Gameplay footage of Cosmic Guerilla, a single-screen shooter released in 1979 by Universal. One of many games to come out in the wake of Space Invaders, Cosmic Guerilla's main defining feature is its aliens having the ability to steal bases - and your extra lives if you are not quick enough.
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
Genuinely in awe that this account is almost at 200 followers now, thank you all so much!
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
The flyer for Universal's Harem Cat pinball table. Released in 1979, Harem Cat used a video monitor in order to display both score and animations during play, predating both dot-matrix displays and "hybrid" tables such as Gottlieb's Caveman and Bally's Baby Pac-Man.
The front of the flyer for the 1979 Universal pinball table, Harem Cat (- ハーレムキャット). The flyer proudly boasts about how it is the "WORLD'S FIRST PINBALL GAME USING A TV MONITOR" and mentions some of its features, such as "6 PLAYERS PINBALL EXCITEMENT" and "SCORES TO 999,990", alongside a photograph of the table itself.
(scans courtesy of Flyercade)The first page of the inside of the flyer for the 1979 Universal pinball table, Harem Cat, which goes over the animations the monitor can display during play.
(scans courtesy of Flyercade)The second page of the inside of the flyer for the 1979 Universal pinball table, Harem Cat, which goes over the general features and mechanics of the table itself. The table (and backglass) artwork itself prominently features scantily-clad ladies drawn in a vaguely Beardsleyesque manner, in typical Universal fashion.
(scans courtesy of Flyercade)The back of the flyer for the 1979 Universal pinball table, Harem Cat, featuring a closeup of the table's backglass, the specifications, and Universal's (then-current) Japanese, North American, and European offices.
(scans courtesy of Flyercade)
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
Two photos of a promotional Mr. Do! T-shirt. Very little information seems to be available regarding this shirt.
A photo of a small T-shirt made to promote the 1982 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!; featured on the print are the game's logo, an illustration of the gameplay, and a Universal copyright.
(image sourced from linked eBay listing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/406081197001)A close-up of the illustration featured on the T-shirt, which features Mr. Do! about to crush a Mini-Dino, an Alphamonster, and a Muncher with a single apple. Mr. Do! is seen thinking "MOVE OVER #1", a phrase commonly found in East Coast distributor Eastern Micro Electronics' print advertisements for the game. The entire print is red except for a few areas of green present in the cherry stalks, which may have been added with a felt-tip or similar marker by the previous owner.
(image sourced from linked eBay listing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/406081197001)
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Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
The flyer for B-29, an early lightgun game released by Universal in 1977.
A scan of the Japanese-language flyer for the 1977 Universal arcade game, B-29, featuring a photo of the cabinet, a description of the gameplay, and the size specifications.
(scan courtesy of Flyercade)
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Reposted by Universal Arcade Facts
Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
In early 1989, Electrocoin put a new version of Mr. Do! out on location test, with altered graphics, 99 scenes, and new mechanics. This version never made it to market and seemingly didn't last long on said location test, as this preview from an issue of C+VG is the only evidence it even existed.
A clipping from pg. 127 of Computer & Video Games #087 (Jan '89), detailing a "99-level" version of Mr. Do! with altered graphics and gameplay mechanics, which was seemingly ultimately never released.
(scan sourced from: https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_087/page/126)
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