Universal Arcade Facts

The loader screen for another bootleg release of the C64 version of Mr. Do!, entitled "Caves"; the artwork here depicts a semi-realistic clown pointing upwards at a batch of colored ovals spelling the word "CAVES". (sourced from https://www.edicola8bit.com/gioco.php?collana=special_playgames&console=c64&codice=caves&id_rivista=18)

A cropped scan of the inlay instructions for "Caves", featuring both a screenshot of the game (showing that it has been translated into Italian) and a description of the gameplay: "Il tuo scopo è raccogliere quante più ciliegie potrai mentre ti difendi dai vari mostri con le tue palle di forza o facendo cadere sopra le ele giganti. I mostri possono essere di quattro ipi: normali, extra-mostri, gobbi e scavatori. Tra tutti solo gli scavatori possono fare dei tunnel, ma stai attento perché i mostri normali talvolta possono trasformarsi in scavatori. I super-mostri hanno una lettere scritta sopra e appaiono tutte le volte che mangerai attrazione dello schema. Ricorda che i super-ostri sono sempre seguìti da un gobbo e che se ditruggerai il super-mostro per primo il gobbo diventerà una mela. Se riuscirai a distruggere tutti i mostri che compongono la parola EXTRA avrai una vita omaggio. Non scordare poi di prendere il diamante della duna che appare in alcune mele cadute, avrai un extra-bonus." (sourced from https://www.edicola8bit.com/gioco.php?collana=special_playgames&console=c64&codice=caves&id_rivista=18)

As software piracy, especially in regards to the Commodore 64, was incredibly commonplace in Italy (as can be read about here), the C64 port of Mr. Do! was bootlegged several times, usually either under the titles of "Caves" or "Gigi il Minatore".

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.

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.

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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)

Unlicensed releases of Cosmic Avenger, Lady Bug, and Space Panic for the Splicevision, a clone of the ColecoVision sold in Brazil.

YouTube video by The Arcade Blogger Universal Cosmic Guerrilla Arcade gameplay demo

It should be noted that the current emulation in MAME is not completely accurate; for example, the "mutant mole" enemy, who occasionally shows up near the bottom of the screen, is supposed to shoot bullets.
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Flyers for Cosmic Guerilla frequently advertised mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori's involvement with the game, however it is likely that he merely served as a supervisor of some sort.
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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.

Additional note: if you enjoyed the anime girl Mr. Do! fan art post, you may wish to follow my primary account at @clipthejester.bsky.social! I have a character who is also basically anime girl Mr. Do!
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Genuinely in awe that this account is almost at 200 followers now, thank you all so much!

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)

A selection of contemporary Mr. Do! and Mr. Do!'s Castle fan artwork, from the short-lived Amusement Life/AM Life magazine.

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)

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.

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)

Two photos of a promotional Mr. Do! T-shirt. Very little information seems to be available regarding this shirt.

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)

The flyer for B-29, an early lightgun game released by Universal in 1977.

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)

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 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)

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 screenshot of the 1984 MSX port of the 1982 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!; some visible differences from the Tomy Tutor version include the Mini-Dinos being recolored yellow, the Alphamonsters being white instead of a light blue, and the lack of a custom font for the numbers. Not visible from this screenshot is just how *slow* it is.

If this version seems familiar, many (but absolutely not all) of the assets made for this port would later be reused for the MSX port, which was released a year later but lacks many of the features found in this version, including the Munchers and the intermission screen.

Gameplay footage of a Japan-exclusive port of Mr. Do! made for the short-lived Tomy Tutor/Pyūta computer.

a man in a hat and coat, holding a bag with a strap has arrived home from work. a man with a woman on his lap are sitting on a chair in front of the television, a cartridge inserted in a console, game on the screen. they look surprised to see him. "my wife! my best friend! my cosmic avenger cartridge!"

comic, videogaming & computergaming illustrated, magazine (1983) archive.org/details/vide...

A "restoration" of the front cover for the PAL release of the ColecoVision port of the 1982 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!; in the artwork featured, Mr. Do! is interpreted as an elfish figure wearing a white bodysuit and is seen throwing an apple at a ginger man wearing a purple cape, whilst what appear to be a digging enemy (represented by a Mr. T-esque figure with a shovel), an Alphamonster (represented by a foppish man wearing a top hat), and either a Mini-Dino or a Muncher (represented by an agitated man with his arms out), whilst the Grim Reaper rides a lawnmower in the background. Also seen are a group of trees with cherries hanging off, with a diamond embedded in one of them, and also a mocked-up screenshot in the middle of the work, which still depicts Mr. Do! with the "yukidaruma/snowman" design. (Scan/"restoration" by Grumbleduke, sourced from https://www.thecoverproject.net/view.php?cover_id=7584)

The cover artwork for the PAL release of Mr. Do! for the ColecoVision, which features a rather interesting interpretation of both the visuals and general gameplay.

A photograph of a promotional store display for the ColecoVision (and Intellivision, which is listed as "coming soon) ports of the 1981 Universal arcade game, Lady Bug. Present is a photo of the cabinet, the depiction of the titular protagonist from the cabinet backglass artwork (although it has been slightly redrawn), and a mock screenshot claiming to be from the ColecoVision version of the game (the most obvious tells being the extended "SPECIAL" and "EXTRA" indicators). "You're in control of a hungry Lady Bug. Help her traverse the tricky maze, gobbling up dots. But watch out for the pursuing insects who want to make your Lady Bug their lunch! Can she escape them and continue along her merry way, racking up points as she goes? That's up to you! Lady Bug™ brings home all the fun, skill, and strategy of the real arcade game!" (photo sourced from https://forums.atariage.com/topic/366166-fst-activision-and-atari-promo-standees-mint-and-rare/)

A promotional store display made to advertise the ColecoVision version of Lady Bug.

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)

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 the US flyer for the 1980 Universal arcade game, Sengoku no Jieitai/No Man's Land, which was distributed by Gottlieb. "Video Combat at its Best! One tank against an army! But for the first time, a player can move all around the screen, defending his tank against an enemy ambush. Players will appreciate this new mobility feature, and line up to batle the enemy tank corps of NO MAN'S LAND. Available in both upright and cocktail cabinets, NO MAN'S LAND offers an exciting combat challenge for one or two players. -The player's tank can move, arm and fire in 8 directions, but the enemy tanks can move and fire in only 4 directions. -Player uses a throttle to steer his tank, and presses FIRE button to demolish enemy tanks. -A reserve tank replaces each tank destroyed. -Completing a screen of enemy tanks sets up a new screen of faster, more dangerous tanks. NO MAN'S LAND is video combat at its best, with full screen mobility for ever player. A dynamite combination! Call your Gottlieb distributor today!" (scan courtesy of Flyercade)

The US flyer for No Man's Land/Sengoku no Jieitai, a game released by Universal in 1980.

No Man's Land, interestingly, was the only Universal arcade game not to be distributed by Universal themselves in the US, instead being the first game to be distributed by Gottlieb.

A Japanese magazine advertisement for the 1983 RDI Video Systems/Cinematronics LaserDisc arcade game, Dragon's Lair, with the (loosely translated) subtitle of "Dirk the Swordsman's Tale of Love and Courage", part one in a series of two advertisements. This simply goes over the basic premise of the game, accompanied by screenshots. (sourced from: https://www.retromags.com/gallery/image/31902-dragons-lair-japan/)

A Japanese magazine advertisement for the 1983 RDI Video Systems/Cinematronics LaserDisc arcade game, Dragon's Lair, with the (loosely translated) subtitle of "Dirk the Swordsman's Tale of Love and Courage", part two in the same series. This one serves as a guide to some of the sequences within the game, giving quite direct instructions to the moves required to clear them. (sourced from: https://www.retromags.com/gallery/image/31903-dragons-lair-japan/)

A pair of Japanese magazine advertisements for the 1983 LaserDisc arcade game, Dragon's Lair.

Universal distributed both this and its sister game, Space Ace, in Japan, which helps to explain why they focused more on laser games before (mostly) bowing out of the gaming industry in the mid-80s.

Gameplay footage of Fighting Bug, a cut-down port of Lady Bug for Casio's short-lived PV-1000 console; one of only 13 games released for the system.

This is the only official port of Lady Bug to be commercially released in Japan.

YouTube video by SID VidBox C=64 VGM - Kong Strikes Back: In-game

The in-game music, composed by Martin Galway, also marks a historic "first"; it is reportedly the very first song composed for the Commodore 64 to use the "fast arpeggio" effect, which would later become very commonplace in European-developed games and later modern chiptune.
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Gameplay footage of Kong Strikes Back!, a clone of Mr. Do!'s Wild Ride released for several microcomputers by Ocean in 1984.
Branded as the sequel to Ocean's earlier Donkey Kong clone, Kong Strikes Back's main distinction is its "bombs" system, which allows the player to destroy the oncoming carts.

A scan of the flyer for "Hunt Down", a rebranded Spanish release of the 1980 Universal arcade game, Space Panic; present on the flyer is a photo of the cabinet, a loose description of the game, and advertisements for other Andra machines: Desert Wars (Battlezone), Asteroids Luxe (Asteroids Deluxe), Money Mountain, and Air Bat le [sic] (Red Baron). (scan sourced from https://www.recreativas.org/hunt-down-1989-andra-sa)

A photo of the actual "Hunt Down" cabinet itself; the artwork on the marquee and bezel consists of rather crude, cartoonish depictions of both the protagonist and aliens. (photo sourced from https://www.recreativas.org/hunt-down-1989-andra-sa)

The flyer and cabinet for "Hunt Down", an alternate (likely unlicensed) Spanish release of Space Panic put out by Andra S.A.

Notably, neither of these flyers actually reference either Captain Zapp, the one other game known to have been in development for the Laser System 1, or Top Gear, the one other LaserDisc arcade game to be officially released by Universal.
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A scan of a flyer advertising Universal's standardised "Laser System 1" arcade system for LaserDisc games. Underneath the ad copy regarding the system's ease of conversion and the popularity of Super Don Quix-ote is a list of games planned for release for the Laser System 1, including Adventure Mr. Do!, Time Slip, Wilderness Kingdom, Adventure in Middle Earth, and Space Dracula. (Scan courtesy of Flyercade)

A photo of a flyer for the 1984 Universal LaserDisc arcade game, Super Don Quix-ote. The list at the bottom right of the flyer gives specific dates for the planned LaserDisc releases and also lists another game, Circus Circus. "At last, a real blockbuster of a game, "Super Don Quix-ote" unveiled! Universal System 1 series bring you a never-imagined thrill of joy. (1) Super Don Quix-ote Model No. 8045 - Released in November, 1984 (2) Adventure Mr. Do! Model No. 8515 - To be released in March, 1985 (3) Time Slip Model No. 8531 - To be released in July, 1985 (4) Wilderness Kingdom Model No. 8554 - To be released in November, 1985 (5) Adventure in Middle Earth Model No. 8612 - To be released in March, 1986 (6) Space Dracula Model No. 8625 - To be released in July, 1986 (7) Circus Circus Model No. 8652 - To be released in November, 1986 (Note: any of the above games may be subject to change in name, etc. without any prior notice)" (photo sourced from the Dragon's Lair Project website: https://www.dragons-lair-project.com/games/unreleased/universal.asp)

Two flyers advertising Universal's Laser System 1 standard for LaserDisc games, both of which reference games which ultimately never came out, such as "Adventure Mr. Do!" and "Space Dracula".

The front of the flyer for the 1981 Universal arcade game, Fantastic Voyage, featuring a miniature futuristic submarine moving through a heavily stylised depiction of the human body, alongside a strange bug-woman drawn in typical Kohtani fashion.

The back of the flyer for the 1981 Universal arcade game, Fantastic Voyage, featuring a screenshot of the game and a general description of the gameplay.

The flyer for the (probably unreleased) 1981 Universal arcade game, Fantastic Voyage, a game loosely (and unofficially) based upon the 1966 sci-fi movie of the same name.