Machine Guides

Game History

Pole Position II is a racing simulation game developed by Namco and released to arcades in November 1983. As with its predecessor, Namco licensed this sequel to Atari, Inc. for manufacture and distribution in the United States. The game was a significant commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing arcade game of 1984 in the United States, just above the original Pole Position, which had been the highest-grossing game of 1983. It remained one of the top five highest-grossing arcade games in 1985 and the sixth highest-grossing in 1986.

Pole Position II has been re-released as part of various Namco Museum compilations, though due to licensing issues with real-world circuits, the original tracks were replaced with similar-looking circuits named Namco Circuit and Wonder Circuit.

How to Play

Objective

The main goal of Pole Position II is to complete each race in the fastest time possible by qualifying and then racing against other cars on various tracks. You must navigate through challenging courses while maintaining control at high speeds to achieve the best lap times and finish in the highest position possible. The game simulates the experience of Formula One racing with an emphasis on speed and precision driving.

Controls

• Steering Wheel: Turn the wheel left or right to steer your vehicle
• Gas Pedal: Press to accelerate and increase speed
• Brake Pedal: Press to slow down, brake, or reverse
• Shifter: Use to shift between gears

Gameplay

• Starting the Game: Press the Start Button to begin your racing session.

• Track Selection: Select from four available tracks: Test (practice), Fuji, Suzuka, and Seaside, each with different layouts and challenges.

• Qualifying Lap: Complete a qualifying lap to determine your starting position in the actual race. Faster qualifying times result in better grid positions.

• Race Mechanics: Navigate through the course while competing against computer-controlled opponent vehicles and avoiding trackside obstacles.

• Time Management: Complete each lap within the time limit. Failing to complete a lap within the time limit results in disqualification.

• Position Tracking: Monitor your position during the race and work to overtake opponents while defending your position.

• Lap System: Complete multiple laps of each course to finish the race. The number of laps varies by track selection.

• Score System: Earn points based on your finishing position, with higher positions yielding more points.

• Race Completion: Finish the race to receive your placement and score based on your performance. Achieving high scores allows progression to more challenging tracks.