Prop Cycle

Prop Cycle is a 3D, time-based flying game in which the player must use a human-powered aircraft to prevent the city of Solitar from floating away permanently by popping hot-air balloons.[2] The cycle is controlled by using pedals to spin the propeller and handlebars to steer left and right and change altitude.[1]

Prop Cycle was designed by Shigeki Toyama, an engineer for Namco that worked on games such as Xevious (1983), Final Lap (1987), and Point Blank (1994).[3][4] Toyama was inspired to create Prop Cycle after he and another Namco employee finished production on a technical demo where the player rode in a human-powered plane and shot down enemies. The demo didn't use 3D polgyons, but instead 2D sprites with scaling techniques that created the illusion of a 3D world.[3] While Toyama didn't find the game itself interesting, he thought its sense of flight was intriguing and decided to turn the concept into a full game.[3] He was also inspired by the Studio Ghibli film Kiki's Delivery Service, which stars a young witch flying on a broomstick.[3]

Since Prop Cycle was being made as an arcade game, Toyama wanted the game to be highly interactive and have a reason to be exclusive to arcades. He also wanted the game to be unique and distinct from other arcade games, as he never enjoyed repeating already-existing ideas.[3][4] Toyama worked to allow players to experience the thrill of flying and feeling the wind, and to make the game itself be more than simply defeating enemies. To get an idea of what Toyama was looking for, the development team went out for a day of hang gliding with a camera attached to the glider's wings. The team spent three to four months developing the flying aspect; programmer Naoyuki Koyama didn't understand what Toyama wanted to convey with "riding the wind", so to demonstrate he attached a weight to an umbrella to give Koyama an idea of what he was trying to create.[3]

Toyama wanted Prop Cycle to have a proper storyline in addition to its unique game concept.[3][4] Jokingly referring to his role as the project's "movie director", Toyama designed the setting, plotline, and characters, and drew the artwork for the villages and level themes.[3][4] An intentional design choice was that the player had to make it to the last stage in order to understand the story, a decision he has since come to regret.[3] Toyama considered making a "Sightseeing" mode where players were able to fly anywhere they wanted under a time limit, however the limited development time caused the idea to be scrapped.[3]

Game Machine claims that Prop Cycle was the second most popular arcade game of August 1996 in Japan.[5] Retro Gamer described it as being one of the most unique arcade games ever created, and a more accessible title compared to Namco and Sega's other offerings. Staff enjoyed the game's simplicity and originality, writing that there's "no question as to how it has stayed in so many locations after almost two decades."[6]

• Official website