1970s
Fire Truck
1978 · Racing · Arcade
Overview
Fire Truck is a classic 1970s racing game developed by Atari for Arcade.
Deep Dive
Fire Truck is a classic 1970s racing game developed by Atari for Arcade.
Developer Story
Fire Truck was developed by Atari and released in 1978. It was one of the first arcade games to support four-player simultaneous play — two players sat in the cab controlling steering, while two more controlled the rear trailer's steering. The articulated fire truck mechanic, where the back of the vehicle steered independently, was a novel simulation of the real steering dynamics of large emergency vehicles.
Did You Know?
- Fire Truck was one of the first arcade games to feature genuine four-player simultaneous co-operative play.
- The articulated trailer mechanic required genuine coordination between players — the front and rear steered independently, making teamwork essential.
- The game used a unique dual steering wheel setup: one player steered the cab, another steered the trailer.
- It was released the same year as Space Invaders — while Taito was changing arcades globally, Atari was experimenting with co-operative social gaming.
