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International Arcade Museum® — Killer List of Videogames®


Checkmate Checkmate - Japanese Logo - Katakana / Kanji

Checkmate - Cabinet - Video Game Marquee

Description

Up to four players control a block which leaves a trail behind it. The object is to force the other players to run into either the boundary or your trail.

Checkmate was produced by Midway Manufacturing Co. in 1977.

Midway Manufacturing Co. released 132 machines in our database under this trade name, starting in 1959. Midway Manufacturing Co. was based in United States.

Other machines made by Midway Manufacturing Co. during the time period Checkmate was produced include: Tornado Baseball, Datsun 280 Zzzap dup, Sea Wolf, 280 ZZZAP, Amazing Maze, Guided Missile, Double Play, Boot Hill, Laguna Racer, and Desert Gun

Specs

Name Checkmate
Developer Midway Manufacturing Co. (United States)
Year 1977
Type Videogame
KLOV/MOG # 7320
Class Wide Release
Genre Skill
Monitor
  • Orientation: Horizontal
  • Type: Raster: Standard Resolution
  • Color: Black and White with a Color Overlay
  • The entire screen is covered with a blue overlay.

Conversion Class Midway 8080
# Simultaneous Players 4
# Maximum Players 4
Game Play Competitive
Control Panel Layout Multiple Player
Controls
  • Joystick: 4-way (up, down, left, right)
Sound Amplified Mono (one channel)
Cabinet Styles
  • Upright/Standard
  • Cocktail

Game Introduction

This game can be played by one to four players. A one-player game is played against three computer players. After coins have been deposited, you press the proper "number of players" button to start the game. The object of game is for a player to direct his moving arrow (marked "1", "2", "3", or "4" respectively) and avoid crashes. A player is eliminated when his moving arrow crashes into another object. Play continues until one player is left. After a crash, the remaining player or players score one point each. When one player remains, that is the end of one "round" of play. Depending on the DIP switch settings, there can be two to five rounds of play per game.

Game Play

Moving up, down, left, or right controls the direction your arrow movement. The actual traveling speed of the arrow is controlled by the game.


/
/At the end of a round, an instant replay is displayed.

Checkmate KLOV/IAM 5 Point User Score: 0.00 (0 votes)

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Images

Cabinet Information

The cabinet has a design similar to that of Sega's Turbo with its overhanging "hooded" top piece. The speaker grill is integrated into the marquee. The control panel, while having joysticks for four players, is no larger or wider than a standard cabinet (for that time).

VAPS Arcade/Coin-Op Checkmate Census

There are 15,165 members of the Video Arcade Preservation Society / Vintage Arcade Preservation Society, 9,628 whom participate in our arcade census project of games owned, wanted, or for sale. Census data currently includes 166,321 machines (6,975 unique titles).

Uncommon - There are 7 known instances of this machine owned by Checkmate collectors who are active members. Of these, 5 of them are original dedicated machines. 2 of them are only circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired.

Wanted - There is one active VAPS member currently looking for Checkmate.

This game ranks a 3 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census ownership records.

This game ranks a 2 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census want list records.

Rarity and Popularity independently are not necessarily indications of value. [More Information]

Flyers

Technical

The logic boardset and power supply are similar to other Midway 8080-type games, and also shares the same problems associated with them (most notably failure of RAM chips over time). There are DIP switch settings for English, German, French, or Spanish test (on screen), as well as a TEST mode for trouble-shooting.

Foto-Finder® (Books)

  1. The Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256) Page: 38; Color photo Price guide: No
  2. Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256) Page: 38; Color photo

eBay Listings

Click to search eBay for Checkmate Videogame machines and related items.

Click to search eBay for Midway Manufacturing Co. for machines and parts.

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TOP WATCHED LISTINGS FOR: Checkmate

Ebay Compatible Application

Vintage MIDWAY CHECKMATE Arcade Game Machine Brochure Flyer MINT T8

Auction ends in: 2 weeks, 3 days

FixedPrice
$29.00

Midway Checkmate Arcade Game Parts Catalog Manual

Auction ends in: 6 days, 15 hours

FixedPrice
$17.99

Recel / Petaco Check, Jake Mate, Checkmate pinball rubber ring kit

Auction ends in: 1 week, 1 day

FixedPrice
$29.99

Recel / Petaco Check, Jake Mate, Checkmate pinball super kit

Auction ends in: 1 week, 2 days

FixedPrice
$45.99

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