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International Arcade Museum® — Killer List of Videogames®


Omega Race Omega Race - Japanese Logo - Katakana / Kanji

Omega Race - Cabinet - Video Game Marquee

Description

Player controls an "Omegan Space Fighter", and attempts to destroy waves of enemy droid ships. Battle takes place on a rectangular "track". Player's ship bounces off invisible walls of track.

Omega Race was produced by Midway Manufacturing Co. in 1981.

Midway Manufacturing Co. released 133 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 Omega Race was produced include: Li'l Hoop Shot!, Extra Bases, Space Encounters, Space Invaders II, Rally-X, Bosconian, Gorf, Kick, Kick-Man, and Ms. Pac-Man

Omega Race - Cabinet - Machine
Cabinet

Specs

Name Omega Race
Developer Midway Manufacturing Co. (United States)
Year 1981
Type Videogame
KLOV/MOG # 8920
Class Wide Release
Genre Space
Monitor
  • Orientation: Horizontal
  • Type: Vector
  • Color: Black and White
  • 19-inch Electrohome G05

Conversion Class unique
Game Specific Omega Race Pinout
Dipswitch Settings

Omega Race Dipswitch Settings (user contributed)

# Simultaneous Players 1
# Maximum Players 2
Gameplay Alternating
Control Panel Layout Single Player
Controls
  • Rotary: Optical
  • Buttons: 2 [ThrustFire]
Sound Amplified Stereo (two channel)
Cabinet Styles
  • Upright/Standard
  • Cabaret/Mini
  • Cocktail
  • Environmental/Cockpit
Bezel Omega Race Bezel Image
Control Panel Omega Race Control Panel Image
Side Art Omega Race Side Art Image

Game Play

Omega Race falls into the general category of Asteroids-type games, but has several unique features that distinguish it. An encoder wheel controller makes the player's ship highly maneuverable. The screen has no "wrap-around" the player's ship bounces upon impact with the walls. Scores and other information are constantly displayed in a rectangle in the center of the screen player and enemy ships occupy the track-like space around the center rectangle. Each wave can be completed quickly, giving the game a more exciting, fast-paced feel than Asteroids.

Omega Race KLOV/IAM 5 Point User Score: 3.96 (10 votes)

Fun Factor: 4.10

Overall Like 4.40
Fun (Social) 4.00
Fun (Solo) 4.20
Collector Desire 3.80

Technical Rating: 3.83

Gameplay 4.10
Graphics 3.90
Originality 4.00
Sound/Music 3.60

Personal Impressions and Technical Impressions each account for half of the total score. Within the Personal Impressions category, Like carries a little more weight than the other factors.

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Cheats, Tricks, Bugs, and Easter Eggs

The inside corners of the track have small portions that are transparent to the Omega guns, allow you to shoot through. There's also a small obstacle you can use to hold your position to fire. This allows you to hold continuous fire, rather than being limited to a four shot volley.

More pictures

Trivia

This was the only vector game made by Midway. Like many games, Omega Race saves initials for high scores. However, it screens out the initials FUK and FUC it will let you enter them, but will not display them again.

Cabinet Information

This game was released in four cabinet styles: upright, sit-down, mini, and cocktail. Only the upright and sit-down models feature the blacklight effects. The sit-down model, unlike the others, is for one player only.

In the upright cabinet, the monitor projects the images upward onto a see-through mirror in front of day-glow colored "star-scape" scenery. The scenery is illuminated by a blacklight, with striking results. The cabinet exterior is also notable. The artwork on the normal header marquee is continued on the speaker grill below. The monitor glass has artwork at the sides and bottom, and there is a decorated, lighted "attraction panel" just below the control panel. The lower cabinet also has artwork that depicts spacecraft in battle, which was typical of the "Star Wars"-derived sci-fi artwork of the era.

Miscellaneous

Omega Race was originally designed and programmed by David Lawerence Murphy who passed away in 1988. Proof of his legacy can be found on the pictures of the High Score as his initials DLM always come in first place.

VAPS Arcade/Coin-Op Omega Race Census

There are 14,717 members of the Video Arcade Preservation Society / Vintage Arcade Preservation Society, 9,455 whom participate in our arcade census project of games owned, wanted, or for sale. Census data currently includes 164,291 machines (6,886 unique titles).

Very Common - There are 312 known instances of this machine owned by Omega Race collectors who are active members. Of these, 298 of them are original dedicated machines. 13 of them are only circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired.

For Sale - There are 13 active VAPS members with a Omega Race machines for sale. There is one active VAPS member with an extra Omega Race circuit board for sale.

Wanted - Popular - There are 18 active VAPS members currently looking for Omega Race.

This game ranks a 65 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census ownership records.

This game ranks a 20 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

A 3.6V NiCad battery is mounted at the top of the motherboard. This battery will inevitably leak battery acid down the board, destroying many expensive ICs. If you own this game, remove the battery and mount a new one on the inside of the cabinet somewhere, with a lead connecting it to the board. You will be sorry someday if you don't.

Manuals

Foto-Finder® (Books)

  1. The Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256) Page: 104; Color photo Price guide: No
  2. Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games Kurtz (ISBN 0764319256) Page: 104; Color photo

Additional References (logged in members often see more)

  1. 3D Model (External): Upright
  2. 3D Model (External): Upright

eBay Listings

Click to search eBay for Omega Race 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: Omega Race

Ebay Compatible Application

midway omega race arcade game

Auction ends in: 3 weeks, 1 day

FixedPrice
$3,000.00

1981 Midway Bally Omega Race Arcade Marquee Header Original Genuine

Auction ends in: 3 weeks, 6 days

FixedPrice
$29.99

ORIGINAL-MIDWAY-OMEGA RACE-PARTS AND OPERATING MANUAL

Auction ends in: 3 days, 11 hours

FixedPrice
$25.00

OMEGA RACE Arcade Marquee. Midway

Auction ends in: 3 weeks, 2 days

FixedPrice
$30.00

Omega Race by Midway Video Arcade Game Control Panel -ORIGINAL! NICE!

Auction ends in: 1 week, 5 days

FixedPrice
$125.00

OMEGA RACE control panel

Auction ends in: 2 weeks, 2 days

FixedPrice
$89.00

1981 Midway OMEGA RACE PCB SET NOT TESTED MARKED GOOD W 3 pieces of ARTWORK

Auction ends in: 2 days, 11 hours

FixedPrice
$700.00

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