Here's a demonstration of the Kasco Star V arcade game's internal mechanism during gameplay. Many thanks to my friend, Joe (in the cockpit in the video), for helping me set up this game in my gameroom. The player pilots the fighter jet, navigating over the terrain of an alien planet's surface. The object is to gauge the proper height (neither too low nor too high) in order to fire upon and successfully destroy enemy targets. Scoring increases with each successful target stike. The left side of the screen, above the control panel, displays an altimeter. When the jet reaches the red zone, indicated on the altimeter, the screen displays "ATTACK," allowing the player to fire upon the surface. However, hovering too close to the surface, causes the screen to post "WARNING" and flash bright lights encircling the jet, exposing the fighter jet to incoming fire from the aliens on the planet's surface. If the aliens strike the jet, points are actually deducted from the player's score and the jet explodes into a red fireball. Similarly, the jet explodes if the player flies too close to the surface. The game is equipped with two separate magnifying devices which make the jet appear smaller as it descends to the surface and which make the planet's surface appear realistic. Thus, the jet fighter not only sequentially shrinks in size when it descends toward the planet's surface, the jet also rotates so that one wing is elevated, mimicking real-life arial flight patterns. The player rotates the planet by use of dual foot pedals and fires rockets upon the surface by depressing a button on the joystick. The joystick also controls altitude. The planet is about 1 1/2 times the size of a basketball. This game was manufactured in limited numbers in the late seventies/early eighties. Obviously, this is the environmental version, which is surprisingly compact and comfortable (cushioned vinyl seat). An upright version was also manufactured. Both versions are scarcely seen today (2017). Kasco of Japan designed some of the most extraordinary arcade games in the electromechanical era. I find the design to be utterly ingenious and the gameplay to be addictive.

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