TRON Developer Midway Publisher Midway, Disney Interactive Studios Game System Arcade, Xbox Live Arcade Release Date 1982 Genre Multi-game Number of Players 1 or 2





This article is about the 1982 arcade video game called TRON. To read about the movie of the same name, go to TRON.

TRON is a coin-operated arcade video game manufactured and distributed by Bally Midway in 1982. It is based on the movie, TRON which was released in the same year. The game is made up of four segments, each of which are based on scenes from the movie. The game earned more than the film's initial release.

In 1983, Midway released the sequel arcade game Discs of TRON, which was inspired by the Disc Arena sequence of the film. Both games have been released on Xbox Live Arcade.

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Description Edit

Arcade cabinet Edit

The TRON arcade game came in three different cabinets: a standard upright cabinet, a mini upright cabinet, and a cocktail (table) version. The standard cabinet, through the use of painted, fluorescent lines and two blacklights, attempted to recreate the "glowing circuitry" effect from the movie. The upright cabinet actually appears in the beginning of TRON: Legacy as a Light Cycles arcade game.

Gameplay Edit

Gameplay consists of "4 digital arenas" (4 gameplay sequences) that, when all of which are completed, the player plays again with harder difficulty i.e. more enemies. An extra life is awarding for reaching 10,000 points.

Battle Tanks Edit

The player fights against other tanks in a maze-like arena while avoiding their fire. In later levels enemy tanks are sometimes replaced with recognizers.

Light Cycles Edit

Grid Bug Swarm Edit

The player operates a light cycle and tries to outmaneuver the others.

As Tron, the player attempts to enter the I/O Tower, the game's instructions being "enter the flashing circle before time runs out." A swarm of Grid Bugs surrounds the circle, which the player may fire discs at to destroy. Over time the grid bugs multiply. Points are awarded for each grid bug destroyed and for the amount of time remaining. On higher levels, the Solar Sailer places Bit somewhere randomly on the screen. Points are awarded for picking Bit up. The reason for the use of grid bugs, which made only a very brief appearance in the film, was that the programmers of the game had to work with an earlier version of the script, in which grid bugs had a much larger and more important role.

MCP Showdown Edit

As Tron, the player attempts to enter the MCP Core as the screen pushes the player closer to it. The player accomplishes this by destroying the spinning MCP shield by firing disks at it. 1000 points are awarded for entering the core, and an additional 1000 points are awarded for destroying the entire shield first (although this is not necessary to enter the core).

Ports Edit

TRON 2.0: Killer App Edit

Classic TRON Edit

Along with Discs of TRON , TRON was ported as a Bonus Game in TRON 2.0: Killer App (Game Boy Advance)

The games section of the Disney website holds a version of TRON, referring to it as "Classic TRON". Unlike other versions, the map/stage selection screen places the different stages in the same place on every level; this is probably to make the game easier. As well, credits are unlimited, and stage behavior has been altered slightly. The MCP Showdown is notably shorter. Enemy tanks are faster, but less prone to firing, leading to a new preference of running the player over rather than blowing him/her up. It appears as well that enemy light cycles are either slower or more cautious.

Every other level or so, one or more of the stages changes to a dark color. When a stage in this condition is entered, it features an updated graphical interface in the style of TRON: Legacy.

Notes Edit

The original arcade game machine appears in TRON: Legacy in the abandoned Flynn's Arcade, though with its marquee modified to feature the ENCOM logo instead of the Bally/Midway logo, placing it into TRON Universe canon.





