While many coin-op machines graced the bar scene in the early eighties, only Tapper resembled the actual bar in which it dwelled in 1983. This hulking box of electronic joy not only played a great game but dressed for the occasion! Decked out
with an ashtray, a place to hold your beer and a brass foot rail to rest your tired feet, it was the perfect game to play after a long day. Even a true-to-life pour spout, complete with the Budweiser logo, emblazoned the handles!
In fact, it is so similar to the seedy bar scene that in an early build of the game, the animated bar patrons even let out a loud belch after gulping their brew. This proved to be too rude, too annoying and just too much, so the Texas Instruments sound chip was ultimately discarded and Tapper never burped again.
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Michael Thomasson is one of the most widely respected videogame historians in the field today. He currently teaches college level videogame history, design, and graphics courses. For television, Michael conducted research for MTV's videogame related program Video MODS. In print, he authored Downright Bizarre Games, and has contributed to nearly a dozen gaming texts. Michael’s historical columns have been distributed in newspapers and magazines worldwide. He has written business plans for several vendors and managed a dozen game-related retail stores spanning three decades. Michael consults for multiple video game and computer museums and has worked on nearly a hundred game titles on Atari, Coleco, Sega and other console platforms. In 2014, The Guinness Book of World Records declared that Thomasson had “The Largest Videogame Collection” in the world. His businesses sponsor gaming tradeshows and expos across the US and Canada. Visit www.GoodDealGames.com.
