''Fantasy'' is an

action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform ...

developed by

SNK is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. It is the successor to the company Shin Nihon Kikaku and presently owns the SNK video game brand and the Neo Geo video game platform. SNK's predecessor Shin Nihon Kikaku was founded in 1978 ...

and released for arcades in October 1981. It was licensed to

Rock-Ola The Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation is an American developer and manufacturer of juke boxes and related machinery. It was founded in 1927 by Coin-Op pioneer David Cullen Rockola to manufacture slot machines, scales, and pinball machines. The f ...

for North American release in February 1982. The game is controlled with a single

joystick A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. A joystick, also known as the control column, is the principal cont ...

. One level plays the melody from the song "

Funkytown "Funkytown" is a song by the American disco/ funk band Lipps Inc., released in 1980 as the second single from their 1979 debut album, '' Mouth to Mouth''. It was successful globally, reaching top spots in places such as the United States, We ...

". According to the book ''Gamers: Writers, Artists & Programmers on the Pleasures of Pixels'', this is the first

arcade video game An arcade video game takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. Most arcade video games are coin-operated, housed in an ar ...

to have a

continue Continue may refer to: * Continue (video gaming), an option to continue a video game after all the player's lives have been lost *Continue (keyword), a programming language keyword * ''Continue'' (film), a 2022 American drama film Music *''Continu ...

feature.Compton, Shanna. ''Gamers: Writers, Artists & Programmers on the Pleasures of Pixels'' p. 117-118 The game runs on the SNK 6502

arcade system board An arcade video game takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. Most arcade video games are coin-operated, housed in an arc ...

, also known as the SNK Rockola hardware. Other games that run on the same hardware are ''Sasuke vs. Commander'' (1980), '' Zarzon'' (1981) and ''

Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives f ...

'' (1981).

References

1981 video games Action video games Arcade video games Arcade-only video games SNK games Video games developed in Japan {{arcade-stub