Sega City

City
Katakana	シティ
Rōmaji	SHITI
AKA	City 18
Type	Sitdown (can be converted to "Upright" with optional spacer module, then conforming to older Mini Upright format which is still a Sitdown)
Released	1986
Dimensions	720 x 580 x 1000 mm
Wiring	JAMMA
Monitor	18 in 15 kHz (Chassis: Sanwa PM1723C Tube: Toshiba 470MSB22(W)0E)
Rotatable	Yes
Power Supply	Sega #400-5068

History & Basic Specs

Sega released the 18" City aka City 18 cabinet early 1986 in Japan (see details later in article). It was the first of the City series, historically. The cabinet is finished in "silver" tone to emphasize the all steel sheet construction. It features a rotatable 15kHz compatible monitor, a mono speaker under the control panel enclosure and is compatible with the smaller Sega T-13 cocktail control panel format (which would then leave unused mounting holes visible unless masked with bolts; remaining empty recessed panel mount area also visible. See Gallery).

The 1 meter high small sitdown could be eventually converted supposedly to Upright format (mini upright concept from preceding wooden type dagashiya type of cabinets, which truly remains sitdown unless hunching excessively, but upright for children) by separating the footrest from the main cabinet base and inserting in between a black colored spacer to raise the cabinet to an undetermined height (editor's note: module estimated to add altogether circa ~31cm). Sega did not specify in the maintenance manual nor the detailed flyer how much the oddly shaped seemingly three-staged black spacer (incremental maybe?) adds in terms of height.

Sega envisioned the City cabinet to be disposed in several array types in arcade venues (see detailed flyer in Gallery) :

- in a row of side-by-side cabs with special profiled lateral spacer(s) in between along with additional fixtures, which prolong laterally not only the mainframes sides but also the control panels from one end to the other

- in a duo of a back to back joined cabinet pair (this simple linking style not shown in manual, only in detailed flyer)

- in a "cabinet island", as coined by Sega, of a back-to-back as well as side-by-side cluster of cabinets, using aforementioned lateral spacer type but also 2x quite voluminous illuminated decorative end caps affixed on both side ends of said cluster, along with necessary lighting additional parts and a billboard, see in manual.

The "island" cabinet cluster decorative end caps and "Upright module" spacer(s) are today exceedingly rare on the second hand market. Lateral linking spacers do have a plywood base.

Sega claims in the book "SEGA Arcade History 1973 to 2001" (special issue of Famitsu by Enterbrain, Inc., 2002) that Sega City cabinet was officially simultaneously released with the game Dump Matsumoto (ダンプ松本 aka Body Slam released in Japan in May 1986, see article below). On the other hand, Gamest #1 issue published May 1986, reported on the AOU 1986 event in detail : an article page 16 presents the game Fantasy Zone which premiered at said show during March 5th and 6th of 1986, demoed on the Sega City, cabinet model which is not named or addressed in the article oddly, yet plainly visible on the photo (see also in Gallery below). This cabinet version featured an oversized protruding coin slot cover and an unusual graphic displayed in the glass plate bottom right corner, discontinued since then, possibly the cabinet model's name.

Sega also admits plainly in the Arcade History article that competing companies Jaleco and Namco released "quasi simultaneously" similar metal sitdown cabinets without naming said models nor the exact chronology ( 当時、ナムコやジャ レコといったメーカーも ほぼ同時にシティタイプ 筐体を登場させている。 ). This contrasts with certain dubious sources which claim Sega "invented" the first sitdown cabinet type while others tone it down and claim Sega only introduced the first all-metal candy sitdown:

• These aforementioned assertions by fans of the brand are seemingly over enthusiastic as Jaleco released at AM Show #23 in October 1985 the all steel sheet constructed Pony Mark II sitdown and full adverts for said cabinet ran started in November 85 in japanese magazine Game Machine Magazine (same issue the AM Show 23 report was published). No ads featured the Sega City though, only new Sega releases on the T-13 cocktail, still. Pony Mark II already featured an "Upright" conversion module in said ads as well. Sega was more or less right after all concerning the quasi-simultaneous release claim...

• Sega City is not the first sitdown that broke with the all-cocktail era dominance. True sitdowns cabs were plethora since the very existence of the first video games, first dedicated cabinets then mostly generic wooden types, the first successful non-dedicated/generic & small pure sitdown cabinet being the Tehkan/Tecmo Lava (1982) which was heavily copied by competing brands. Taito released starting in 1983 the MA and MB cabs, small but true sitdown types, certainly of plywood though. Nintendo released the steel sheet based VS. System Sit-Down aka "red tent" cabinet in 1983 and Kyoritsu Kogyo released circa 1985 another versus style "tent" style cabinet which can be found also rebranded by Namco. These featured a cocktail base but the monitor was angled exactly like in a regular sitdown. There were also a handful of hybrid cocktail-sitdown types (Jaleco Change-Up (adjustable angle), Cosmo Up table...) with monitors clearly slanted to a comfortable viewing angle, not some fiddly pseudo sitdown like the Casio MiniMini which is just a miniature cocktail with a monitor mounting angle too small to be considered sitdown.(All models mentioned feature in Arcade Otaku's wiki for reference). Versus style cabinets like the Nintendo model mentioned above, of sheet-metal construction, themselves already didn't set the norm which will be set by Jaleco Pony Mk II and shortly after, literally mere months at the next main amusement show/event in Japan by the Sega City.

• Fact: the Sega City did inspire numerous brands into producing clones, such as SNK's iconic Candy 18 cabinet which is basically a slightly upgraded Sega City : stereo speakers, available "upright" conversion spacer... Namco released in 1986 the very successful Consolette 18, attempting to break with the original design by adding the infamous chromed tube arms maintaining the control panel enclosure mid-air. As of today, the SNK Candy 18 was the first cabinet model to use the term "Candy" (キャンディ = KYANDI) despite its design mimicking the Sega City.

Existing panel conversion kits

Notable official cabinet panel conversion kits for this cabinet are those for the following games (see Gallery):

- Action Fighter (combat-racing)

- Afterburner I & sequel II (flight)

- Time Scanner (pinball)

Pre-Paid Game Card System Exclusive Version

A special version of the cabinet was released with a prepaid magnetic card reader (SEGA "Game Card") which SEGA themselves state was similar to TAITO's own We'll Talk card system. The exclusive control panel enclosure has the speaker and its grille ported to the left, facing Player 1 while the Game Card slot faces Player 2. This version of the cabinet is also rare today.

Trivia

The overseas/export arcade version of pinball game Time Scanner by Sega, was produced by Atari under license with a typical american/european style wooden cabinet featuring an overall design mimicking many traits of the original Sega City, such as the protruding decorative bezel as well as the pinball "controller". The mimickry went as far as having the Atari logo displayed on the control panel enclosure's bent sheet steel front in a similar fashion as the CITY logo (see in Gallery).

Gallery

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  SEGA Arcade History profile for CITY cabinet
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  Gamest #1 page 16 (may 1986): AOU86 March 5-6 release of Fantasy Zone premiering on City cabinet, unmentioned in article
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  compatible with Sega T-13 panel. Notice empty mounting recessed space and bolts masking unused mounting holes.
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  japanese flyer
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  City sitdown converted to upright
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  City 18 cab & custom panel for SEGA Action Fighter(1986)
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  City 18 & Afterburner conversion kit
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  converted Sega City cab for After Burner II
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  SEGA After Burner II (converted City 18 cabinet) showing front, back, side, panel & illuminated plexi topper
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  Time Scanner pinball panel kit on City 18
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  SEGA Time Scanner ad (pinball panel closeup)
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  SEGA Time Scanner pinball panel on City & T-13
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  Sega city cabs with game card system & linked laterally using dedicated spacers
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  SEGA City special control panel with Game Card reader
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  SEGA Game Card reader on CITY 18 with custom control panel enclosure. Mono speaker ported to left side, facing Player 1 now, paycard slot is facing Player 2.
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  SEGA Game Card system on CITY & T-13 cabs.
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  plexi header
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  Sega Time Scanner T-13 cocktail & City 18 converted cabs
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  overseas dedicated licensed cabinet (Atari) for Sega Time Scanner pinball game, originally on City cabinet in Japan. Design traits borrowed purposely from japanese cabinet.

Paperwork

• SEGA City 18 manual (Japanese).pdf