Andrew Fisher (697) on 5/24/2023 11:48 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

David Rolfe's Checkers played "Ride of the Valkyries" when the game ends, win or lose. This was just after Apocalypse Now after all, but it's not a bad little piece of music production on the General Instrument AY-3-8914 sound chip (three-channels, one noise generator), a bit longer than to be called a jingle and of course three voices, a three part harmonic programming of the Wagner theme. I think even at arcades in 1980 most game music was one channel. I've read that Gyruss in '83 had FIVE GI AY-3-8914s, making fifteen channels? He's a link to Checkers "Ride of the Valkyries". https://youtu.be/tG-rv60wKIs?t=162

Can't quite determine from archived magazines and newsletters what month Checkers was released, only it was being advertised at least as early as mid.-late '80. Copyright is '79 so actual released could have been earlier in 1980.