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Discs of Tron (Upright, 10/4/83)
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- Console
- Arcade
- Release
- 1983
- Players
- 2P alt
- Developer
- Bally Midway
About Discs of Tron (Upright, 10/4/83)
Arcade Video game published 43 years ago:
Discs of Tron (c) 1983 Bally Midway.
As Tron, you fling discs at Sark in an attempt to knock him off his platform. Knocking off Sark will advance you to the next level. Other levels vary the level and number of platforms to jump between.
- TECHNICAL -
[Upright model] [No. 696]
The Upright model looses a lot of the bells and whistles of the Environmental model, including speech (see 'Updates' section for more information).
Bally Midway MCR 3 hardware
Main CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 5 Mhz) Sound CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 2 Mhz), M6802 (@ 895 Khz) Sound Chips: (2x) General Instrument AY8910 (@ 2 Mhz), Texas Instruments TMS5220 (@ 640 Khz)
Screen orientation: Horizontal Video resolution: 512 x 480 pixels Screen refresh: 30.00 Hz Palette colors: 64
Players: 2 Control: 8-way joystick with a trigger, spinner knob, button
- TRIVIA -
Discs of Tron was released in March 1983.
Also released as "Discs of Tron [Environmental model]".
Discs of Tron was originally designed to be a part of the original "Tron" coin-op, but was cut out at the end and set aside for refinement and release as a stand-alone coin-op in its own right.
Discs of Tron is inspired by the short sequence in the movie (Tron, 1982 Disney) where the character Flynn beats another trapped program and eventually 'derezzes' him, and when Tron is introduced, beating four 'computer players' very early in the movie.
David Bagenski holds the official record for this game with 418,200 points on June 28, 1986.
A Discs of Tron 'prototype' machine was shown at the 2003 classic arcade games show 'California Extreme' in San Jose, California.
- UPDATES -
Upright version 1: * First release.
Player layout in our catalog: 2P alt.
If you are exploring by feel rather than by title, jump from the tags above into the matching genre rooms, or return to the Arcade hall for the full wall.
Open Play on this page to start Discs of Tron (Upright, 10/4/83). Keyboard, USB/Bluetooth pads, and the on-screen touch gamepad all work inside the emulator bar. Save states and fullscreen live on that same bar so you can pause mid-session and resume later.
Discs of Tron (Upright, 10/4/83) — play guide
What Discs of Tron wants from you
Discs of Tron is arena disc: aim honesty, disc peeks, and platform timing decide rounds more than mash tourism. Your job is reading opponent paths before you throw—throwing every disc as if misses forgave empties rounds fast. Continues buy disc literacy, not free wins. Discs of Tron rewards planned throws and calm platform peeks over vanity mash mid-whiff. Win rounds with composure left; the chrome sells Midway Tron fantasy, but the exam is disc windows you learn cold.
First minutes in Discs of Tron
On the first round, practice a safe throw-and-recover before inventing full-court disc tourism. Watch platform parity; standing empty while the opponent holds discs is a free hit waiting to happen. Early rounds are timing labs under Tron dressing. One held round with composure left beats three empty-hand deaths that looked aggressive until a returning disc you ignored arrived.
Core systems in Discs of Tron
Disc throws, catches/parity, platform movement, and opponent AI define Discs of Tron. Continues fund denser matchups as later rounds tighten. Discs in flight are commitments—waste them without a recovery plan and you meet the opponent soft. Fail states punish frozen vanity after you skipped every parity check. Survival disc discipline gates every grid fantasy the cabinet sells. Spray-throw religions are still empty hands with extra neon sparkle under Midway density.
Score, continues, and resources in Discs of Tron
Rounds won with composure left beat throw tourism that empties parity before the decisive exchange. Continues while recover timing becomes boring; cut them once empty-hand deaths stop. Score waits until throw-and-catch routes feel boring under pressure. Extends follow score when present—clean round wins beat farming round one forever for vanity flings that still die to a return disc.
Mistakes that burn credits in Discs of Tron
Throwing without recovery, ignoring returning discs, platform tourism into open hits, and freezing empty-handed are classic Discs of Tron mistakes. Throw with a plan, catch when honest, reset parity, then invent. Grid art will not refill a disc you flung away. Treating every contact as a free fling is how Midway collects the next credit on this board.
Next steps after Discs of Tron
Tron (the tank/light-cycle cabinet) is Midway’s related grid literacy if Discs of Tron still feels opaque—re-learn zone peeks there first under clearer multi-game rules. Windjammers is Data East disc sports when you want clearer angle gospel. Robotron keeps Williams arena motion warm once Discs throw honesty finally sticks and you want twin-stick stress instead of parity throws. Keep playing until panic-throw empties stop ending sessions mid-match on later boards. Clear one full careful match before you chase vanity throws again on denser Midway cabinets.
Sources cited below under Further reading.
Cabinet dossier
Discs of Tron (Upright, 10/4/83) is filed in our catalog as a 1983 release.
Player layout on this cabinet: 2P alt.
Genre tags on Classic Arcade Games: Sports.
Credit line lists Bally Midway as developer.
Next cabinets
Nearby cabinets you may also open from this hall (each on its own play page):Tron (8/9), Jump Shot, NFL Football (handheld), Shoot the Bull, Crater Raider, Demolition Derby, Journey, Jr. Pac-Man (11/9/83), Kozmik Kroozr, Sarge, Satan's Hollow (set 1), Solar Fox (upright)
Explore more on this site
Same series
Same genre
Jump Shot · NFL Football (handheld) · Shoot the Bull · 10-Yard Fight (World, set 1) · Video Eight Ball · Eight Ball Action (DK conversion) · Alpine Ski (set 1) · Appoooh · Arm Wrestling · Birdie King · Birdie King 2 · Birdie King 3
Same studio
Tron (8/9) · Jump Shot · NFL Football (handheld) · Shoot the Bull · Crater Raider · Demolition Derby · Journey · Jr. Pac-Man (11/9/83) · Kozmik Kroozr · Sarge · Satan's Hollow (set 1) · Solar Fox (upright)
How to play Discs of Tron (Upright, 10/4/83) online
- Arcade stick feel: Arrow keys for the joystick, X/Z (and nearby keys) for buttons, Enter=Start.
- USB / Bluetooth pads map cleanly; six-button fighters use the face-button cluster.
- On phones, open the on-screen pad from the emulator bar; rotate sits next to fullscreen.
- Save states, load, volume, and fullscreen stay on the emulator bar between credits.
Studio notes — Bally Midway
Bally Midway appears on this cabinet’s credit line. Browse more titles from the same studio on the developer shelf, or stay on this page and try the next cabinets in the same hall.
Tron (8/9) · Jump Shot · NFL Football (handheld) · Shoot the Bull · Crater Raider · Demolition Derby · Journey · Jr. Pac-Man (11/9/83)
Questions about Discs of Tron (Upright, 10/4/83)
Can I play Discs of Tron (Upright, 10/4/83) free in a browser?
Yes. Classic Arcade Games hosts Discs of Tron (Upright, 10/4/83) as a Arcade cabinet you can start on this page. The emulator loads in the browser; you do not need to install a separate app.
What controls does Discs of Tron (Upright, 10/4/83) support?
Arcade stick feel: Arrow keys for the joystick, X/Z (and nearby keys) for buttons, Enter=Start. USB / Bluetooth pads map cleanly; six-button fighters use the face-button cluster.
Are there other games in the same series as Discs of Tron (Upright, 10/4/83)?
Yes — related series cabinets on this site include Tron (8/9). Each has its own play page with the same browser emulator path.
Further reading
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