Funky Fish

Funky Fish

Powered by EmulatorJS · Arcade

Console
Arcade
Release
1981
Players
2P alt

About Funky Fish

Arcade Video game published 45 years ago:

Funky Fish (c) 1981 Sun Electronics.

Our 'fishy' protagonist must attack groups of small fish that are defending a monster. Shoot bubbles at the fish until they change to fruit. If you don't eat the fruit it will fall to the seabed and awaken a sleeping seashell that releases a sea horse to attack you.

- TECHNICAL -

Main CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 2.5 Mhz) Sound CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 2.5 Mhz) Sound Chips: General Instrument AY8910 (@ 1.25 Mhz)

Screen orientation: Vertical Video resolution: 240 x 256 pixels Screen refresh: 60.00 Hz Palette colors: 24

Players: 2 Control: 8-way joystick Buttons: 1

- TRIVIA -

Released in November 1981.

- PORTS -

* CONSOLES: Emerson Arcadia (1982) Atari 2600 (1983)

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 Funky Fish. 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.

19812P altArcadeShooterSun Electronics

Funky Fish — play guide

What Funky Fish wants from you

Funky Fish (Sun Electronics) is an early underwater horizontal shooter: clear stages before continues empty. Lane honesty beats spray. Learn Sun Electronics pack windows cold—do not paste Scramble charts blindly. Calm first stages until shot timing is narratable; funky chrome is packaging, not free invulnerability frames.

First minutes in Funky Fish

First stages: hold a lane, take clean shot windows, ignore scenic bait that invites panic spray. Power-cycle once so Funky Fish chrome stops looking like Scramble. Early stages teach Funky Fish grammar: planned lanes before spray routes that die mid-stage when denser fish packs arrive on later boards.

Core systems in Funky Fish

Horizontal swim, shot as wired, underwater packs, lives/continues, and Funky Fish UI define the systems. Skill is lane literacy under pressure—not camping one depth through every curtain. After continues, reconfirm stage state before racing again. Keep a one-sentence lane-hold rule ready before the second stage starts.

Score, continues, and resources in Funky Fish

Stage clears and survival score the run; hits tax continues. Continues are coins. Fewer panic sprays and fewer ignored lane tells keep credits alive. Farming early stages forever without reading denser packs still leaves Funky Fish unread. Progress is chrome that no longer forces death loops mid-stage on later boards.

Mistakes that burn credits in Funky Fish

Camping one depth forever, spraying every fish, ignoring pack tells, tunneling on sparkle while a hit finishes you, and freezing until the screen fills burn credits. Power-cycling mid-tilt without a plan burns another credit. Next credit: lane hold, shoot on plan—stop mash tourism for scenery and pack panic on later boards.

Next steps after Funky Fish

When Funky Fish stages clear without constant death loops, compare other early underwater shooters deliberately, then return with lane drills. Keep playing until panic-spray empties stop ending sessions mid-stage on later boards. Cousin horizontal shooters help as contrast after Funky Fish feels automatic—not as escape from stages you still camp for chrome. Clear one full stage carefully before you chase vanity sprays again.

Sources cited below under Further reading.

Cabinet dossier

Funky Fish is filed in our catalog as a 1981 release.

Player layout on this cabinet: 2P alt.

Genre tags on Classic Arcade Games: Shooter.

Credit line lists Sun Electronics as developer.

Next cabinets

Nearby cabinets you may also open from this hall (each on its own play page):Markham, Speak & Rescue, Arabian, Kangaroo, Ikki (Japan), Strength & Skill, A. D. 2083, Altair, Ambush, Asteroids Deluxe (rev 3), Asteroids (rev 4), Astro Blaster (version 3)

Explore more on this site

Same genre

Markham · Speak & Rescue · A. D. 2083 · Altair · Ambush · Asteroids Deluxe (rev 3) · Asteroids (rev 4) · Astro Blaster (version 3) · Astro Fighter (set 1) · Battle of Atlantis (set 1) · Attack UFO · Aztarac

Same studio

Markham · Speak & Rescue · Arabian · Kangaroo · Ikki (Japan) · Strength & Skill

How to play Funky Fish 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 — Sun Electronics

Sun Electronics 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.

Markham · Speak & Rescue · Arabian · Kangaroo · Ikki (Japan) · Strength & Skill

Retro games by Sun Electronics

Can I play Funky Fish free in a browser?

Yes. Classic Arcade Games hosts Funky Fish 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 Funky Fish 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.

What genre is Funky Fish on Classic Arcade Games?

Our catalog tags Funky Fish under Shooter. Open those genre rooms from the tags on this page to find more playable cabinets in the same feel.

Further reading

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