Drop Zone 4

Drop Zone 4 is a rare, historically significant arcade cabinet released in August 1975 by Meadows Games. It holds a unique legacy in the gaming industry as it is widely considered the first video game with a dedicated war theme and the first to introduce a single-button control mechanism.

A jet plane moves horizontally across the top of the screen. The player must time their drops perfectly to sink moving military ships below.

The game's designer, David Main, was a pacifist. Without the knowledge of Meadows Games, he coded a secret feature: if a player successfully managed to drop all 15 bombs into the water without hitting a single ship, the game rewarded them with a free play. When bombs hit the water, a distinctive splashing sound effect plays. This is recognized as one of the earliest examples of intentional pacifist design challenges in gaming history.