Obsessively Cataloging Video Game "Pop" Culture
Tokyo is overrun by evil umbrella-toting spirits in Ghostwire: Tokyo. It’s time to grab a cold drink from one of these vending machines and start bustin’ a few ghosts.
Just for fun, here’s a floating soda machine doing creepy glitchy stuff…
The protagonist from Adios — a pig farmer with mob ties — repairs and restores soda machines in his spare time. Truly a noble hobby! In this scene, we can see a vintage Root Bear vending machine alongside a more modern version.
Thanks for sending these my way, doc!
This is a historic moment for The Video Game Soda Machine Project, folks. Across 37 years and 50+ games, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have battled through sewers, streets, and even the space-time continuum without encountering a single soda machine.
Until now.
Feast your eyes on the Pond Cola machine from TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge! Here’s a video clip showing the destructible subway soda slinger in action…
And Alexander wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.
Thanks for the heads-up on this one, Brian!
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp added these soda machines as part of its July 2022 Summertime Festival 3. I can only assume that Tom Nook has cornered the market and owns both the island’s Coke knockoff and its ersatz Pepsi.
Let’s take a closer look…
Thanks for the heads-up, Kevin!
I don’t know what kind of sodas exist on the planet Aida, but whatever this vending machine from Tower of Fantasy is selling, it looks tropical and delicious!
Great find, Kevin. Thanks!
Pop the top on a refreshing bottle of Jim Roger Bread Soda from Honkai Star Rail! I mean, it’s no Handsomeman Executive Cola, but it’s still a great name.
Thanks for the screenshots, Kevin!
Neverness have I everness seen a nicer set of soda machines than this pair from NTE: Neverness to Everness, an open-world hack-and-slash RPG.
Thanks for submitting this one, Kevin!
Here’s a break-room soda machine from Dispatch, AdHock Studio’s superhero human resource simulator and one of my favorite games of 2025!
If you want to see more, you can watch my playthrough on YouTube.
This soda machine from Redfall features some excellent fake soda brands: Citrus Fun Da, Dr. Ray, Swell Swell, Sunny ‘n-all, Jitter Bug. But what are all the vampire supposed to drink?
Thanks for the submission, Klil!
I’m currently streaming Perfect Tides, a coming-of-age point-and-click adventure from Meredith Gran, on Twitch, and I stumbled across this bodega soda machine.