Obsessively Cataloging Video Game "Pop" Culture
Pigeon Simulator lets you live out the fantasy of being a pigeon who’s also a secret agent battling paranormal threats. I don’t think this vending machine is haunted or anything, but I do wonder why you’d call it a Foodie machine when there are clearly two rows of canned drinks!
Simulator Week
The soda machine from PowerWash Simulator 2 is covered in dirt and grime. Luckily, I have just the right tool for that job…
If prefer something soapier, here’s a vending machine that dispenses “washing liquid.”
Simulator Week
This entry kicks off Simulator Week here at the Video Game Soda Machine Project. I’ll be posting new soda machines from a bunch of different simulation games all week long!
This Limu soda machine pops up in Alan Wake 2! Or does it? Honestly, it is hard to tell what is real in Alan Wake 2.
Now the only question is whether I am in the mood for No Brand Lemon Lime, Blue Cow, or… Pizza Pants?
Thanks for tracking these down for me, VonAether!
If you would like a clearer look at the Limu vending machine model, Sebastian Schultz, one of the artists on Alan Wake 2, posted his original art for the machine. [Source]
Finally, here is what I suspect is more likely a coffee machine than a soda machine. But I like the retro styling!
The fun is really percolating now. Thanks to Steve for the screenshot!
Welcome to Bone Town, Willy Morgan!
Wait, let me rephrase that.
Welcome to Bone Town, Willy Morgan! Help yourself to a cold drink from one of our fine vending machines!
There, much better.
Thanks for submitting this one, paul_33!
Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City is a corporatized dystopia that’s chock-full of vending machines, and where better to start than with Brendan, an AI who was uploaded into one of the city’s Spontaneous Craving Satisfaction Machines (SCSMs)? The game’s database describes Brendan as follows: “In the dehumanized reality of the city, where ruthlessness and strength earn prestige, Brendan remains the best bud anyone could ask for.” [Source]
Next up, we have a NiCola vending machine. Taste the love!
The vending machine below also serves up ice-cold cans of NiCola.
Next up, we have a denizen of Night City trying to decide what to purchase from a Cirrus Cola machine. I can only assume NiCola and Cirrus Cola have a whole Coke/Pepsi Cola War thing going on, only their war probably involves actual bullets.
And here’s a different Cirrus Cola model behind a cage. Vandalism seems to be a real problem in this late-stage techno-capitalist hellhole.
Meanwhile, if you prefer to customize your beverage experience, ChroManitcore promises “16 flavors you’ll love to mix.”
This next vending machine mostly offers snacks, but it also dispenses Spunky Monkey, a popular brand of non-alcoholic cocktails.
Finally, here’s a classic, all-purpose (don’t call it generic!) Night City vending machine, serving up a variety of drinks and snacks.
There’s nothing quite like the wobbly polygons of a PlayStation 1 soda machine! These beauties come from Chaos Break, a Resident Evil-esque survival horror game. Thanks to Ami for putting this one on my radar!
Looks like the Special Cola vending machines got a fresh coat of paint in The Last of Us Part II Remastered!
[Source]
My Sim has it all: a beautiful single-story home in Mt. Komorebi, access to the “motherlode” Simoleon cheat code, and a lineup of vending machines on her front lawn that dispense a variety of drinks and snacks!
Meanwhile, The Sims 4: Life & Death expansion pack adds the ability to create a ghost Sim, and one of the possible causes of death is “death by vending machine.”
Here’s a closer look…
What a way to go!
Oh, and in case anyone is counting, the Video Game Soda Machine Project has officially cataloged its 3,500th soda machine with this entry. As they say in The Sims, woohoo!
When Fortnite brought Springfield Island to the game as part of its 2025 Simpsons crossover, of course they had to include these Buzz Cola machines! Mmm… Buzz Cola.
