With more than 3,500 soda machines in the archive, it’s hard to know where to start. So I’ve selected a few entries that stand out for their history, obscurity, the research that went into documenting them, or just sheer commitment to the bit. Enjoy!
Batman: Arkham Knight
This is where it all started! Back in August 2016, I tweeted a screenshot of a Sprinkle Fizz vending machine from Batman: Arkham Knight and suggested someone should launch a site documenting soda machines in video games. That someone became me, and the same Arkham Knight screenshot ended up being the first entry at the Video Game Soda Machine Project on September 15, 2016.
Catch-a-Coke
Catch-a-Coke is historically significant as the earliest known graphical depiction of a soda machine in a video game. It also has the distinction of being the only game in the collection installed in real-world Coke vending machines. The entry includes images from Coca-Cola’s 1982 annual report, scanned news articles from contemporaneous gaming publications, and photos of the later Bandai handheld version.
Crystal Cave
Catch-a-Coke may be the earliest graphical depiction of a soda machine in a video game, but what about the earliest soda machine of any kind? The answer is more complicated than you might expect. This entry takes a look back at Crystal Cave, a text adventure released sometime between 1977 and 1980. The exact date is uncertain, but regardless, it features one of the oldest (if not the oldest) soda machines in the collection. I also spent three hours figuring out how to compile the game myself just to get it running on Windows 11 and capture the screenshot.
Gore: Ultimate Soldier
This entry goes “behind the soda machine” to document my research process here at the Video Game Soda Machine Project. In this case, that meant spotting a clue in an old magazine, searching through gameplay videos to confirm its existence, tracking down a demo, getting it running on a modern system, and finally capturing a screenshot of the soda machine myself.
The Matrix Online
The Matrix Online shut down its servers in 2009, but fan preservation efforts made it possible to jack in and explore its virtual world again. Using The Matrix Online Server Emulator, I wandered through the long-defunct MMO until I finally tracked down a soda machine in the corner of a random pawn shop. It’s a good example of how video game preservation can recover even the most inconsequential details from worlds that might otherwise be lost.
The Secret of Monkey Island
The Secret of Monkey Island is one of my all-time favorite games, and thanks to source-code preservation efforts by the Video Game History Foundation, this entry offers a peek at the original design of the game’s Grog vending machine. The earlier version features a distinctive “wave” design that LucasArts’ lawyers worried was too reminiscent of Coca-Cola’s logo and could invite a lawsuit.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
This entry highlights how important community contributions have been to the Video Game Soda Machine Project. With help from several Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans, the entry documents the game’s many drink machines, including different colors and customizable labels. Together, those variations create a staggering number of possible combinations and make this entry one of the most thorough soda machine deep dives in the archive.
Second Life
I assembled a sprawling showcase of screenshots from Second Life to mark the site’s 900th-machine milestone. The entry includes tons of user-created content, brand parodies, reused game assets, virtual advertising, and a frankly unreasonable number of Second Life soda machines. And somehow, it only scratches the surface.
Transformers: Capture the Cube
I love documenting soda machines in weird licensed games, and this entry highlights an obscure official Flash game released to promote the 2007 Transformers film. It stars Dispensor, a Decepticon who can transform into a Mountain Dew machine and dispense drinks. The entry includes screenshots, transformation footage, and several PepsiCo-branded machines.
The Barbie Diaries: High School Mystery
Speaking of obscure licensed games, this entry features The Barbie Diaries: High School Mystery, a mostly forgotten PC game from 2006. While digging through the game’s CD-ROM, I discovered an entire folder of vending machine sound effects, resulting in the site’s first multimedia Soda Machine Soundscape. The Game Boy Advance port makes an appearance, too!
NBA Street V3
This entry remains a personal favorite thanks to its sheer absurdity. In the GameCube version of NBA Street V3, you can play as the Nintendo All-Stars, a basketball team made up of Mario, Luigi, and Peach. The game’s slam dunk contest mode lets you place props around the court to set up elaborate stunts. The result is the ridiculous sight of Luigi soaring over a soda machine on his way to the basket. The entry includes video of this momentous feat.
Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Don’t Dry
While the Video Game Soda Machine Project focuses on preserving a very specific slice of video game history, it has occasionally influenced games as well. This entry documents how the designers of Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Don’t Dry went out of their way to tease me with a “very impressive soda machine” located conveniently off-screen. Two years later, the developers took the joke a step further in Wet Dreams Dry Twice, prominently featuring a vending machine with “VGSM” printed on the side.
In addition to those highlights, the VGSM Project’s archive is packed with virtual soda machines from franchises like Fallout, Call of Duty, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, Pokémon, Persona, Yakuza, The Sims, Tony Hawk, Grand Theft Auto, Overwatch, and plenty more.