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Sundance
Sundance is an action arcade game released by Cinematronics in 1979. Players control a paddle-style cursor at the bottom of the screen to deflect a bouncing ball upward into a field of colored squares arranged in rows. The goal is to clear these squares while avoiding letting the ball fall past the paddle. The game supports two players who take turns competing for high scores. The screen features a vector-based display, typical of Cinematronics hardware at the time. As squares are cleared, gameplay accelerates, increasing the challenge. Controls consist of a rotary knob or similar input to move the paddle horizontally. The game shares conceptual DNA with breakout-style titles but uses Cinematronics' distinctive vector graphics technology to present its visuals.
- Developer
- Cinematronics
- Released
- 1979
- Platform
- Arcade
- Genre
- Action
- Players
- 2P
- Rating
- 4.3 / 5 (4.1K)
- Last updated
Sundance Controls — Arcade Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Sundance on our in-browser Arcade emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | Joystick Up | Move up |
| ↓ | Joystick Down | Move down |
| ← | Joystick Left | Move left |
| → | Joystick Right | Move right |
| X | Button 1 | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | Button 2 | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| S | Button 3 | Tertiary action |
| A | Button 4 | Quaternary action |
| Q | Button 5 | Fifth button |
| W | Button 6 | Sixth button |
| 5 | Insert Coin | Insert coin |
| 1 | 1P Start | Start / Pause |
Coin and Start are convention "Insert Coin: 5" and "1P Start: 1". Some arcade boards expect specific button mappings — check the in-game prompts on coin-up.
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Sundance Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Sundance on Arcade before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Sundance" Arcade longplay 1979
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Sundance released?
Sundance was released in 1979 for the Arcade.
Who developed Sundance?
Sundance was developed by Cinematronics, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
How many players does Sundance support?
Sundance supports up to 2 players, ideal for couch co-op or competitive sessions on the Arcade.
What type of game is Sundance?
Sundance is a Action game for the Arcade, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Sundance for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Sundance runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Sundance in the browser?
No. Sundance streams from a public archive into a browser-side Arcade emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Sundance?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original Arcade cartridge supported.
Does Sundance work on mobile devices?
Yes — the Arcade emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Sundance this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Sundance. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
