Uchû Senkan Yamato
(LaserDisc game)

“Uchû Senkan Yamato LD Game” is a LaserDisc animation game. LaserDisc Video Games are a genre of arcade games that use LaserDiscs for video display. They are commonly abbreviated as LD games. This was a game genre played in Japanese arcades during the mid-1980s, characterized by its ability to display extended live-action or animation footage, featuring detailed and beautiful visuals that were impossible to achieve with the graphics of video games of that era.

“Uchû Senkan Yamato LD game” (Space Battleship Yamato) was released by TAITO. It was their second LaserDisc game following the previous title “Ninja Hayate.” The footage and voice actors are primarily based on the series' final movie “Uchû Senkan Yamato Kanketsuhen” (Final Yamato), but some parts also include footage from “Saraba Uchû Senkan Yamato Ai no Senshi-tachi” (Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato), “Yamato yo Towa ni” (Be Forever Yamato), as well as newly drawn animation segments. The music reuses Hiroshi Miyagawa's compositions, with some portions handled by Hisayoshi Ogura.

The project began development in 1982, and there was initially a plan to adapt the first “Uchû Senkan Yamato” TV series with remade footage.

The gameplay combines command inputs with occasional shooting elements. Because it uses actual footage from the anime, the opening sequence was exciting even for those who weren't fans of Yamato.