A forklift: the noblest of vehicles. Driving one says “I’m king of this warehouse.” Everyone wants the experience of getting behind the wheel of one of these powerful, majestic pieces of warehouse equipment.
One industry that has taken notice of Forklift Envy is the video game industry. Though many video game players are not yet old enough to operate their first pallet inverter, they can still get a virtual warehouse experience thanks to a slew of video games that have introduced the forklift as a drivable vehicle. Here, we take a look at five of our favorite forklift-friendly games.
1. Shenmue
The avant-garde 199 game Shenmue for Sega Dreamcast featured a diverse and often bizarre gameplay that gave large amounts of freedom to the player. This included a forklift race mini-game that allowed players to test their mettle against some of the best CPU forklift drivers in video game history.
2. Metal Slug 4
Look at that forklift go. There had already been three Metal Gear games released at this point, but Metal Gear 4 received positive reviews anyway. One reviewer wrote “The question anyone looking to buy this game should be asking themselves is: ‘Do I really want to spend $40 on yet another Metal Slug?’ For many, the answer may be a resounding yes.” We think we know why: the introduction of the forklift.
3. Halo: Reach
Halo is a multi-billion dollar video game franchise devoted to killing aliens, but even well-established titles need some forklift to boost sales. 2010’s Halo: Reach even encouraged warehouse equipment safety – the in-game forklift did not move fast enough to actually kill any enemies. Safety first!
4. Grand Theft Auto 5
Perhaps inspired by Halo: Reach, Graft Theft Auto got in on the Forklift Fun with the fifth installment in their ever-popular franchise. One of the main tenets of Grand Theft Auto games is carjacking, and we can imagine everyone wanted to steal this impressive forklift.
5. Dead Rising 3
We hope you’ll never have to deal with zombies in your line of work. But if you do, Dead Rising 3 has a vehicle that can help. This game featured the ability to create “combo vehicles” by combining two existing vehicles. One such option was the “Forkwork,” a forklift that could shoot fireworks.
Note: Premier Handling Solutions does not recommend racing forklifts, carjacking, going on destructive rampages or facing zombies while on the job. But if you want to get a Forklift Fix while off the clock, these video games may be for you.
If something a little more realistic is your style, today there are even practical applications to the idea of virtual forklifts. Recently, Tactus Technologies developed a forklift simulator that allows beginner forklift drivers to get a feel for the controls, which should improve workplace safety.
Love all things material handling? Follow us on Twitter!