1971 Carnival - カーニバル by セガ (Sega)

Name: Carnival - カーニバル

Year: 1971

Company: セガ (Sega)

 

flyer scan available at The Internet Archive

 

 from Japan Game Museum:

 

 

 

1980 Fantastic Telectron - テレクトロン by 藤商事 (Fuji Shoji)

Name: Fantastic Telectron - テレクトロン

Year: 1980

Company:  藤商事 (Fuji Shoji)

I wanted to put this stub article up as a companion to 1979 テレコンカラー太陽 Challenge Ball (Telecon color sun Challenge Ball) by 太陽電子 (Taiyo Denshi — Electron) to showcase more how the rise of videogames influenced arrangeball.

Here is a full page advertisement that showcases 4 different game modes:

1980-01 Play Graph プレイグラフ

 

And focusing on just the game screens:

1) idle message
2) arrange ball screen
3) game start screen
4) Invaders

This machine has a joystick at the bottom-left of the machine and a Shoot button on the right.  The 1979 Telecon only had the single button.

controls, including joystick on left and button on right.

 

1979 テレコンカラー太陽 Challenge Ball (Telecon color sun Challenge Ball) by 太陽電子 (Taiyo Denshi — Electron)

Name: テレコンカラー太陽 Challenge Ball (Telecon color sun Challenge Ball)

Year: 1979

Company: 太陽電子 (Taiyo Denshi — Electron)

Telecon was the earliest arrangeball I've seen that has a a TV screen inside of it.  Also from 1979, TV Sparrow Ball is another title that has a screen embedded.  Where that game keeps track of your mahjong game on the screen, the article on Telecon below says it has Space Invaders and Breakout-style minigames.  How are they controlled?  You press the button near the pachinko handle to fire a missile in the UFO game.  Press a button to stop the roulette wheel in the worm roulette game.  Were they hoping to also include a Breakout-style game? 

Tweakbod found this article in the Japanese-language San Fransisco newspaper Hokubei Mainichi, and provided the transcription and machine translation.

full page 2 of Hokubei Mainichi 1979-07-21

article excerpted from Hokubei Mainichi 1979-07-21

Machine translation:

Invader Pachinko Arrives: The Allure of Winning Prizes

(Nagoya) Striking Back at the Invaders—! The pachinko industry, left gasping for air as the Invader craze siphoned away its customers, has found a new source of buzz with the debut of the “Telecon Machine”—a device that could be described as Invader Pachinko.

　Developed by a pachinko machine manufacturer in Nagoya, the machine’s key innovation lies in embedding a small television screen directly into the center of the pachinko cabinet, allowing players to enjoy both pachinko and an Invader-style game simultaneously. Following its debut in Kanda, Tokyo, this past July, the machine is now set to appear in locations across the country. Unlike Invader games—which typically involve spending money without any tangible return—this machine offers the chance to win prizes. Consequently, pachinko parlor operators are already enthusiastic about using the “Telecon Machine” as their trump card for a pachinko industry resurgence. “This is the leading contender for the 'Post-Invader' era,” remarked (Owner of M Pachinko Parlor in Kanda, Tokyo) “With this, we can bring our customers back.”

　Pachinko, once the undisputed king of mass entertainment, has recently seen its crown usurped by the Invader boom. As operators face a wave of business closures and industry exits—with some lamenting, “At this rate, it’s a matter of survival” (as noted by D Pachinko in Nagoya City)—the industry has been racking its brains to devise countermeasures against the Invaders. It is against this backdrop—carrying the industry's hopes for revitalization—that the Telecon Machine has made its debut.

　Playing the Telecon Machine is simple: insert a metal token (priced at 50–70 yen each) to start the game. Following the same mechanics as traditional pachinko, players launch 16 steel balls into a designated catch-tray (replacing the traditional tulip pockets); successfully doing so allows them to manipulate the numbers displayed on the TV screen mounted in the center of the cabinet. If the numbers align vertically, the TV screen instantly transforms into a UFO-shooting game; if they align horizontally, it switches to a block-breaker style game. As players fire missiles to target the erratically moving UFOs, the machine emits electronic sound effects—such as “pyun-pyun” and “gwaaan”—creating an atmosphere that perfectly captures the spirit of the original Invader game. In short, the Telecon Machine offers the pure fun of the Invader experience, combined with the unique pachinko thrill of winning prizes.

　The price of a single Telecon Machine unit is approximately 300,000 yen—about three times the cost of a standard electric pachinko machine—yet in terms of capital investment, it remains cheaper than the 500,000 yen required for an Invader. Consequently, the industry is making bullish projections: “With the Invader craze finally showing signs of winding down, this is bound to be the next big hit as a wholesome form of adult entertainment” (T Electronics, the developer of the Telecon Machine); and, “Just like with pachinko, entry is restricted to those aged 18 and over, so there is no need to worry about issues regarding juvenile delinquency” (Nagoya City Amusement Association). But the question remains: will they truly be able to shoot down Invader exactly as they’ve calculated?

[Photo Caption]
A pachinko machine featuring a small built-in television screen in the center, allowing players to enjoy Invader games as well.

Japanese transcript:

インベーダーパチンコ登場景品とれる魅力

（名古屋）インベーダに反撃――。インベーダーブームでお客を奪われて青息吐息のパチンコ業界に、インベーダー・パチンコともいえる『テレコン・マシン』が登場、話題を呼んでいる。

　名古屋のパチンコ機械メーカーが開発したもので、パチンコ台の中央に小型テレビを組み込み、パチンコとインベーダーゲームが同時に楽しめるのがミソ。七月に東京・神田にデビューするのを皮切りに、全国各地でお目見えする。お金を使いっぱなしのインベーダーと違い景品も取れるとあって、早くもパチンコ業者は『ポスト・インベーダーの本命だ。これで、お客を呼び戻すことができる』（東京・神田のMパチンコ店主）と、テレコン・マシンをパチンコ再浮上の切り札にしようと意気込んでいる。

　大衆娯楽の王座を占めていたパチンコも、最近のインベーダーブームにお株を奪われて転廃業する業者が相次ぎ『このままでは死活問題だ』（名古屋市内のDパチンコ店）と、インベーダー対策に頭を痛めている。こうした業界再生の願いを背負って登場したのがテレコン・マシンだ。

　テレコン・マシンの遊び方は、メタル（一枚五十–七十円）を投入してゲーム開始。パチンコと同じ要領で、チューリップの代わりに設けた玉受け台に十六個の玉をはじき入れて、台の中央に取り付けたテレビ画面の数字を操作する。数字が縦に並ぶとテレビ画面はUFOゲームに早替わりし横に数字が並んだ場合はブロック崩しゲームになる。ギザギザに動き回るUFOをねらってミサイルを発射すると『ピュン』ピュン』『グワーン』という電子音も出て、インベーダーゲームのふん囲気は十分。インベーダーの楽しさに加え、景品を取る魅力もある。

　テレコン・マシンの価格は、一台約三十万円で電動式パチンコ台の約三倍だが、インベーダーの五十万円に比べると設備費は安い。このため、業界では『そろそろ先が見えてきたインベーダーに代わって、大人の健全娯楽としてヒットするのは間違いない」（テレコン・マシンを開発したT電子）『パチンコと同じく十八歳未満は入場できないので、青少年の非行問題の心配もない」（名古屋市遊技場組合）と、強気のソロバンをはじいているが、果たして思惑通りインベーダーを撃ち落とせるか……。

[photo caption]
台の中央に小型テレビを組み込みインベーダーゲームも楽しめるパンチコ台

Here is a 2-page add from Play Graph 1980-01, which seems to include different game ideas.

 

1979 Asteroid Killer by ユニバーサル (Universal)

Name: Asteroid Killer

Year: 1979

Company: ユニバーサル (Universal)

The only image I've seen of Asteroid Killer so far is from this write-up in Play Meter 1979-12-15. The image shown above is the highest-resolution composite image, taken from the scan. (normally I limit images to 1200p)

Play Meter 1979-12-15

Play Meter 1979-12-15

The IPDB has this game as 1980, and it probably was released in 1980. But for this database we follow the methodology of tracking when a game first appears. So if it's shown in 1979, we're marking that down as 1979.

Another note is that I do not use any Japanese characters for the game. I do not use a Japanese title until I see it used by a primary source.  I wonder if this machine was ever mentioned in Game Machine, and I missed it? I currently do not have any Japanese magazines from 1979-12 or early 1980s.

photo: シグマ (Sigma) bingo pinball at ビンゴイン池袋 (Bingo-In Ikebukuro), circa late 1980s

The following photograph was shared by @PokerSintra in cooperation with @kiwilovelove. (archive)

ビンゴイン池袋 (Bingo-In Ikebukuro)

They commented:

西一番街ピース座2階に入居していました
1990年に再開発のため建替えられています

Machine translation:

It was located on the 2nd floor of the Peace Theater in Nishi Ichiban-gai.
It was rebuilt in 1990 due to redevelopment.

Pin-up Girls was released in 1986 and I believe that is the latest machine we can see.  That means this photograph was taken between 1986 and 1990.

For many of these machines, this photo is now the best image we have of them!  I am grateful to see it and thank you for letting me share it.  In the eremeka tool you can see our progress documenting the Sigma bingo pinball machines.

left side bingo machines:
Andromeda
Rebecca
Atlantis
Pinup Girls
Queen of the Knight

 

1985 Andromeda - アンドロメダ by シグマ (Sigma)

1985 Rebecca - レベッカ by シグマ (Sigma)

1984 Atlantis - アトランティス by シグマ (Sigma)

 

1986 Pin-Up Girls - ピンナップガールズ by シグマ (Sigma)

1985 Queen of the Knight -クインオブ ザナイト by シグマ (Sigma)

right side bingo machines:
Miss America (Bally)
??
County Fair (Bally)
Roller Derby (Bally)
Kasandra
El Dorado

1976 Miss America Supreme by Bally

1959 County Fair by Bally

1960 Roller Derby (Bally)

1985 Kasandra - カサンドラ by シグマ (Sigma)

1985 El Dorado - エルドラド by シグマ (Sigma)

1986 Pin-Up Girls - ピンナップガールズ by シグマ (Sigma)

1973 Blonde 9 [9&6; Challenge] by NSM-Löwen [presumed] & オリエンタル興業 (Oriental Kogyo) [presumed]

Name: Blonde 9 
Year: 1973
Company: NSM-Löwen [presumed] & オリエンタル興業 (Oriental Kogyo) [presumed]

 

This is a curious machine that I have only ever seen in a single photograph, where we have two copies side-by-side:

Amusement 1973-02

On the left is 1968 Colorette - コロレット by 中村製作所 (Nakamura Seisakusho)
on the right is 1972 Football - フットボール [import, 1970] by 太東貿易 (Taito Trading) & NSM-Löwen. 

The upper game portion looks similar to Big Strike Bowling except with different art.  A payout mechanism has been added to the bottom.  The plastic that covers the ball-release at the lower-right also seems to be on the Blonde 9 playfield near the center-top?  It is hard to tell what kind of modification that might be.

~1969 Big Strike Bowling - ビッグ・ストライク・ボウリング [import, 1967] by NSM-Löwen

Big Strike Bowling was made in 1967 by NSM-Löwen and imported into Japan as early as 1969. Taito released a version of of Big Strike Bowling in 1971.

1971 Big Strike Bowling - ビッグ・ストライク・ボウリング [import, 1967] by 太東貿易 (Taito Trading) & NSM-Löwen

Standing next to Taito's similarly modified Football on a pedestal, it might be easy to assume Blonde 9 was another Taito import. And it might be as well!  They also could have distributed it. We do not have enough information from this era.

But there are two aspects of this machine that make me think this was オリエンタル興業 (Oriental Kogyo).  There is a payout mechanism installed and Taito did not add one to any of the machines they imported, that I know of.

But Oriental Kogyo did modify Super.Match machines (made 1967 by NSM-Löwen and imported and modified by オリエンタル興業 (Oriental Kogyo) circa 1970.  The Super.Match payout slot looks cruder than Blonde 9's , but also is from 3 years before it.

1970 Super.Match [Super Match] [import, 1967] by NSM-Löwen & オリエンタル興業 (Oriental Kogyo)

But the key indicator for me is the logo on Blonde 9's base:

 

 Super.Match used the original NSM logo, or at least a decent representation of it:

 NSM logo from a regular Super.Match:

One big difference is the space between the tail and the head.

But on both, note how the angles on the knees are quite soft.  Note how the tails have strong geometry.

I submit that the Blonde 9 lions are more similar to the lions we see on Super-Scope: 

from Super-Scope [Oriental Super-Scope] - スーパースコープ by オリエンタル興業 (Oriental Kogyo)

The history of Super-Scope is a bit messy. As best we know, Bonanza began selling them in 1975 and contracted construction out to オリエンタル興業 (Oriental Kogyo).  Oriental Kogyo was then selling a slightly different version (coin slot moved location) by 1977.

Also note the angle the lion's head is at. 

Minisoccer - ミニサッカー [import, 1967] by AMF International & セガ (Sega)

Name: Minisoccer - ミニサッカー

Year: 1967, imported by セガ (Sega) in 1968

Company: AMF International

Minisoccer is an electromechanical game stylistically inspired by foosball. we are writing about it because Sega shared their flyer for it as part of their company history on their website.

Sega's flyer for Minisoccer, taken from their corporate history website

The Sega website puts that year as 1968, but the game was released in 1967, so I presume Sega began selling it and 68.

Minisoccer appears in the 1972 machine directory, which was printed in 1971.

 

1972 machine directory entry

The earliest press clipping about many soccer is from 1967:

Cash Box 1967-11-11

 

Minisoccer flyer

Cash Box 1968-01-20

Of note, SEGASA produced Mini-Futbol.  According to one website, this was released in 1968 but I have not found any public evidence of the year.

This game appears to be the same as many soccer except with the controls now at the top, not at the side.