Sunday 21 July 2024

announcement: 4500+ machines! 発表: 4500 台以上のマシン!

We have now surpassed 4500 machines!!  
現在4500台以上のマシンを掲載しております!!

The machine tally is currently 4566.
マシンの合計数は現在 4566 です。

Prior milestones:  これまでのマイルストーン:

I would like to thank everyone who has been contributing to this project.  A number of contributors have asked to remain anonymous, but I want to thank you all for your generosity of both time and resources.  And thank you to everyone who contributes to the history of arcades by sharing their knowledge and scans on all sorts of social media sites. 
このプロジェクトに貢献してくださった皆様に感謝申し上げます。匿名を希望する貢献者も多数いらっしゃいますが、時間とリソースを惜しみなく提供していただいた皆様に感謝申し上げます。また、さまざまなソーシャル メディア サイトで知識やス​​キャンを共有してアーケードの歴史に貢献してくださった皆様にも感謝申し上げます。

This is a community-focused project.  It has been built by dispersed collectors and researchers, and I am helping to shape a useful dataset for everyone to utilize.  I hope you feel a similar satisfaction about this project as I do.  I am grateful to have been trusted with such material.  This is history that needed to be recorded and shared, and I am satisfied to help produce this body of research.  The research will outlive my own collection.  I am happy it will assist in arcade preservation efforts world-wide.
これはコミュニティに焦点を当てたプロジェクトです。これは各地に散らばった収集家や研究者によって構築されており、私は誰もが利用できる有用なデータセットの形成に協力しています。皆さんも私と同じようにこのプロジェクトに満足していただければ幸いです。このような資料を任せていただいたことに感謝しています。これは記録して共有する必要のある歴史であり、私はこの研究成果の作成に協力できたことを嬉しく思います。この研究は私のコレクションよりも長く残るでしょう。世界中のアーケード保存活動に役立つことを嬉しく思います。

[Note: All translation is done with Machine Translation tools]
[注: すべての翻訳は機械翻訳ツールで行われています]


Will we make it to 5000 machines?
5000台まで到達できるでしょうか?

I am unsure if we will reach 5000 machines.  I think it is possible, but with the current set of research materials available to me it will not happen.  I have been actively gathering research materials for a number of years, and we are nearing the point where everything I need is either too rare or too expensive.  I would like to outline some of the difficulties this project is facing.
5000 台のマシンに到達できるかどうかはわかりません。可能だとは思いますが、現在入手できる研究資料では実現しないでしょう。私は何年も研究資料を積極的に収集してきましたが、必要なものがすべて希少すぎるか高価すぎるという状況に近づいています。このプロジェクトが直面しているいくつかの困難について概説したいと思います。

Current challenges to the Eremeka Project:
エレメカ リスト プロジェクトにおける現在の課題:

  • Flyer Prices: Any remaining flyers and catalogues I'm interested in have been selling for 20k-50k. If you collect these items, would you please consider contributing scans to the project? Any information or images would be greatly beneficial to documenting this history.
    チラシの価格: 私が興味を持っている残りのチラシやカタログは、20,000~50,000 で販売されています。これらのアイテムを収集している場合は、スキャンした画像をプロジェクトに提供することを検討してください。情報や画像は、この歴史を記録するのに非常に役立ちます。

  • Incredibly Rare Flyers: I have seen some incredibly rare flyers that I would love to have images of, but worry I will never be able to see them and add their information.
    非常に珍しいチラシ: 非常に珍しいチラシをいくつか見ましたが、画像があればいいのですが、それを見て情報を追加することは決してできないのではないかと心配しています。

  • Pachinko Magazines:  I have been unable to track down any copies of pachinko industry magazines from the 1950s to early 1980s. I am pleading for anyone who may have these, or know where they can be accessed, to please get in touch with me.  If I could see the first decade or two of 遊技通信 (1951-1990) I would be incredibly happy.  I believe it is filled with crucial information.  全遊連弘報 launched in 1965 and there might be copies at the National Diet Library.  グリーンべると launched in 1966.  Are there other industry magazines I should be looking for?  1950s-1980s
    パチンコ雑誌: 1950 年代から 1980 年代初頭までのパチンコ業界雑誌のコピーを 1 冊も見つけることができませんでした。これらの雑誌をお持ちの方、または入手できる場所を知っている方は、ぜひ私に連絡してください。遊技通信 (1951-1990) の最初の 10 年か 20 年を見ることができれば、とてもうれしいです。重要な情報が満載だと思います。全遊連弘報は 1965 年に創刊され、国立国会図書館にコピーがあるかもしれません。グリーンべるとは 1966 年に創刊されました。他に探すべき業界雑誌はありますか? 1950 年代 - 1980 年代
  • Meeting Collectors: Networking with other electromechanical collectors in Japan has been difficult.  I have found message boards for collectors of EM games in Canada, USA, France, Italy, UK, and Germany.  But I have found no boards for Japanese collectors.  I would love to contact collectors in order to learn more about Japanese machines, and to share our mutual passion for collecting EM machines.
    コレクターとの出会い: 日本国内で他の電気機械コレクターとのネットワーク作りは困難でした。カナダ、米国、フランス、イタリア、英国、ドイツで EM ゲームのコレクター向けの掲示板を見つけましたが、日本のコレクター向けの掲示板は見つかりませんでした。日本のマシンについてもっと知り、EM マシン収集への共通の情熱を共有するために、コレクターと連絡を取りたいと思っています。

  • Type Approval Numbers: The Type Approval Numbers research that I hope to locate might be at the National Diet Library.  It might be a very arduous and slow process to retrieve it, but I am unsure.  Would anyone in Japan be willing to assist in this research?  Perhaps there is an easier method?  Perhaps I could hire a university student near an appropriate NDL location?
    型式承認番号: 私が探したい型式承認番号の調査は、国立国会図書館にあるかもしれません。それを取得するのは非常に困難で時間のかかるプロセスかもしれませんが、確信はありません。日本でこの調査を手伝ってくれる人はいませんか? もっと簡単な方法があるのでしょうか? 適切な国立国会図書館の近くの大学生を雇うことはできるでしょうか?

  • Magazines Needed: I need magazines from the 1980s!  They are selling for over 10k each and I keep losing auctions.  I have very few magazines from the 1980s and it is a large hole in the dataset.  I will post a list of the magazines I have processed for information.  If you have any other magazine issues, I would love a scan of it, or the chance to purchase it so we can scan it.
    雑誌募集: 1980 年代の雑誌が必要です。1 冊あたり 1 万ドル以上で売られており、オークションで負け続けています。1980 年代の雑誌はほとんどなく、データセットに大きな穴があります。情報として処理した雑誌のリストを投稿します。他の雑誌をお持ちの場合は、スキャンしたものをお送りいただくか、購入してスキャンできるようにしていただければ幸いです。

Thursday 18 July 2024

1931 野球模擬戦機 (Baseball Imitation Strategy game) by 佐藤寛蔵商店 (Sato Kanzo Shoten)

Name: 野球模擬戦機 (Baseball Imitation Strategy game)
Year: 1931
Company: 佐藤寛蔵商店 (Sato Kanzo Shoten)

This is a candy-vending game machine.  It came up for sale on YJA. (archive)  This machine was written in the book コリントゲーム史 (History of the Corinthian Game) by Kazuo Sugiyama.  He writes that it was first registered in 1931, and the book includes an advertisement that mentions it:

advertisement from 佐藤寛蔵商店 (Sato Kanzo Shoten)
published 1932-07-04 in Tokyo Asahi Shimbun
reproduced in History of the Corinthian Game

Instead of using a pachinko-style lever, this game uses a lever (that looks like a baseball bat!) on the right side of the machine to propel the ball in to play.  

lever for shooting the ball



 

 

It appears that each of the 4 top cups are winners, that will reward the player with a candy.

一壘 = first base
二壘 = second base
三壘 = third base
 

On the left side is a knob to control the catcher mechanism.  Catching the ball returns it to play in hopes of winning on the next shot.

本壘 = home base
the catcher says ハウル (foul)
bottom hole is アウト (out)

 

I had bid on this machine and wish I won it, but it was too expensive for me.

Here is a look at the bottom of the playfield.  The hole on the left is what the catcher deposits a ball into.  This aligns with "Kicker Catcher" machines designs that were quite popular in USA. The ball falls out of the hole down and to the right of it.  On the right there are two holes by the kicker.  I believe one gives you the ball when when you insert a coin.  I believe the other hole releases the ball after winning a candy, so it could be fired again.


 

The inside of the machine, there is a track for the candy.  All of the winning holes appear to converge, and I suspect that after the payout, your ball is returned to shoot again.  In the 2nd part of this, you can see how the catcher is controlled by a belt attached to the side knob.


Labels on the outside:



 


Thursday 4 July 2024

~1969 玉入れゲーム (ball toss game) by 日本自動販売機 (Japan Vending Machine — Game Mate) & カトウ (Kato)


Name: 玉入れゲーム (ball toss game)
Year: ~1969
Company: 日本自動販売機 (Japan Vending Machine — Game Mate)  & カトウ (Kato)

This game has a central spinner, similar to Bally's game Spinner.  Balls that enter holes on either side can be ejected into the upper basket when the player presses a corresponding button.  We could say that Champion Long Shoot [Champion Shoot Ball] - ロングシュート by 日本自動販売機 (Japan Vending Machine) & 昭和遊園 (Showa Yuen) is similar gameplay, just stretch out into a wider cabinet.

This flyer was shared by @area51_zek (archive)

flyer from 日本自動販売機 (Japan Vending Machine — Game Mate)


This game appears in the 1969 machine directory.

1969 machine directory entry    

In the company index, this game is listed by both Kato and Japan Vending Machine.

Kato's game list in the 1969 directory

Japan Vending Machine's game list in the 1969 directory

I have no further year information, so this machine could have been made in 1969 or earlier.

Tuesday 2 July 2024

price list from 中村製作所 (Nakamura Seisakusho) [presumed 1970]

There was an auction on YJA for a Nakamura Seisakusho price list that appears to be from 1970. (YJA - archive)

original image from listing

cropped and warped

Thank you to tweakbod @ GamingAlexandria for transcribing the parts I couldn't read!

Transcription:

価格表
■ゲーム機械
レーサー…………………………¥ 450,000
30テスト…………………………¥ 185,000
ミニコンピューター……………¥ 240,000
バルジ大作戦……………………¥1,800,000
ペリスコープ……………………¥1,800,000
ベースボール……………………¥ 265,000
浪人……………………¥260,000
プレイランド……………………¥260,000
エアーファイター………………¥395,000
ニューコンバットガン…………¥320,000
サファリガン……………………¥320,000
ミニドライブ M型………………¥220,000
ミニドライブ MA型………………¥250,000
ホッケーゲーム……………………¥120,000
■小型乘物
バンビ………………¥80,000
ダンボ………………¥80,000
ミッキーマウス……¥80,000
ライオン……………¥80,000
ドンガバチョ………¥80,000
トラヒゲ……………¥80,000
バス…………………¥80,000
ワンチャン…………¥75,000
スワン………………¥75,000
アヒル………………¥75,000
ヒヨコ………………¥75,000
スポーツカー………¥75,000

■中型乘物
化学消防車……………………¥180,000
ひかり号………………………¥180,000
ボーイング 727号……………¥180,000
海のパトロール………………¥180,000
宇宙パトロール………………¥180,000
ハイウェイパトロール………¥180,000
ジェット戦斗機………………¥185,000
ミニカー(1セット3台)…¥360,000 

Machine translation:

Price List

■Game Machines
Racer…………………………¥450,000
30 Test…………………………¥185,000
Mini Computer………………¥240,000
Battle of the Bulge……………………¥1,800,000
Periscope……………………¥1,800,000
Baseball……………………¥265,000
Ronin……………………¥260,000
Playland……………………¥260,000
Air Fighter………………¥395,000
New Combat Gun………………¥320,000
Safari Gun……………………¥320,000
Mini Drive M………………¥220,000
Mini Drive MA type………………¥250,000
Hockey game……………………¥120,000

■Small vehicles
Bambi………………¥80,000
Dumbo………………¥80,000
Mickey Mouse…………¥80,000
Lion………………¥80,000
Donga Bacho…………¥80,000
Torahige………………¥80,000
Bus……………………¥80,000
One Chance…………¥75,000
Swan………………¥75,000
Duck………………¥75,000
Chick………………¥75,000
Sports car…………¥75,000

■Medium vehicles
Chemical fire truck………………¥180,000
Hikari……………………¥180,000
Boeing No. 727……………¥180,000
Sea Patrol………………¥180,000
Space Patrol………………¥180,000
Highway Patrol…………¥180,000
Jet Fighter………………¥185,000
Minicar (1 set of 3)…¥360,000

What can we learn here?  I am not very interested in kiddie rides, so I will focus on the game machines.
Racer (1970) is the hallmark machine, at 450k for the single game.  A full 55,000 yen pricier than Kasco's Air Fighter from 1970.


I have Racer, MiniCom, and 30 Test all as 1970 machines and they lead this list off.  There exists a Nakamura flyer that then has the next two large installation games, Battle of The Bulge (1968) and Periscope (1966).  At 1.8 million yen, they are the equivalent of 4 Racer units.

The next 3 are curious: Baseball, Ronin, Playland.  These 3 also show up together, in the same order, on a Nakamura distribution flyer.
こまや (Komaya) games being sold by 

We only have circumstantial and design evidence, but at this point I am fairly confident that Ronin is a こまや (Komaya) game.

The final 6 games are by Kansai Seiki.  The only revelation here is that Safari Gun is listed, and previously the earliest date I had recorded for that was 1971, so I will bump it forward a year to 1970.  I am very confident this flyer is in fact from 1970, but I feel it's important to show my work so that my assumptions can be untangled by future researchers.
It is interesting to see Combat Gun being referred to as New Combat Gun, presumably to differentiate from their Combat gun game from the late 1960s.  But we don't see it written like that in other sources, AFAIK.

Sunday 23 June 2024

~1969 ビックレース (Big Race) by 三共 (Sankyo)


Name: ビックレース (Big Race)
Year: 1969 or earlier
Company: 三共 (Sankyo)

This is another extremely rare flyer shared by @area51_zek. (archive)

It appeared in the 1969 machine directory, but could be from an earlier year.  I wish I had more information about Sankyo's early years.  They released many wonderful machines in the 1960s, but there are very few references as to when they were made, or even the order in which the machines were released.


This game can be spotted in the 5th Truck Guys movie... 度胸一番星

トラック野郎・度胸一番星



Bunta is reeling, but on the far left you can see Big Race!



~1969 Underground - アングラ by 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo Entertainment Company — Nitten)

Name: Underground - アングラ
Year: 1969 or earlier
Company: 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo Entertainment Company — Nitten)


Thank you to @area51_zek for sharing this wonderful rare flyer! (archive)

This game operates on a timer and if you can score 80 points you win a free game.  There are 5 slots along the bottom for a ball to settle in to.  Each of the 5 buttons fires the kicker at the targets.  I am unsure if there is any timing strategy, or if the goal would be to fire the ball immediately each time.

The ad copy says you insert 10 yen, but the game has a 20 yen slot in the photograph.

This game appears in the 1969 machine directory, though I do not know if it came out that year or earlier.

1969 machine directory entry


Monday 17 June 2024

1950s スマートボール (smart ball) by 三葉工業 (Mitsuba Kogyo)

Name: スマートボール (smart ball) 
Year: 1950s
Company: 三葉 (Mitsuba)


This type of smart ball is generally seen in the 1950s, which is why I have designated this machine as being from that decade.  I am unsure when exactly this style of smartball machine went out of fashion.  


The profile view shows us an area at the top for the player to place balls more near the shooter lane, but also a tray at the bottom for the balls to pay out from.  This problem would later be solved by Mitsuba, releasing balls from a backbox that could then rest where the player places them into the shooter lane.


スマートボール (smart ball)
優勝 (victory)
ヒット (hit)

三葉工業 (Mitsuba Kogyo)


I was compelled to write about this model because the images include photographs of these levers at the back:


外 (outside)
內 (inside)
優勝 (victory)
ヒット (hit)

I believe the wires on the left are for a red operator light on the upper-right of the playfield.

I think the Victory and Hit levers allow the operator to give a player those specific rewards, as though they had hit the Victory or Hit holes on the playfield.

I do not know what 外 (outside) and 內 (inside) levers might refer to.  Do you have any idea?  Please leave me a message!   Perhaps they turn on the red light (outside) and center playfield light (inside)?


In the 1955 movie 未成年 (Miseinen / Minor) we can see a very similar table that also has these levers.  Given the playfield design similarities, I believe this table is also by Mitsuba.

Doe the time being, both of these tables will link to this article.

スマートボール (smart ball) [seen in 未成年] by 三葉 (Mitsuba) [presumed]
See more images from the smart ball parlor!  exploring the arcade in 未成年 / Miseinen / Minor (1955)


The font and horizontal striping are very similar.



Even though the graphics differ, the playfield layout of nails and holes and lamp appear to be identical.





Thursday 6 June 2024

1974 Electro Derby - エレクトロダービー by 関西精機 (Kansai Seiki — Kasco)


Name: Electro Derby - エレクトロダービー
Year: 1974
Company: 関西精機 (Kansai Seiki — Kasco)


Electro Derby is an electromechanical horse-racing game that utilizes Rotamint-style spinning discs to advance the horses.  It can be played by 2 people simultaneously, and the winner of the race receives their coin back.  If played by only one player, the side not used is controlled by the machine.  You still get your coin back if you win.

This is not a true medal game, because there is no way to make any money.  It is an amusement game with a coin-back option, a feature you would find in games from around 1900.  You are only ever playing to potentially win back your coin.



This game appears in the 1976 machine directory.

entry from 1976 Machine Directory

Previously, I had thought this game might be from 1975 since in an article on Kansai Seiki, this flyer was listed as Showa 50 (1975).

from Amusement 2018-08

But in documentation found in an exported copy of Electro Derby (thank you Dan Fontes for all of the photos and documentation,) we can see an operator note from July 1974, so definitely 1974 or earlier.

date of note: 1974-07-18




Schematics, export version:




Instruction manual, export version:






Saturday 4 May 2024

1968 Helicopter - ヘリコプター by セガ (Sega)


Name: Helicopter - ヘリコプター
Year: 1968
Company: セガ (Sega)

Helicopter was made by Sega in 1968, according to all of the guide books and all of the Sega press.  








English language flyer


via 昭和~平成前期のホテルや旅館などのパンフレット


via accs2014


Arcade helicopter games really took off in the 1960s, but are traced back to the 1940s..  Let's take a look at the helicopter games that immediately preceded Sega's Helicopter.  


Flying Games

Before the helicopter games, there were a few games that involved rotating an aircraft around a fixed point.  The player would have to fly high and fast enough, and then bring in their plane for landings on desirable spots.

1941 Air Defense by C. R. Kirk & Co & International Mutoscope - via KLOV
also on pinrepair

1959 Jet Pilot by Chicago Coin - via pinrepair


Canada's Jaycopter

The story of helicopter games begins in Canada, where Peter Jacobs of Jaycopters Ltd begins work turning military helicopter training simulators into a ride.

1960-02-22 Billboard

More from the Alberta Aviation Museum history. (archive)

The ride famously appeared at the 1964 World's Fair.

Jaycopter from 1964 World's Fair (archive)

At The World's Fair there were miniature versions of the Jaycopter to play with.  We can see them in this advertisement, and in this photograph, the model versions.  They all appear larger than the regular coinop one we would see later, but they were coin operated and would set the template for all future helicopter games.  If anyone has any photographs of the coin-operated Jaycopter games at the World's Fair, please get in touch!


via www.worldsfaircommunity.org

US patent 2896947 excerpt


FB Video on the Jaycopter from The Games Room Company.  Jaycopter at pinrepair.  All online sources say the normally produced Jaycopter is from 1968, though I can't find any primary sources for that.  But the patent for the arcade machine design was filed in 1967, so the dates do line up.

Jaycopter


US patent 3512773 excerpt
See also: patent US3512773.



Amusement Engineering

Helicopter Trainer by Amusement Engineering

The first official trade magazine mention of Amusement Engineering's Helicopter Trainer was in 1967.  Note the last line of this snippet:

1966-09-03 Coin Box

The patent was filed in 1965, one year after the Jaycopter and the coinop Jaycopters appeared at the 1964 World's Fair.  R.L. Brown is probably the same Lt. Col. Richard F. Brown that is referred to in a subsequent 1968-03-09 article. (see lower on this page)
US patent 3383110 excerpt


The game seems to have arrived in production June 1967:

1967-06-10 Coin Box

1967-07-08 Coin Box
"Yes, we have the sensational HELICOPTER TRAINER"

1967-11-25 Coin Box

Midway

In March 1968 Midway had arranged distribution of Amusement Engineer's Helicopter Trainer

1968-03 VT Music and Games


1968-03-09 Coin Box

And by June of 1968, Midway's Helicopter Trainer was advertised, with "a number of improvements".

1968-06-08 Billboard



Sega's Helicopter

Only months after the Midway deal was announced, Sega began advertising their Helicopter in English papers in July 1968.

1968-07 VT Music and Games

And in the July 7th 1969 Cash Box, we find 2 similarly iconic advertisements, from Sega and Midway

1968-07-07 Cash Box

1968-07-07 Cash Box


1968-07-27 Billboard



Williams + Midway

An entry in this style of game would come from Williams just a few months after Sega, with Space Pilot.

1968-11-23 Billboard
1968 Space Pilot by Williams

Early 1969, Midway announced their own entry (Helicopter Trainer was licensed by them) into the helicopter field, with Whirly Bird.

1969-01-11 Coin Box

1969 Whirly Bird by Midway

Many other variant models would be released in through the 1970s.


Art Point's Explorer games

In Japan, Art Point made 2 similar Helicopter-style games.  I do not know when they came out, but both existed in 1969: Space Exploration and Antarctica Explorer.

The landing pads in the Sega game are similar to the ones used in the Explorer games by Art Point.

Explorer (Space Exploration) - エクスプローラー宇宙探検 by アートポイント社 (Art Point)
detail

1968 Helicopter - ヘリコプター by セガ (Sega)
detail
These games also have a central mountain structure for the helicopter mechanism.  I suspect they were made using Sega' Helicopter as a template, but that is just speculation.

a foreigners' guide to eremeka arcades - 外国人のためのエレメカアーケードゲームガイド: introduction & main page - 紹介&メインページ

eremeka search tool  // エレメカ検索ツール begin browsing at 1960 / 1960年代から閲覧する begin browsing at 1970 / 1970年代から閲覧する begin browsing at 1980 / 1980...