Wednesday 20 March 2024

~1972 ウルトラアタック (Ultra Attack) & ウルトラスパーク (Ultra Spark) by 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) & 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo) [presumed]



Name: ウルトラアタック (Ultra Attack) & ウルトラスパーク (Ultra Spark)
Year: ~1972
Company: 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) & 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo) [presumed]

I would like to argue that these machines from 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) were probably built in collaboration with 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo Entertainment Company) as well.  Given the machine timeline we have currently assembled, I think it was one of the last machines built by 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo), or at least utilized their remaining parts.

There are two versions of this game, though they have many overlapping parts and artwork.  I will explain the differences below.

First, I would like to express my gratitude to thank 日本ゲーム博物館H澤店長 / @naosunjer for preserving a copy of this machine, and generously sharing so much about it with the world.  Nazox2016 has written about this machine as well.

These machines could not exist prior to 1971 as it references characters and images from 帰ってきたウルトラマン / Return of Ultraman, like Ultraman Jack, and the MAT logo (Monster Attack Team).  I have not found any advertisements for these machines, but if they came out in 1971, we have very little material from that year to research from.

There are many things to discuss, so let's get started.


Establishing some background on 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki)

日本娯楽機製作所 (Japan Amusement Machine Manufacturing) was one of the first amusement machine manufacturing companies in Japan, publishing a famous catalogue around 1937. (see the Research Notes page for more details on that.)  At first I did not think they were connected, but if we look at the company information for 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) from 1974, the representative is none other than amusement machine legend 遠藤嘉一 (Kaichi Endo)!

We do not see 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) in the back of the machine directories until 1974/75, where they are listed as making amusement vehicles.

1974/1975 machine directory

Transcription:

日本娯楽機 株式会社
代表者遠藤嘉一
所在地 東京都港区青山2-22-4 〒107
TEL 03(402) 7311~3
資本金 3,800万円 
主な取引銀行 第一勧業(青山)・協和(赤坂)・太陽神戸(赤坂)
主な取引先 後楽園、松屋、東急百貨店、エスエス製薬他
営業種目 電動娯楽乗物機械の製造・販売。

Machine translation:

Nippon Entertainment Machine Co., Ltd.
Representative Yoshikazu Endo
Address: 2-22-4 Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107
TEL 03(402) 7311~3
Capital 38 million yen
Main banks Daiichi Kangyo (Aoyama), Kyowa (Akasaka), Taiyo Kobe (Akasaka)
Main clients: Korakuen, Matsuya, Tokyu Department Store, SS Pharmaceutical, etc.
Business Line: Manufacture and sale of electric entertainment vehicle machines.

An advertisement for the 1972 game Ultraman Ace has even more proof  that they are the same company.  Beneath the Nihon Gorakuki logo "NGK" it says 創業50年 (50 years in business).

this is from an advertisement for 1972 ウルトラマンエース [Go! Go! ウルトラマンエ] (Ultraman Ace) by 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) & 三共 (Sankyo)

We had not seen much of Nihon Gorakuki in the interim years.  I hope to learn more about what happened to them, and Kaichi Endo, through the 50s through 70s.  One major achievement of NGK appears to be their licensing.

While Ultraman Ace is listed as by Sankyo, I presume the NGK partnership is about licensing the Ultraman characters.


We see a number of rides and vending machines made by NGK in the 74/75 machine directory.

1974/75 machine directory: machines listed as by 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki)

1974/75 machine directory: machines listed as by 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki)


1974/75 machine directory: machines listed as by 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki)

Side note: those vending machines are pretty legendary. That links to 北原コレクションチャンネル and they also own another:
via 北原照久 facebook
And some are still located outside:
via 岐阜レトロミュージアム


The company information in the 1976 machine directory is the same:

1976 machine directory 

In the late 1970s we see some larger advertisements from 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki)

日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) advertisement from the 1978 machine directory

And in the 1978 directory their company information has not changed much either, except with a fresh location added:

1978 machine directory

The 1978 machine directory has an additional address and phone number, this one in Matsudo City phone # 0473 (41) 1281 and that matches the NGK sticker on the front of Ultra Attack.  I have not seen this phone # or city referenced in other NGK flyers, but it does also appear in the 1979 and 1980 machine directories.

sticker on the front of Ultra Attack with 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) contact information
via IPDB

日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) information from the 1979 machine directory

日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) information from the 1980 machine directory

This raises the question: Was Ultra Attack built in the late 1970s?  The theme means it had to be 1971 or later. But until we can find an advertisement or other clues, there is little else to confirm when it actually came out.

There is no greater researcher of eremeka than Onitama-san.  He released this video where he places the year "around 1972", so for the time being, I will stick with "~1972".  My guess is that the sticker with the newer Nihon Gorakuki address was applied at a later time.




The presumed 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo) connection

We have records of Nihon Tenbo machines existing from at least 1967, and up until 1972.  There are mentions of 東急商事株式會社 (Tokyo Corporation) alongside some games, but they were acting as a distributor.

日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) use the "nt" logo on some machines.  This is taken from the 1969 machine directory.
The contact info:

本社・工場: 東京都練馬区早宮1-32-4  TEL991-4579(大代表)
大阪支店: 大阪市南区河原町1-1519 TEL大阪06(641)6074
第二工場: 東京都練馬区早宮1-49-3
埼玉営業所: 埼玉県川越市新富町2-6-1  丸広百貨店内
長野営業所:長野県諏訪郡下諏訪町萩倉 TEL諏訪局(7) 7827

And machine translated:

Head Office/Factory: 1-32-4 Hayamiya, Nerima-ku, Tokyo TEL991-4579 (main representative)
Osaka Branch: 1-1519 Kawaramachi, Minami-ku, Osaka TEL Osaka 06(641)6074
Second factory: 1-49-3 Hayamiya, Nerima-ku, Tokyo
Saitama Office: Inside Maruhiro Department Store, 2-6-1 Shintomicho, Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture
Nagano Office: Hagikura, Shimosuwa-machi, Suwa-gun, Nagano Prefecture TEL Suwa Bureau (7) 7827

In addition to "nt", they use the brand Nitten on some products:

it's hard to read, but I think that says Nitten

They released 4 machines that have a very distinctive cabinet, with cut-away side profile where the players' controls are.

1969 Socker Ace - サッカーエース (Soccer Ace) by 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo Entertainment Company — Nitten)

1970 ビート & スパーク (Beat & Spark) [Socker] by 東急商事株式會社 (Tokyo Corporation) & 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo)


1970 ジャンボ キック (Jumbo Kick) by 東急商事株式會社 (Tokyo Corporation) & 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo)

1971 Socker - サッカー (Soccer) by 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo Entertainment Company — Nitten)


This is the exact same distinctive cutaway we see on Ultra Attack, and the exact same t-moulding.

Lucky for us, Jay Stafford of IPDB has documented many angles of this machine.

via IPDB

Control panel:

via IPDB

Why does the the Ultraman Attack control panel say "L Kick" and "R Kick"?  Because it is the exact same control panel that Beat & Spark has.

ビート & スパーク (Beat & Spark) [Socker] by 東急商事株式會社 (Tokyo Corporation) & 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo)
control panel and playfield detail

If we look at the playfields, they have the exact same layout, except for one difference:  the bulb lights at the bottom right and left corners are higher up on Beat & Spark.

playfield detail via IPDB
ウルトラアタック (Ultra Attack) by 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) & 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo) [presumed]

I think it is quite fair to say that these machines utilize the Nihon Tenbo game Beat & Spark as a base, with a fresh (and licensed!) art package on top of it.  But there is even more evidence of this connection!

This post is for two games.  At first glance, you might think it is an alternative backglass, but none of the display lamps line up. This would require a separate design for the backbox wiring.  (the playfields also have slight differences, but more on that later)

So let's go back to Ultra Attack and compare backboxes to Beat & Spark:

all of the lamps are in the exact same position.


Ultra Attack has a backglass that aligns with the lamps for Jumbo Kick.

all of the lamps are in the exact same position.


When we compare the playfields and controls, we see that Ultra Attack is a Jumbo Kick with new artwork.

1970 ジャンボ キック (Jumbo Kick) by 東急商事株式會社 (Tokyo Corporation) & 日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo)
detail of control panel and playfield

playfield from Ultra Spark

controls from Ultra Spark

This is why I have added "日本展望娯楽社 (Nihon Tenbo) [presumed]" for the companies for Ultra Attack.


I only have a glimpse of it, but I want to note that Ultra Spark uses the same side cabinet art as the other model.

side art of Ultra Spark


Please note: I have no recollection of where I found Ultra Spark photographs.  If you know where they are from, please do let me know!


Gameplay




1972 ウルトラマンエース [Go! Go! ウルトラマンエ] (Ultraman Ace) by 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) & 三共 (Sankyo)


Name: ウルトラマンエース [Go! Go! ウルトラマンエ] (Ultraman Ace)
Year: 1972
Company: 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) & 三共 (Sankyo)

The earliest year for this machine we have is 1972.

Sankyo advertisement from Amusement magazine 1972-12

I doubt this game came out any earlier, it seems to be based off of Attack / Attack II by Sega.  It is certainly possible Attack was based off this machine, but unless I find a mention from earlier in 1972, I doubt it.  Instead of hitting the targets like in Attack, the buttons to hit each have a monster to hit.  The game has a time limit, but you can win a reply if you hit all 10 monsters.

1972 Attack - アタック by セガ (Sega)


One fascinating thing about this machine is that it was made with 日本娯楽機 (Nihon Gorakuki) who are one of the oldest amusement machine companies in Japan, dating back to the end of the end of the Meiji period.

from an Ultraman Ace flyer: Nihon Gorakuki celebrates their 50 years in the industry!

In the 74/75 machine directory, it is just listed as by Sankyo.

74/75 machine directory entry


Tuesday 19 March 2024

Jaguar Gru [Jaguar Crane] - ジャガークレーン [import, 1961] by Sidam


Name: Jaguar Gru [Jaguar Crane] - ジャガークレーン
Year: made 1961, imported 1965
Company: Sidam

The Jaguar crane was released in Italy in 1961.  It was sold as a crane game for cigarettes, but allegedly a law was passed shortly afterwards limiting the sale of tobacco products, and that might explain why the game was heavily exported.

from ギャラクシアン創世記 -澤野和則 伝
Transcription:

●1965年7月:日本娯楽物産がロー

ゼン・エンタープライゼスと経営統合し『セガ・エンタープライゼス』誕生。

・同年:河井久雄が『マル三照会』(神戸)を創業。

・同年:ボウリングブーム起こる。人気は長く続き722年頃にピークを迎える。ピーク時は1~2時間待ちは当たり前、都心部の一等地では4~5時間の待ち時間が出る人気に。最盛期は3700施設以上あったといわれ、その待ち時間を快適に過ごしてもらう目的で付設されたのがゲームコーナー。レーンの軒先を借りた商売ながらも市場拡大の一因となった。

・同年:イタリア製のクレーンゲーム機『ジャガークレーン』が輸入されたのをきっかけに、その後、数年間に及ぶクレーンゲームブームが始まる。

Machine translation:

● July 1965: Nihon Goraku Bussan merged with Rosen Enterprises to form Sega Enterprises.

・In the same year, Hisao Kawai (河井 久雄) founded Marusan Shokai (マル三商会) (Kobe).

・The same year: Bowling boom occurred. Popularity continued for a long time, reaching its peak around 72. At its peak, it was common to wait 1~2 hours for a game, and in prime locations in the center of the city, the waiting time could be 4~5 hours. At its peak, there were more than 3,700 facilities, and game arcades were set up to make the waiting time more comfortable. The game corners were attached to the lanes to make the waiting time more comfortable for customers, and although the business was based on the eaves of the lanes, it contributed to the expansion of the market.

・The same year: The Italian-made crane game machine ``Jaguar Crane'' was imported, starting a crane game boom that lasted for several years.


There is also a reference in a student paper from a Chinese university.  日本夾娃娃機的起源與發展 (The Origin and Development of Japanese Claw Machine) (PDF, archive) but that paper seems to just copy-and-paste paragraphs from websites.  Like this one. (archive)  I do not think these should be considered valid sources.

Taito and Sega both copied the Jaguar design.  I assume this is because of its proven success.  Sega's machine is almost an exact copy, but Taito's has a slick design with angled panels.

The Jaguar crane itself was similar to the design of the Hollycrane (USA).  Let's line up all of these cranes:

1948 Hollycrane by Como Industries

1961 Jaguar Gru [Jaguar Crane]

1965 Skill Diga - スキル・ディガ by セガ (Sega)


1965 クレーンゲーム [クラウン602] (Crane Game [Crown 602]) by 太東 (Taito — Crown)


Thank you to Federico of Tilt.it for the Jaguar picture.


I do not think Jaguar Crane was sold much in North America.  In the magazines there I can only find one reference to it.

Cash Box 1964-12-26

Friday 15 March 2024

1972 Sonar - ソナー by セガ (Sega)


Name: Sonar - ソナー
Year: 1972
Company: セガ (Sega)










The following images and videos were provided by Dan Sullivan of The Lost Arcade.

 
 



 
 
 


 



 







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