1978 Ninja Gun - ニンジャガン by 関西精機 (Kansai Seiki - Kasco)

Name: Ninja Gun - ニンジャガン

Year: 1978 

Company: 関西精機 (Kansai Seiki - Kasco)

The earliest appearance of Ninja Gun I've seen is in a 1978 issue of Coin Journal,

Coin Journal 1978-11

    

Japanese flyer

English flyer

This game was obviously made for export, something Kasco did for a number of their games.

More shots of the game:

A different copy of Ninja Gun, this one is in Japan.  You can tell it was made for overseas because of the English instructions, and the NAA plaque above the coin return slot.

The inside features an elaborate diorama.  Ninjas are controlled by electromechanical motors.

1972 Go Back Go - ゴー・バック・ゴー by タイトー (Taito)

Name: Go Back Go - ゴー・バック・ゴー
Year: 1972
Company: タイトー (Taito)

Go Back Go has you use a wheel to rotate a trio of forks left and right to catch a falling ball.  

In the Taito history book, Go Back Go is listed as being 1972.  Since the flyer uses タイトー, it must be after they changed their name.

Taito 40th anniversary book

The game appears to be based on a German game

280 Meilen Racing Flip by JDO Apparatebau

I do not know when this game was released.  An auction house says 1950s, an owner quipped 60s, and a videomaker said 70s.  I think it's safe to say this way probably around 1970, or late 1960s based on the cabinet build.  Go Back Go swaps the solid wood look for the more stylish late 60s wood paneling.

Go Back Go swaps the dual launchers for a single launcher, and replaces the center handle with a steering wheel.  Those changes make Go Back Go a much more attractive machine.

Similar to what they did with Football, Taito added a side vendor.

1974/1975 machine directory

1975 Super-Scope - スーパースコープ by オリエンタル興業 (Oriental Kogyo)

Name: Super-Scope - スーパースコープ
Year: 1975
Company: オリエンタル興業 (Oriental Kogyo)

Super-Scope is a classic "rotary merchandiser" game, where you press a button to time a pusher arm to see if you can knock prizes off.  Super-Scope is a game with a messy history.  As with most Oriental Kogyo machines, this is a modified design of a foreign machine.

From an old home video of a UK arcade, we have the original Super-Scope:

We see this version in Japan in 1974 when リバーストン (Riverstone) held an exhibition to showcase arcade machine.  The easiest 2 differences are the marquee shape, and the lack of front arm rest.

Game Machine 1974-09-30

The full article:

Game Machine 1974-09-30

1970 Super Scope by Nuversions

One year later, Riverstone is advertising the new Oriental Kogyo version of Super-Scope.

Game Machine 1975-06-01
ad by リバーストン (Riverstone)

This next articles mention that in 1975 ボナンザ (Bonanza) sued オリエンタル興業 (Oriental Kogyo).  In March 1975, Bonanza hired Oriental Kogyo to make Super-Scope.  If Oriental wanted to sell them they would have to pay a 50k yen licensing fee.  Oriental sold many copies without paying the fee to Bonanza.

Is Bonanza the same company as Riverstone?

Game Machine 1980-04-15

The payment was reduced to $8 million yen.

Game Machine 1980-11-15

There are a number of slight variations in the control panel design amongst models, but the main variant to note is the extra front-facing pair of coin slots.  We see the extra coin slot in the Riverstone ad, further up.

We also see this same model being sold by ツムラ (Tumura).

In 1975 ツムラ (Tumura) was advertising Super-Scope, but as JAGUAR Super-Scope.  Jaguar was a brand for Tumura.  The game does not look modified, it just seems brazen to put your company brand on the ad copy title.

Game Machine 1975-11-15
ad by ツムラ (Tumura)

crop from a Tumura catalogue

I do not know if I have ever seen photos of this model in arcades.  But we see many photos of Super-Scope that does not have the extra coin slots.

The more common kind was being sold by セガ (Sega). 

1971 PAN-ロンド (Pan-Rondo) by エスコ貿易 (Esco Trading) & Sanko Trading

 

Name: PAN-ロンド (Pan-Rondo)
Year: 1971
Company: エスコ貿易 (Esco Trading) & Sanko Trading

The earliest appearance I have seen of this machine is the 1972 machine directory, which came out late 1971.

All of the ad copy for acknowledges it was a design from Europe.  Esco Trading has advertisements selling it, and there is a flyer showing it being distributed by Sanko Trading as well.  I am assuming Esco Trading performed the modifications and made the machine.

1972 coin machine directory, which came out in late 1971

The original:

1964 Rotomint Bingo Royal by NSM-Löwen (archive)

If you zoom in on the Pan Rondo label you can see the original lines of the Rotamint were painted over.

1972 Tropicana - トロピカーナ by 太東貿易 (Taito Trading)

Name: Tropicana - トロピカーナ
Year: 1972
Company: 太東貿易 (Taito Trading) 

The earliest appearance I've found of Tropicana is in a 1972 issue of Amusement magazine.  It is not mentioned in any of the Taito books that I have seen.  I think that is because it wasn't designed by Taito, but a machine they imported and redid the appearance of.  This was probably one of the final machines before Taito changed their name from 太東貿易 to タイトー.

Tropicana is a new art package, but appears to be the same game as Star-Match and Bingomat, both machines by NSM-Löwen in 1971.  I am unable to see any differences between these two besides the name.

1971 Star-Match by NSM-Löwen (archive)

1971 Bingomat by NSM-Löwen (archive)

from the 1973 machine directory, which was published in October 1972.

The stand was an optional feature when ordered.

Since it is a new name and new artwork, I am not listing this one as an "import", but it is a grey area.

1972 Football - フットボール [import, 1971] by 太東貿易 (Taito Trading) & NSM-Löwen

Name: Football - フットボール [import]
Year: 1972, originally 1971
Company: 太東貿易 (Taito Trading) & NSM-Löwen

This is a German machine by NSM-Löwen, and Taito wasted no time bringing it to Japan.

1971 Football by NSM-Löwen (archive)

This machine also seems to have been exported to North America, where Football means something quite different, and so the name is changed to "Goal".  (I assume it's North American because of the "10c" price.)

Taito first offered the original import model, as seen in this flyer from what I believe is 1971.

Football, as listed in a [presumed 1971] Taito flyer.
This appears to be the original model.

But I am keeping the date of 1972 on this post as that is when I think Taito began selling their modified version. The Japanese version adds an instruction plate on the right, a painted stand, and a side vendor.

1974/1975 machine directory

The custom stand is quite nice, and is similar to the one Taito made for Big Strike Bowling.

If the only catalog appearance of the special Taito version is in 1974, how do we know it existed in 1972?  We have an arcade exploration of a promotional video from Sea World circa 1972.  The 1973 machine directory (printed in October 1972) has the direct import version, but the subsequent year's directory had the modified version.

In that post we actually just see the stand in the arcade.  It is interesting to think they were probably setting up that machine but had not finished when the filming took place.

scene from 鴨川シーワールド (Kamogawa Sea World) (1972)

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