Year: 1977
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. But not quite, as their version comes after the Bonanza. There is also a variant called Jungle Treasure! This article covers all of them.
The original Super Scope was imported by リバーストン (Riverstone) in 1974. (see Game Machine article further below)
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| Super Scope - スーパースコープ [import, 1974] by Nuversions & リバーストン (Riverstone) |
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.
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| Game Machine 1974-09-30 |
The full article:
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| Game Machine 1974-09-30 |
Bonanza produced their version:
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| 1975 Super-Scope - スーパースコープ by ボナンザ (Bonanza) |
This one seems to be identifiable by the two front coin slots / coin returns. These do not exist on the later model we see being sold in the 1977 Sega catalogue.
In 1975 Riverstone is advertising the new Bonanza version of Super-Scope.
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| 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.
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| Game Machine 1980-04-15 |
The payment was reduced to $8 million yen.
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| Game Machine 1980-11-15 |
The Oriental Super-Scope, as indicated by the sticker on the right near the front, was made by オリエンタル興業 (Oriental Kogyo). It does not have coin slots on the front facing outward.
The earliest date we see so far is 1977, appearing in a Sega price list.
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| Sega price list from 1977 |
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| "Oriental Super-Scope" sticker visible |
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| Jaguar Treasure by ボナンザ (Bonanza) [presumed] |
I wish there were additional photos, but this is all that was shared. The marquee is different, but remember the "Oriental Super Scope" plaque near the front right? That appears modified on this machine as well.
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| detail of Jaguar Treasure by ボナンザ (Bonanza) [presumed] |
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| detail 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) |
If it was the "Oriental Super-Scope" plaque we would be able to see it in our single Jaguar Treasure photograph.
I believe that this is another Bonanza version because of the design of the marquee.
here are 2 large cats on either side of a diamond on the Clean Sweep marquee:
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| 1976 Clean Sweep - クリーンスウィープ by ボナンザ (Bonanza) & ツムラ (Tumura) |
I think Tumura might have just been distributing Bonanza machines, BUT Tumura did have a strong tiger theme in their branding and I wonder if the large cats reflect their influence in any way?
for example, we have the Tumura tiger surrounded by 2 jaguars.
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| 1975 Little Harness Derby Jaguar X-V - リトル ハーネスダービージャガーX・V by ツムラ (Tumura) |
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| the dual jaguars are instantly comparable to Jaguar Treasure |
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| Bonanza and Tumura both liked to use large swooping text effects like this. Not the easiest trick in the mid 1970s! |
Note that these 3 companies were not known for devising original machines. Little Harness Derby Jaguar X-V seems to be based off the design of Exciting Race, release a year earlier:
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| 1974 Exciting Race - エキサイティング・レース by アムコ (Amco) & ダックス (Ducks) |
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