~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

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.

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: