1980 Fantastic Telectron - テレクトロン by 藤商事 (Fuji Shoji)

Name: Fantastic Telectron - テレクトロン

Year: 1980

Company:  藤商事 (Fuji Shoji)

I wanted to put this stub article up as a companion to 1979 テレコンカラー太陽 Challenge Ball (Telecon color sun Challenge Ball) by 太陽電子 (Taiyo Denshi — Electron) to showcase more how the rise of videogames influenced arrangeball.

Here is a full page advertisement that showcases 4 different game modes:

1980-01 Play Graph プレイグラフ

 

And focusing on just the game screens:

1) idle message
2) arrange ball screen
3) game start screen
4) Invaders

This machine has a joystick at the bottom-left of the machine and a Shoot button on the right.  The 1979 Telecon only had the single button.

controls, including joystick on left and button on right.

 

1979 テレコンカラー太陽 Challenge Ball (Telecon color sun Challenge Ball) by 太陽電子 (Taiyo Denshi — Electron)

Name: テレコンカラー太陽 Challenge Ball (Telecon color sun Challenge Ball)

Year: 1979

Company: 太陽電子 (Taiyo Denshi — Electron)

Telecon was the earliest arrangeball I've seen that has a a TV screen inside of it.  Also from 1979, TV Sparrow Ball is another title that has a screen embedded.  Where that game keeps track of your mahjong game on the screen, the article on Telecon below says it has Space Invaders and Breakout-style minigames.  How are they controlled?  You press the button near the pachinko handle to fire a missile in the UFO game.  Press a button to stop the roulette wheel in the worm roulette game.  Were they hoping to also include a Breakout-style game? 

Tweakbod found this article in the Japanese-language San Fransisco newspaper Hokubei Mainichi, and provided the transcription and machine translation.

full page 2 of Hokubei Mainichi 1979-07-21

article excerpted from Hokubei Mainichi 1979-07-21

Machine translation:

Invader Pachinko Arrives: The Allure of Winning Prizes

(Nagoya) Striking Back at the Invaders—! The pachinko industry, left gasping for air as the Invader craze siphoned away its customers, has found a new source of buzz with the debut of the “Telecon Machine”—a device that could be described as Invader Pachinko.

　Developed by a pachinko machine manufacturer in Nagoya, the machine’s key innovation lies in embedding a small television screen directly into the center of the pachinko cabinet, allowing players to enjoy both pachinko and an Invader-style game simultaneously. Following its debut in Kanda, Tokyo, this past July, the machine is now set to appear in locations across the country. Unlike Invader games—which typically involve spending money without any tangible return—this machine offers the chance to win prizes. Consequently, pachinko parlor operators are already enthusiastic about using the “Telecon Machine” as their trump card for a pachinko industry resurgence. “This is the leading contender for the 'Post-Invader' era,” remarked (Owner of M Pachinko Parlor in Kanda, Tokyo) “With this, we can bring our customers back.”

　Pachinko, once the undisputed king of mass entertainment, has recently seen its crown usurped by the Invader boom. As operators face a wave of business closures and industry exits—with some lamenting, “At this rate, it’s a matter of survival” (as noted by D Pachinko in Nagoya City)—the industry has been racking its brains to devise countermeasures against the Invaders. It is against this backdrop—carrying the industry's hopes for revitalization—that the Telecon Machine has made its debut.

　Playing the Telecon Machine is simple: insert a metal token (priced at 50–70 yen each) to start the game. Following the same mechanics as traditional pachinko, players launch 16 steel balls into a designated catch-tray (replacing the traditional tulip pockets); successfully doing so allows them to manipulate the numbers displayed on the TV screen mounted in the center of the cabinet. If the numbers align vertically, the TV screen instantly transforms into a UFO-shooting game; if they align horizontally, it switches to a block-breaker style game. As players fire missiles to target the erratically moving UFOs, the machine emits electronic sound effects—such as “pyun-pyun” and “gwaaan”—creating an atmosphere that perfectly captures the spirit of the original Invader game. In short, the Telecon Machine offers the pure fun of the Invader experience, combined with the unique pachinko thrill of winning prizes.

　The price of a single Telecon Machine unit is approximately 300,000 yen—about three times the cost of a standard electric pachinko machine—yet in terms of capital investment, it remains cheaper than the 500,000 yen required for an Invader. Consequently, the industry is making bullish projections: “With the Invader craze finally showing signs of winding down, this is bound to be the next big hit as a wholesome form of adult entertainment” (T Electronics, the developer of the Telecon Machine); and, “Just like with pachinko, entry is restricted to those aged 18 and over, so there is no need to worry about issues regarding juvenile delinquency” (Nagoya City Amusement Association). But the question remains: will they truly be able to shoot down Invader exactly as they’ve calculated?

[Photo Caption]
A pachinko machine featuring a small built-in television screen in the center, allowing players to enjoy Invader games as well.

Japanese transcript:

インベーダーパチンコ登場景品とれる魅力

（名古屋）インベーダに反撃――。インベーダーブームでお客を奪われて青息吐息のパチンコ業界に、インベーダー・パチンコともいえる『テレコン・マシン』が登場、話題を呼んでいる。

　名古屋のパチンコ機械メーカーが開発したもので、パチンコ台の中央に小型テレビを組み込み、パチンコとインベーダーゲームが同時に楽しめるのがミソ。七月に東京・神田にデビューするのを皮切りに、全国各地でお目見えする。お金を使いっぱなしのインベーダーと違い景品も取れるとあって、早くもパチンコ業者は『ポスト・インベーダーの本命だ。これで、お客を呼び戻すことができる』（東京・神田のMパチンコ店主）と、テレコン・マシンをパチンコ再浮上の切り札にしようと意気込んでいる。

　大衆娯楽の王座を占めていたパチンコも、最近のインベーダーブームにお株を奪われて転廃業する業者が相次ぎ『このままでは死活問題だ』（名古屋市内のDパチンコ店）と、インベーダー対策に頭を痛めている。こうした業界再生の願いを背負って登場したのがテレコン・マシンだ。

　テレコン・マシンの遊び方は、メタル（一枚五十–七十円）を投入してゲーム開始。パチンコと同じ要領で、チューリップの代わりに設けた玉受け台に十六個の玉をはじき入れて、台の中央に取り付けたテレビ画面の数字を操作する。数字が縦に並ぶとテレビ画面はUFOゲームに早替わりし横に数字が並んだ場合はブロック崩しゲームになる。ギザギザに動き回るUFOをねらってミサイルを発射すると『ピュン』ピュン』『グワーン』という電子音も出て、インベーダーゲームのふん囲気は十分。インベーダーの楽しさに加え、景品を取る魅力もある。

　テレコン・マシンの価格は、一台約三十万円で電動式パチンコ台の約三倍だが、インベーダーの五十万円に比べると設備費は安い。このため、業界では『そろそろ先が見えてきたインベーダーに代わって、大人の健全娯楽としてヒットするのは間違いない」（テレコン・マシンを開発したT電子）『パチンコと同じく十八歳未満は入場できないので、青少年の非行問題の心配もない」（名古屋市遊技場組合）と、強気のソロバンをはじいているが、果たして思惑通りインベーダーを撃ち落とせるか……。

[photo caption]
台の中央に小型テレビを組み込みインベーダーゲームも楽しめるパンチコ台

Here is a 2-page add from Play Graph 1980-01, which seems to include different game ideas.

 

1973 Jumbo - ジャンボ by 日本自動販売機 (Nihon Jidô Hanbaiki — Nihon Jihan) & 昭和遊園機械 (Showa Yuen Kikai)

Name: Jumbo - ジャンボ
Year: 1973
Company:  日本自動販売機 (Nihon Jidô Hanbaiki — Nihon Jihan) & 昭和遊園機械 (Showa Yuen Kikai) 

Jumbo is a wonderfully oversized pachinko cabinet surrounded by a western shootout theme. I like it for the nixie tube scoring in the center.

While this flyer is small because I only could get this thumbnail image, it does show us that it was distributed under the brand name Nihon Jihan, and has the type approval number 91-8108.

If we look up type approval number 91-8108 we see it was registered by 昭和遊園機械 (Showa Yuen Kikai) in 1972.

We do not know if it was actually released in 1972 though. In fact, Jumbo does not appear in any of the annual machine catalogs. but we do know it exists in 1973 because it appears in the movie 愛欲の罠 / Aiyoku no wana aka Trapped in Lust (1973).

愛欲の罠 / Aiyoku no wana aka Trapped in Lust (1973)

愛欲の罠 / Aiyoku no wana aka Trapped in Lust (1973)
[image rotated to be upright]

 

 

 

cabinet photos taken from me by _QtQ_ of the machine at 中古タイヤ市場: 

Other photographs I had saved:

nixie tube scoring

 

Jumbo appears in a number of hotel game room pictures:

 

~1920s one sen pachinko by unknown

Name: one sen pachinko (real name unknown)

Year: ~1920s

Company: unknown 

This early machine uses a large ball, not a small pachinko ball. There are a handful of European machines that use this size of ball.  Note the size of the hole comes out of.

This machine was on display at the Pachinko Museum (パチンコ博物館).

visible on the far left  (from the Pachinko Museum pamphlet)

image of the face of the game

 

machine on the left.  (from the Pachinko Museum pamphlet)

 

There is a similar machine in a famous catalogue that is estimated from around 1929.

１錢の玉遊び [No. 16] (A ball game played with 1 sen) by 日本娯楽機製作所 (Japan Amusement Machine Manufacturing)

There are a few notable differences between this machine the photographed machine above, but they are both strikingly similar.  This one also has the meshed hoop ball entrances, the hole layout is adjusted slightly, and this one appears to have a coin-return slot.

I have encountered a few other machines with a similarly large ball, but even these are extremely obscure (presumed) British games.

1933 Top Hat British Manufacturing Co (archive)

 

snooker-themed allwin-style game

WIN pocket from the above snooker machine

pocket from the game at the Pachinko Museum

Each of these pockets has 3 horizontal bands and one center vertical band.  I believe the British machines are late 1920s, though it's hard to say for sure since documentation is scarce.  While I am leaving this machine as ~1920s, it might be early 1930s.  That Top Hat machine is listed as 1933...

This Bolland machine was listed as "1930s", but I have yet to get that confirmed.  as you can see by the ball hole, this is another large ball game.

The 3 Sixes by Bolland

 

Another Bolland machine that appears to use a similar ball, but very different gameplay:

1930s Beat The Goalie by Bollands

 

 

One thing I look for is the ratio of Ball Hall size to coin slot size. we can see similar examples of large ball games if we look back a decade or two earlier.

1910 The Cresset by Cresset Auto Machine Co.

 look at the ball hole size:

 

Pickwick:

A look at the balls:

we can also see larger balls used in earlier French machines:

French slot machine, stamped inside A Bessmann

 

As best I can tell, the use of larger balls began with Pickwick style machines, but then fell out of fashion in the early 1930s.

A few German wall machines post-World War II used similarly sized white balls, with a number of popular machines in the late 60s and into the 70s. Many of these German machines were imported into Japan in the 1970s, and a number of Japanese arcade machines in the 1970s copied aspects of the German designs.

1972 Time 80 - タイム・エイティー by 日本自動販売機 (Nihon Jidô Hanbaiki — Game Mate Jihan) & ユニバーサル (Universal)

 

Name: Time 80 - タイム・エイティー

Year: 1972

Company: 日本自動販売機 (Nihon Jidô Hanbaiki — Game Mate Jihan) & ユニバーサル (Universal)

 

Time 80 is a popular arcade game where the player has to hit a number of pachinko jackpots in a limited amount of time. I have identified four artwork and cabinet variations of this game.  

The first two have the iconic lion head prize dispenser, but different bezel art. The latter two have a stencil of a race car on the cabinet.  One of the race car variants has a speaker grille.

This machine appears to have been copied by Play-Mate - プレイメイト by 新潟ジューク (Niigata Juke), but in all fairness there were already a number of similar games on the market since the 1960s.

The earliest appearance so far, with the original and more obscure artwork, was in March 1972.

Amusement 1972 – 03

We have scanned and shared two Universal corporate guides. In these documents, it lists Time 80 as 1970. That feels like a major discrepancy, and I wonder if that is one the project began and not when the game was released? Normally with a corporate document like that would I would defer to it, but in this case I am going to leave the year as 1972 until I can find further information.

If anyone has any corroborating evidence about Time 80 in 1970 or 1971, I would love to see it!

 

Excerpt from Universal corporate profile, approximately ~1981

If it was created in 1970, it was advertised as a new machine from Nihon Jidô Hanbaiki in 1972.

Amsuement 1972-06

 Transcription:

いつも特異な製品を出して人気のある“日本自動販売機”がまたまた放ったヒット製品 『タイム80″がそれ。スピード時代にふさわしい時間に挑戦するスリルに富んだ面白いゲーム機。20円を入れると80秒間はどんなに早く打っても良い。その間に首尾よく10コのタマが入れば、キャラメルのおまけがでてくる仕掛け、 子供達にとっては、また一つの遊びの魅力が増えたようであり、人気をさらうことであろう。
<仕様> 高さ 1670/m 巾 670mm 奥行 465/m
電力 AC100V40W
重量 55kg
<問合せ先> 日本自動販売機株式会社
本社 東京都中央区日本橋通2の1(大同生命館709号室)
電話03 (271) 4547~8
大阪(営)大阪府守口市佐太平町3-37
電話06(903) 0240

Machine translation:

"Japan Vending Machine", which is always popular for its unique products, has released another hit product, "Time 80". It is a thrilling and interesting game machine that challenges the time suitable for the speedy era. After inserting 20 yen, you can play as fast as you want for 80 seconds. If you successfully get 10 balls in during that time, you will get a free caramel. It seems that another attraction for children has been added to the game, and it will surely be popular.
<Specifications> Height 1670/m Width 670mm Depth 465/m
Power AC100V40W
Weight 55kg
<Contact> Japan Vending Machine Co., Ltd.
Headquarters 2-1 Nihonbashi-dori, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Room 709, Daido Life Building)
Tel: 03 (271) 4547~8
Osaka (office) 3-37 Satahira-cho, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka
Tel: 06 (903) 0240

 

Time 80 does not appear in the 1972 machine directory, but does appear in the 1973 machine directory (which was printed at the end of 1972).

1973 machine directory

This is the most well-known version, with the sports car art and the lion-head dispenser.

In later versions, the lion head is gone, replaced by a rectangular slot. The cabinet now has a stencil of a race car.

I have no date reference for this specific cabinet, so I am assuming it is around 1973

In an advertisement from 1973, we can see an illustration of Time 80 with this stencil, blue cabinet, no speaker panel.

Amusement 1973 – 05

The off-white cabinet seems more obscure than this typical blue cabinet.

I am not considering the blue and off-white cabinets as separate games. But there is one more variation.

This version of Time 80 has a speaker grille

instead of the circular holes the grille here is horizontal lines.
For the sake of the database, I am considering these to be the same machine.

 

this manufacturer plate is from the machine above, with the horizontal speaker grille.
TAN 91-5539
日本自動販売機

 

 

1973 is the last year I have for any games by Nihon Jidô Hanbaiki, and you can read all of the notes I have compiled about them.

Except for the very first version that we talked about, every Time 80 has the universal logo displayed front and center.  This game would be followed up quickly by New Time 80.