1977 Jupiter-30 - ジュピター30 by ベンドジャパン (Vend Japan) & 大平技研 (Ohira Giken — Yuvo)

Name: Jupiter-30 - ジュピター30

Year: 1977

Company:  ベンドジャパン (Vend Japan) & 大平技研 (Ohira Giken — Yuvo)

 

Jupiter-30 is the very first game from YUVO that I have recorded.  It was sold/distributed by Vend Japan.  Jupiter-50 and Jupiter-300 will also be discussed in this article.

Here is a flyer I purchased, front and back:

Jupiter-30 - ジュピター30 by ベンドジャパン (Vend Japan) & 大平技研 (Ohira Giken — Yuvo)

Jupiter-30 - ジュピター30 by ベンドジャパン (Vend Japan) & 大平技研 (Ohira Giken — Yuvo)

 

 

from the front:

 Transcription:

JUPITER-30
10円又は100円→3段階チャレンジが選択できるプライズマシン。
景品展示窓付。景品(たばこ大) 約80個収納可。金庫10円玉6,000枚収納可。
JUPITER-50
10円、20円→メタル販売機付。メタル配当5枚、10枚、50枚の3段階ステップ・チャレンジ方式。ホッパー採用。
JUPITER-300
本格的メタルGマシン。当り倍率2、5、30の3段階。チャレンジ倍率は追加メタル投入により1~10倍。
配当はチャレンジ倍率×当り倍率の枚数。チャレンジ倍率表示ランプ付。ホッパー採用。

Machine translation:

JUPITER-30
A prize machine with three-stage challenge options for 10 yen or 100 yen coins.
Includes a prize display window. Holds approximately 80 prizes (large cigarettes). Safe holds 6,000 10-yen coins.
JUPITER-50
Includes a medal vending machine for 10 yen and 20 yen coins. Three-stage challenge system with metal payouts of 5, 10, or 50 coins. Features a hopper.
JUPITER-300
A full-fledged Metal G machine. Three win multipliers: 2, 5, or 30. Challenge multipliers range from 1x to 10x by adding additional medal.
Payouts are calculated as the challenge multiplier multiplied by the number of coins with the win multiplier. Features a challenge multiplier indicator lamp. Features a hopper. 

30 is for winning cigarettes. 50 looks the same but uses a coin hopper to payout medals.  I have never seen a picture of Jupiter-300 so I do not know if it uses the same case, but it ups the medal gambling aspects and offers a chance for larger payouts.

Jupiter-30 is one of 3 machines in the series. 30 and 50 use the same cabinet except with the 30 altered to 50.  30 is a prize machine, where rolls of cigarettes can be won!  

 

Let's take a look at how the gameplay works on Jupiter-30:

According to the back of the flyer, you insert a 10 yen coin and flick it up at the sun.  The sun is attached to a motor and rotates.  You can see a translucent plastic column around the rocket in the center.  If the coin goes down that chute you get to shoot it again.

There are six planets and hitting any of them will cause the reels at the bottom to spin. If you stop each drum at the right position I think it awards you that prize.  I am actually kind of unsure about the specifics of the gameplay of this portion, given how the flyer is written (and my lack of understanding the Japanese language).

Besides the Sun I can make out Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, what I presume is Saturn, and then I can't see the writing on the lower-right one. 

 

Game Machine 1977-08-15

In this advertisement we can see how Jupiter-50 appears to have an identical cabinet:

Coin Journal 1977-11

Jupiter-50 - ジュピター50 by ベンドジャパン (Vend Japan) & 大平技研 (Ohira Giken — Yuvo)

Only difference here is that there is no prize display in the main window.

I hope we one day find evidence of a Jupiter-300 cabinet.

1974 Mini Swing - ミニスウィング [import] by M.S.I. & リバーストン (Riverstone)

Name: Mini Swing - ミニスウィング [import]
Year: imported 1974 [original year unknown]
Company: M.S.I. & リバーストン (Riverstone)

Mini Swing is a countertop rotary merchandiser.  You control an arm that swings, and you can press a button to pause the motion.  Time it right and it will drag a prize towards you.

The earliest I have seen a Mini-Swing in Japanese documents was 1974.

Game Machine 1974-11-30

When we last heard of リバーストン (Riverstone) they were exhibiting a number of domestic and imported machines at a private industry event.  Please see the article on Super-Scope for that.

It might be hard to discern from the B&W photo, but this lines up exactly with the M.S.I. Mini Swing.

English Instructions:

Some internal:

1977 Super-Scope [Oriental Super-Scope] - スーパースコープ by オリエンタル興業 (Oriental Kogyo)

Name: Super-Scope [Oriental Super-Scope] - スーパースコープ
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)

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.

Game Machine 1974-09-30

The full article:

Game Machine 1974-09-30

Bonanza produced their version:

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.

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.

Game Machine 1980-04-15

The payment was reduced to $8 million yen.

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.

Sega price list from 1977

 

 

"Oriental Super-Scope" sticker visible

A different version of this machine briefly appeared on YJA:

 

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.

 

detail of Jaguar Treasure by ボナンザ (Bonanza) [presumed] 

 

 

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:

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. 

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)

the dual jaguars are instantly comparable to Jaguar Treasure

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:

1974 Exciting Race - エキサイティング・レース by アムコ (Amco) & ダックス (Ducks)