Sapporo

[oldgiza]

This afternoon I had a wonderful opportunity to play the Sapporo pinball table, which is probably the only electro-mechanical pinball available to the public in New Zealand. It is in the Putt Hut (a mini-golf center) in Palmerston North, in the south of the North Island. It was produced in December 1971 in time for the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.

Only a handful of machines remain operational today — one is playable at the Japan Game Museum in Inuyama, Japan, while another is kept at Sega's corporate headquarters and occasionally shown at company exhibitions. The one at the Putt Hut is in urgent need of repair - one of the kick-holes is broken. I'm just wondering if anyone else besides me would be interested in urging FarSight to put it in the PA.

 

[Espy]

Not going to happen, I'm afraid. It's an EM - a kiss of death in itself - but it's also by a manufacturer FS don't have the rights to. It's SEGA, but pre-Stern SEGA. In fact, pre-video games SEGA. So I don't think FS's contract will cover that. Plus there might be a licence fee for the Olympic Games.

Sorry to dampen your expectations!

 

[Zaphod77]

Licensing from the olympics is not an issue. it simply has a ski theme, and a torch on the backglass. it wasn't licensed then either.

They would have to deal with sega of japan though.

 

[oldgiza]

Sorry to dampen your expectations!

Sob! Sob! Sob!

(Sorry to dampen your computer!

Ah well. I can dream.

 

[oldgiza]

Licensing from the olympics is not an issue. it simply has a ski theme, and a torch on the backglass. it wasn't licensed then either.

They would have to deal with sega of japan though.

Yes, quite so.

Since Sapporo is not a Olympic Games Licensed Pinball Table, it uses a generic skiing theme to avoid litigation issues. The only nod to the Games is on the backglass, where a woman is prominently featured holding a flaming torch.

Source: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Pinball/Sapporo

 

[Espy]

Licensing from the olympics is not an issue. it simply has a ski theme, and a torch on the backglass. it wasn't licensed then either.

They would have to deal with sega of japan though.

I see! I was just second guessing based on what little I knew of the table. Still, an EM they don't have the rights to. Not likely...

 

[oldgiza]

I played it again earlier today, and doubled my high score. (Just thought I'd mention that.) It's *great* fun! I love all pinball, especially EMs, but that old table is the most fun I've had in a long time.

 

[Metalzoic]

That dude on the backglass is pretty fat for an Olympic skier.