What does Japan think of Pinball?

[mewzard]

I've been a gamer for many years, be it Board, Video, or hitting the arcades for some fun on actual cabinets and Pinball machines, and a decent portion of the video game side has come from Japan over the years, but if there's one thing I've always wondered about Japan...its that "Do they like Pinball?"

I know they have Pachinko (which seems more like a branched off cousin of Pinball from common ancestry), but I've never been able to figure out if they play Pinball itself.

Does Pinball get play down there? Real machines? Digital? Does The Pinball Arcade get downloaded in Japan to a decent number? Do they like the skill-focused Pinball?

I just find myself curious and I figured the odds were good that at least one person here might know.

Sorry if this is the wrong board for this, I wasn't sure where best to post it.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

DE/Sega definitely had Japanese designers and engineers for a while, and Sega of Japan made some tables in the early 70's, but I don't think it's ever been that much of a deal.

 

[Pop Sergeant]

This is a video review of Silver Ball Planet arcade in Osaka. Even the older tables look pristine. Worth a watch. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl2PkqFOybo

 

[Heretic]

Well i think the lack of pinball in japan is a lack of space and the insanity that is the pacinko loophole(gambling in all but name)

Id say japan has a decent intrest tho the almighty Little Wing(now defunct?) made some of the best digital pinball for over 20 years.(pinball tristan etc)

In one of the opening scenes of silent hill 3 their is a medievil madness in a cafe because the devolpment team got addicted to their in office machine while making the game.

edit - some of the best 80s/early 90s videogames were created in japan devils/alien/jaky crush, super pinball 1 and 2 on the snes were very impressive for a 3.5mhz cpu! and of course the many littlewing games

Ive looked into this a few times not too much info last i checked at least in english!

 

[jaredmorgs]

There is a shout out to a Tokyo Pinball Organization in the Data East PoTO display Attract Mode. FYI a Google search will turn up some interesting facts about this organization.

 

[mewzard]

This is a video review of Silver Ball Planet arcade in Osaka. Even the older tables look pristine. Worth a watch. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl2PkqFOybo

Woah, that's an insane number of tables for one place.

Didn't know there were Super Mario Bros. Pinball Tables...maybe Farside can get one of those for TPA (they are Gottlieb it seems), lol. The two level thing in Banzai Run also seemed pretty cool.

Thanks for all the info guys! This has been a nice learning experience (both in that Japan does have some love for it, and that I see a lot of awesome tables I want to try one day).

 

[p6800]

Steve Ritchie is a boss world wide! I was oogling at Rollergames between Banzai Run and No Fear.

How much could a collection like that cost today? Half a mill?

 

[Fungi]

This is a video review of Silver Ball Planet arcade in Osaka. Even the older tables look pristine. Worth a watch. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl2PkqFOybo

Wow that place is beautiful. And in Japan no less.

 

[Bowflex]

Japan was very interested in pinball...and then Python Angelo happened.