Ball catching games

Videos of vintage slot machines in action.
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slotalot
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Re: Skill Games

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Kicker Catcher Penny Arcade Football Game

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O-Bajazzo 1955

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German Wall Machine From 1955. O-Bajazzo

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Re: Skill Games

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Bajazzo, 1926
Notice this unusual version has reduced player control to a single knob which raises the ball and moves the clown. Payout is via gravity feed brass wheel.



Bajazzo played in Gauselmann Museum, Lübbecke



Another Clown being played

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Re: Bajazzo Jentzsch & Meerz

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Jentzsch & Meerz Bajazzo

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Re: Skill Games

Post by pennymachines »

Bryans Payramid, 1960

Another excellent video from Slot Machine Depot showing details of the mechanism.

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Re: Ball catching games

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OK, all other aspects aside, which catcher game do you find the most FUN to play. I like the Payramind and Retreeva-style ones well enough, but I think I enjoy playing the "American style" kicker-catcher ones even more.
There's something about the "illusion of control" when you're also the one flicking the ball into the pin-field.

Also not as much of a fan of machines that use bearings / marbles that are on the smaller side.
Would love to hear opinions
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Re: Ball catching games

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Personally I have never found Bryans catchers interesting, especially Payramids and Retreevas - I lose interest very quickly. The Retreeva has a great presence though. This machine changed hands quick as it only sold on Colcon (Elephant) in the last couple of weeks and I did see in person. I thought the paint job was more recent than a showman machine, but who knows? One observation though, as the video mentioned, I have noticed Retreevas have continued to drop in price and a number have sold in recent years around the two grand mark, whereas they used to be double that. I wonder where the Bryans collectors are going... !PUZZLED! Thanks for sharing. Nice cash tray by the way.
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Re: Ball catching games

Post by arrgee »

Anyone know if the top set of forks in this machine are a 'standard' width for the Retreeva? They look quite wide, at least compared to the Payramid - but then I find the Payramid forks frustratingly narrow, even on the widest setting !!
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Re: Ball catching games

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Unsure what the standard width is. Is there any advertising copy we can check?
I've seen Retreeva photos that look wide like the video, and just the width of two pins.
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Re: Ball catching games

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treefrog wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 5:49 pm Personally I have never found Bryans catchers interesting, especially Payramids and Retreevas - I lose interest very quickly. The Retreeva has a great presence though.
Obviously, with the range of slot machines out there it's up to each individual as to what 'floats their boat'. Though I have to say that from my own experience, I'd recommend both the Payramid and Retreeva as classic and very entertaining penny slot games of skill. In the case of the Payramid, the ability to obtain multiple pay-outs and a jackpot and in the case of the Retreeva, the 'game-play' of the challenge to exercise skill on two sets of forks (and the ability to recover 'lost' balls back into play). Great fun; and compared to a bandit where, with respect to collectors, you pull a handle and leave it to chance and might as well walk away and make a cup of tea! No skill generally on a bandit and it's only going to automatically pay out your own money.
treefrog wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 5:49 pmOne observation though, as the video mentioned, I have noticed Retreevas have continued to drop in price and a number have sold in recent years around the two grand mark, whereas they used to be double that.
I'm aware of one Retreeva which changed hands for over £4,500, but generally prices have been lower than that, so I don't think it's fair to say that they have declined in price and halved in value. I think that was a buyable machine, but at the end of the day if people don't bid, then it goes for what it goes for. Remember, it was in a 'no reserve' auction in which a streamline Clock went for £300, a Hawtins for £380 and a Fireworks for around £560. Seems to me that a few items went cheaper than expected. If I hadn't got a Retreeva, I can definitely say that it would have been coming my way as I'd have had more for it.
I'm just making these comments to show another slant.

As to the forks on the Retreeva which Arrgee asked about. Basically, rods on the back of the forks are fastened to the crank by bolts, so they can be adjusted to change the aperture. On my Retreeva the upper forks are narrower and the lower ones wider. However, in the game in the recently posted video, it can be seen that despite the upper forks being quite wide it is still hard to catch all balls - but also, occasionally equally hard to avoid catching the balls when you want to.
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Re: Ball catching games

Post by pennymachines »

EDIT TO ADD: - posted before I read the above. :cool:
arrgee wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 1:35 pm Anyone know if the top set of forks in this machine are a 'standard' width for the Retreeva?
The upper fork is set quite wide in the video. There's a red painted nut behind the upper and lower fork allowing the operator to set them wide or narrow, as desired (continuously variable). So you can make the game longer by widening the lower fork, or easier to win by widening the upper fork. There's also a switch to give winners coin return only, balls return only, or coin and balls returned. Flyer

To me the question, 'which is your favourite machine?' is easy. The Retreeva reigns supreme. The mechanism is quite different from the Payramid and a small miracle of proficient design. Received opinion is that it failed because it was too complicated for players to understand. This seems odd now when you compare it to the complex play of modern digital games.

The Trickler also gives good play value, but the lack of monetary reward limits its appeal slightly.
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Re: Ball catching games

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I wondered if would get a kick back, love stirring the pot occasionally it livens up the site a bit. :HaHa:

I certainly would never compare any skill game to a bandit and never did. I also own many skill machines, especially two player games and love them, but the Payramid is too quick, the Retreeva at least gives a second chance. I wonder what the operator view was in terms of customer interest and return play was or is for current arcade owners...

My point on prices is that Retreevas use to be between £3000 and £3500 and most have sold way below this in last couple of years, some lower than the one above ;-) , whereas Payramids potentially have gone the other way......

Mind you I will always stand by the view that Bryans worse machine and possibly the worse skill machine ever made was the Rippler, I would rather caress my eyeballs with chilli sauce before going to bed than play one of these (and oddly I owned one once, still been cleaning my eyes since)
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Re: Ball catching games

Post by arrgee »

Reading through the Bryan's flyer, I see that it states "The wide setting of the fingers is a terrific attraction" so my original question answered, thanks mr pm.

Friend of mine has a Payramid and in the 12 years he has owned it, the jackpot has only been won twice! It does look like the Retreeva is easier to win than the Payramid but I like to think of these two games (and also the classic Clown) as 'reaction testers' rather than catchers.
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Re: Ball catching games

Post by pennymachines »

The forks on the '30s Payramid were continuously adjustable, like the 1946 Retreeva, but on the '60s Payramid there were four positions, selectable by moving a red split pin.
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Re: Ball catching games

Post by badpenny »

My favourite ball catching machine has always been Slick. That's as both a player and a collector.
For those not familiar Click Here

It's more of an amusement or skill game than a gambling one as you may get your penny back.
What grabs me most is that each of the five balls face three different ways of being caught.
After I've played Payramid, Retreeva or a Clown a couple of times I find them just more of the same. I've never felt any need to do anything different with a Rippler than walk past hoping to encounter a painted board to watch for a while.

BP
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Re: Ball catching games

Post by cait001 »

Slick is amazing but alas I doubt I'll ever have a chance to purchase one.

I do think Retreeva is a better game for having at home than Payramid.
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Re: Ball catching games

Post by meccano »

What size ball bearings are used in a 1930s - 40s J F Frantz kicker catcher game?
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