Ball catching games

[slotalot]

Kicker Catcher Penny Arcade Football Game

[slotalot]

German Wall Machine From 1955. O-Bajazzo

[pennymachines]

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

[paulbohlmann]

Jentzsch & Meerz Bajazzo

[pennymachines]

Bryans Payramid, 1960

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

[cait001]

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

[treefrog]

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... Thanks for sharing. Nice cash tray by the way.

[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 !!

[cait001]

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.

[coin-op]

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.

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'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.