The Undiscovered

[coppinpr]

Post split from Very old amusement arcade - Site Admin.

I'm still working on the collection of photos I acquired (when I have time). This one has come up well (even the instructions are clear to read) but even after reading them, I'm at a loss as to what the left-hand lever did? I assume the right lever flicked the ball and the centre wheel allowed the player to aim the ball, but the left lever?? block or clear a window? Anyone know?

[pennymachines]

It's one of the most weird and wonderful games from the Bolland's stable, and sadly none are known to have survived.
The instructions do in fact explain the three controls. It adheres to the usual format of these early coin return two player machines (like Ping Pong, Diabolo etc.):

The Latest Novelty
IN FOOTBALL.
THE WINDOW BREAKER
DIRECTIONS
Place Penny in Slot. Turn Centre Knob to left to bring ball
into play. Then endeavour to shoot ball into either window
when figures will appear & coin will be returned.
When ball goes over the fence, money is lost.

So the centre knob just gives you the ball and the right and left levers fire it towards the right and left targets (window apertures).

[coppinpr]

I didn't realize it was a two-player machine, I thought the windows were at one end only

[pennymachines]

Automatic Obstacle Race

[john t peterson]

Looks like a combination of "Within the Maze" and "Trickler," Mr. PM.

J Peterson

[pennymachines]

It has something in common with Bryans Double Top - the slightly unusual concept of two players racing to complete a challenge on separate, identical playfields.

[pennymachines]

Bollands The Battle

[pennymachines]

Snakes & Ladders

[pennymachines]

First Pop

[pennymachines]

Mono Rail Skittle Alley, New Polyphon Supply Co., c1910 (image courtesy Sweetmeats)

[cait001]

Mono Rail Skittle Alley, New Polyphon Supply Co., c1910 (image courtesy Sweetmeats)

Oh wow, what a great find!!! Thank you for sharing. I wonder what specific mechanisms they used to set the pins?
There are very few coin-op machines that attempted a bowling naco setup.

[pennymachines]

Pardon my ignorance, but what's a "bowling naco setup"?
On the bottom of the flyer, it says, "The Machines may be set up to knock down any number or all skittles by taking away or adding more balls. Will take either half-penny, or penny, or both".

[cait001]

Like most simple arcade machines, it's a variation on an old kid's game. These would be the kind of game where a ball rolls down a ramp or chute and you have an ability to aim/deflect it towards some pins.
Here's a great example.

[brigham]

Fascinating.
What's the etymology?

[coppinpr]

Actually, there isn't really much of one, the modern use of the term "monorail" is generally considered to mean a type of railway but even that is based on the original meaning "single rail" so not much has changed.

If you're referring to "naco bowling", this appears to refer to bowling games where the player has no actual contact with the balls, and is the original name I believe. The term at least originated in Belgium.

[arrgee]

Interesting game cait001. Does the 'D' handle on the right bring the pins upright again when pulled whilst the wooden handle on the left locks the 'aiming bar' in place when turned, or is the handle connected to a mech that releases the ball down the ramp?

[pennymachines]

So is 'naco' a Belgian acronym for something?

[cait001]

I do not know if the D handle raises the pins there, or is perhaps just for carrying it.

I am not an expert on European table games, but thankfully there are a number of them out there. I am grateful to these site creators, but also keep in mind that these are general overviews and have a number of errors.
specifically I'm thinking of how no one in Europe seems to know that Japanese Rolling Ball isn't just a clever name the French came up with! LOL but seriously it's hard to do "game research" past about 1890 or so. For the longest time it was never seen as academically worthwhile to do so. A bit of a trifle.. a bit of a... bagatelle? ;)
http://jeux-anciens.fr/categorie/jeu-de-cafe/
https://www.jeuxpicards.org/
https://www.wellouej.com/blog/nos-prestations/
(you can see the deep ancestral roots of all arcade history within)


I think someone posted this here years ago, but there is at least one British machine that adapted the "bowling naco" style aiming mechanism:

Penny Pool 1.jpg (305.95 KiB) Viewed 1216 times

I believe a handful of German coinop machines in the 1930s also utilized this aiming convention.

[pennymachines]

Looks a bit like an ancestor of Sky Jump.

[cait001]

Looks a bit like an ancestor of Sky Jump.

Wow, where's this one from? I thought I had a good grasp of these ones but never seen a double track before.