24 Cup
Wonders were only one manufacturer to produce giant 24 cup allwins and they made them in different guises. The large number of winning cups belied the chance of success. A win gave you one penny back plus a free go, so a profit was possible but unlikely. |
Wondermatics 1950s
3 Ball Nine Cup
The Three Ball series of allwins (3 Ball Forks, 3 Ball Seven Win and 3 Ball Nine Cup) were introduced very late in the day. They attempted to entice players back from the bells and whistles of electro-mechanical games with three shots for a penny plus an automatic jackpot. Innovative design included the method of separating the balls and lifting them to the firing position and an automatic, self-metering jackpot. Operators could set the maximum jackpot and individual payouts. Get a ball in the cup to win; three consecutive wins takes the jackpot. Complexity made it expensive to produce, by the '60s all-mechanical slot machines were considered passé, and from an operator's standpoint, game play was too slow. This is the rarest of the three games. |
Bryans 1961
All-Win
This all-British take on the already familiar five-win game is notable for its fashionable Art Deco styling, with black enamelled sheet metal cabinet and secure cast metal bow-fronted cashbox door. |
Hawtins 1930s
Bomber Command
This was one of several small war-themed allwins produced by BMCo either during World War Two or the immediate post-war period. Others were Fleet Air Arm, Dawn Patrol, and D Day. The ball must be dropped into the central gap between the two 'lose' cups, whereupon a bell rings, a coin is automatically delivered to the player and the ball returns for another shot. The target light, top left, is illuminated to show that the machine is 'on'. Originally it would appear these were powered by battery although surviving examples work from the mains supply via a transformer. |
BMCo 1940s
Boomerang
Insert a penny in the slot on the top right hand side to release a ball bearing into play. The aim is to shoot the ball into one of the winning cups on the playfield. If successful 2, 4 or 6 coins can be won. The playfield departs radically from the ubiquitous spiral track. The eccentric layout results in fast play as the ball ricochets between the runners. In keeping with the game's theme, skillful control is rewarded with a returned ball for repeat plays. |
Wondermatics 1950s
Cannon Balls
Like Steeple Chase and Big Wheel, this giant allwin has a three-tiered layout, which diverts winning balls on the upper galleries to the lower galleries when the payout handle is turned, making multiple wins possible. Cannon Balls' has an exceptionally generous playfield, with four 3D win targets on the top gallery (compared with three 2D targets on the sister games) plus four bonus 'mystery win' cups which divert the ball for a free play or a 3D win. What's more, there's a setting to allow a free turn after a win on the bottom gallery. This must surely have been Wonders' least profitable allwin! |
Wondermatics 1950s
Chip or Bust
An unconventional allwin with a central lose hole situated a few inches along the track from the single winning target. Great delicacy of touch is required to prevent the ball from overshooting the target as it quickly spirals inwards. As the name suggests, it's all or nothing, but the 12 penny prize for success is high. The spiral layout used on first generation allwins is revived to create a tantalising and fast game. |
Wondermatics Unknown date
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