
Retreeva
Retreeva
This is the most ingenious of Bryan's ball catching games and one of the most entertaining wall machines made. Unfortunately, it was a little too innovative for the average punter, who couldn't be bothered to read instructions. It's a souped-up version of the more commercially successful Payramid, although the mechanism is remarkably dissimilar. The Payramid gave you eight balls; the Reteeva only five, which pop out from the top of the playfield as you crank the handle on the left. The knob on the right controls the two sets of fingers. The idea is to catch all five balls with the top fingers to win. The prize for winning (set by the operator) could be a free go, your coin back, or a free go and your coin back (with the chance to make a profit by winning again). What lifts the game above its rivals is the chance it offers to retrieve lost balls with the second set of fingers. Balls that are missed by both sets of fingers rest at the bottom, but a ball caught in the lower fingers releases them back into play. This results in extended play and makes winning possible until the last ball is lost. Tactically, it's sometimes necessary to avoid catching the ball at the top in order to recoup lost balls. The operator could alter the odds by adjusting the gap between the fingers. |
Bryans