just my 2 cents worth, but you DID ask for it...
I have had a couple, but could not look at it for very long, just not enuf appeal.
some folks may love them, I don't gamble, but would hit a slot long before a pachinko.
newer ones have a computer inside, with lots of loud noise, and rattling. not for me.

Pachinko doesn't have as large of a cultural influence in the US as it does in Japan. I think most people won't know what it is. If they work people will probably enjoy them. If they are just decorations, they take up less space than a pinball machine.

I'd prefer a working pinball machine over two working pachinko machines.

There have been several of these types of pachinko machines on my local craigslist for months. Nobody seems to want them.

I found one at a yard sale years ago and kept it for a while. The mechanical aspects of it were interesting, but that was about it. Eventually put it through auction. I don't remember what it went for. It wasn't very much.

The same could be said of the noise at pinball show.

I actually just ordered a new modern pachinko machine. And I have a working older one that looks a lot like the one you have on the left. The kids like it and I can put them in places that pinball machines don't fit. Also the pachinko community is really nice!

I've played one a few times. It was a more modern one, top gun, I think. The new ones with led's and lcd screens are fun. But I have no idea wtf is going on. They seem to keep attention for a short while and then it gets old an not used. Luckily they are small compared to other games so they don't take up much space. I'd love the pinball one or the matrix.....

I bought a handfull of them for about 20 bucks, a few of them work. I'm going to retheme them to something interesting and stack them as wall art in a narrow hallway endcap.

Right now the themes I'm considering and sketching:

Ren and Stimpy Space Madness Episode
Cerebus (Comic Book)
Cuddly Rigormortis food themed art (maybe as a kitchen object)

I might also go with Chet Art Kaiju Baseball theme. I'm not big on baseball but do love Kaiju and like the art style.

I'm all for the pachinko! Go to www.pachitalk.com It's very informative and you'll find a lot of pinball guys over there too! (Emmadog and Steve Fury come to mind)

I used to have about 20 machines lined up in my basement, until my wife said she was tired picking up "pachinko poop"! Nothing more awesome than hearing that vacuum cleaner sucking up a pachinko ball!

Nishijin brand machines are the Bally of Pachinko's simply the best. The one on the left in the OP'S post is a Nishijin. Their older generation machines (older than the OP'S had a very good auto refill system.

I have a modern. You can play for hours and hours and never see the same thing twice. It's a pinball theme called "Julie" with a small interactive playfield that has flippers. I still can't figure how they do all the color changing lights and the screen is about a 1/8" thick. You better put a L-pad on one. Even turned all the way down the music is LOUD.

Julie is the bomb! I've had a bunch of old ones.....Nishijin, Sankyo, Matuya, Daiichi....single shots, recyclers, standards. The modern ones I had was Star Wars, Matrix, Tom and Jerry, Kungfu Panda, and Spiderman. Loved my powerflashes (had 3), but never got a chance to get an arrangeball.

And on the "loudness", I always added an extra pot going to the speakers, because yes....they where always too loud! I miss them, but I enjoy my pinballs more. If I had more room, I would add a few. I have my Mini Baseball (Chicago coin) and that takes care of my fix.

I just finished restoring a Sankyo for a friend.

I've always enjoyed working on them.
I started in 1972, roughly the time of
your games.

I have my originals, and still play them,
when I worked for Pachinko House, out
Of Georgia.

Anyone know anything about them from the 70s?

Enjoy playing the ones you have!
I think the older ones, in their simplicity,
are mesmerizing.

Love Pachinko!! I think they add a very unique flavor to any game room. I had one similar to yours as a child and loved it. I plan on getting several of the more modern ones as well as the slot machine type also! I say go for it Barry

Ren and stimpy....yes, great show and episode. Space madness....push the shiny red button!!

If you don't have any pins, I would say Trade them..... if you're filled to capacity hang on the wall and make them light up as a colorful addition. And keep saving up for a solid state.

I like the old "computer pachinko" versions, that give you a set # of balls and keep a score. Makes it moreof a discrete game than an ongoing gambling experience.
They look almost exactly the same, just have a small electronic score window.

Too bad the Chicagoland branch of The Pachinko Factory is gone. On Milwaukee Ave. Just North of Dempster in Niles. They had skids of used machines shipped in and restored them on-site. It was a neat place.

I have two, Star Wars which is modern and very cool and a flying carpet semi modern but still has some toys.Kids like them since it's just keep on popping balls out and eventually something will happen.
That being said I doubt I would like the old ones.

Before I could afford pinball machines I thought of taking the $30 CL Pachinko machine as a fix. Asked online if it plugged into the wall, they said for a few little lights.

Having little to no electronics in the equation wouldn't be as cool for me. Glad I passed on it. On the other hand, I was sad when I figured out EMs don't have attract mode and I was set to buy one, but I got over that and now love EMs and collect them almost primarily. I have come to appreciate the lack of an attract mode on these games and still love them on the newer machines, of course.

Flasher lamps are the attract mode.

My uncle left one in my care a couple years ago, with the request that I "fix" it. Because I have pinball machines, therefore I must be able to, and want to, fix an old "pinball" like that.

I quickly figured out it what it was (hadn't heard of pachinko before), and that it actually worked fine - it was a 70's nishjin one, it only needed power for a couple lights. Although he kept all the balls so I couldn't do much in the line of testing or playing with it.

I've seen a modern one that I would love, a Macross Robotech one. It has a joystick and some sort of built in video game. Not much exists online for gameplay videos or instructions. This one must be in high demand, because there is a broken one on epay right now for $1200 US plus shipping.

Been thinking of getting a less expensive modern one to tinker with.

Hi Barry +
I do NOT know "Pachinko-Games". I wonder if they function the same way as the old little machines - I seldom played (when visiting an arcade-room for playing pinball). It was 1970ies - the machine was called "Sputnik" - I throw-in a "20 Cent Swiss Coin" - I launch one little ball - it spins aound in a circle maybe two rounds (like an sputnik orbiting) - and then the ball comes down I say through a "Bagatelle" or "Galton-Table": https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galtonbrett

I could turn a knob to move a "spoon" sideways - IF I COULD CATCH the ball: I was rewarded by THREE Coins of 20 Swiss-Cents (I rareley succeded).

I could not find an picture of these pure mechanical 1970ies machine - pic-1 and pic-2 show "more modern machines" with "1 Swiss-Franc equals 100 Swiss-Cents" Coin - and also 2 Swiss-Franc-Coin. On the second picture the "knob to turn to move the spoon sideways" is good to see.

A long, long time ago: Very old model of such a machine: The "Bajazzo" in picture-3. Greetings Rolf

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I dig the old ones...

Woah Bajazzo is super cool!
Those Galtonbrett machines remind me of the super fascinating Payazzo / Pajatso machines from Finland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payazzo
I wonder how more more cool 20th century pin games like this I haven't heard about from Europe?

edit: Kronespill from Norway http://www.pinballclicks.com/article/2009/kronespill-norways-flick-coin-game-74

Hi
a friend of mine owns a "Sputnik 1980ies (?) model". The pictures I made with my mobile phone - no good quality. Top-Down the machine measures 71 centimeter, Left-Right are 45 centimeter, Thickness is 23 centimeters. The second picture shows the "spoon to catch the ball". The distance to travel (spoon) "outmost-left to outmost-right" is 18 centimeter. This is done by turning the "big knob" 180 degrees (half of a revolution).

Think of a Yard equals 10 Deciyards equals 100 Centiyards equals 1000 Milliyards. A Yard is about 10% shorter than a Meter (is 0.9144 Meter).
Top-Down the machine measures about 65 centiyards, Left-Right are about 41 centiyards, Thickness is about 21 centiyards. Travel-Distance is 16 to 17 centiyards. Greetings Rolf

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Bump,MrBally,that is correct! They are fun,and add a fun sideshow for your arcade area!Also,the 2 you show can be lit up real easy!!

I have started restoring the 70 versions and find it very satisfying. i do most of my pachinko restoration in the winter down in the basement. when it to cold to work in the garage on my em pins. i think they are a great add to any game room and appeal to the wives and girl friends. Be prepared to be a pachinko attendant cause they will burn through a ton of balls.

I have a classic from 1965 but I also have several new ones. Jurassic Park, Top Gun, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I love them. I just moved to our new house and I am working on the mounting boxes for the wall, They all will take wall space that cannot be used for any other kind of machine. The new ones have LCD screens, very colorful light shows and cool themes. It adds a lot of color and decoration to my gameroom in my opinion. Most people have never seen them so they are always a subject of conversation.

I have owned several. I like the old mechanical ones. Also the newer but fully mechanical ones are cool. Still have a couple and plan on mounting to be wall. Easy to work on. Mostly bending stuff and clearing out jams. You will need a stick magnet and a good pair of plyers. Also the bulbs are higher than pinball voltage. A 9v battery works a. You have a fill jackpot tray light and a jackpot light most of the time.

That message board always makes me smile because it auto-sends me a birthday greeting even though I never remember to actually go there!

I have a Julie and a BTTF one. I got them, played them for a few hours, thought they were interesting but I would need a ton more of the balls if I set them up because they run out fast. I figure within a year I'm going to decide if they have a place or if they will be hitting the road... they both look AWESOME though.

What are people's favourite pachinko's that DO NOT have a portion of the game realestate taken up by a screen? Are there any particularly cool layouts?

I have 4 older machines and love them! Simple mechanical machines that are fun to play. In the late 60's early 70's my Dad was stationed in Hawaii and a friend had one. I wanted one from then on. My first I bought from an antique mall and then I went crazy for a bit and bought 3 more. My wife said 4 was enough and not to buy anymore pachinkos. That's when I bought my Jungle Queen....Hahaha! I told her it wasn't a pachinko machine. Then I bought 2 more pinballs, A Spirit of 76 and a Hotline.
I think it's cool that the pachinkos use leaf switches like the EM machines.
Oh and

I bought an extra mechanic's magnet (telescoping type) to keep by the machines that is awesome for picking up pachinko balls!!

I'm currently looking for a nice Daiichi machine. I love the angled front glass.

daiichi (resized).jpg

FYI,Pachinko was developed by the Japanese,after WW11!They saw pinball machines for the first time,inThe post exchange,and service clubs! The asians have a love for gambling,and had a abundance of brass shell casings to work with! So,they developed the Pachinko machine! The real older ones are made completely from metal casings! I know,cause my best friends Dad brought his Son home one,from Japan,in 1950! Even now,pachinko parlors are very popular! You buy the balls like chips,and try to add,and cash in!!Fun!!

Seems like this thread is attracting more fans than grumpy people like me. This may not be a popular opinion, but I hate the things. I've worked on several and I now turn down any more repairs. Not because it is difficult, I just don't enjoy working on them at all.

I also won't take one even if it is given to me. Sorry for being the Debbie Downer, but you asked for everyone's opinions.

Haha! That's why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream!

On a more positive post here's my newest machine

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Here's my oldest.

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Look into a 1970's Nishijan. You would want an Automatic machine that recycles the balls in the middle tray.
This is so much better than those that drop to a tray at the bottom.
No more refilling the top every 15 minutes!

Heres a pic of one, and the back, and you can see the ball tray in the middle.

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Fixed one for a friend a few years back. Interesting mechanically, but I played it enough to know it wasn't for me. It was in my gameroom for maybe two weeks. I'm still finding pachinko balls on the gameroom floor.

Cool look, refined pin layout.

Does that have a digital score counter in the bottom left rectangle there?
I really want one that also keeps score so it can be played more as a discrete game.

anyone that has a modern pachinko (which appears it feeds balls automatically with some sort of motor).. Does this ruin the experience? Seems like the point of pachinko is one big game of skill shot.

Does anybody make some kind of powered ball lift for the type that drop the ball at the bottom? That alone would stop me from having to open it up during parties to refill the top bin.

I have figured out a way to add a few solenoids to the machine so I can add a button on the front to "pay out" a jack pot to get the game going. But if I had a elevator I would never have to open it.

Here's a few of my favorites that I used to have! Sold them all...sniff, sniff!

I still fix them for folks. I find that most people have some story behind the machine, so they really appreciate the restore.

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That is a window that shows you the 14 prize payout balls for the next ball you land in a scoring hole. That's an easy way to determine a "recycling" type of machine from the front.

yes, i have seen them before. google pachinko ball lifter.

There are new style auto launching models with mechanical not video centers. I had a fun Tako unit. I do have a slant window I want to sell, but not ship. I would say one or two are fun. Also the recyclers are nice but more prone to jamming and needs to be perfectly level in order to work right.

*bump* anyone have an arrangeball for sale?