Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Arcade Collecting => Miscellaneous Arcade Talk => Topic started by: SavannahLion on February 26, 2008, 11:23:40 pm
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There's this racing game of sorts. It consists of a sloping grade with a set of holes arranged in a a pattern similar to bowling pins. The holes have colored rings (the colors vary) generally denoting 1, 2 or 3 points scored. Miss any of the holes and a catchall captures the ball for zero points.
The balls appear to be a hard plastic and have a good weight to them. The balls are roughly the size of billiard balls.
I've seen this game range from as few as ten players to as many as twenty. The players are arranged shoulder to shoulder. Usually the players will sit on fixed bar stool type seats. I've seen one that was a long straight bench. Probably an anomaly put there by a too cheap operator.
Along the wall in front of the player is a series of mechanical "racers" on a linear track. I've seen the racers as horses, camels, gold miners, dogs, etc. The racers typically race from right to left. Each racer has a number matching the number lane each player is at. As a player drops the ball scoring 1, 2 or 3 points, the racer moves forward an equal number of notches until one racer reaches the finish line on the left.
It's hard to tell how the racers move, but it appears to be a motor that rotates a cam which animates the racer and moves the racer the appropriate number of notches.
I've seen this game at fixed locations like Circus Circus, but I've seem smaller portable versions at most well equipped fairs. There's always an operator (usually a bored teenager) situated between the players and rollers so they can run up and down the player line up and grab the money they throw out.
The game is a prize based game so prizes are given out with each winner. Generally the size of the prize is dictated by how many players play. The more play, the bigger the prize.
Anyone have any idea what this game is called?
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Finally figured it out. One of the key words was "derby."
http://www.peterjohnson.co.uk/info.asp?ID=324
http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=thumbs&db=arcadedb&id=756
http://www.bobsspaceracers.com/nonframes/Roll-A-Ball_Trailer.html#
It's even one of the featured games in Wii Carnival Games. :dizzy:
I have more links and images at home. It doesn't appear this game really has a single common name which makes it kind of difficult to track down. To make it even more difficult, not only are there different racers, the hole layout seems to vary from vendor to vendor. The one at Peter Johnson's is the same hole layout as the one I'm used to. The one at Bob's Space Racers appears to have a different hole layout.
Oh well, thought I should come back with an answer in case anyone else was looking.