Old 'Skill' Submarine Bombing Game

Discuss Quiz Machines here..
Locked
User avatar
Matt Vinyl
Senior Member
Posts: 7198
Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 6:56 pm
Location: Lost in the outback, Bryan

Old 'Skill' Submarine Bombing Game

Post by Matt Vinyl »

Morning chaps,

For some reason, I've just recalled an old skill game I played about 10 years ago on holiday in Jersey. I'm not sure if it was a beast that was indigenous to the Channel Islands, or if it was ever over here on the mainland?

Well, I used to make a good £10 or so off of it every evening when in the hotel bar. It was a standalone unit, and I can't remember the name of the game, or even how the cabinet looked.

You were a small boat at the top of the screen, and you could move it left or right across the 'sea' with (i think) a rollerball, or it may have been buttons. There were a number of small submarines that would make their way across the sea at various depths. Destroying them would award a varying amount of points. At the top of the screen was a classic 'prize line', which you would move up with each succesful bombing of a submarine. I seem to remember the top prize being £4.80, although again, I may be mistaken there.

The skill was in the aiming of the depth charge, and timing it right so as it would hit the submarine.

The funny thing was, the 'dynamic' prize line almost seemed to be random. Most attempts, would see it at £1 or so for the top prize, and (again, I think) £4.80 on the odd occaision. You could also see what the prize structure was like prior to playing. This of course, opened up a possibility: turning the machine off and on would present a different prize structure each time. As it was in a side room of the hotel bar, this was not a problem. Plus, it only took seconds to reboot. If the top prize was above £3, the lower tiered prizes were pretty much low hanging fruit, ripe for the taking.

OK, so it was a slow way to make a tenner or so, but good fun. As I say, this was a while ago, and I may have some of the detail incorrect, but had anyone else ever played this one?

PS: I think it was 20p a pop!

:)
"And do you ever contradict yourself, Minister?" "Well, yes and no..."
QuizMaster
Senior Member
Posts: 1254
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 12:40 pm

Post by QuizMaster »

I think I recall the product of which you speak. It was called 'Believe it or Not' and was an old Maygay in that weird shaped cab that housed Concentration, Give us a Clue and Total Recall. As I recall, there were three games on this, one of which was the submarine thing, and the other was a basic T or F application, hence the 'Believe It or Not' moniker. Can't recall what the third application was.
Stupid punters. Telly all the week, screw the wife Saturday
User avatar
Matt Vinyl
Senior Member
Posts: 7198
Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 6:56 pm
Location: Lost in the outback, Bryan

Post by Matt Vinyl »

Ah, could well be. For some reason, the mention of Total Recall, aptly, has rung a distant bell.

I certainly only saw it in this one establishment, so it may not have been the most widespread machine.
"And do you ever contradict yourself, Minister?" "Well, yes and no..."
User avatar
cp999
Senior Member
Posts: 462
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 12:59 pm
Location: not where I was yesterday

Post by cp999 »

It was a very rare machine; only seemed to crop up in obscure out of the way pubs. First saw it in 1993 and, quite unbelievably, still knew of one in 2002. I can't remember an awful lot about it, as seemed very poor in relation to the Maygay standalones of that time, but was the third game some sort of primitive Hangman (as in the Hex/Cryptic Clues type of game, not JPM Hangman)?

Total Recall was a cool machine. Quite hard to do properly on your own though ;)
User avatar
Matt Vinyl
Senior Member
Posts: 7198
Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 6:56 pm
Location: Lost in the outback, Bryan

Post by Matt Vinyl »

Ooh, thought it must've been rare, as even back then, I was keeping an eye out for them back over here. I'm probably experiencing a bit of rose-tintedness, but I'm sure that it looked 'pretty reasonable' for it's time.
"And do you ever contradict yourself, Minister?" "Well, yes and no..."
User avatar
Matt Vinyl
Senior Member
Posts: 7198
Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 6:56 pm
Location: Lost in the outback, Bryan

Post by Matt Vinyl »

Just googled for Maygay Believe It or Not and came across this:

Click Here!

Scroll right down to the bottom of the page and there's a lot of SWP roms! :)

I wonder if the BION is the one I found? ;)
"And do you ever contradict yourself, Minister?" "Well, yes and no..."
User avatar
cp999
Senior Member
Posts: 462
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 12:59 pm
Location: not where I was yesterday

Post by cp999 »

I imagine BION will be it.

Nice link btw. I will have to avoid spending too much time emptying virtual Adders and Ladders out of nostalgia :D
User avatar
cp999
Senior Member
Posts: 462
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 12:59 pm
Location: not where I was yesterday

Post by cp999 »

Matt Vinyl wrote:Ooh, thought it must've been rare, as even back then, I was keeping an eye out for them back over here. I'm probably experiencing a bit of rose-tintedness, but I'm sure that it looked 'pretty reasonable' for it's time.
However at that time, there were people capable of jackpotting Maygay Concentration (either the £12 or the £20 version) on close to every game, hence my comments. ;) It wasn't in my main repertoire, but I did see two guys who could do this. I'm also pretty sure the two guys in question will be known by some of the older members of the SWP-pro community, as they were quite "famous".
User avatar
Matt Vinyl
Senior Member
Posts: 7198
Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 6:56 pm
Location: Lost in the outback, Bryan

Post by Matt Vinyl »

Excellent stuff - I'll make a seperate post with that link, may be of interest to other members. :)
"And do you ever contradict yourself, Minister?" "Well, yes and no..."
Locked