45 replies to this topic

[Gazeyre1966]

The first machine I ever played was JPM's Big Banker (£4 JP) in a pub called the Wheat Sheaf in Symington. My Grandad used to give me money to put in it.

Then things kinda spiralled and very quickly I was playing Line-up, Smash 'n Grab in my local arcades and then wasting all my hard earned pocket money in a machine called Silver Ghost on my hols in Cornwall.

It was all downhill from there.....

[RB]

i think a lot of people started playing in pubs, as it was a way of getting shot of you change after buying them in....not cool wearing the denim baggies with side pockets with 4 green pound notes and 75p in change after ordering the pint of starlight @ 25p per pint.....

[nails]

when i first found pub, they had the likes of strike a light and fortune numbers there. this was at a time when £2 in token had jumped to £3. but as a kid i remember seeing a bellfruit machine that was £1 jackpot in 10p tokens! the machine had 3 reels, lots of number, and the feature was basically a big super hold. these were the days when a fruit machines top panel had some 10+ buttons on it, for holds, nudge up and nudge down buttons, as well as cancel and autonudge (if you were lucky!)

Yesterday i played a machine that was £2.70 per spin, with a £675 jackpot, with not a token in sight. (red hot feaver 27 ways to win £25)

[miked]

1st one I played on was a bell fruit nudge machine that gave you six nudges at random. this was before the super nudge gambler. also there was one that I think was called Lucky symbol which had a super start on it which repeated the win. Have seen the nudge machine on fairs and at seaside but never the lucky symbol one apart from in a pub in Colby, lincoln in the late 70s

[pauldot]

The first machines i remember playing were the ones with a ball bearing and win & lose cups, if you won, you won your old penny back plus another ball,some you could even win a players or woodbine ciggy without filter,then along came the non electric pull handle machines,jackpots one shilling,penny a go

[stanmarsh14]

Then the sidewinder day's...10p play £2 JP......hold the gamble button down and slowly release while tapping quickly--this was along with the original Firecracker.

Dam I remember that well, & especaly in Chappel St Lenoards, Skegness. The aera used to be full of the buggers, along with Spellbound (Clone of Sidewinder).

£2 JP, with a massive monitor sat in it, just like alot of the old BWB video jobbies, & the rather unique feature @ the time, the Sidewind feature, where it used to swapp over the reelbands, to force a win.

As it so happens, I do believe I know where a Spellbound is for sale, in Arnold, Nottingham...... I may just have to go & get it

[djcr]

The old cops and robbers £3 token jack or sumthing like that in Saundersfoot.
Can't remember the manu or tech but similar top board play style to the pink panther thing where you move then they move - get to the end before they catch you with wins on the way.
If I remember right it was very high tech for it's time with an alpha display!!
Remember another I spent hours on as well - 2p play £2 jp, PCP Mirracles - bloody loved that one. Never saw it anywhere other than Kiln Park, Tenby. They had it some years and I wouldn't be surprised if it's still there.

[CanonMan]

Dam I remember that well, & especaly in Chappel St Lenoards, Skegness. The aera used to be full of the buggers, along with Spellbound (Clone of Sidewinder).

£2 JP, with a massive monitor sat in it, just like alot of the old BWB video jobbies, & the rather unique feature @ the time, the Sidewind feature, where it used to swapp over the reelbands, to force a win.

As it so happens, I do believe I know where a Spellbound is for sale, in Arnold, Nottingham...... I may just have to go & get it

How much are they asking for it?

[detectorman2uk]

A JPM "Step Up" machine, around 1976, 4 reels £24 Jackpot.
In fact I have just bought one anybody know where I can get a manual?
Thanks.

[stevedude2]

BWB Goldmine, PCP Aladdins Cave, A really old game called Golden Shot where you had to stop the lamps in the middle of the target to win 50p (Bellfruit I think), and a really old Eachway Nudger with buttons like dinner plates. Probably JPM but looked like a reglass by a naff obscure company....

[psalm23]

The oldest machine i remeber was 'Pennies From Heaven' don't know who made it.
It had a spiral of ten pences on the top glass and when you filled it up to $5 and you got thr jackpot a womans voice went 'OHHHHH MYYYY GOD!!!' like something out when harry met sally.
I would love to see it again if anyone one has a picture or even better a version of it.
Cheers

[adamran]

The first machine I played was when I was 10, It was the modern version of 2p Tupenny, that was about 6 years ago, as im only 16 now!

[hitthesix]

the first machine i played was super nudge gambler 10p. a go with £2. jackpot
then along came each way shuffle and i was hooked lol...
years later 777 heaven jackpot 7's and hit the six .and my fav of all time crazy pays..
they don't make em like that anymore ....

[Guitar]

My god i feel young, the earliest machine I remember playing was a cloud 999 and mazooma belle in an arcade at pontins Hemsby many moons ago

[stevedude2]

The oldest machine i remeber was 'Pennies From Heaven' don't know who made it.
It had a spiral of ten pences on the top glass and when you filled it up to $5 and you got thr jackpot a womans voice went 'OHHHHH MYYYY GOD!!!' like something out when harry met sally.
I would love to see it again if anyone one has a picture or even better a version of it.
Cheers

I remember this game. There was also a similar one called Stairway to Heaven, made by the same company (Electrocoin). Nice games, but not a patch on Labyrinth and so on.

[spa]

I remember this game. There was also a similar one called Stairway to Heaven, made by the same company (Electrocoin). Nice games, but not a patch on Labyrinth and so on.

That's a talking point right there! Stairway to Heaven, is/was a fantastic machine, had all the Pyramid/Labyrinth features (with repeat chances) plus the skill climb was better and the reel skill was fair

[schnook]

http://www.fruitemu....p?album=8&pos=3

It was one simalar to this one. but had bowling alley them. 25 plays for an old 50p coin. think it was around the £50 jackpot. infact it was still in the SEAMANS MISSION IN BOOTLE LIVERPOOL till 2 months ago when i seen it getting smashed up when it got demolished after many attempts of trying to get the beast and an old barcrest clubber of which i cant recollect the name.

[MAGIK]

FIREBALL BFM AND BIGSHOT MPU3- I played em and I still play them- I also own them

[Shooer magooer]

The first "fruit machine" i can remember playing was in an arcade with a travelling funfair, it still comes to my town every summer. I don't remember what it was called but it wasn't your normal fruitie, it was 1p a go, it didn't have any reels all it had was a big dial on the top glass with a rotating arrow in the middle, kinda like a clock i suppose. All around the clock were fruit symbols with a bell at the top. on the bottom glass there were several slots, and while the arrow was spinning you could drop your penny into the slot for which fruit you thought it was going to stop on. it had different odds, like cherries 2/1, oranges 3/4, lemons 4/1, plums 5/1 and the bell was 10/1 so the jackpot was a massive 10 pence!!! although a quid would last you about 30 years lol. I am certain it was made by bellfruit.