Modern Pachinko Game Setup, Playing & Troublehooting FAQ
INTRODUCTION
The modern pachinko is a fast-paced game characterized by colorful playfields, high speed ball launcher, multiple payouts, animated features, video screens, spinning reels, colorful lighting and spectacular sound effects.
Such games purchased from reputable online sellers will usually arrive securely packed and will include a limited supply of 400 to 500 balls, a ball collection tray and a brief instruction sheet.
Assuming you have your game unpacked and you are ready to get started playing, please take a few minutes to read through the following FAQ's to familiarize yourself with the game before you commence play.
LEGAL
Question:
Is it legal to own a pachinko game for home use?
Answer:
Yes, as long as you don't use it for gambling purposes and charge people to play it and pay out cash prizes or other awards of value.
SET UP
Question:
I have unpacked my game, found the supply of balls, and the collection tray. Now what do I do?
Answer:
Do Not Plug in the Game at This Time!!
Place the game on a stable, flat, and LEVEL surface at a height which will allow you to sit comfortably to view the game and be able to place your right hand on the ball launch knob located in the lower right corner of the game. This will be your placing position.
You should be able to reach around to the rear of the game because you will occasionally need to move balls from the lower collection basket to the top ball feed tray.
Next, inspect the game to make sure all packing materials such as stray foam peanuts or loose pachinko balls are not clogging the ball tray entrances in the front and back sides of the game.
Check the game's two wooden feet to make sure they are well-secured to the bottom frame.
Open the bag of game balls and, with a soft cloth. clean them of dust, oxidation and debris which may have come with them in the bag. Discard any balls which have rust on them as they will mar the playing surface.
Place the ball collection basket on the metal shelf located in the rear of the game at the bottom . Place a ball into the rear top ball tray and watch where it goes.. The ball should stop about six inches below the top feed tray in the feed ramp. If the ball doesn't stop and the it goes all the way through the ramps and drops into the ball collection basket, then the ball feed gate is open and needs to be closed.
If you need to close the ball feed gate, look for a tab in the ball ramp path on the right side of the game near the to ball tray. (Some dealers mark the spot with a daub of yellow paint). Â*Gently wiggle the tab moving it inward until it slips into place. Drop another ball into the feed tray and see if the ball stops against the feed gate. Fiddle with it until it does.
Here is another version of the feed gate lever found on a Nishijin Rhapsody game.
Now place about half of the balls into the top feed tray. Take the other balls and put about a handful into the front upper ball shoot tray. Put the rest of the balls into the overflow tray below the shooter tray.
Plug in the unit to 110v ac. The game lights should come on and you may hear a few clicking or clunking sounds as the game system goes through its power up routine. This is normal.
Now, you should be ready to play.
HOW TO PLAY
The object of the game of pachinko is to win more balls than you put into play. The game awards balls for getting a ball into award pockets and activating special bonus or fever rounds which pay even more balls. In Japan, the balls can be exchanged for prizes, gift certificates, and special prizes which can be exchanged for cash at special locations near the parlor.
Question:
How do I put a ball into play and can I shoot one ball at a time?
Answer:
Look carefully at the ball launch knob. You will see a metal band which surrounds the middle of the knob. Also locate a small tab found near the band on the left side of the knob at about the 6 to 9 o'clock position.
You launch balls in rapid succession by grasping the knob and turning it to the right. The farther you turn the knob to the right, the greater the force will be which strikes the ball propelling it onto the playfield. Learning to control the force of the ball launch gives the player control over where the ball lands on the playing field.
To shoot one ball at a time, grasp the knob making contact with the metal band and then depress the tab with your thumb. Turn the knob to the right. With the tab depressed, no ball will launch. Release the tab momentarily, and a ball will launch. Practice with this feature, and you will soon be able to launch balls one or two at a time as well as place them where you want them to enter the playfield. Note: the metal band and tab complete a circuit which enables control over ball feed rate to the ball launcher.
Question:
Where should I try to get the ball on the playfield?
Answer:
Every modern pachinko game will has a unique*theme and gates which activate payouts and chances for bonus (fever) rounds. Most games will have a centrally located Start gate, which, when a ball enters it, will activate a sequence which could result in more balls won. Other gates or pockets will drop 4 to 15 balls if a ball passes though them.
Question:
What is Fever and why do I want to catch it?
Answer:
Fever is the jackpot round in pachinko. Once you enter the fever round, you have the chance to win thousands of balls. It is played at a frenzied pace and every ball which enters a special gate pays 10 to 15 balls. But remember this, you must get at least two balls into the special gate during a fever round or you will not advance to the next round!!
Question:
I have played my game for a long time but have yet to go to the fever round. Is there something wrong with the game?
Answer:
Probably not. The modern pachinko game payouts are controlled by the programming on the game chips on the games motherboard. On the average, a fever round triggers once out of every 325 to 350 trips to the spin or chance round to achieve a winning combination. Also this frequency is an average of many thousands of spins and is totally random, so you may hit fever back to back in one session or maybe not for many hours of play.
Question:
What can I do to increase my odds of winning?
Answer:
A lot! You can discover the sweet spots on the playfield where a ball will hit the pins and fall along the proper path into a payout or start pocket. Hitting this spot requires the right ball speed--too hard or too soft will not give the ball the proper energy to traverse the route to the target. Finding these spots requires plenty of practice. Fortunately, you own the game, so you don't spend a fortune in balls learning in a pachinko parlor.
Question:
I find I spend a lot of time shifting balls from the bottom basket to the top feed tray. How many balls do I need to make play more continuous?
Answer:
Most players agree that having 800 to 1200 balls per game works well. As you become more of a pachinko fanatic, you may want to invest in a motorized ball lifting unit (they are expensive) or build your own ball management system or special cabinet which makes it easier to feed and retrieve the balls from the rear of the game.
Question:
Where can I find out more about my game and playing pachinko?
Answer:
Pachitalk.com is the perfect spot from which to increase your knowledge base. The forum is free and has some of the most knowledgeable pachinko and pachislo nuts in the USA as its members.
The forum administrators and moderators have a very positive attitude and are eager to help new players to the game.
As you read the topics in the database, you will find links to Japanese manufacturer's sites and links to reputable retailers.
You can learn how to use foreign language translator programs that will allow you to surf the Japanese sites.
Join us. It's free and we would love to have you aboard!
TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR GAME
Pachinko games are normally in use in Japanese parlors from one to three years before they are replaced and sold on the secondary market. All of the games are designed to function for hundreds of thousands of play cycles. If you purchased your game from a reliable dealer, then your game was "shopped out" to include installing a new power supply for the US market, replacing burnt out bulbs , replacing broken glass and thoroughly cleaning the game surfaces. Game warranties vary from none to lifetime.
A general rule of thumb is if the game works when you receive it, it will probably work without fault for as long as you keep it.
Always keep all receipts and documentation! If possible, keep the original shipping box in case you have to return the game for service.
If you customize your game by painting it or delve too deeply into the game's electronics without prior approval of the seller, you will probably void your warranty.
For the most part, just relax and enjoy your pachinko game. It's pretty darn reliable and easy to fix the little glitches.
Question:
Some of the lights on my game don't seem to come on. What's wrong?
Answer:
A pachinko game has a plethora of light shows it will present to the player. Many of these lights never come on until a bonus or the fever round is hit. That's part of the fun when you go into fever.
Some lights will come on when you get a ball to pass through a particular pocket or gate. They indicate how many spins you have accumulated or if a special feature will be activated if you hit the fever mode.
On the other hand, if a group of lights go out or flicker, then you should check the connections to make sure the plug and socket is properly seated. *
If a bulb is burnt out, a replacement is best ordered from a pachinko dealer as the bulbs may be 24 volt type and putting a 6 or 12 volt bulb in could blow the circuit board and that is not good.
Question:
Award balls are not coming out into my shooter tray. What's wrong?
Answer:
More likely than not, the top ball feed tray is empty and balls need to be added. Some games will also prevent you from shooting balls when the top feed tray is empty.
Question:
There are balls in the feed tray but I still am not receiving any award balls. What now?
Answer:
Look at the feed ramps on the back of the game for ball jams or a piece of junk blocking the ball path. (I found a crayon in the feed ramp of one game I had bought from a gentleman who had several small children. He said it just suddenly stopped paying out one day. The kids had such innocent looks on their faces.)
Question:
I noticed that there's a particular pocket balls won't enter. What's wrong?
Answer:
It could be the pins or nails on the playfield are adjusted too close together and the ball cannot pass.
*
Open the door covering the playfield to access the pins. *Place a ball into the gap and see if it will pass into the pocket. *If it won't, then carefully take a pair of long nose pliers and gently press the pins apart to create room for the ball to pass. Do not get rough with the nails and NEVER remove them or bend them excessively.
Here you see the "life pins", as they are called, above the start gate of a Sankyo Wanted game. Notice they are bent slightly apart to allow more balls to enter the gate and, thus, provide more chances to play for the fever bonus.
We hope this FAQ post answered some of your questions.
Pachinko is a fascinating game which takes many pleasant hours of play to master.
*
Don't be surprised if you turn into a pachinko nut, too!!
We warned you!!
Category
FAQ - Pachinko
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