May 12 (newsonjapan.com) - Did you know the pachinko market of Japan generates more than the entire gambling revenue of Macau, Singapore, and Las Vegas combined?
The game of pachinko has been a staple part of modern Japanese culture for some time, and its popularity will not fade anytime soon. If you are a fan of pachinko, you do not have to visit a Japanese pachinko parlor to play the game, though. There are several pachinko video games available. Here are four of the best.
The likes of RPGs, first-person shooters, and online casino games such as those available at カスモボーナス (Casumo bonus) can be played virtually. But many gamers do not realize there are several pachinko video games available. Instead of visiting a pachinko parlor in the flesh, you can play the fun game from the comfort of your own home. One game that closely resembles that played in pachinko parlors is Parlor! Pro 64: Pachinko Jikki Simulation, which was released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64 console. It is one of the more challenging pachinko video games. The main menu features a quick play mode, a career mode, and a mix of the two, available over three tables. If you are looking for a video game that feels like playing pachinko in a Japanese parlor, minus the bustle of people and the noisy sounds of other machines, look no further than Parlor! Pro 64: Pachinko Jikki Simulation.
Heiwa Pachinko World 64
Published by Amtex for the Nintendo 64, Heiwa Pachinko World 64 was launched exclusively in Japan in 1997. The single-player game starts in a 3D town where you choose from three pachinko parlors and four different pachinko machines. Once selected, it is business as usual. You set the balls flying and hope that they land favorably.
Pachicom
Released in 1985, exclusively to the Japanese market, Pachicom is based on standard pachinko rules. There are four different gameplay modes to choose from, and single-player and multiplayer options are available. One of the most interesting elements of Pachicom has nothing to do with gameplay. In the Famicom version of the game, you can find a hidden message by using a hex editor. The message is written in romaji. It is basically a long rant aimed at the game’s executives that criticizes them for forcing changes to the game on the fly during development!
Peggle
While Peggle is not purely a pachinko game like the others on this list, it is undoubtedly the most successful pachinko-themed video game. The casual puzzle game is inspired by both pachinko and bagatelle. It was initially released for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows in 2007 and has since been released on a multitude of other platforms. In Peggle’s main Adventure Mode, there are fifty-five levels to complete. In each level, you must shoot a limited number of balls at a field of colored pegs, attempting to clear out certain pegs that are marked and achieve a high score. As you play, a number of cartoon Peggle Masters can be activated that give you special powers. In addition to the main Adventure Mode, Peggle features a series of challenges that require you to complete boards under more challenging circumstances, such as having to remove all orange-colored pegs from the board. There is also a Duel Mode that allows players to compete against each other or the computer. Although Peggle was slow to take off, it has gone on to be downloaded across platforms a whopping 50 million times. Peggle has been so successful that in 2013, a sequel was launched. However, Peggle 2 is no match for the original.
