Bryans Bumper

Building a slot machine from scratch? You're not alone in your madness.
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treefrog
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by treefrog »

I was just looking at how this works. Is there control in how much pressure applied will bring the indicator to the final position and does it only pay the award if it exactly lands on the associated winning line a bit like on the original Clock? Also, can you land in the lower numbers?

I noticed on previous threads on the flyer it was pointed out that the patent number on the flyer was the same as a Clock. Maybe no coincidence.

I like it, in fact I love it. 😻
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arrgee
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by arrgee »

aristomatic wrote:I was left underwhelmed at the actual gameplay..?
And maybe that is why none (?) of these machines survive. There were so few made (12 according to Paul Braithwaite). Perhaps Bryans found them hard to sell to operators owing to the dull gameplay. :!?!:

Notwithstanding that, a superlative reproduction fruitbowl.
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treefrog
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by treefrog »

On Melvyn's site, they apparently were good payers, which put off the operators buying them....
pennymachines
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by pennymachines »

Great to see it working - thanks. !THUMBS!
Yes, I believe it was rapidly pulled out of production because, like the Rockets and Windmill, it proved too easy for players to master. Late collector John Foreman recalled seeing two Bumpers in a Nottingham arcade in his youth. Apparently there was a queue of punters behind each machine. Next time he visited, the games were gone, never to return. WE Bryan gave many of his games player appeal by finely balancing the skill to chance ratio. On several occassions, he underestimated the dexterity of determined players.
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by aristomatic »

So pm, are you saying that if he reduced the vertical payout percentage in effect downwards to try to increase the operator percentage, then the cleverer punter would still win more than they lost as the mechanics of the Bumper are too easy to master regardless, or the less frequent punter win percentage would then be so low as to not attract enough use by them, to negate losses to cleverer player, so machine still unattractive to operators?
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by pennymachines »

From John's account, it would seem the game was both easy to master and, with its 28 winning positions (8 x 1ds, 12 x 2ds, 4 x 4ds, 3 x 8ds, and 1 x 12d), a generous payer. Offering any real element of skill is problematic on a game which pays more than coin return, because a few highly skilled, determined players will hog and fleece it. As you suggest, if the designer tries to counter this by lowering the payout percentages or upping the level of skill required to win, it becomes unattractive to the majority. On Bryans 'skill' games which held their own in the arcade, like the Payramid, Retreeva, Elevenses etc., although you feel you have some influence on the outcome, it remains debatable. On the Payramid, for example, you follow the balls as they cascade down the pins and you move the catching fingers accordingly. You feel you have some control and just need to concentrate a bit to keep winning. I've yet to meet anyone who can do this though.
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by luckystar »

Hi fruitbowl, great job. I don't know how the public would get on with it these days. I understood that the original Bumper you had to thump down to play the game. As PM said, it was too easy to win on and we all heard that there was one on Colwyn Pier up for auction which did not turn up. I am sure about 20 years ago I saw a picture of the insides. Must be one about somewhere. Pete.
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badpenny
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by badpenny »

I fail to see how Pete's masterpiece is at all controllable if it's essentially like cranking the handle of a Clock.
I know I'm missing something here .....

BP !PUZZLED!
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by pennymachines »

I guess the striker paddle has a dual role of winding the mechanism (first down stroke?) and flinging the indicator up the scale. Unlike the Clock, I assume the landing position of the payout star wheel isn't random, but is driven to position indirectly by striking the paddle, via the cycle chain perhaps?
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moonriver
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by moonriver »

I can see the massive amount of skill and effort that went into making it and I'm not going to criticise any part of that. It is a fabulous achievement and fruitbowl is being very modest about his achievement.

Re paying out too much, I'm fairly sure, if you were so minded, that simply reducing some of the higher award amounts say to 8 x 2d, 2 x 4d and 2 x 8d, mixed with 'lose' positions on either side of the larger 'wins' and playing around with percentages would find a nice mix, something that doesn't appear to have been considered originally by Bryans who appear to have simply withdrawn them.

After all, historically most manufacturers had their own favourite arcade operators to site test their new machines and monitor game play and takings results before making improvements and before formal release to the trade. The problem with not testing first is that your new game can sink without trace from bad industry review gossip, reluctant to give a second chance, no matter how improved the MK2 version may be.

So I think with a few minor adjustments on payouts, it's a very striking and usable machine.

The amusement industry in the 1990s were constantly revamping original ideas into processor controlled versions. Similarly, the 'Bumper' game format was adapted for single site 'skill' machines (10p play, £10 jackpot, all cash, duty free/non AWP) legally site anywhere, were very popular with seaside takeaways and guest houses, in particular as the machines had a small footprint and were very shallow in depth, so could easily fit in small entrance lobbies and hallways. Exactly the same game as Bumper, apart from an added bonus feature. On the new version the player pressed down a spring loaded button which in turn was connected to a slide with cutouts that passed through optical sensors. Depending on the speed the button was depressed determined the speed the cutouts passed the sensors and then the vertical indicator (in this case replicated by bulbs lighting multiple coins symbols behind the machine glass) would light up in sequence, as if the coin was being flipped upwards. Too fast and it shot out of the top into 'lose'. With practice the player could get the coin to land on a winning combination. A bit like with a Cromptons Tutti Frutti, some of the symbols on winning horizontal lines remained lit, enticing the player to keep playing.
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by fruitbowl »

When I say skill rather than strength, I use the term loosely, as there are 28 winning positions, chances of losing are slim.

One of the more challenging parts to make was the star wheel. I had to determine the correct diameter to accommodate all the win/lose segments spaced out equally. The depth of the different win slots and then filing all those tiny lose notches in-between the win slots.
The pointer has to be bang on the line to win. Three lose segments squeezed in between each win means you only have to be slightly off the line to lose.

See more pics of the top casing removed.
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luckystar
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by luckystar »

Hi Fruit Bowl, even more impressive. What made you use a chain? Did you ever consider making the penny drop the little weight down?
Pete.
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Re: Bryans Bumper

Post by fruitbowl »

Yes, I gave that the most thought - kept coming back to it, but just couldn't get it to work successfully, so went for the striker to bring the pointer to the bottom.
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