Nearly 40 years ago, I purchased a pachinko machine as a gift for my father. The Nishijin Type A game was perfect for home use because it recirculated losing balls into the reward storage tray. My father seldom needed to refill the supply tray with discharged balls.

My family's 1966 summer vacation began in Norway, where we saw an unusual game among many more noteworthy sights. A snapshot reminded me of the game, but I could not discover any more about it for 40 years.

Thanks to the Internet, to Google's instant language translation, and especially to web sites in Norway and Finland, I finally learned that the game is called Kronespill in Norway—roughly Flick-a-Coin. I learned how it worked and I played a Flash simulation of its Finnish counterpart called Pajatso or Payazzo.

My wall mounted Mizuho pachinko machine looked great, but would frequently exhaust its ball supply during heavy play. Then I had to walk down the hall, open a closet, and transfer used balls back to the supply tray atop the game. Now a motorized pachinko ball lifter keeps that pachinko machine supplied with balls.

Williams Electronics brought their recent Banzai Run pinball machine to Pinball Expo '88. As a rare treat, they also brought their playable, whitewood, prototype Wreck'n Ball pinball. Pinball wizards lined up to play Banzai Run and Wreck'n Ball throughout the Pinball Expo '88 weekend, October 7-9, 1988 in Rosemont, Illinois.