james at masters.me.ukThe following lists for each Tomy Catalogue or other literature, which Pocket Games appeared and when. This information comes from the original catalogues and so on and has been used to produce the definitive list of US Tomy Pocket Games that can be viewed as part of the Complete List of Tomy Pocket Games. A trivial but satisfying achievement.
In the following table, clones with different artwork and names are considered to be different games e.g. Basketball(1) and Soccer introduced in 1976. A corollary of this principle is that any game that is later renamed is also considered to be an addition to the range. In a few cases (Pachinko, Lucky Ball, Basketball), Tomy confused matters by using a name that had been used before for a new game. A number in brackets differentiates these games e.g. Basketball(1) and Basketball(2).
| Additions to range |
New + |
No longer visible in this or subsequent catalogue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 US TOMY catalogue in which you can see what appears to be the original 4 US TOMY Pocket Games. | Pocket Pinball, Pocket Baseball, Pocket Pachinko(1), Pocket Raceway | 4+0 | ||
| Flyer from Spring 1975 depicts the same 4 games + 2 new ones. |
Pocket Lucky Ball (a rename). Pocket Basketball(1), Pocket Soccer. |
1+2 |
Pocket Pinball has been renamed to Pocket Lucky Ball. Basketball and Soccer are the same new game in 2 different guises. |
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|
1976 US TOMY catalogue depicts the same 6 games. although the text confusingly mentions both Lucky Ball and and Pinball. |
Pinball is apparently renamed to Lucky Ball(1) although curiously both names are mentioned. | |||
| 1977. Now 8 games. | Time's Up, Turn 'n' Tilt, Two Man Basketball (2), | 3+0 | Basketball(1) | Basketball(1) is still visible in the background but according to the text is no longer part of the range. |
| 1978 US TOMY catalogue. A huge increase to 24 games. |
Marble Catch, Lucky Ball(2), Pocket Slot, Solitaire, Pocket Fishing, Pocketmate, Target Range, Pachinko(2), Kissing Game, Pocket Poker, Chinese Checkers, Puzzlers, Pocket Rally, Dice Trap, Pro Soccer, Election, Loop Shot, Shooting Gallery. Pocket Tic-Tac-Score and Racing Game are 'renames'. The Derby is a clone of Racing Game.
|
18+3 |
Presume Pachinko(1) was renamed to Pocket Tic-Tac-Score at this point (although it could have happened in '77). Pocket Raceway is apparently renamed to Racing Game. Soccer, Lucky Ball(1), Turn 'n' Tilt, |
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| 1979 US TOMY catalogue Text announces that there are 24 games in the range and this number are pictured on the picture surface in 6 row of 4 games. |
Sentence Nonsense, Pass the Puck, Cracked Crab, Letter Loose, Bi-Plane Battle, Frog Fight, Obstacle Course. Feed the Frogs and Secret Passage are 'renames'. |
7+2 |
Basketball(2), Puzzlers, Rally, Pro Soccer. Chinese Checkers, Pocketmate and Solitaire. Lucky Ball(2) is renamed to Feed the Frogs". Marble Catch is renamed to Secret Passage.
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The 3 board games all departed rapidly - presumably they didn't go down too well. |
| Spring 1980. 24 games are stated to exist. The new six are positioned at an angle whereas the old games are set square. | Space Invasion, Magnet Target, Amazing Maze, Batting Practice, Clams Casino, Moto Cross. | 6+0 |
Frog Fight, Loop Shot, Dice Trap. The Derby, Obstacle Course, Pocket Fishing although these appear in later catalogues. |
Tic-Tac-Score appears in green from now on. Not sure if this coincides with a change of name or not. |
| 1980 US TOMY catalogue Text still maintains that there are 24 games, this time in 4 rows of 6 games. The same six as for Spring 1980 are positioned at an angle. | 0+0 |
|
Loop Shot, Dice Trap are still visible in the box behind despite apparently being earlier obsoleted. |
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| Flyer dated 1980 shows some new Pacman games including a Pocket Game based upon but slightly different to Marble Catch/Secret Passage. In subsequent brochures, this game is always shown separately to the other games. | Pacman | 1+0 | ||
| Spring 1981. Text announces and names 6 new games. Does not say how many games are in the range and although 24 are shown on the picture surface, Seal Circus is not visible which implies a larger number than 24. Assuming Pass The Puck and Letter Loose are still part of the range, the total number should be 27. | Seal Circus (not pictured), Pop Up Pirate, Horsing Around, Pocket Pachinko(3), Mouse House, Maze Craze. | 6+0 |
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The Derby is still visible in the box behind despite apparently being earlier obsoleted. Pass the Puck, Pachinko(2) and Cracked Crab can still be seen in box behind. There is no sign of Letter Loose or Kissing Game |
| 1981 The text states that the range consists of 20 games, now. Seal Circus, mentioned in Spring 1981 is revealed as are 3 new games which appear as the first row on the picture surface. |
Flip Flop Faces, Galaxian, Fishing |
3+0 |
Kissing Game, Pachinko(2) and Cracked Crab, although it seems likely that these went in Spring '81. Maze Craze, Bi-Plane Battle, Amazing Maze, Moto Cross, Clams Casino, Election, Pocket Slot. Feed the Frogs although this can be seen in box behind. Mouse House now appears with new decor. Name is not clear but it is probably Monkey House. Shooting Gallery, Magnet Target. |
Obstacle Course appears in the box behind although it was supposedly removed from the range earlier. Apparently Letter Loose is one of the range despite not being shown in the Spring catalogue. Pass the Puck is also there dispelling any doubts as to its status. |
| Spring 1982. Text claims there are 18 games. However, 20 games are piled up. Detailed analysis reveals exactly the same 20 games as for the 1981 catalogue. |
Fool Around Fishin' |
0+1 | Fishing has apparently been renamed to Fool Around Fishin'. | |
|
1982. The size of the range is not stated. 3 games lie on the surface and these show that 2 games have been reintroduced. 12 are piled up - 10 were definitely in the Spring '82 catalogue but the two black games must be either Pachinko(3) twice or Pachinko(3) and a reintroduced Moto Cross. |
Magnet Target and Shooting Gallery are reintroduced. Moto Cross might be a third reintroduction. |
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| Spring 1983 catalogue | Only the Pacman Pocket Game is mentioned. | 0 + 0 | ||
| Flyer dated 1983. States that there are 18 games but only 4 are pictured (all new). The games are shown in a completely new packaging - each one is on a generic blue card. |
Clown Catcher Catch a Caterpillar, Turtle Tunnel, Space Shuttle (renames) |
1 + 3 | Space Shuttle is a clone of Cracked Crab, Turtle Tunnel is a clone of Time's Up. | |
| 1984. 18 games are pictured. | Rack 'Em Up, Wheel of Fortune | 2 + 0 | ||
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Spring 1984. Pocket games are not mentioned. |
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| Fall 1985. States that 7 new games have been added to perennial favourites: Robot Factory, Bowling, Burger Catch, Touchdown, Copter Fight, Dragon Trap, Scooter Ball. A further 11 games are pictured. |
Bowling, Touchdown, Scooter Ball are new. Robot Factory, Burger Catch, Copter Fight, Dragon Trap are renames. |
3+4 |
Copter Fight is a renamed Bi-plane Battle, Burger Catch is a renamed Galaxian, Robot Factory is a renamed Flip Flop Faces, Dragon Trap is a rename of the 1983 rename of Time's Up (name unknown). The 1983 rename of Cracked Crab (name unknown) is gone. Dragon Trap is red. |
|
| 1986 - Generic Pocket Game blue card packaging (front identical to that shown on the 1983 flyer) dated 1986 states on the back that the range consists of 18 games which are listed. |
Speedway is a rename (although this might have happened later). Space Shuttle is listed but not sure if it means Space Shuttle (1) or (2) (assume it's the old one).
|
0 + 1 |
Speedway is a renamed Racing Game.
|
Clown Catcher, Catch a Caterpillar, Target Range, Frog Fight, Secret Passage, Pass the Puck, Baseball, Shooting Gallery and Moto Cross are still part of the range. |
| 1986 - Lists 17 games and shows the same 17 + an extra one - Target Range. | Baseball(2) is new. Space Shuttle (2) is new | 2 + 0 | Dragon trap is now yellow. | |
| 1987 - exactly the same picture as 1986. | 0 + 0 | |||
| Total | 56+16=72 |
james at masters.me.uk