Which machine gun was the most popular in the USSR. Soviet slot machines
The biography of Soviet slot machines dates back to the 70s of the last century. Then, completely non-core factories—enterprises of the defense-military complex—were tasked with producing the first models, since they had at their disposal the most powerful and Hi-tech. In total, there were 23 manufacturers who systematically delighted Soviet citizens with new entertainment.
The best developers, engineers and electronics specialists worked for this. There was no financial crisis and no money was spared. The average price of the device ranged from 2-4 thousand rubles.
During the existence of the USSR, they managed to produce about 70 entertainment machines, but in the 90s the collapse came, the 15 kopecks with which visitors usually paid completely depreciated, it became expensive to maintain parks and the devices of those times simply lived out their usefulness.
Technically, Soviet slot machines can be divided into two groups: mechanical (or electromechanical) and electronic (based on discrete logic or microprocessors). The latter usually used a TV screen to display the game plot, that is, they are typical arcade gaming machines. As a rule, these are quite original designs, although with the possible borrowing of foreign ideas, but implemented on a Soviet technical basis.
Soviet arcade slot machines (AIA) are arcade games produced and distributed on the territory of the republics former USSR. They were usually installed in the foyers of theaters, circuses, cinemas, Palaces of Culture, amusement parks and the like. in public places. Sometimes the machines were “collected” into independent specialized “Game Library”, “Game Halls” or “Slot Machine Halls” (not to be confused with modern halls, in which machines and slot machines for gambling are installed). They had no competition, since Western designs were not represented on the Soviet market.
Like any other arcade games, Soviet AIAs were intended only for entertainment, without providing any other prizes other than the so-called “ bonus game"for the successful actions of the player. Or, in other cases, souvenirs and small items such as chewing gum, chocolate, soft toys, keychains, etc. “Souvenirs” periodically appeared in “Crane” type machines, such as small bottles of alcohol (most often cognac) and commemorative coins, inserted to more actively attract players. Some of the machines (mainly with minor changes) was “ripped off” from Western models without much fanfare. But we also had our own, original developments.
There was no age limit for playing slot machines. The only limitation could be the player's height. Although even the smallest ones found a way to play, placing wooden trays or bottle boxes under their feet to reach the control buttons.
The machine was activated by lowering a 15-kopeck coin into the coin acceptor; the player received the opportunity, depending on the type of machine, either to play for a certain (usually a very short 1-3 minutes) time, or to make a certain number of gaming attempts (for example, shots). After which the game stopped until the next payment, unless the bonus game was won, which gave the player additional free time or several incentive attempts.
Later, in connection with the replacement of Soviet coins with Russian rubles (or other monetary units in circulation in the republics of the former USSR), coin acceptors were modified to accept new coins, or they used tokens similar in size to the old 15 kopecks, but with a different value. Often the coin acceptors were simply sealed or clogged, and the operator turned on the machine for the player after payment.
As children, we most often began the game by sticking our fingers into the coin return window, hoping to find a coin there that had been forgotten by our predecessor.
Middle-aged and older people probably remember the “Battleship” machine guns that beckon with lights and sound effects, “ Accurate shooter", "Rally", "Submarine", "Air Combat" and others. How much pocket money saved from school lunches was smuggled there by the children!
Most of the Soviet arcades did not have intricate gameplay and were quite simple (although this simplicity did not imply ease of play), but since the mid-80s of the last century, domestic full-fledged arcades have appeared, with changing game screens. One example of such arcade games is the game “The Little Humpbacked Horse,” nicknamed “Russian Zelda” in the West. True, it’s difficult to say whether this is a compliment to the developers or a reproach for being secondary. In any case, these games were remembered, they were loved, and the people who played them remember “those times” with pleasure to this day.
The peak of the heyday of slot machines in the USSR occurred in the 70-80s of the last century and ended with the beginning of perestroika. Domestic slot machines were supplanted by more spectacular Western counterparts, “ one-armed bandits", computer salons and home gaming computers and consoles. And old machine guns almost everywhere migrated to warehouses, were destroyed or simply thrown into a landfill.
Sea battle
Probably the most famous domestic slot machine, without which no self-respecting gaming hall could do. And, apparently, the first. An analogue of the American slot machine Sea Devil.
The machine simulated a torpedo attack from a submarine against surface targets.
The player looked through the periscope, which revealed a sea panorama with enemy ships periodically appearing on the horizon. It was necessary to make an adjustment for the speed of the ship and press the “Fire” button, located on one of the periscope handles. Next, it remained to monitor the torpedo, the path of which was illuminated under the surface of the “water”. When hit, the player heard a sound and saw a flash of an explosion, and the ship “sank”, or after the flash it turned around and followed in the opposite direction. If he missed, he continued his movement. In just one game it was possible to make 10 torpedo launches. If they hit 10 ships, the player received the right to a bonus game - 3 free launches. A significant disadvantage of the machine gun was that, with proper skill, sinking ships was not difficult.
Visual depth was created using mirrors, and the fact that the player saw a ship far away on the horizon was just an illusion. In fact, the mechanism for moving the ships was almost close to the player, somewhere at the level of his knees.
Air battle
On the machine's screen, the player saw the silhouettes of three enemy aircraft and the crosshairs of the sight. While controlling the joystick, you had to try to catch the enemy with a “sight.” The difficulty of the game was that the enemy unit did not want to be shot down and constantly slipped out of sight. When hit, the silhouette of the affected aircraft disappeared from the screen. To win, you had to shoot down all three planes within the allotted time for the game - 2 minutes.
Hunting
An electronic shooting range with a light (or electromechanical) rifle, which existed in many modifications: “Winter Hunt”, “Lucky Shot”, “Safari”, “Sharpshooter”, etc.
For example, in “Winter Hunt” the player had to hit moving targets (animals and birds) flickering on the screen with a landscape of a winter forest depicted on it from a certain distance.
In “The Hunt” itself there was no screen, but rather forest scenery, from behind which animal figures appeared. The “swamp” version of the game was called “No fluff, no feather!”
Sniper
An electronic shooting range where the player had to hit twenty stationary targets with a rifle within a minute. After a successful hit, the illumination of the corresponding target went out. With good shooting, the player was entitled to a bonus game.
Interestingly, the hit control system was located in the stand of the machine gun. There was also " Feedback"—an electromagnet that simulated recoil when fired.
Turn
An analogue of the famous home board game “Driving”. The machine simulated the movement of a car along a ring road with obstacles in the form of overpasses and passing cars. To receive the bonus game, the player had to drive a certain number of “kilometers” without collisions, which were counted on the counter. Interestingly, when one 15-kopeck coin was inserted into the machine, the player was entitled to only one bonus game. And with two coins - as many as three.
Penalty
A wall-mounted variation of pinball with all the elements inherent in pinball - a ball, a hitting handle, and a playing field with obstacles and prize zones.
With the help of a lever, the ball was thrown up, the player had to calculate the force of the impact in such a way that when it rolled back, the ball hit the goal and did not end up in the penalty area.
Towns
Controlling the bat with a joystick, the player had to hit standard city targets moving across the screen. The player was given 5 seconds to aim before each throw, after which the bat would fly out automatically. When knocking out all 15 pieces, a player who spent no more than 24 bits on this was awarded 40 bonus throws.
Horse racing
An exact copy of Steeplechas with Atari. Up to 6 people could play at the same time. single player the player competed with the computer. But it was more interesting to play against other people. It’s funny that the game was black and white, and the tracks were given “multi-color” by colored stripes glued to the screen.
The Little Humpbacked Horse
The game was released on the TIA MC-1 platform and was the first full-fledged arcade game for Soviet AIA. In total, the game had 16 screen levels, during which the main character had to overcome obstacles and fight enemies.
Tap
By controlling a mechanical hand, it was necessary to try to get a prize from the transparent body of the machine. Usually they had soft toys, chewing gum, chocolate and other little things. The hand was controlled by two buttons responsible for moving the “hand” forward and sideways. When the button was pressed, the “hand” moved until the button was released (or until it stopped). There was no “reverse” and you had to accurately calculate the moment when to release the button. When the button responsible for lateral movement was released, the “hand” automatically lowered and tried to grab the prize it was above. With a successful capture, the “hand” opened above the prize receiver tray, and the lucky one could get his reward out of it.
Basketball
The machine was designed to be played by two people. The player’s task was to “throw” more balls into the opponent’s basket in the allotted time than he could manage. When the score was “30-30” or more, players were rewarded with a bonus game.
The playing field was covered with a transparent dome and divided into holes with springs, into one of which the ball fell. By pressing a button, the player “shot” the ball from the hole, trying to hit the opponent’s basket or prevent him from shooting in turn (each hole was controlled by both players).
Football
A game better known in our country as “shish kebab” (and called “fussball” in the West), intended for two to four players. Kicks and passes were carried out by rotating the handles of the rods, on which figures of football players were “mounted” (hence the name “shish kebab”). At the same time, the figures of football players on the rod changed their angle of inclination, which made it possible to strike the ball. The rods could also be moved back and forth, changing the horizontal position of the players. Having hit the opponent's goal with an accurate shot, the player received a point.
Hockey
A game that was not much different from its “home” version, which many Soviet children dreamed of getting for their birthday. The main differences were the dimensions and the presence of a glass cap that covered the field and protected the puck from flying out of it, and the player figures from curious children's hands.
Astropilot
The first attempt to create a device with a space theme. The player had to control spaceship, trying not to crash into elements of the landscape and successfully land. The joystick was used, and as a result, points were awarded.
Tankodrome
Driving a very maneuverable and nimble tank model along an obstacle course, simulating an attack and defeat of stationary targets scattered around the perimeter of the playing field.
The gaming culture in the Soviet Union appeared unexpectedly, developed quickly and just as quickly declined. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the Soviet public mastered slot machines only 100 years after their appearance. To find out how and where it all began, the Reedus correspondent went to the Museum of Soviet Slot Machines, located in the very center of Moscow.
The museum is located in the very center of the capital, a five-minute walk from the Kuznetsky Most metro station. Entrance to the museum is paid - 450 rubles per person. The ticket price includes an orientation tour and 15 tokens. The museum's collection includes several dozen different models of slot machines - from classic pinball to virtual billiards.
A little history
The first slot machines appeared in the USA. One of the pioneers was the well-known pinball, which is the parent of its electronic version in the Windows operating system. In the Soviet variation it was called “Circus”, but the principle of operation was absolutely the same.
A little later, other machines appeared that already carried a share of excitement - the classic “one-armed bandits”. The machine was a box with a handle, on the screen of which images rotated. And if the player got three identical pictures, he received a prize. The first such machines did not have a coin acceptor, so the player received sweets or drinks as a reward, and not a jackpot in the form of a mountain of coins. This is where the classic images of fruits and berries on the reels came from.
Such equipment reached the USSR only a hundred years after the creation of the first slot machine. In 1971, an exhibition called “Attraction-71” was held in the Moscow Gorky Park of Culture and Leisure. It was there that the Soviet inexperienced public became acquainted with slot machines. More than ten thousand people visited the exhibition every day, and in the wake of this excitement, the USSR Ministry of Culture decided to buy all the slot machines from this event. Having studied the technology and slightly modernized it, Soviet engineers released the first slot machines of their own production.
The first slot machines
One of these attractions was the Turnip slot machine. This is an analogue of the classic American strength meter, with the help of which anyone could test their physical abilities by hitting a punching bag with their fist or hitting a spring with a hammer. The Soviet version of the force meter was designed so that during the process itself there were no signs of aggression. Therefore, instead of the typical “push-push”, a person had to pull a spring device reminiscent of a turnip from the Russian fairy tale of the same name. It is noteworthy that the highest level could be obtained by pulling a turnip with a force of 200 kilograms. It is not known whether anyone was able to achieve such a result, since on average a healthy adult man knocks out about 80 kilograms on this machine.
One of the main differences between Soviet slot machines and foreign ones was their service life. Most of the machines made in the USSR still work and, if handled with care, will last at least another 50 years. The reason for this is quite simple - all Soviet machine guns were produced on the territory of one of 22 military factories from the highest quality and most expensive materials. Meanwhile, finding an American or Japanese slot machine from the 80s is an almost impossible task.
On average, the production price of one slot machine in the USSR was 4,000 rubles - cosmic money at that time. And according to the plans of Soviet marketers, such a machine was supposed to pay for itself in exactly 365 days, that is, bring a profit of 8 rubles 10 kopecks every day. If after a year the attraction did not pay for itself, then it was no longer produced.
All Soviet machines were exclusively arcade machines and did not have any gambling nature. The most you could win on any attraction was extra play time. The only machine that gave out any prizes was the classic “tap machine”. The player could use a mechanical arm to pull a prize in the form of chewing gum or candy from a box.
End of an era
But closer to the 90s, all Soviet machine guns ended up either in landfills or at scrap metal collection points. The reason for all this was the emergence of computer video games. The child no longer had to run to the park to play “battleship”, but only had to buy a game console once and enjoy his favorite games at home at any time convenient for him.
Soviet slot machines were produced from 1973 to 1991, copying American or Japanese prototypes, no cash prizes were given out and no fan subculture was generated. MOSLENTA found out from one of the creators of the Museum of Soviet Slot Machines how it was possible to get free game in “Battleship”, what prize in a plastic box was given out by the “Penalty” machine and for what frauds “Soyuzattraktsion” was disbanded.
Alexander Vugman, one of the founders of the Museum of Soviet Slot Machines
In the beginning there was an exhibition
The era of slot machines in the USSR began in 1971, when top level It was decided to hold the exhibition “Attraction-71” in Moscow, in which people were invited to participate from a dozen countries, from the USA to Japan. The situation in the country then developed in such a way that it became possible to load heavy industry factories with something other than the production of saucepans and rockets.
The exhibition took place in Gorky Park and Izmailovsky Park. Both “large-form attractions” were brought there: roller coasters, carousels of various types, and “small-form attractions,” which we all used to call slot machines. These included pinballs that had been tested for decades, as well as “shooters” of all stripes that had already appeared by that time, and television slot machines, for example, with ping-pong.
Slot machines were supplied to pioneer camps for free play. The richest camps, those belonging to defense industry enterprises, were best equipped in this regard. Not every day, but rather on weekends, there were hours when each squad could come and play. It is clear that this restriction did not apply to counselors and other employees of the pioneer camp administration.
In all other places you could only play for money. From a commercial point of view it was very profitable business: people wanted to play, and people were willing to pay for it.
The standard price of the game was 15 kopecks, which was good money at that time: travel on the metro cost 5 kopecks, a large mug of kvass from a barrel - 6, popsicles - 7. And the profit from the machines at that time was colossal: with a plan of 6-8 rubles per day, but in fact they earned much more. Let's do the math: on a day off, the machine worked for 10 hours without a break, the playing session lasted 2 minutes, so I think that was 40-45 rubles. My childhood, for example, was spent in Taganka, and I remember that in our recreation park it was impossible to approach the machine guns, the same story happened in Central children's world. There, if you only managed to play “Battleship” once, then only if your dad stood up for you, but all you could do was look at the backs of the high school students playing.
In each machine, the cash box with coins was not only locked with a number key, but also sealed. Initially, it was planned that collectors would get and take out the money, but then this idea was abandoned. And a corrupt scheme was established: a significant part of the coins from the machines went past the state treasury into private hands. Individual employees Soyuzattraktsion supervised specific points with machines from which profits were withdrawn. And it didn’t cost them anything to pay 50-70 rubles to fly once a week to some distant city where the machines under their control were located and withdraw profits from them amounting to hundreds and thousands of rubles.
In the 1980s, there was even a high-profile investigation that revealed exactly how the money ended up in the hands of the top members of Soyuzattraction. This organization existed for about 10 years, after which it was disbanded due to its corruption. The country's entire gaming industry was transferred to the jurisdiction of Soyuzteaprom, which produced theater equipment. But essentially it didn't change anything, key positions the same people remained.
Gamer culture
There was no fan gamer culture in the USSR. , but they didn’t make a cult out of it: there were no amateur clubs, no joint training sessions or competitions.
Communication around games and their discussion were based mainly on inventions and boasting. Just as they said about pocket “Electronics” that if you score 999 points, they will show you a series of “Well, wait a minute!”, about machine guns they said that if you jerk the gun sharply in “Sniper”, you can shoot down at once whole line targets, and if in “Battleship” you shoot sharply at the corners, you will only hit. And if you unplug the machine and then plug it back in, it will give you a free game.
Now I repair all these devices and know their structure well, so I can say for sure: all of this is fiction. The only thing is that in “Sniper” you can actually get a free game after turning off the power and turning it on, but this only happens in cases where something in the machine does not work correctly.
It is extremely difficult to deceive a well-tuned machine. You can pick up a metal washer the size of a “tag”, but if it is steel, it will be attracted by a magnet, which is located inside specifically to catch all the iron-containing junk that is thrown there.
The slot machines have a button to control the start of the game, and this is probably their only sore spot. It is impossible to reach it with the front door closed on most devices, but, for example, “ Sea battle“It is so located behind this door, 20 centimeters from the right edge, that if you insert a ruler there, you can still press it. Therefore, the manufacturer changed the design several times: moved it, and in some models installed a separate switch that blocked the action of this button. We have various variations of this machine in our collection, and if you open the front panel, you can see how this button migrated from model to model.
Rare devices
There were about 100 varieties of Soviet slot machines, some of them were discontinued or modernized at some point. For example, “Underwater Battle” was discontinued in the 1980s, it was modernized, something was simplified, and it was released until 1991 under the name “Submarine.” The most popular, widespread, easy to maintain and reliable in operation at all times remained “Battleship”.
It is worth mentioning separately about the ET-10M assault rifle, which was the same “Battleship”, but without a coin acceptor. The mysterious abbreviation stands for simply: ET - electronic simulator, 10 - number of shots, M - modernized. They were installed only on nuclear submarines for the entertainment of sailors on long voyages. Unlike diesel submarines, where there was no space at all, they were manufactured with increased attention to the issue of organizing the crew’s leisure time: back in Soviet times they began to build a room with plants there - a small winter garden, and on some even a swimming pool.
In fact, there were no simulators among Soviet machine guns, except for the “Quiz”, which was conceived to test knowledge in various fields, but was produced in a single configuration - with signs traffic. They were installed in the traffic police, where those who came to take their license could refresh their memory of traffic signs.
If we continue the topic of unique slot machines, then in our collection we have the only slot machine produced by the Soviet industry with cash winnings- Lobis. It was impossible to meet it in the USSR; it was supplied only to Poland, despite the fact that, oddly enough, it accepted 15-kopeck coins, although all the inscriptions on it were made in Polish.
It was impossible to win money on other Soviet machines. The bonus game was given if you completed the task flawlessly: shoot down 10 ships with 10 shots - get three additional shots. “Penalty”, “Quiz” and “Submarine”, depending on the settings of the machine, could give out either a bonus game or a prize - badges in small plastic boxes. For example, “Penalty” gave out a small green icon with the same inscription and an image of the ball. That's all the fan symbols available to Soviet gamers.
“Soyuzattraction” also produced branded calendars with the theme of slot machines, but they were distributed not among players, but among clients: buy a slot machine for 3 thousand rubles - get a calendar. By the way, the most expensive was the bulky Bowling Alley, which cost, like a Zhiguli, 5 thousand rubles.
The production of domestic slot machines came to an abrupt end with the collapse of the USSR. They were expensive, sold only by enterprises - to enterprises, and when this system collapsed, it became unprofitable to produce them.
In the early 1990s, cheaper and more reliable foreign slot machines, such as Pac-Man, began to appear in Moscow and throughout the country. And they quickly replaced the old Soviet devices, which for the most part went to the landfill, to be melted down.
The history of slot machines in our country began in the 70s of the last century. The devices were produced by factories that were not at all specialized, most often from the defense-military complex, where there was free capacity and advanced technologies at that time.
As many as 22 defense plants throughout the USSR worked for the joy of Soviet citizens. Due to the fact that the military had a financial plan for the production of civilian products, engineers and developers tried to insert as much of the most modern electronics into the slot machine as possible. Therefore, the devices turned out to be terribly expensive: from 2.5 to 4 thousand rubles, almost like a Zhiguli. Accordingly, not a single company producing slot machines at that time had grown to become a powerful giant like Sega. (History: SEGA was founded in 1940 to provide services in the amusement machine business in the United States. In 1951, it moved to Tokyo under the name SErvice GAmes of Japan. The first slot machine, the submarine simulator "Periscope", was released in 1966 and immediately became a hit all over the world. Today Sega is a company with offices in the USA and Europe and many distributors around the world). Over the entire period, about 70 types of machine guns were produced in the USSR “for entertainment, active recreation and the development of the eye and reaction of the population.” Time of crisis The 90s put an end to the production of Soviet equipment, namely slot machines, those that I will talk about below. There were many reasons for this. This is the depreciation of those very 15 kopecks, this is the overall difficult situation in the country, which contributed to the fact that gaming halls simply closed and could not support themselves, and numerous parks in which machines also operated, moving to a new level, sought to develop and paid more attention to “large-caliber” equipment. The crisis also affected places of recreation and residence of children (children's camps, boarding schools, etc.), where the devices were purchased by bosses (large enterprises and factories) and worked for free.
Today, that time, like many things from that time, have become history. History of the times of the USSR. So, devices from the times of the USSR... Let's remember them by name? The first thing that comes to mind is everyone’s favorite, without restrictions on age and gender, “Battleship”.
It was produced since 1973 and was the most popular and memorable machine. The device simulated a torpedo attack by a submarine on a moving sea surface target, accompanied by light and sound effects. It should be noted that the design of the device was not particularly complex (in comparison with today's analogues, such as the modern SEA WOLF, produced by the Americans).
Our attraction was based on the principle mirror reflection panoramas of “combat” actions, surface targets (silhouettes of ships) and a moving torpedo. The panorama of the “combat” actions is located vertically, but, reflected in a mirror installed at an angle of 45°, it looked horizontal. The imitation of the sea was made of glass on which a drawing of the sea was applied. Under the glass there were 8 “rays” of the torpedo’s trajectory with 10 light bulbs in each beam, which was a simplification of the design of the slot machine compared to the moving trajectory of the torpedo, which, for example, was implemented in the prototype slot machine “Sea Devil” released in 1970 in the USA.
The player controlled the launch of the torpedo through the “Start” button on the right handle of the “periscope”, through which the player saw a panorama of the “combat” actions. When the periscope was turned, one of 8 torpedo launch paths was selected. This principle of fixing the torpedo's path made the device more reliable technically, but at the same time, the launch of the torpedo was less predictable for the player. 
Maximum amount There were 10 “torpedoes”, but with 10 hits, the opportunity for a bonus game appeared. It should be noted that there were many fans of this game at that time and, as expected in our country, they still found ways to receive permanent bonuses. When the “periscope” was turned to the extreme right (when ships were moving from right to left) and to the extreme left (when ships were moving in the opposite direction) position, if you launched a “torpedo” at the moment the ship exited from behind the cover screen, the ship was guaranteed to be hit.
I am sure that each of those who “torpedoed” ships many years ago was able not only to return to the past, but to imagine it, remember the feeling of the game and the smell. Do you remember the smell of “periscope”? This is the first association for everyone who knows this game...And the fact that his short stature often made it impossible to reach him? To correct the situation, the machine was equipped with a retractable special. stand that allows you to be higher. 
One of the favorite shooting games of Soviet citizens was the game “Safari”. The unique exciting (yes, that was impressive then) hunting for African game gathered a lot of people around it. The player, controlling a rider galloping on a horse (the races were complicated by obstacles), had to hit running animals moving at three heights within the allotted time. A video machine with primitive graphics and complete absence special effects, which today are so rich in modern shooting simulators, then had big success, both in children and adults. The female sex also came to the gaming halls to shoot, no less often than the male population. I myself went to a similar gaming room with friends and I must say that I did better than my male gaming partners, so a lot of positive emotions were guaranteed. 
The most famous of the rifles was the SNIPER assault rifle, which came in two versions. Essentially, he imagined a shooting range with a gun that closely resembled the real thing. The task was to hit as many targets as possible in a certain amount of time. A heavy rifle in the hands of the players was an opportunity to imagine themselves as a real shooter, a sniper. Crowds of boys and young people stood around the machine for hours, played, knocking out points, competing with each other and showing off their accuracy nearby standing girls. It is interesting that the system that controls hits was located in the stand of the machine gun. There was also “feedback” - an electromagnet that simulated recoil when fired.
If we talk about shooting simulators, there were a lot of them released at that time. Someone will probably remember the Soviet “Shooting Range” in the form of a machine gun. In it, shooting was carried out at stationary, rotating and moving sports targets. The weapon was a plastic pistol, oversized, light in weight and convenient. During the main game session, which lasted only 2 minutes, up to 200 shots could be fired. As with any machines, there were bonuses that added excitement and fun.
In the same category there was an “Accurate Shooter” machine gun (or “Sharp Shooter” in variation). Produced by one of the instrument-making factories, it had a very simple design and several target options to choose from. The player could choose falling targets (if hit, the target would fall) or moving targets (if hit, it would turn around and move in the other direction). It was also possible to shoot at a standard circular target. For amateurs there was a target in the form of an “owl” with “burning eyes” (when hit, the eyes went out). If you collected 2500 points after 20 shots, a bonus game was provided. The number of shots in the bonus game is 15. At the end of the game, the total number of points was shown on the score counter. Such games for companies caused a storm of delight, someone played “for a bet”, someone “lost” cooking dinner ( real story from the past of an acquaintance of a married couple), someone “blowed” a mug of beer, and someone also chewed gum (mint or orange, remember that taste?).
At that time, there were the first attempts to produce machine guns on space theme. The Astropilot gaming machine was less common, but no less exciting. The player's task was to pilot a spaceship with maximum speed above the surface of the planet, avoiding collisions with elements of the landscape and land the ship on the landing pad within the time of the landing signal. The spacecraft was controlled by moving the joystick. Points were awarded for accurate landing without collisions with various objects. 
“Gorodki” was one of the favorite entertainments of Soviet citizens. Exciting game kept at home for a long time desire to achieve maximum results and win. The player could choose to knock down standard city targets with a bat. The player was given 5 seconds to aim before each throw, after which the bat would fly out automatically. When knocking out all 15 pieces, the player who spent no more than 24 bits on this was awarded 40 bonus throws. There were also regular customers who came to set their personal records.
“The Little Humpbacked Horse” also had a lot of fans. The game, based on the TIA-MC-1 platform (Television Game Machine Multi-Frame Color with interchangeable game programs) became the first arcade game developed in the USSR and the basis for many similar “walkers” with a plot ( later “Auto Racing”, “Fisher Cat”, “Treasure Island” were released, The Snow Queen and etc.). The player's task was to take prizes. These were characters or things from work of art or fairy tale of the same name, in “The Little Horse...” it was the firebird, the chest, the princess.), guiding the main character Ivan on the Little Humpbacked Horse to the right edge of the screen in each frame as quickly as possible. 
Actions were carried out using control knobs and keys that made him jump, lie down, back away, go forward, and strike. All mistakes in the player’s actions (falling over a stone, colliding with flying fire, a dragon, an apple, a stone) were punished by loss of attempts. colorful, music game delighted the children's population. To date similar games widely distributed in the form of computer games for young children.
Of particular interest today is the Interceptor gaming machine. It is a unique, very indicative model of that time. The player's task is to repel the air attack of the capitalist aggressor (!!!). The design, as befits, was extremely modest. To create the ambiance (control of the aircraft), the exterior was stylized to imitate aircraft instruments. 
The handle (“joystick” of that time) made it possible not only to maneuver at high speed, but also to fire shots. "Magistral" is a racing machine that developed attention, reaction speed, improved the eye and improved logical thinking. At least that's what its creators assured. The player standing in front of the device controlled his vehicle using a large steering wheel, which added interest (after all, at that time there were no today’s opportunities to “steer” at home, looking at the computer, etc.) Several game modes were possible, including “night” mode and “wet road” mode. Excitement and excitement (I wanted to avoid collisions and earn points) were guaranteed.
One of the most famous car races was “Virazh.” This is a racing simulator of that time, providing the opportunity to drive at high speed along a circular track limited by the side of the road with green spaces. This slot machine was a distant predecessor of today's auto racing. The model had a screen and irreplaceable attributes - a driver's seat, a gear shift knob. 
The goal of the game is to use the steering wheel, gas pedals, brake pedals and gear shift knob to gain the maximum number of conventionally traveled kilometers (points) during the time allotted for the game, avoiding “emergency collisions” with passing cars and overpasses. When you pressed the gas pedal, the panorama engine was turned on and an imitation of movement along the highway was created, that is, the harder you press the gas pedal, the faster the landscape rotates and the faster you move while driving a car. Like all Virage devices, it was accompanied by musical sounds of collisions, emergency braking, etc. (of course there were no cool stereo systems, speakers, wind effects, steering wheel feedback, etc.) The slot machine had bonuses. Interestingly, when one 15-kopeck coin was inserted into the machine, the player was entitled to only one bonus game. And with two coins - as many as three. 
Everyone loved “Air Combat”. On the machine's screen, the player saw the silhouettes of three enemy aircraft and the crosshairs of the sight. While controlling the joystick, you had to try to catch the enemy with a “sight.” The difficulty of the game was that the enemy unit did not want to be shot down and constantly slipped out of sight. When hit, the silhouette of the affected aircraft disappeared from the screen. To win, you had to shoot down all three planes within the allotted time for the game - 2 minutes.
“Horses” was incredibly interesting. Very similar to “Safari” with the most primitive design, they were so exciting! The game allowed you to play both with a machine gun and with friends, choosing your rider and horse. I don’t know how those poor 6 buttons survived, because they were knocked on, hit, and pounded with both hands... After all, the task was not only to overcome all the obstacles encountered along the way, but also to come first to the finish line. It’s funny that the game was black and white, and the tracks were given “multi-color” by colored stripes glued to the screen. 
The most remarkable (this is my subjective opinion) was “Table Basketball”. The machine was designed for doubles play. The player’s task was to “throw” more balls into the opponent’s basket in the allotted time than he could manage. When the score was “30-30” or more, players were rewarded with a bonus game. The playing field was covered with a transparent dome and divided into holes with springs, into one of which the ball fell. By pressing a button, the player “shot” the ball from the hole, trying to hit the opponent’s basket or prevent him from shooting in turn (each hole was controlled by both players). Today, this model is produced in a modern, updated and improved form and is called SPASE BASKETBALL. 
At that time, Soviet analogues of other sports devices were also produced: table football, table hockey (outwardly it was somewhat reminiscent of SUPER CHEXX, but, in fact, a home version of the game in an enlarged version). 
The peak of the heyday of slot machines in the Soviet Union occurred in the 70-80s of the last century and ended with the beginning of perestroika. Domestic slot machines were supplanted by more spectacular Western analogues, “one-armed bandits”, computer salons and home gaming computers and consoles. And old machine guns almost everywhere migrated to warehouses, were destroyed or simply thrown into a landfill. Today, when those times are remembered as historical moments of the past, the devices, like many other things, are a rarity.
Some time ago, 2 graduates of Moscow universities, Alexander Stakhanov and Maxim Pinigin, organized a Museum Soviet Automata in Moscow. The guys found their first exhibit for the collection in... the trash heap of Tagansky Park. It turned out to be “Battleship”. Six months later, the collection grew to six machines. The management of MAMI (Moscow State Technical University) allocated a basement in the dormitory for the museum premises. Now the collection includes more than 60 AIA. Maxim and Alexander managed to bring more than half of the rarities “back to life” with the help of a soldering iron and skillful hands. The guys are not going to stop there, continuing to collect their exposition bit by bit. One of the last targets of their search was a soda machine. The 15-kopeck coins needed to run the machines are also being actively sought.
But the life of Soviet gaming equipment is not limited to the museum. The presence of such machines in entertainment centers and bars was shared with me by their owners from different cities of our country. modern Russia. As it turned out, they earn very good money, and, most importantly, they are an excellent attraction to establishments different directions. The devices are of considerable interest to today's children, spoiled by rapidly developing computer games and the market for entertainment gaming equipment that is not lagging behind them. But, whatever one may say, history is instructive, and USSR slot machines the best for that live confirmation.
The age of Soviet slot machines began in the 70s of the last century. The production of such machine guns was carried out by completely non-core factories, which were often part of the defense-military complex, because they had free capacity and advanced technologies for that time. Thus, throughout the entire territory of the USSR there were as many as 22 defense factories, which, among other things, devoted themselves to working for the joy of Soviet residents. Due to the fact that all plans for the production of civilian products by the military were financial, those who developed the models and engineers tried to stuff the slot machine with the most modern electronics. That's where it came from huge price for vehicles: from 2.5 to 4 thousand rubles, almost a whole Zhiguli. As a result, there was no gaming machine company that became the powerhouse that Sega was. (Reference: SEGA, founded in 1940, provided services to American entrepreneurs involved in amusement machines. In 1951, it changed its location to Tokyo under the name “SErvice GAmes of Japan”. The very first slot machine was a submarine simulator “Periscope”, its released in 1966 and became an immediate hit around the world. Today, Sega is a company with offices in both the US and Europe, as well as a large number of distributors scattered throughout the planet).
In total, about 70 types of slot machines were produced in the USSR, intended for entertainment, active recreation, as well as developing the eye and reaction of players. But, as in many other areas, the crisis of the 90s effectively ended the production of Soviet equipment, or rather slot machines, which will be discussed below. Naturally, this was the reason a large number of reasons. The reshaping of the economy and the general depressing situation in the country simply led to closure gaming halls because they were not able to support themselves. There were, of course, various parks, where you could also find a significant number of machine guns, which reached a new level and developed, as a result, focusing on large-caliber equipment and technology. The time of crisis did not pass by all kinds of places of recreation and residence for children, where large enterprises and factories installed their devices, and they functioned free of charge.
That time, like many events and things belonging to it, has become history. What does it sound like: gaming machines from the times of the USSR. Everyone deserves attention!
Of course, the first on the list is “Battleship,” beloved by everyone without exception, both then and now. It was created in 1973, and throughout the history of its release it has never lost its position as the most popular and memorable machine. In essence, it is an imitation of a submarine torpedo attack on a moving sea surface target accompanied by light and sound effects. Of course, at that time the design of this device was not something complicated, which cannot be said about modern, especially foreign, analogues, such as the SEA WOLF made by the Americans.
Our “Naval Battle” model was built on the principle of mirroring the panorama of “combat” actions, surface targets represented by the silhouettes of ships and a moving torpedo. The panorama of the “combat” actions is vertical, but the mirror, located at an angle of 45°, reflects it horizontally. A drawing of the sea was applied to the glass to accurately imitate it. Under the glass there were eight beams of the torpedo launch trajectory with ten light bulbs in each beam. This significantly simplified the design of the model. However, in the USA in 1970 they improved this device, called “Sea Devil”, creating a moving torpedo trajectory.
The player launches the torpedo using the “Start” button located on the right handle of the periscope, looking through which the person could look around the entire panorama of “combat” actions. By turning the periscope, you could choose any of 8 possible routes launching a torpedo. It turns out that the torpedo’s path is fixed and a similar principle becomes the key to the technical reliability of the device, however, the launch of the torpedo ceases to be predictable for the player. A total of 10 torpedoes could be launched, but in case of an absolute win, the player received the opportunity to play a bonus game. It is worth noting that in those days there was great amount connoisseurs of "Battleship", and these already experienced guys found ways to acquire permanent bonuses. For example, if you turn the “periscope” to the extreme right (when ships are moving from right to left) and to the extreme left (when ships are moving in the opposite direction) and launch a torpedo at the moment the ship appears from behind the cover screen, the guarantee of a hit was one hundred percent.
It seems funny, but the first association among those who loved this game is the smell of “periscope”. The indescribable sensations of childhood return every time you remember that your small stature sometimes did not even allow you to reach him. But for this case there was a special retractable stand.
