Pachinko – What It Is And How To Play It

Japanese gambling game Pachinko isn’t popular in the West and there are even tourists that visit the country and never try it out. It’s however, very popular in Japan and you can find it everywhere from the biggest casinos to the smallest bars.

The game is simple enough to grasp and it’s very fun to play as well. If you’re ever in Japan, try it out just make sure to learn the rules first. We’re sure you’ll keep coming back to it once you do. 

What’s Pachinko?

Let’s start by answering the question “what is pachinko” in the first place. It’s a gambling game that’s a mixture of a pinball machine and a slot game. Most of the games are themed based on one of the popular Manga cartoons. 

There’s nothing more Japanese therefore than this mixture of the two most popular Japanese pop culture products. Even though Mangas have found an audience in the west Pachinko machines still haven’t and that’s a shame. You can find machines with many different themes but the most popular one is known as DD Fist of the North Star.

What’s DD Fist of the North Star?

DD Fist of the North Star is a Japanese comic book that’s currently in circulation. It’s based on the manga that came out in the 1980s. Both of these were made into amine shows and have a wide audience of all ages. 

The comic and the show based on it offer an alternative timeline of the events that happened in the first manga and the related show. In this version, there was no nuclear war which was the main event of the original. 

How is The Game Played?

There are four steps to activating the Pachinko machine which is loud and bright and made to appear as a Japanese version of a Vegas casino game. The steps go as follows. 

-You start with putting money in the machine in the slot that’s set for it on the side. It only accepts cash.
-You press the play button that’s marked with the Japanese sign for play. There are no English markings on the machine.
-Turn the lever that will make the metal balls pop out of the machine. As you keep holding it, the balls will continue to fall out.
-Aim the balls to the upper left area of the board.

What’s the Gameplay Like?

The game works as a pinball machine. The goal is to place the balls into an area and when you do you’ll get more balls to keep playing. As the balls keep coming in you need to decide which one to let go of and which one to try to shoot, since you won’t be able to hit them all. 

There’s also a “special time” which is a bonus that you unlock by playing. When you do this, the game turns into a slot game rather than a pinball machine and that’s where you play for money rather than for more balls.

DD Fist of the North Star Features

There are some features of the Pachinko machine that are unique to the DD Fist of the North Star version. It’s unique due to how rare the jackpots are with this game. The jackpot comes once in every 319 turns. 

This means that it’s a high-risk game. As is the case with any other high-risk game the rewards are also very high if you’re lucky enough to get one of those jackpots. It’s important not to dial the lever all the way during the ordinary parts of the game, that will increase your chance of a jackpot. 

Jackpot or Special Time

Special time is the bonus stage of the game when your chances are much higher, and you get to earn much more than you otherwise would.  This is indicated by a flashing rainbow sign.

There are also many other indicators that you could notice and take advantage of when they appear. This is the time to put as many balls as you can in order to get as many bonuses as you can. 

Online Games 

There are also online versions of this game that you can play. These games accept credit cards and other payment methods beyond cash. They are similar in terms of gameplay to the original games you can find in bars and the bonuses work based on the same principle as well. 

The number of balls you’re getting isn’t based on a lever but on a random number generator which makes the game a bit more about luck than skill. It’s also a high-risk high-reward type of game. This version is more popular with the younger players. 

Pachinko Parlors

There are also popular Pachinko parlors all over Japan. These establishments are dedicated to Pachinko games only and there are a lot of them you could try all with different aesthetics and different bonus schemes.  These establishments are more akin to arcade games than to casinos and that’s the ambiance as well.

Popular parlors can even have lines outside with people waiting their turn to try a few popular Pachinko machines. If this is the case with the parlor you’re looking for, it’s best to reserve a spot in advance and get up early to find a spot in the line. 

To Sum Up

Pachinko is a popular gambling machine used in Japan. It’s a staple of the local pop culture. Games can be found in bars, parlors, and there are also online versions you can try. It’s mostly similar to a mixture of a slot machine and a pinball machine or at least that’s what it looks like to westerners. A lot of the time, the game aesthetic is based on a popular manga or a comic book. 

The game has a bonus round during which you can earn the most and it’s a game with a lot of risks and therefore with a high reward as well. Make sure to check it out.