Supergun

[SuperPang]

Something I've wondered for a while.... where's the name come from?

[SuperPang]

A British made one? I think the Japanese look at you funny for asking for a Supergun. I think they use "Control box".

[ne7]

I reckon the first time I heard the term was via Raven games (i think??) "Supergun - play arcade games on your tv" magazine adverts in the UK back in the day - they just looked like big squarish boxes with MD style controller ports (I remember them being very expensive at the time too!

[joeblade]

I reckon the first time I heard the term was via Raven games (i think??) "Supergun - play arcade games on your tv" magazine adverts in the UK back in the day - they just looked like big squarish boxes with MD style controller ports (I remember them being very expensive at the time too!

If it was Raven Games who first used the term (although i sincerely doubt it!) i'll get some more info....

[richy13]

yeah in japan there known as a Control box.

[tony starks]

I reckon the first time I heard the term was via Raven games (i think??) "Supergun - play arcade games on your tv" magazine adverts in the UK back in the day - they just looked like big squarish boxes with MD style controller ports (I remember them being very expensive at the time too!

Yeah Raven Games was when I first heard about Superguns also.

yeah in japan there known as a Control box.

Weird I know but I prefer the term Supergun than control box. Maybe it's because I don't really see the term control box used that much. Come to think of it Supergun sounds crazy

[dj_johnnyg]

When were these 1st available???

I remember them being advertised by a small gaming company for about £100 in the early 90's (probably around '93-'94).

Could be a reference to the "Supergun" arms to Iraq scandal in the early 90's

[neokidgeo]

Could they have miss spelt it and hit g instead of f, so it would have been called superfun

I thought the same about the weapon supergun but thought it may have been a reference to one of the german ww2 sg's, could they have sprung up from germany?

I forgot all about that iraqi supergun, i don't think it was a supergun i think it was just a big soil pipe for someones toilet

[SuperPang]

Weird I know but I prefer the term Supergun than control box. Maybe it's because I don't really see the term control box used that much. Come to think of it Supergun sounds crazy

The Japanese are pretty unimaginative, a candy cab is a "game machine" and an arcade is a "game centre".

[joeblade]

Tony remembers the name came from a jamma "home" box that he imported from hong kong many, many years ago but realised that it didn't run a lot of the games so he got someone to rebuild it......makes sense i guess....

[GaijinPunch]

The Japanese are pretty unimaginative, a candy cab is a "game machine" and an arcade is a "game centre".

An Arcade is a strip of shops, which is most likely far more in line with the original meaning of the word in English. But you'll be heard pressed to find "game machine". Cabs are usually referred to as "kyoutai".

As far as the origin of the word, a user at Assembler (Calpis) has stated a few times that the first Super gun was basically a control box called "The Super Gun" and was indeed an HK product. And, in the west, the term was born... or at least stolen. He's pretty knowledgeable in the world of obscure, so I'll stick w/ that for now.

[SuperPang]

Interesting.

I think I was going by translator results where "game machine" is concerned.

[GaijinPunch]

I think I was going by translator results where "game machine" is concerned.

Oh, yeah -- those things are always right!

[ne7]

yes, the name was definitely a reference to the Iraq weapons scandal thing that was going on around the same time as the unit came out...
I remember that well as it made me chuckle at the time that someone would name a potential new product after something like that

[SuperPang]

Scud Race?

[Ultron]

I've thought about it for some time and decided to call them "those things that people that don't want there to be any arcades have"

[idc]

I've thought about it for some time and decided to call them "those things that people that don't want there to be any arcades have"

Superguns? Nah. They're owned by those whom can't afford cabinets. They, and indeed those with cabinets, don't think there are enough arcades. Then there are those whom find them a useful tool for repairing what would otherwise have been consigned to the skip once arcades have closed.

Blame the likes of the PS2 and Xbox onwards closing the gap between arcade hardware and home consoles.

[SuperPang]

I've thought about it for some time and decided to call them "those things that people that don't want there to be any arcades have"

Superguns? Nah. They're owned by those whom can't afford cabinets.

I think its more a space thing in Japan. You can get a cabinet for less than an AV7000. Hell, you almost can here

[pubjoe]

Yeah, "afford" has got nothing to do with it. Most people don't want a hulking great arcade machine in their home, regardless of space and money. ...and simply just prefer gaming sitting at the telly in the lounge or wherever.

[GaijinPunch]

They're owned by those whom can't afford cabinets.

Yeah, none of us live in cities where space is a premium.