The Merchandise GuideGames
Compiled by Martin Willey
The Merchandise Guide
UK 1975
36 cards (6 x 9 cm) with art in 9 designs (Koenig, Helena, Victor, Alan, 4 of astronauts, Eagle) in 4 suits (symbols of star, crescent, ringed planet, chequers) plus "Switch" cards (the Eagle design)
For 2 or more players, object to put down all your cards. Each turn a player can put down a card if it is the same picture or symbol as the last to be put down, or a 'Switch' (wild card). If neither is possible they miss the turn.
UK £2.22 1976
Inclined board with clear plastic cover (26 x 36 x 3 cm). Spring fires ball to top of board, from where it rolls down, to be trapped in plastic cups giving various scores, onto a lever which the the player can use to hit it back up, or to the base giving no score. Maximum score with all 10 balls is 4300.
The name bagatelle was the original term for the table-top billiards, developed in France in the late 17th century, and it was still known as that in the mid-19th century when a British inventor in the US standardised the game with spring launcher and marbles for balls. In the 1930s, coin-operated bagatelle games in the US popularised a new name, pinball. Marx Toys in the UK used the bagatelle name because pinball was associated with gambling (pinball machines were banned in New York City until 1976).
Board features superior painting: at top, Eagles & logo; below head/shoulders of Zantor, Maya, Helena, Koenig; astronaut aiming heavy laser (Alpha Child), Breakaway astronauts fighting and the War Games alien. All four Eagles have red rescue stripes. Apart from Maya and Helena (in year 2 jacket), all the images are first series.
Box with open front 32 x 63 x 3 cm.
A bagatelle from Martin Landau's estate was sold with the Milton Bradley board game in September 2019 for $325.
Marx also produced a Communicator
USA 1976, $0.99
6" by 11" pinball/bagatelle with good illustrations of Koenig, Bergman and a Rescue Eagle. Also included in the composition are floating spheres from Guardian Of Piri, a spider-like monster and the Kaldorian ship. The packaging was a box with an open corner (an arrow pointed to it: "Try Me!") and open front. Illustrations round the side included the front of an Eagle, the Kaldorian ship and multi-coloured planets. Other captions were "Lots Of Fun!" and "Safely designed! Shatterproof!"
The packaging is in two small variations- the logo and "pin ball game" strap is lower in one version (revealing Bergman's face). The lower version has the Ahi! logo bottom left, but it is absent on the higher version.
See other Azrak-Hamway (ahi) toys.
Copyright Martin Willey