SNK Candy 18

SNK Candy 18 (R6001)
Katakana	18" キャンディ筐体 (R6001), キャンディ18
Rōmaji	18"KYANDIKYŌTAI(R6001), KYANDI18
AKA	18" Candy, R6001, Video Game
Type	Sitdown (convertible to Upright)
Released	1986
Dimensions	735 x 580 x sitdown without topper 1110 mm or (see nota bene) converted to upright with topper 1760 mm
Wiring	JAMMA
Monitor	18 in 15/24 kHz (Nanao MS7 18)
Rotatable	Yes
Weight	without upright module: 65 kg
Power Supply	AC100V
Power	100 W

SNK released the Candy 18 aka R6001 cabinet in October 1986 in response to SEGA's 1986 City cabinet (in barely a couple months), also taking inspiration heavily from the latter. It was launched simultaneously with the cocktail Table 18 (T6001). As of today, the SNK Candy 18 was the first japanese all steel sheet, true sitdown cabinet model to officially use the term "Candy" (キャンディ = KYANDI). The cabinet is said to be powdercoated with a durable white thick scratch-proof and stain-proof coating (vs the silver-gray coating on the SEGA City) and a pair of speakers, right below the control panel for stereo sound as opposed to SEGA City's only mono speaker .

The Candy 18 featured a 2 in 1 riser-pedestal module to convert an existing sitdown cabinet into a supposed "upright" version (really a sitdown), raising its total height while incorporating itself a footrest which would remain at floor level while the cabinet's own footrest would now be elevated mid-air (similarly to the 1985 JALECO Pony Mk II Upright conversion), unlike SEGA City cabinet's Upright module which acted solely as a spacer inserting itself between the cabinet main unit and the -detachable- footrest base. (For the issue of the dimensions claimed in promo material regarding the real height of the cabinet in Upright position as well as approx. dim. of riser module & topper see Nota Bene at the end of the article.)

Candy 18 featured stock an Asahi Seiko AD-81P coin mech.

Both cabs were initially released either with the 1986 game Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road (怒号層圏 Dogō Sōken) aka Dogosoken or soon after with the 1987 game Bermuda Triangle (バーミューダ・トライアング) aka World Wars, along with their respective 2p control panels & rotary Seimitsu LS-30 joysticks.

Later in October 1987, promo material would advertise the Candy 18 & Table 18 cabinets with Touchdown Fever panels & dedicated Seimitsu special "LS-40" rotary sticks with the infamous custom football shaped joystick handles & custom button plungers, see below in Gallery(LS-40 = optical rotary module version of LS-30, similar to Seimitsu's later rotary model Loop24 for SETA's Caliber .50 game. LS-40 discontinued model name used for another unrelated non-rotary joystick by same company see note at end of article).

A Candy 18 variant exists with a blue band on the white chassis, surrounding the monitor. It is shown in the published promo material as well without mention of said difference.

NB: One of the two official flyers claims the height rises from 110cm stock to 1760mm while the other and a lot of other promo material say it goes to 1960mm (see below in Gallery).

• Editor's note: The problem with the aforementioned "1960mm total height, upright" is the riser pedestal would thus add 850mm which is ~76.6% of the cabinet without plexi topper (1110mm), but analyzing the photos carefully, it seems impossible the riser module is 76% of the bare cab's height. Flyer 1 claims in Japanese 1760mm アップライト (APPURAITU = Upright version) with the remark 時最大突起寸法 (maximum dimensions). Flyer 2 claims 1960mm for Upright with the exact same remark...
• Estimations taking in account perspective etc:
  • if 1110mm is the height of the bare cab without riser module nor topper panel
  • then pedestal riser module ~335mm
  • plexi topper ~315mm
  • total height for upright converted cab + topper would be 1110mm+335mm+315mm=1760mm which conforms to flyer 1. (All other promo material is mistaken...1960mm is roughly 2m (196cm~6.43") and Candy18 cab at max dimensions is certainly not that high, a side by side sitdown VS upright including topper is given in the 2nd flyer's photos. Candy18 is a small cabinet to start with, just 10cm higher than the Sega City which it more or less cloned). This is temporary, in wait of actual measurements of original cabinet parts.

• Note concerning Touchdown Fever rotary SNK joystick:

"LS-40" rotary type seen in Touchdown Fever panels in Candy 18 cabs , pre Neo Geo era, is not to be confused with more recent non rotary LS-40 joystick (from same brand, Seimitsu) used stock in some Neo Geo era cabinets like SNK Super Neo 29 series cabinets. Seimitsu, for some unexplained reasons, used the same "LS-40" model name while they are very different joystick types : football rotary stick is compact style using LS-30/Loop24 base format with snap switch spacing exactly the same as Seimitsu LS-22, LS-33 & LS-56 (amongst other compact types) which all use short hinge switches, while modern LS-40 has a large switch spacing style exactly the same as in LS-32, with regular hinge type switches. Do not be fooled and buy a modern LS-40 thinking it's somehow the non rotary version of the old Touchdown Fever stock stick, it isn't. Modern LS-40 is basically a redesigned LS-32 with similar feel and switch spacing, attempting to "solve" certain issues found with LS-32 model.

LS-30 rotary joystick proper history

LS-30 joystick was coincidentally introduced with Ikari Warriors II along with the Candy 18 and Table 18 cabinets in October 1986...not with Ikari Warriors (first opus released a couple months earlier in February) which instead featured the first true rotary joystick, an undisclosed 12 position model -introduced initially with SNK's T.A.N.K. (1985) bearing a flat black heptagonal dial knob with a white line indicator- made by Seimitsu for SNK also, derived from the non-rotary LS-9 tiny compact joystick base. LS-30 was a total redesign from the ground up of this older and discontinued small rotary joystick, inverting the whole base, placing the restrictor and 4 short hinge microswitches above instead of below (which would directly increase the inherent throw & engage), while the pivot cup and its matching bearing would now face downward as a result. The base of LS-30 and several small parts (gate insert, pivot, spring retainer, Matsushita AH7 short hinge microswitches) are the same as those found in the non-rotary Seimitsu joystick LS-22 from the same era. As such, LS-30 is in a nutshell an upside down, rotary enhanced LS-22 as they share the same "core" base.

The small LS-30 plastic square restrictor gate insert was also shared with a couple other discontinued Seimitsu joystick models other than LS-22 (such as LS-25...). LS-30 appeared with a "MPS 33" stamped rotary switch box module (2 rows of pins) common with the earlier smaller rotary joystick from Ikari 1 & T.A.N.K , but this was quickly revised for a new switch module (single row of 13 pins). The restrictor gate was also quickly discontinued and was revised/updated circa 89-90 when the LS-30 was fitted stock with a standard LS-32 white square gate insert.

The octogonal yellow handle in LS-30 shared the same basic shape as the former undisclosed smaller rotary used for Ikari 1 (but not in T.A.N.K) but was now hollowed out and plugged with a SNK branded dummy button plunger (two pronged) serving as a vandalproof cover/cap (concealing the internal M6 nut securing shaft+handle) giving the impression of a topfire style button. Formerly the knob was secured to the shaft via lateral setscrew in the former handle.

(editor's credit: shout out to Seimitsu employees who despite their kindness & efforts in replying to my numerous letters, alas could not help me out with the History & Technical part of LS-30 in any shape or form.)

Gallery

• 
  SNK Ikari Warriors II:Victory Road(Dogosoken) said to have been freshly released October 24th 1986 on Candy18 cab (japanese article november 86)
• 
  Cabinet flyer front
• 
  Cabinet flyer back (height of Upright version said here to be only 1760mm vs 1960mm on almost tall other flyers & pamphlets)
• 
  Candy 18 with Upright pedestal module
• 
  with and without upright module
• 
  alt nomenclature for Candy 18 cabinet: R6001
• 
  1988 japanese ad (feat. "Dogō Sōken" aka Victory Road & rotary LS30 joysticks)
• 
  1987 japanese ad
• 
• 
  original Seimitsu 2L6B stock panel (rotary stick version exists also)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
  JALECO Pony Mk II (left) vs SEGA City (middle) vs SNK Candy 18 (right) all converted to Upright
• 
  SNK Candy 18 (generic replacement panel) with Märchen Maze (1988) by NAMCO
• 
  1987 advert: erroneous company name NSK instead of SNK . Model type is upright (extended) not a table evidently. R6001 reference code is correct though
• 
• 
  Upright version (with optional height extension module) opened
• 
  1987 ad for Bermuda Triangle, Upright version of Candy 18 cab featuring also rotary Seimitsu LS-30 joysticks
• 
  SNK Touchdown Fever Table 18/T6001 (jp), Candy18/R6001 (jp) & Cocktail (overseas) cabinets; October 1987 JP ad
• 
  generic compatible replacement panel
•