Taito MY
| Taito MY | |
|---|---|
 | |
| AKA | MY |
| Type | Sitdown |
| Released | 198X |
The Taito MY is an unusual sitdown video-game cabinet produced by Taito during the 1980s.
Unlike conventional upright or low sitdown cabinets, the MY places the monitor and controls inside a large rounded, almost spherical enclosure mounted on a narrow pedestal. The player sits on a separate chair immediately in front of the cabinet.
The model designation is confirmed by a contemporary Japanese photograph whose caption reads:
- ▲MY筐体とフリッパー
meaning approximately:
- MY cabinet and Flipper.
This provides direct period evidence that MY was Taito's designation for the cabinet rather than a later collector nickname.
Design
The MY is visually very different from the more conventional MA and MB cabinets.
Its defining feature is a large rounded body surrounding the display and control area. The enclosure is supported above floor level by a comparatively narrow pedestal/base, giving the cabinet a distinctive globe-like appearance.
Visible features include:
- Large rounded or ovoid main cabinet enclosure
- Recessed CRT monitor
- Small integrated control panel beneath the monitor
- Single joystick
- Multiple action buttons
- Narrow pedestal mounting
- Separate player chair
- White or cream exterior finish
- Dark monitor/control recess
The cabinet appears intended primarily for a single seated player.
The rounded enclosure also acts as a substantial monitor hood, shielding the CRT from ambient light.
Documented arcade use
Several surviving period photographs show the MY installed in Japanese amusement locations.
One colour photograph shows at least two MY cabinets inside an arcade area branded ROSA. Another contemporary arcade photograph shows an MY alongside conventional upright and sitdown machines.
These images are significant because they demonstrate that the cabinet was used commercially rather than existing solely as a trade-show prototype.
A further monochrome photograph explicitly identifies the cabinet as MY and shows it beside a machine described in the caption as Flipper.
Controls
The surviving photographs show a compact control panel integrated into the lower front of the spherical cabinet.
At least one configuration visibly includes:
- one joystick
- several action buttons
The exact original control-panel layouts available from Taito have not yet been established.
As with other general-purpose arcade cabinets of the period, surviving MY machines may have been configured differently depending on the installed game.
Monitor
The cabinet contains a CRT mounted within the recessed front opening.
The original monitor size, manufacturer and chassis model have not yet been confirmed from surviving primary documentation.
No evidence currently available establishes whether the monitor could be rotated.
These fields should therefore remain unlisted until a manual, catalogue specification or surviving identification label is located.
Construction
The large curved outer body appears to be a moulded enclosure mounted to a separate pedestal.
This differs considerably from the sheet-metal and panel construction used for cabinets such as the MB.
The cabinet's unusually deep rounded shell appears to surround much of the CRT and internal hardware, while the narrow pedestal raises the complete assembly to seated viewing height.
The precise material used for the outer shell has not yet been confirmed.
Relationship to other Taito M-series cabinets
The exact relationship between the MA, MB, MJ, MY and MZ designations is still under investigation.
The cabinets documented under these names do not necessarily represent simple size variations of a single cabinet design.
In particular, the MY differs radically from the Lava-influenced low-sitdown construction seen on the MA and MB. Its rounded moulded enclosure and pedestal arrangement appear to represent a separate design approach within Taito's contemporary cabinet range.
Until factory documentation describing the complete series is recovered, the meaning of the individual letter designations should not be assumed.
Dating
The exact introduction date of the MY has not yet been established.
The surviving photographs and its association with Taito's other early M-series cabinets place it within the company's 1980s amusement-machine range, but a more precise year should await contemporary catalogue or trade-publication evidence.
Identification
Useful identifying characteristics include:
- Taito manufacture
- MY designation confirmed by contemporary Japanese caption
- Large globe-like or ovoid cabinet body
- Recessed CRT
- Small integrated control panel
- Narrow central pedestal
- Separate player chair
- White/cream exterior
- Strongly rounded rear and side profile
The unusual shape makes the MY readily distinguishable from most other Taito general-purpose cabinets of the period.
Gallery
-
MY cabinets installed at the ROSA amusement location. Courtesy of Neo-Arcadia. -
Taito MY in a period arcade location. Courtesy of Neo-Arcadia. -
Contemporary photograph captioned 「MY筐体とフリッパー」 (“MY cabinet and Flipper”), confirming the MY designation. Courtesy of Neo-Arcadia. -
MY cabinet visible at a Taito America exhibition display. Courtesy of Neo-Arcadia.
See also
External links
Acknowledgements
The surviving photographs reproduced and documented on this page were preserved and shared by the Neo-Arcadia community. They provide important evidence for the appearance and identification of this otherwise poorly documented Taito cabinet.