Grand Cross is a pusher game developed and published by Konami released on 2006 in Japan. It is the first game in the Grand Cross series, and also the very first work Team Fortune produced.
The machine[]
The cabinet houses 16 different stations, each with support up to two people per station, for up to 32 player play, which is the biggest at the time. With a diameter of about 6.4 m and a height of about 3.8 m, it is a size that is unprecedented for a commercial medal game machine so far, and it is the world's largest housing size for a pusher machine.
In addition, it is also compatible with Konami's network service "e-AMUSEMENT", and the ranking of the number of acquisitions such as jackpot and premium mode is aggregated, and the version is being upgraded online (until January 2017).
Overview[]
Grand Cross is a massive-scale coin pusher with 16 different stations, with 4 different "worlds" for each 4 groups of stations. Each world has a different theme and host, with features dedicated for each world available.
The worlds are:
- Steam World (Stations 1-4): A world themed after factories and machinery. The hosts are Bricky and Gris.
- Casino World (Stations 5-8): A world themed after casinos. The host is Curcy.
- Adventure World (Stations 9-12): A world themed after stuff like archeological sites and nature. The host is King.
- Mystery World (Stations 13-16): A world themed after mysteries. The host is Lily.
Gameplay[]
Playing Grand Cross is simple but there is a lot to see, with some features in different Worlds. We will cover these features plus more here in this section.
Main Game[]
To play, you must simply insert medals from the sides of the station you are playing in. You must aim at the three Checker holes on the pusher. Doing so will gain you a stock which is represented by an item on the left-hand side of the screen. You can hold up to 10 stocks, in which if the stocks are full, stocks will level up and change appearance up to three times. The main objective is to push medals down the center hole to win them.
The Slot[]
As you drop the medals into the "checkers", you can acquire Slot Stocks to spin the slot in the form of different icons. Tracked Slot Stocks are shown on the left side of the screen, and count down as every spin goes. If you fill the Slot Stocks up to the top, you can acquire higher level stocks which award more medals if you win the slot, as signified by the icons transforming. All levels of stock include:
- Level 1: 30 medals
- Level 2: 50 medals
- Level 3: 70 medals
During slot play, line up three Numbers, S symbols, Treasure chests, and more to win prizes. The paytable is as follows:
- Numbers 2,4,6,8: Normal Medal win.
- Numbers 1,3,5,9: Normal Medal win + Probability Mode. During Probability Mode, the "Chance Wing" will open, making it easier for medals to enter the checker. It will last until the next number symbol is won.
- S: Instant Satellite Challenge
- Number 7: Instant Special Satellite Challenge
- BALL: A Ball will be dropped to the field. It will first be dispensed on a platform which will move to your station, raise, and release the ball into a mechanism on the side of your pusher. If the ball falls onto the moving "Lucky Pocket" hole, it will be vended out on the front of the field, else it will just be dropped. 10 medals will also be paid out.
- Dice: 10-30 medals + Bingo feature entry
- Medal: If a medal symbol lands on the middle reel, 5 medals will be paid out. The ones on the left and right reels will become active during Premium Mode, which when all lined up, 10-30 medals will be paid out.
When lining up two symbols, the Reach happens, which can lead to a movie called a Super Reach, and, if successful, you can win the slot.
Bingo Feature[]
When you get three Dice symbols on the slot, you can play this feature. This feature can help you upgrade your bingo card during Satellite Challenge, which will be explained later. Roll the dice with the button and see what it will land on. The symbol on the dice is the item you will get.
Available items are:
- Odds up in forms of +10, +30, +50, and +100 medals.
- Bonus wins in the BINGO lines in forms of +50, +100, and +200 medals (PLUS)
- Regular or Special balls added to certain lines of the card.
- Grand Jackpot Chance entry added to certain lines of the card, but it's rare!
Satellite Challenge[]
When a ball drops from the field down the center hole OR hits three S symbols on the slot, that game goes to the Satellite Challenge. This is how you can go to the Jackpot Chance, where you can win the jackpots of this game.
The Satellite Challenge takes place on a central roulette positioned on the top of the four stations that make up the World, known as a Satellite. It has an outer area compromised of ten holes and a central area compromised of five holes. A ball is vended out the same way a ball is vended out on the field, but instead, the platform raises it onto a ramp to send the ball in motion around the roulette. To get to the center area, the platform raises the ball to a higher ramp and puts it there.
Using the nine holes other than GRAND JACKPOT CHANCE, the objective is to make lines of Bingo on a 3x3 card labeled 1 to 9. The number the Ball falls into is the number the game will register. Also, the holes have LED lighting around it so you can see what will happen when you get the number.
- A RED pocket is a number that will complete one or more lines. Upon completion of a line, the odds will pay out, and reset. The more lines completed, the higher the payout (the calculation is ODDS * NUMBER OF COMPLETED LINES). The completed lines then disappear.
- A PURPLE pocket is a number that will complete a line with a JPC added to it. Upon completion of this line, the odds will payout, reset, and you go to the GRAND JACKPOT CHANCE after.
- A BLUE pocket is a number that is not filled. Upon entry, the spot is filled in, and thirty coins are paid out.
- A GREEN pocket is a number that is already filled. Upon entry, a step is filled in, and a ball is dropped onto the field. Getting four steps will vend out a SPECIAL BALL and then the steps will reset to zero. The ODDS will also increase.
Upon getting a Special Satellite Challenge, the four holes other than GRAND JACKPOT CHANCE will count as two numbers: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8. This will allow you to make more lines, and, gain extra medals.
The maximum payout is five lines with an odds of 500, which is 2,500 medals. In PLUS, there are the medal prize lines in the feature, so if all four lines are 200, then the payout is increased to 3,300 medals.
Grand Jackpot Chance[]
When a ball gets into the GRAND JACKPOT CHANCE hole in Satellite Challenge or completes a line with a GJPC marker on their Bingo card, they will get 1 drawing on the big device on the center of the machine. This unit can have a chance to pay one of two progressive jackpots: Silver Jackpot and Gold Jackpot.
The game begins as the center device rotates to your station, while the World's host says the station going into Grand Jackpot Chance. Then, as it settles into place, the text "GRAND JACKPOT CHANCE" appears on the screen, and then shows the two Jackpots current values.
A ball is then thrown out of the left or right side of the machine, and into the slowly spinning roulette. The roulette has 20 pockets numbered 1-20, and each contains a reward once the ball lands into one of them. Those rewards are:
- 100: Grand Bonus 100 Medals. 100 medals are paid out to the field. 60% of the pockets are this reward, which makes this the most common.
- 500: Grand Bonus 500 Medals. 500 medals are paid out to the field. 10% of the pockets are this reward, making this the 2nd rarest.
- GRAND SLOT: Go into the Grand Slot feature. 20% of the pockets are this reward, making this the 3rd rarest.
- SILVER JACKPOT: Win the Silver Jackpot. Only 1 of the pockets is this reward, making this the rarest.
- GOLD JACKPOT: Win the Gold Jackpot. Like Silver Jackpot, only 1 of the pockets is this reward.
The Silver Jackpot grows continuously as coins are inserted into the machine, at a rate of 0.03 per medal. The Gold Jackpot, on the other hand, increases every Jackpot Chance if it's not won, at a rate of 25 per drawing if not a GRAND SLOT or GOLD JACKPOT, and more as a GRAND SLOT reward.
Grand Slot[]
When the ball goes into the Grand Slot pocket in Grand Jackpot Chance, this feature will happen. The central monitor of the center device changes to a big slot reel, which spins like a wheel. soon enough landing on one of many rewards. The rewards are:
- 100 WIN and GJP 50 UP: 100 medals are paid out to the field, and the Gold Jackpot increases by 50 instead of 25.
- 300 WIN and GJP 100 UP: 300 medals are paid out to the field, and the Gold Jackpot increases by 100 instead of 25.
- PREMIUM MODE: The Premium Mode is begun.
In PLUS, there are much more rewards, which are:
- 100 WIN: 100 medals are paid out to the field. (WINS)
- 200 WIN: 200 medals are paid out to the field. (WINS)
- 300 WIN: 300 medals are paid out to the field. (WINS)
- GJP 50 UP: The Gold Jackpot increases by 50 instead of 25. (BONUS)
- GJP 100 UP: The Gold Jackpot increases by 100 instead of 25. (BONUS)
- GJP 200 UP: The Gold Jackpot increases by 200 instead of 25. (BONUS)
- GJP 300 UP: The Gold Jackpot increases by 300 instead of 25. (BONUS)
- GJP MAX: The Gold Jackpot is instanly set to the maximum value, which is extremely rare! (BONUS)
- SPECIAL BALL: A Special Ball is vended out, as if you got all four steps in the Satellite Challenge. (BONUS)
- PREMIUM MODE: The Premium Mode is begun.
Jackpot Celebration[]
When you get the Silver or Gold Jackpots, a celebration begins. The celebration features tons of lights, sounds, music, and a very special payout mechanism, as of Konami standards.
As soon as the jackpot is won, their Host will say the jackpot won as the center device's screen imminently crashes to black, leaving just silence for a second. Then, one of a few things happen as the celebration begins.
The celebratory song[]
If the jackpot won was low (1000 to 1999 medals won) the celebratory song begins. As the celebration begins, the World's host says "Ladies and gentlemen, we'll now present to you a special show!" as the text JACKPOT float around in red and blue text, then a door opens to white, leading to the song.
The host of the World then sings a song about their World. After the first half, the song then transitions to a celebratory victory tune where all of the hosts sing to you about your accomplishment. The song in this installment, is called "Let's Get Away".
After the song, everybody congratulates you, and the second part of the celebration begins, the payout.
In PLUS, however, the celebratory song was changed to another one, called "Beautiful Rainbow". "Let's Get Away" sometimes appears.
The Special Celebration[]
If the jackpot won was at a medium amount (2000 to 3499 medals won), a special celebration starts. The show begins with a special Jackpot opening animation, showing a rocket being launched at night before the text "JACKPOT" shows up on the top with the song "Also Sprach Zarathustra" while the tours watch.
Then, the tune "Radetzky march OP.228" plays as the scene changes to a parade, while text shows up saying "Congratulations!", then script writes in saying "We present you the special show". First, Curcy from Casino World shows up and does some tricks as the cannons on the float fire to the music. Then, King from Adventure World shows up and turns a wheel on the back of the float, causing the center device's roulette to spin with it. We then cut to Bricky and some Gris from Steam World, who hop in time to the tune, but one of the Gris falls of the float. Finally, Lily from Mystery World dances, as the cannons from the float fire up to the sky, showing that they make fireworks up in the sky! Then, it cuts to the second part of the celebration as the music continues.
SPECIAL GUEST STAGE[]
Sometimes after a Jackpot win, a special movie from Konami plays, called a "SPECIAL GUEST STAGE"! It begins with a special opening showing a representation of the machine, with the center monitor showing "Jackpot" then "Special Guest Stage". Then the movie starts.
The movie is the movie of one of many songs from Konami's arcade rhythm game, beatmania IIDX! During the song, text scrolls by on two displays on the left and the right of the screen, saying "(Song name) from beatmania IIDX" and "Congratulations! XXXX medals for you!" respectively.
The songs it can play are:
- "murmur twins" by yu_tokiwa.djw
- "Burning Heat! (Full Option Mix)" by Mr.T with Motoaki.F
- "Linus" by LEGO STUDIO
- "Raspberry♥Heart (English version)" by jun feat. PAULA TERRY
- "I am" by 有沢みはる from BeForU
- "Little Little Princess" by SHRINE 418
- "POODLE" by Y&Co.
- "月光" by Tatsh feat. 星野奏子
- "AGEHA" by Ryu☆
After the song ends, the second part of the celebration begins.
Staff Credits[]
If the Jackpot won was high (over 3500 medals won), the staff credits happen. The show begins with all of the hosts of each World playing a fanfare before cutting to a simular rocket launch like in the Special Celebration, but its in a sunset instead of night, with the text "JACKPOT" showing up on the top while the tours watch.
Then, the music "Ode to Joy" plays as the staff credits plays. It begins with the text "CONGRATULATIONS!" showing up before transitioning to umbrellas from the characters from Mystery Tour, while the staff begins. Lily then flies around the Worlds of Grand Cross as the credits roll, being joined by the other hosts as it continues. After a bit of flying, they arrive at the center mechanism of the Grand Cross, where all of the Worlds close up in golden domes, which then take off as rockets, with the text "JACKPOT" on them. They fly to space, where they zoom past the planets of the Solar System, which are spelling out JACKPOT, letter by letter. Finally, the planets pan up single file as the Grand Cross logo shows up, with the text "Presented by Team Fortune" below it.
After this, the words "CONGRATULATIONS!!" write out by a minituare rocket, before going to the second part of the celebration.
Celebration Part 2: Paying Out![]
After the movie happens, the main attraction begins, the payout of the medals. It begins with the center device's monitor showing the station number and the Jackpot won (in PLUS, the Jackpot won is stacked on top of a box showing the station number and the amount of medals won over a silver or gold backdrop, which was reused in PREMINUM and CHRONICLE). Then, the device rotates to the back side of the device, lining up with the station.
Then, as the music begins to play, the "curtain" of the device slowly opens up, revealing a smaller device inside. That device is the payout mechanism: an extendable ramp with the text "JACKPOT" on it. The words "CONGRATULATIONS" are shown as the payout mechanism rotates to you, before stopping for a bit, then extending from the base to the station.
After the ramp extends all the way, a thunder crash happens as the payout gate opens, sending a crash of 200 medals at once, starting the payout. During the payout, medals are cycled from all of the station's pay hoppers up to the ceiling rails, which are sent down the center mechanism and down the ramp, being shot out right onto the field.
The music that plays is dependent on the type of jackpot won. For low jackpots and Special Guest Stage, the song "In The Mood" plays. For medium jackpots, the song "Pomp And Circumstance" plays. For high jackpots, the song "Hallelujah" plays.
After all of the medals have been paid out, the payout mechanism retracts back to the base, then rotates back to its initial position, then the curtains close. After that, the game returns back to the main mode.