Tapper [Model 0A11]

Tapper was released in December 1983 in the USA.

There were two other versions of Tapper: "Root Beer" (January 1984) and "Suntory" (Japan, Game ID : 834-5385 / 834-5387). The Suntory version was a Sega board, Suntory is a Japanese beer (see "Updates" section for more information).

The main character in the game (as well as the main character of two other Bally Midway games; "Domino Man", and "Timber") is based on a Marvin Glass employee called Mike Ferris, who had the same distinctive mustache and bald head and reputedly wore a red T-shirt all of the time.

The music for the third stage (the punk bar) was loosely inspired by new wave music group Devo's song 'Workin' in the Coal Mine'.

Tapper was play tested in a Chicago-area Rush Streetbar called 'The Snuggery' and received much positive feedback from the bar's patrons. Digitized belches were originally going to be used in the game, but, perhaps thankfully, they never made it into the final version.

The cabinet is designed to resemble a real bar - replete with a brass foot rail and two brass drink or ashtray holders (one on each side of the control panel). The cabinet and gameplay on the beer version features the Budweiser logo. The pour spouts have mock-up Budweiser handles that closely resemble the Budweiser taps that appear in real bars throughout the world.

Approximately 3300 Tapper uprights were made and around the first 100 or so were released with colour side art. About 300 cocktail machines were also made.

The main character appears on the 2012 Disney animated movie Wreck-It Ralph, during the Bar scene. It should also be noted that despite the game in the movie being Root Beer Tapper, the main character wore his outfit from the Budweiser version.