Arcade Video game published 45 years ago:

Frisky Tom (c) 1981 Nichibutsu [Nihon Bussan Company, Limited.].

You play the plumber Frisky Tom who is trying to get water from the top tank to a shower tank below. Mice interfere with your plans by stealing pipes blowing-up pipes and by biting Tom. If Tom fills enough water the shower tank, he advances to the next level. Depending upon how much water is in the tank, a woman in a bath tub will appear as an interlude between levels.

- TECHNICAL -

Upright model # FTA1001

CRT: 20 inch. Width: 600 mm. Depth: 690 mm. Height: 1625 mm. Power source: 100V~240V/110W

Main CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 3.072 Mhz), NSC8105 (@ 1.5 Mhz) Sound Chips: General Instrument AY8910 (@ 1.536 Mhz), DAC

Players: 2 Control: 4-way joystick

- TRIVIA -

Frisky Tom was released in October 1981. Nichibutsu never released the old version in the U.S. for unknown reasons, although one could guess one of them. Perhaps it was the naked woman in the bath tub in which as you advanced in the game, bubbles would be washed away revealing her breasts?? Probably didn't go over too well with the U.S. arcade owners in the early 80's.

When the game was released, the service manual that came with the original cabinet described the old version (set 2) of game play. That didn't help arcade owners much because it didn't match the system they received. The game wasn't very popular so there were few complaints.

The flyer reads 'Nichibutsu original custom C.P.U. was used for the first time in video games'.

Player layout in our catalog: 2P alt.

If you are exploring by feel rather than by title, jump from the tags above into the matching genre rooms, or return to the Arcade hall for the full wall.

Open Play on this page to start Frisky Tom (set 1). Keyboard, USB/Bluetooth pads, and the on-screen touch gamepad all work inside the emulator bar. Save states and fullscreen live on that same bar so you can pause mid-session and resume later.

Frisky Tom (set 1) is filed in our catalog as a 1981 release.

Player layout on this cabinet: 2P alt.

Genre tags on Classic Arcade Games: Maze.

Credit line lists Nichibutsu as developer.