American Horseshoes (US)

Taito America’s American Horseshoes, released in 1990, offers a solitary player a chance to test their horseshoe throwing skills. Using a trackball for aiming and controls to adjust grip and throwing angle, players take turns pitching horseshoes toward a central stake. Each inning consists of two pitches, and after each round, an overhead view displays the scoring results, with ongoing scores displayed at the top of the screen. The game utilizes a simple scoring system: a ringer—a horseshoe completely encircling the stake—is worth three points, a leaner resting against the stake earns two, and any horseshoe landing within the designated area scores one point. Players can continue playing beyond the initial three innings by adding more credits, allowing for potential nine-inning matches. Powered by Taito’s L System hardware, American Horseshoes features vertical presentation with a resolution of 224x320 pixels and utilizes a Zilog Z80 processor alongside a YM2203 sound chip to deliver the gameplay experience.