The Love Tester retailed for ¥1,800 and runs on a single AA battery. It came with a black plastic (leather-like) carry pouch.
Although the simple circuitry in the toy most likely only measured the level of conductivity of the couple, rather than love, this did not stop the toy from bringing Nintendo another hit. The Love Tester was the first Nintendo produced item to contain electronics, albeit quite rudimentary technology. [A few years earlier, Nintendo was already selling a walkie-talkie set, called Companion. However, these were manufactured by Sharp.]
To use the toy, a couple would hold hands with one another while holding one of the two metal cups each. The meter in the Love Tester would then indicate the 'level of love' that existed between the couple, using a scale of 0 to 100.
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| Trade flyer advertising the Love Tester |
In the Sixties in Japan, dating etiquette was still pretty strict, and the excuse the toy brought to hold hands and break the ice was surely part of its success.
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| The Nintendo logo and copyright on the back of the Love Tester |
Some years after the initial release, the Love Tester was sold as one of the toys in the Mini Game Series.
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| Mini Game Series version of Love Tester |
At the end of the Sixties, Nintendo set its first steps in the world of export and international distribution. Although Nintendo did not sell any product in large quantities abroad until the Ten Billion puzzle and Game & Watch, international versions of some earlier products do exists.
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| "How good a lover are you?" Use the Love Tester to find out! |
One of these is this American (?) release of the Love Tester. It came in a small box, without the carry pouch.
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| The international release of the Love Tester which surfaced in the USA |
Not much is known about this release, except that they apparently were "great fun at parties" (as advertised on the box), and extremely rare today.
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| "Terminal Knob". I like that phrase. |
A second American release was through a company called Lido Designs Inc. They sold the Love Tester in the original packaging, with an English language leaflet.
More information about this Lido Designs version here.
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| Love Tester remakes |
In recent years, two different remakes of the Love Tester have been released in Japan, keeping this great toy alive.
Haha, thats so cool! Really cute idea too :3
ReplyDeleteNice to think some US company sold this all. Though I don't see a name printed on the US box, it sounds like the sort of thing that was probably sold through a novelty mail-order firm. That would've been typical of the time.
ReplyDeleteI just came across one of these and penneys price tag is still on it for one dollar
DeleteThat's cool. Thanks for sharing. Can you send a picture of it?
DeletePresumably the more you're perspiring, the more you're "into" each other...
ReplyDeleteAnd who knows if the use of it might have progressed beyond mere hands... o_O
I would set up a booth just to ask random ladies to try. ��
ReplyDeletethe love tester was a collectable in Pikmin 2
ReplyDelete