Cameltry
Rotate the maze to guide a ball through obstacles against time.
Cameltry, a maze game from Taito, first hit Japanese arcades in April 1990. Instead of steering a ball directly through a labyrinth, players rotate the entire maze around the ball to guide it toward the exit. Each level adds obstacles like breakable bricks and bumpers, and players race against a countdown timer. If time runs out, the game ends unless another coin is inserted to continue.
The arcade cabinet ran on Taito’s F1 system hardware and used the same optical rotary controller found in Taito’s 1986 arcade game Arkanoid. Ports followed: a Super NES version arrived in 1992, retitled *On the Ball* in North America and Europe, and it supported the Super NES Mouse. The FM Towns computer got a port in 1993.
In Japan, *Game Machine* listed Cameltry as the eleventh most successful table arcade unit in its May 15, 1990 issue.
Taito revisited the concept in 2005 with *Mawashite Koron* for the Nintendo DS in Japan, which reached North America and Europe in 2007 as *Labyrinth*. The original arcade game appears in the *Taito Legends 2* collection for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows, and in the *Taito Legends Power-Up* collection for PlayStation Portable, which also includes the DS remake. An updated version launched for iOS in 2009 and for Zune HD in 2010. In March 2020, Cameltry joined the Antstream Arcade cloud gaming service. On March 26, 2026, the arcade version was released as part of *Taito Milestones 4* for Nintendo Switch. Hamster Corporation also released it under the *Arcade Archives* series for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, and under the *Arcade Archives 2* series for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S in June 2026.
- developer
- Taito
- publisher
- Taito
- initial release
- April 1990 (Japan, arcade)
- platforms
- Arcade, FM Towns, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, X68000
- genre
- Maze video game
- notable ports
- On the Ball (Super NES, North America and Europe)
Quick Facts
- Title
- Cameltry
- Developer
- Taito
- Released
- JP · April 1990
- Genre
- Maze
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Arcade, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, FM Towns, X68000
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In Cameltry, the player moves a ball through a maze by rotating the maze itself around the ball to reach the finish line and advance to the next level. Players must compete against the clock and navigate obstacles from breakable bricks to bumpers. If the timer runs out, the game is over, unless players may wish to continue playing by inserting another coin into the machine any time. The game runs on Taito's F1 system hardware and uses the same optical rotary system from Taito's 1986 arcade game Arkanoid.
Reader's Guide
Cameltry is significant for its innovative control scheme, where the player rotates the maze rather than directly moving the ball, a mechanic borrowed from Taito's earlier Arkanoid. Its Super NES port, retitled On the Ball in North America and Europe, was compatible with the Super NES Mouse. In Japan, Game Machine listed Cameltry as the eleventh most-successful table arcade unit of May 1990. The game's legacy includes multiple updated versions: a 2005 Nintendo DS release in Japan called Mawashite Koron (later released as Labyrinth in 2007), inclusion in the Taito Legends 2 collection for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows, and the Taito Legends Power-Up collection for PlayStation Portable. An iOS version appeared in 2009 and a Zune HD version in 2010. In March 2020, it was added to the Antstream Arcade cloud gaming service. The arcade version was released as part of the Taito Milestones 4 collection for Nintendo Switch on March 26, 2026, and Hamster Corporation released it under the Arcade Archives series for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, as well as the Arcade Archives 2 series for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S in June 2026.
Did You Know?
- Cameltry uses the same optical rotary system as Taito's 1986 arcade game Arkanoid.
- The Super NES version was titled On the Ball in North America and Europe.
- Game Machine listed Cameltry as the eleventh most-successful table arcade unit in its May 15, 1990 issue.
- An updated version for Nintendo DS was released in Japan in 2005 as Mawashite Koron.
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