In the late Sixties I was given a game at Christmas called Dizzy Bug by Joyment..
I recall it clearly, a sort of frantic tin bug arena in a large box. It was great fun.
Remember it?
The tin bugs were blue and pink domes with a small head a lot like a ladybird.
Underneath were two powerful pull-back windable wheels, which gave the bugs the juice to whizz round the arena and into a coloured slot. White slots didn't count I don't think.
Those bugs really did whizz and I've often wondered if Joyment came up with the whizzing tin bug design.
I now think they were originally Japanese by a company called Koyo, a logo with a capital K inside a kite as seen below.
These Koyo bugs had the same wheels.
The most common design was a turtle in various patterns. These turtles may well be the brand's signature design.
Koyo also released a ladybird too.
I have seen other designs such as this bunny.
There may well be many more styles.
So, Is it possible that Joyment got hold of some Koyo turtles and as a result thought up Dizzy Bug?
What do you think readers?
Never heard of these, but those bugs are cute as a... Bug! The Japanese were genius at coming up with all sorts of amazing clockwork and motorized mechanisms for their toys and models, with the 1966 IMAI KAGAKU Sci-Fi model SF Ziggurat 2000 (!) being my personal favorite, a plastic model kit that, when assembled, had an entire sequence of motions activated by a forward probe, and ending in the successful launch of a scout plane! The Japanese rocked at this. SFZ
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