Spacewarp is a line of build-it-yourself, marble-run toy "roller coasters" first made in the 1980s by Bandai.Spacewarp Toys
Users cut lengths of track to the correct size from a single roll of thick plastic tubing, forming curves and loops held in place by plastic track rail holders which attach to metal rods held vertical in a black plastic base. Steel balls roll around the track and on to a battery-powered

screw conveyor A screw conveyor or auger conveyor is a mechanism that uses a rotating helical screw blade, called a "''flighting''", usually within a tube, to move liquid or granular materials. They are used in many bulk handling industries. Screw conveyo ...

that takes them to the top to start all over again. Production of Spacewarp toys ended around 1988. Replacement parts were sold until 1995.Spacewarp Toys
A redesigned Spacewarp toy was re-introduced to the Japanese market in 2005 by Tanomi. Improvements included redesigned parts which were less prone to breakage.Spacewarp Toys

History

The first Spacewarp sets became available in Japan in 1983 and were sold by Bandai. That year, filmmakers were working on a movie called

The Family Game is a 1983 Japanese movie directed by Yoshimitsu Morita. ''The Family Game'' received several awards including the best movie of the year as selected by Japanese critics. Although the movie missed the Japan Academy Prize for the Best Picture ( ...

which features a plot line about a boy who is fascinated with roller coasters. The filmmakers noticed the Spacewarp toy and decided to incorporate it into the movie in a few scenes. The movie

was released in Japan in November, 1983 to favorable reviews. Due to the popularity of the movie, Spacewarp sales increased so much that between 1983 and 1984, approximately one million sets were sold. Due to the product's popularity, Spacewarp applied for and received the Spacewarp trademark in the United States of America in 1986, and started selling a subset of its marble roller coasters there.

Sets

1986-1990s North American Imports: 1983-1995 Japanese Market: 2004–2008 Japanese Market:

Accessories

Additional accessories include lighting kits, a staircase, bell ringer,

escalator An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horiz ...

and more. File:Spacewarp pendulum accessory.jpg, The mail-order pendulum accessory for Spacewarp File:Spacewarp windmill accessory.jpg, The mail-order windmill accessory for Spacewarp File:Spacewarp bell set accessory.jpg, The mail-order bell set accessory for Spacewarp

Knock-Offs

As with many popular toys, nearly identical counterfeit editions have emerged under the Chinese "Spacerail" brand. However, Spacerail acquired the Spacewarp trademark, and is continuing their tradition of running marble roller coasters. Spacerail sets:

References

External links