[ CM-72 1983 ]

Contrary to what friends of mine say, this in my opinion is the BEST G&W table top (note that I also own DK Jr. and Popeye). It's light and colorful and brings you "fast-paced action" (at least for a little while). Of course this one is also available in the wide screen series, but this table top version is MUCH BETTER. It is faster and it not only is it in full color, but also has nicer graphics in general. No matter which game you choose (A or B, both the same except for speed), the game starts off quite fast which is much better than the wide screen Cement Factory -because you don't have to wait until the gameplay gets exciting. Cement Globs keep falling down on both sides of the screen until the top and after that the bottom containers are filled with cement. You have to quickly move Mario around the factory, opening the containers in time so they won't overflow (an alarming sounds starts off whenever any of the four containers is filled to the top and won't bear another drop of cement). But here's the part that makes things tricky: Use the elevators in the middle of the screen to reach the different floors. One elevator is going up, the other is going down. Be sure not to fall of the floors (if there's no elevator) and not to go down or up too far or else you'll get squashed to mario-mash. There are two spots (in the wide screen version only one!!) where Mario can get some rest in case there is no elevator or platform near to jump to, before going up/down too far (understand?) Cool, but (for a G&W) somewhat complicated Game, the main reason being that you never quite know which elevator is going up and which down....

Titus Bergman

How to play
In cement factory, Mario is operating 2 concrete mixers, feeding concrete into the hoppers. Lifts go up and down. Mario has to hop on and off the lifts to open the valves on the hoppers. Concrete moves from upper hoppers to lower hoppers, from lower hoppers to trucks.
At start of game, Mario appears on the upper left scaffold. Bucket of cement move along conveyor belt and empty into the left and right hoppers. The hoppers have to be emptied before they reached their limit. Each hopper holds 3 loads of concrete. Move Mario to the hopper levers and get him to open the hoppers by pressing OPEN button. The concrete will flow to the next lower position, from upper hoppers to lower, from lower hoppers to trucks, Only one load of concrete flows with each press of the button. When one hopper is full, a warning signal sounds. Move Mario fast to open it. And watch the bottom hoppers too. When a lift is on the same level as the scaffold that Mario is standing on, he can ride it up or down by moving him left or roght with the Control Button. If Mario rides a lift all the way down, he can move into a shelter on the lower left, and over to an up lift when up and down lift are lined up. He has to move fast.

Controls
* Joystick (Control)
Move left to move Mario to the left.
Move right to move Mario to the right.
* Button 2 (Open)
Press when Mario is next to one of the 4 hoppers and he opens the valve on the hopper.

The Beginning of The Game
Press the Game A or B, and highest previous score  in Game A or B will be displayed. When the key is released, game starts.
* A game is not interrupted even if the TIME key or other game key is depressed during game play.
* Game A is for beginners and average players. Game B is for the pros. In game B it requires more coordination, technique and timing.

Points
* For each load of concrete emptied from the upper hopper to lower hopper: 1 point.
* For each load emptied from lower hopper into truck: 2 points.
   (Maximum displayed score is 999 points.)

Misses
* When concrete overflows a hopper and lands on truck driver below (A warning signal sounds when a upper hopper is full.)
* When Mario tries to get of a lift and misses.
* When Mario rides a lift up to the ceiling.
* When Mario rides a lift down to the basement.
    (When game is left for about 5 minutes after game ends, time display returns automatically.)

Bonus
When the score reaches 300 points, fanfare sounds and all misses are canceled. If there are no misses when a 300 score is reached, game goes into "CHANCE TIME". Score flashes and all points are awarded at double value until a miss is scored.