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Here’s a 1977 Stern ‘Pinball’. This was Stern’s first solid state machine and marked the beginning of a long and interesting history for the company. Designed by Mike Kubin, it’s a fast game that has some wicked out-lanes and very quick ball times. There are no mini-posts above the out-lane guides which make controlling the ball near the out-lanes very difficult. Stingray, the game made by Stern following ‘Pinball’ also lacked these posts, but games made thereafter had the posts which dramatically improve the player’s ability to control the ball and avoid the out-lane. This game has a basic rule-set. Knock down the 5 drop targets twice in one ball to score the special. The saucer on the right side of the playfield awards a somewhat random award and the spinner shot on the left is a very satisfying shot to hit.Gottlieb Subway arrived in October ’66. It was designed by the classic team of Ed Krynski and art by Gordon Morison. This add-a-ball version of the game closely resembled the replay version by the name of Crosstown. This wedgehead Gottlieb has an animated backglass. Every time 100 points are scored, the door of the subway opens, revealing passengers jammed together in a comical pose. The center target is where all the action is in the game. If you happened to match the two columns horizontally by advancing the columns by hitting various spots on the game and hit the center target, the award indicated would be given. Otherwise 10 points were awarded. This game was a tough game to play, as the opening between the flippers was rather large and a hit to the center target would regularly cost you a lost ball.This pinball had a run of 1750 units. Designed by Ed Krynski with artwork by Art Stenholm, this 2 player four flipper game has no specials. The object of the game is to score a lot of points by advancing the yellow and red multipliers up to 100x where up to 500 points could be hit. Hitting the 100x level resets the hit column back to 1x. Extra balls are awarded if the roto spin target is hit when the star is in position. The use of the four flippers in the game makes one feels that the machine has two playfields in one. The new design pop bumpers, and auto ball lift are in early use here as well as the ball count meter. A challenging game that’s hard to beat!!!The table is the first Williams WPC machine designed to feature a dot-matrix display. But due to the long design phase, Gilligan’s Island was the first manufactured with a DMD. Terminator 2: Judgment Day was the first game to feature an autoplunger (replacing the traditional plunger), as well as a ball-firing cannon (dubbed, “Gun Grip Ball Launcher”). Finally, T2 was the first game to feature a video mode, a mini video game featured on the DMD. Arnold Schwarzenegger provided voices for the game. Some playfield design elements were based on Ritchie’s 1980 classic, Firepower. T-1000 was not included in the artwork of the table, with the exception of a small image of actor Robert Patrick because of pre-release secrecy of the movie. The character was only included in the display animation because when the DMD programming was finalizing the liquid metal character was already public knowledge.
- Release date: July 1991
- System: Williams WPC (Dot Matrix)
- Design: Steve Ritchie
- Programming: Dwight Sullivan
- Artwork: Doug Watson
- Mechanics: Carl Biagi
- Music: Chris Granner
- Sound: Chris Granner
- Production run: 15,202
This machine is based on the ’30s radio series then turned into a movie. Design accolades go to Brian Eddy with art scripted by Doug Watson. 4,247 of these machines were made. The interesting feature in this machine is the elevated upper-left playfield. This playfield is gained access to once the drop target is hit. Once this challenge is complete, another shot to this ramp shoots the ball upstairs to this feature. Pressing the flipper buttons moves the paddle left or right. The kicker is activated by an optic sensor automatically to hit all the targets if your aim is sure. This game also has a thrust magnet which grabs the ball in action and shoots it up the playfield into the next feature. No pop bumpers are on the playfield, which is a rare event. Another first incorporated into this playfield are two ramp diverters which are player adjustable. Completing the six scenes of the story award you with the final battle sequence of good against evil.John Popodiuk designed this magical game with artwork penned by Linda Deal. 6,600 units were manufactured. This game is always in the top 10 machines in collectibility. The magic trunk is the centerpiece of the playfield. Its multifunctional sides rotate according to the storyline of the machine at the time. Eight illusions are to be collected in a typical game. This is one of four requirements needed to complete the grand finale stage of the game. Advancing the clock to midnight by shooting the right-side lane 12 times or hitting the captive ball completes this feature. Multiball must be made at the trunk to complete the third part of the puzzle. The last issue is completing the word “theater” by certain ramp shots. Grand finale is tough to achieve but a neat show awaits you. Vanish is another feature that makes a ball disappear when shot up the left-side ramp; the ball reappears when the right ramp is made.Look no further! If you’re searching for the rarest of the rare, here for your perusal is not one but two examples of this Gottlieb aberration. Supposedly only 125 were made of this game and most were sold overseas. Ed Krynski and Gordon Morison again teamed up to art and design the game. This game represents one of the last electromechanical “wedgehead” games ever built near the shores of Lake Michigan. It’s also a single-player game and one of the last. The object of the game is not really boxing in the true sense but hitting enough targets to advance the central advance display up to the top of the rack. This will ignite the special lights for a free game. The color-coordinated advance inserts on the play field correspond to the light-up features on the play field and, if you advance the light sequence accordingly, those features light up for the brief time the advance mechanism stays on that light. Score is the easiest way to win a replay.Here’s another classic single-player wedgehead. This machine was designed by Jeff Brenner with art scrolled by Gordon Morison. 3,100 units came to fruition as well as an add-a-ball called Royal Pair. This open playfield design allows for a lot of action mandated by flipper shots all the way up the playfield. The object of the game is simple…by completing all the card targets and rollovers, three specials light. Hitting the ace target up top or scoring a lit rollover awards a replay. Another unique feature built into this machine is the random rollover values one may capture. 10, 100 or 1,000 points may be scored by rolling over one of four rollover targets when lit. The shots to the targets must be precise to score from the flipper. The outlanes are unique in design as they are angled. A very interesting variation of a Gottlieb card theme machine.Wayne Neyens designed this classic with Roy Parker penning the artwork. 2,700 of these were fabricated. This game has a holdover feature, which holds the monkeys’ positioning on the backglass from game to game. If you’re skillful enough to hit the A, B, C, and D targets, a monkey is advanced up the tree on the backglass. If one monkey makes it to the top, one replay is awarded: two monkeys score two replays, and three monkeys score three replays. Obviously if you pass this game and notice the third monkey nearing the top, feeding the coin slot was a natural for your just reward. Rolling over the 1 – 5 rollovers at the top of the playfield lights the side specials and awards 200 points once you drain the ball. A nice, well balanced game and quite a challenge not to lose your ball in play.This game is the most complicated solid-state pinball machine for complexity and gadgetry ever made. 15,235 of these were made and design credits go to Pat Lawlor with art by John Youssi. Multiple multi-ball options, magnets, a porcelain power ball a gumball machine and an extra-wide play field are only part of what’s before you. The main object of the game is to complete all the segments of the door in the bottom of the play field. These segments illuminate a light in the door. If by rare chance you complete the feat (you can “buy in” extra balls at the end of your game), all heck breaks loose in the form of a “lost in the zone” ultimate stage in the game. All six balls pop out, every option special, and bonus is lit all at once, and then, as if by magic, the flippers stop working (as this is a timed event) and your bonus is totaled. The battle in the zone magnet-controlled play field and power ball are neat!This machine was produced in january and 7300 copies of it were bolted together. Pat lawlor designed the game with john youssi penning the artwork. The earliest machines in the production run had the chicago cubs logo on the child’s baseball cap but the cubs disallowed its use so the logo was changed. The early examples had a williams logo sticker over the cubs logo. The object of the game is to advance the compass to the north, south , east and west positions. Doing so starts ball lock ..And the “power of the wind” through the use of a dedicated fan on top of the machine to recreate a new physical dimension to your gameplay. Once three balls are locked, the left ramp awards increasing million awards. By earning enough tolls, extra balls may be had. The super cellar value changes via the spinner. Dropping into the cellar awards its value. Another “twist“ in the game’s design is the spinning discs. Tornado action.
