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Pinball

  • Mata Hari was released in April of the year and designed by Jim Patla with artwork accolades going to Dave Christiansen. 16,200 of these machines were produced in the new solid-state format (as seen in the museum) as well as bunch of electromechanical machines (170, to be exact) to keep the non-computer savvy operators happy and buying machines they knew how to fix. This machine before you is one of the finest examples of this ultra-rare mechanical format. Like the solid-state version, the center kickout hole scores 3,000 points and each successful shot in the hole advances the bonus multiplier. The A and B skill shots advance the horizontal sequence of increasing values in the center of the playfield. 50,000 points are awarded when a battery of drop targets is hit. If both batteries are knocked down, the drop targets reset and hitting all again awards the replay. Score is another replay option.
  • Pro Pool originated in December with 800 units being fabricated. This add-a-ball machine was designed by Ed Krynski with artwork by Gordon Morison. Two replay versions of the game were also made: a two-player version called Big Shot and a four-player version called Hot Shot. Obviously the theme of this game is the game of pool. The playfield is symmetrical and the way to win extra balls is by completing the left and/or right drop target battery. Doing so will lift the left and/or right wow rollovers for this award. The drop targets reset once the sequences are completed. Of course, an operator-adjusted score is another way to score a couple of balls. Back in the ‘70s, multiple balls or replays could be achieved on the game. Today, one free game on a current solid-state game is the common win. Operators have made it harder to achieve free games today as free games yield no income and only result in down time for the machine to earn coins in the till.
  • This machine was a big hit for Williams with 12,000 machines created. A skill shot starts your adventure with different point values. A three-bank drop target or single right target advances the planets lit in the playfield. If you advance to the lit planet, a free game is your reward. The light grid, if hit when a solo target is lit, opens the visor. Otherwise, hitting all the lights opens the visor. Locking two balls in the “eyes” of the robot starts two-ball multiball. Lock one ball in one eye and shoot for the left solar ramp. Advance the bonus value by making the left ramp loop when the visor is down. This game is fun, challenging and the vocals egg you on throughout your adventure.
  • Another rare machine stands before you. Although 2,885 units were produced, they were all sent to France as a promotion in a contest to market Canada Dry soda. Designed by Ed Krynski and art by Gordon Morrison, this game was released in the US as a one player, two player and four player version. If you like drop targets this is your game. Fifteen drop targets live in this playfield design! If you’re skillful enough to hit all the upper drop targets, the side extra ball rollovers activate. The same is true if you hit the bottom five drop targets. If, however, you’re skillful enough to complete all fifteen targets, the specials are activated. Score is another way to win. The machines put on location in France provided high-scoring winners with monetary prizes from Canada Dry. I wish they would do this in the united States, especially in Atlantic City.
  • Demolition Man is a Williams pinball machine released in February 1994. It is based on the motion picture of the same name. It is part of WMS’ SuperPin line of widebody games. Sylvester Stallone (John Spartan) and Wesley Snipes (Simon Phoenix) provided custom speech for this game during ADR sessions at Warner Brothers Studios in Los Angeles under the direction of Jon Hey. Hey scored the music of the pinball game in part based upon the movie score by Academy Award winner Elliot Goldenthal, but including new music. Multiball modes This game is centered on multiball modes. The player has to shoot the left ramp when the “freeze” light is lit (lit by the right inlane) to “lock” a ball. When the required amount of locks are made, the player has to shoot the left loop to start multiball. Fortress Multiball (2 balls required) – A normal multiball mode with 3 jackpots and the “Super Jackpot”. 1-4 balls can be shot up. Museum Multiball (3 balls required) – Jackpots everywhere, except the standups. After the “Super Jackpot” the Multiball starts over. 3-6 balls can be shot up. Wasteland Multiball (4 balls required) – Same as “Fortress Multiball”. If not getting the lighting jackpots, the next jackpot will appear and the previous jackpot will stay. 4-8 balls can be shot up. Cryoprison Multiball (5 balls required) – The “Super Jackpot” is lit, from the beginning of the multiball. After getting the “Super Jackpot” it will lit again after hitting an arrow or more. Completing all four multiball modes lights the right ramp for the wizard award, Demolition Jackpot, which is the total amount of all the jackpots collected during the game. The Demolition Jackpot is lost if the ball drains. If you hit all jackpots in a multiball, the “Super Jackpot” light will lit. Getting the ball up to the “Cryo-Claw” whilst, you will get it. The “Super Jackpot” light turns off, if all the balls drain and the Multiball is over, the “Super Jackpot” is lost.
  • This game was an “add-a-ball” game; the replay version was called 2001. Production run was 490 units. This was the first game to feature the in-line drop targets in a bank of targets. It was designed by Ed Krynski with art by Gordon Morison. A total of 20 drop targets divided into 5 targets per color. Knocking down a full left set of targets or a right set of targets awarded extra balls to be played during your current game (versus free games as the replay version awarded). The targets would reset after each ball. Extra balls were also awarded if certain scores were achieved as set by the operator. Previous high scores could be posted by the arcade on the backglass as a contest to try and beat the high score. This game was near the end of single-player Gottieb games with the smaller flippers. All in all, a classic game requiring accuracy in your shots to gain extra balls!
  • If there was a very pretty game manufactured in the ‘50s, this is it! Hawaiian Beauty was designed by Wayne Neyens with art package by none other than Roy Parker. 900 of these machines were screwed together in the Chicago factory. The game was initially called “Monkey Shine” but was later changed. This game also features the infamous “double” award. If you inset two nickels at the beginning of the game instead of the usual nickel, each won replay would score two games or double the winnings instead of one game. More coins in the coinbox was the hope of the arcade owners. The playfield is interesting in this game. Two blocked gobble holes at the top of the playfield would score 500,000 points and light lower side exit special lanes for replays. Hitting the 1-6 sequence at the top of the playfield would advance the rollovers to score 100,000 points if rolled over. Points as well as score won games.
  • This contemporary machine was designed by Keith Johnson and Joe Balcer. The art package was created by Matt Groening’s cartoon team and the voices inherent in the game are from the actors who play the characters on the show. This well-designed game is basically an extension of The Simpsons TV show with all characters accounted for. Opening the garage door allows you to try and lock three balls in the couch to start couch multiball and score a jackpot or super jackpot. The three drop targets on the bottom right must be hit, the ball dropped into the hole behind them…and then repeated once more to start the Itchy and Scratchy multiball. If you’re skillful enough to complete all the modes to the basic game, the spoiler modes kick in. One of these modes reverses the flipper buttons’ function. A very complicated game enhanced by Homer following the ball around the playfield; this game is busy.