Pinball Machines are games in which a ball is propelled into a cabinet (known as a “table”) and then bounces off various obstacles such as pins, ramps, and outlanes to score points either en route or at rest. Modern machines are often powered by microprocessors, and feature a wide variety of game modes with animated backbox graphics and digitized sound.
Pinball Machines – Explore a Variety of Classic Designs
Game rules vary by manufacturer, and sometimes by title. Some are very strict about ball placement, requiring players to hit only certain targets to advance in a game; others are more loosely defined. Regardless of the rules, modern electronic games often include many different ways to earn a free play and other rewards for reaching goals during a game.
The first pinball machines used a system of lights mounted behind the painted backglass to indicate scoring, which made high scores somewhat arbitrary; they were frequently only in the hundreds or thousands. By the 1950s, manufacturers began using mechanical wheels to score the balls, and this led to much higher scores – reaching millions was not uncommon on some machines.
The video game craze of the 1980s dealt a blow to pinball sales, so manufacturers tried to use new solid-state technology to improve the gameplay and appeal of their games. Some of the most creative ideas included speech, as seen on Gottlieb’s Gorgar and Williams’ Black Knight; multiball (a series of playfield ramps that build a cumulative score); flashing chase lights (as used in Stern’s Xenon), among others.