Play Meter

Issue: 1980 January 15 - Vol 6 Num 1

More
galactic

maneuvering
War
for two
War is Viza Manufacturing's latest
cocktail table pinball game that
features play for one or two players.
Play may be. against yourself , or
two people may take positions across
from each other and compete
simultaneously. Both players have
two offensive flippers on their own
side of the playfield and two defen-
sive flippers on the opponent's side
of the playfield.
Flipper freeze areas on both sides
of the playfield momentarily delay an
opponent while you continue to
score . The game boasts all solid state
timers to set flipper freeze areas for
three seconds , and adjustable auto-
electronic sound. Scoring goes to
99 ,999 with six-digit LED inter-
changeable scoreboards.
Also, each player has a self-adjust-
ing out of hole kicker. Rebound
kickers are on both sides of the
playfield. And there's no plunger to
pull-all solid state firing is from the
right hand flipper button .
The cabinet is 1/ 4 inch tempered
glass tops for safety with special
silicone seal to eliminate leakage,
and measures 33 inches by 45 inches
by 26 inches. It weighs approximate-
ly 200 pounds and comes with
adjustable leg levelers.
Pricing is set for one · player , 25
cents, and two players , fifty cents.
96
Stern Electronics , Inc., premiered
its new Galaxy outer-space fantasy
pinball machine at the 1979 AMOA
Games & Music Exposition in
Chicago, November 9-11 . Sche-
duled for production in January
1980 , Galaxy will follow Stern 's
current best seller, Meteor .
Harry Williams designed the four-
player , solid-state machine . Galaxy
features new top-arch geometry ,
shooting laser-like light display , and a
new adjustable audio attract mode .
Explosive sounds are synchro-
nized with Galaxy 's playfield action.
Innovative remote spotting drop
targets allow players to knock them
down two ways, by either a direct
smash or by hitting a special target on
the other side of the playfield .
Other game highlights include a
backglass playfield with action; 27
front-door program functions and
total front-door accounting; reset
memory duplicates playfield as each
player takes his turn; new playfield
"top-arch" design adds unique scor-
ing opportunities; side horseshoe
kicker that runs up the score ;
improved finish-completion of "G-
A-L-A-X-Y" sends playfield into light
and sound frenzy.
In full.
racy color
Super Speed Race is a full color
video driving game with realistic
excitement that challenges the most
avid game fan . Its large 23 inch
monitor screen features a spectrum
of vivid hues displaying the fast
moving track side , color race cars
and driving lanes .
The player sits behind the wheel ,
shifts into low gear , steps on the gas
and moves his racer onto the
speedway. Care must be taken to
enter the track without being hit by
other cars on the raceway . A shift to
high increases the speed and the
scoring-but it takes extra skill to
maneuver and pass up other cars
without a mishap.
Going off the road , hitting or being
hit by another race car creates a
thundering "crash" sound. The
player is returned to the "pit stop"
and must start out once more . A
portion of the track consists of icy
patches and oil slicks where extra
care must be taken to avoid skidding ,
sliding , or running into trouble.
A further incentive to invite
competition is the posting of the top
five scores that are permanently
displayed on the race result score-
board. Extended play and game time
are adjustable. Super Speed Race
consists of a seat unit along with the
cabinet-the combination measures
63 inches high ; 64 inches deep ; and
29 inches wide.
PLAY METER, January, 1980
He does
everything
but walk
Williams Electronics' Gorgar, the
world's first talking pinball machine,
makes it difficult to believe that action
does indeed speak louder than
words .
Gorgar verbalizes seven different
words to form eight different phrases
and commands according to a
player's performance. In addition,
the game emits thirteen different
reverbating sounds to the back-
ground sound of Gorgar's beating
heart-which accelerates and be-
comes louder as the score builds.
Designing the first talking pinball
game is the latest in the continuing
development of the use of sound in
Williams' games. When the firm
opened its doors in 1945 , the use of
sound usually was limited to the
ringing of bells, buzzers, and chimes
that used an electro-mechanical
solenoid plunqer system .
In January of 1979 , Williams
released its Flash which featured
continuous background sound in-
creasing in pitch and frequency as
play advanced.
And now, Williams introduces
Gorgar-the pinball machine that
talks. Does its action speak louder
than its words?
J
PLAY METER, January, 1980
lntec premiers
computer age
'token •
The lntercard, an alternative to
coin-operated vendinq machines , is a
magnetic card reader using ma~­
netic cards bearing identification
codes that are repeated a number of
times equal to the number of
purchases the possessor is entitled to
make.
The card is slipped into the
obliterating device, mounted on the
vending machine , and if the code is
recognized as valid , the go-ahead will
be given for the product to be
distributed. Otherwise, the card will
be rejected. Each time a product is
distributed , the code (read and
accepted) is cancelled out as part of
the card is cut away.
Among the advantages of such a
system are that the part of the card
re levant to the purchase cannot be
reused; the cutaway pieces are
collectible in a special drawer that
enables the owner of the vending
machine to keep a constant check on
the quantity of products being sold;
and the possessor of the card
immediately can assess how many
further purchases he can make.
Since coins are not used , an operator
can control the price, eliminate
skimming, eliminate change hassle ,
e liminate counting , sorting and
wrapping of coins, and perhaps best
of all , the operator has his money in
advance.
97

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