The flipper has stood out over the years as the single
most important play feature on a pinball machine . It has
been pOinted to and judged in courts of law as the prime
indicator that pinball is a game of skill and not a game of
chance.
Likewise , players see nothing but good in the flippers .
They look upon these player-controlled features as
extensions of their fingers which allow partial control over
the wildly careening silver ball as it bangs against target
after target on the playfield .
There are , of course , other ways to influence one's
score in pinball. But, for many players , it has created
something of a guilt complex . The timely nudging of a
pinball machine can produce desired effects; but for a lot
of players , this is a lot like kicking a vending machine - it's
something you'll do to get your soda , but only when no
one is looking .
Actually , the games have been built to withstand a
reasonable amount of nudging ; but no one in the industry
has ever advertised that fact to the player because it might
encourage more abuse .
So many players, though they continue to nudge the
machine , do so, thinking that maybe they're doing
something wrong .
Now there's definitely an argument that people will
enjoy something more if they feel there's something
wrong or sinful about it. Many people insist , for instance ,
that sex isn 't the same if you drag it out of the gutter . But
does the same reasoning apply to pinball? Will people
play the game more if they feel there's a chance they're
going to be accosted by an irate vendor?
Now Williams Electronics has taken a significant step
toward what can best be described as "guiltless pinball"
with its introduction of a second player-controlled feature
in Firepower .
This second feature , the Lane Change , is activated by
the right flipper button which changes the lit lanes at the
top of the playfield . Without having to bully the machine,
in the usual manner . a player can achieve the same
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effects . And there's also the interesting possibility that this
new feature will reduce the amount of wear and tear the
game will have to endure over a period of time .
Using the flipper buttons to control other features on
the playfield opens countless other possibilities .
Operators can expect to see manufacturers implement
this innovation by adding other player-controlled features
on their games - maybe even allowing the player to
adjust point valves at certain areas on the playfield . This
Lane Change feature has really opened the way for these
type of possibilities .
Then , of course , Firepower resurrected the Multi -Ball
captive ball feature which many of today's players are not
even familiar with. The promise of playing for those few
£rentic seconds when three balls are bouncing around
the playfield are reward enough for players; and ,
even though making the shot virtually assures a tree
game . the elaboration of this idea may even become
enough of a reward for the player without having to give
away as many free games as in the past . This could open
the doors to more conservative free play percentaging
since the game would incorporate its own kind of
reward - in this case the thrill of "busting" three balls at
the same time .
Furthermore, the Firepower package is enhanced
by Williams' use of sound . Here in Firepower,
Williams again uses the talking pinball feature to insure
success. But even the use of the other sounds in the
game come together to make this an unusual effort . Like
last year's Flash , also from Williams. the sounds on
Firepower make the game an even better attraction .
Besides the obvious contributions Firepower makes to
th e advancement of pinball (the introduction of other
playe r-controlled features and the reintroduction of the
captive ball feature) the game can stand on its own merit
as a solid investment which should become a profitable
addition to any operator's stable of games .
By David Pierson
PLAY METER, July, 1980