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Pink Panther, Gottlieb's new
multiple-ball pingame, is currently
being shipped to distributors.
Marshall Caras, Gottlieb vice
president/marketing, said: "We feel
Pink Panther makes the most
imaginative use of the multiple-ball
feature with some re()lly unique
design twists."
Gottlieb engineers have energized
the ball action by adding power to
the mechanical elements of the play-
field . "Achieving a balance between
hyper-action and skill shooting is a
difficult task, but our designers have
pulled it off," Caras continued. "For
one thing, the multiple-ball feature,
which has been so difficult to attain
for the average player in previous
games, is now achieved with
considerable more frequency. This
has widened the appeal of multi-ball
tremendously."
Players activate the captive holes
by completing the Pink Panther
target banks. When both balls are
captured, the third ball releases both
captive balls by passing over any top
rollover.
During the multi· ball play, a player
tries to collect diamonds by hitting
the nine spot targets or the black
drop targets. A "diamonds" score-
board is featured on the backglass,
showing the player's total and the
"total to beat" -which leads to
special if it is beaten. The player's
higher total then becomes "total to
beat."
Caras noted the wide variety of
games available to operators today
and said: "The test period has shown
quickly and dramatically that Pink
Panther is going to be one of the top
9ames in 1981, and we are, needless
to say, more than gratified."
He noted also, "Our preceding
game, Force II, sported an unusual
two-ball feature, but Panther is in a
class by itself."
94
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Astro Blaster
Gremlin's first entry into the talking
video market boasts the clarity of a
finely tuned jukebox, the result of a
sophisticated voice synthesis
technique. Gremlin software
programmers and creators of Astra
Blaster, Barbara Michalec and Gary
Shannon, capitalized on the voice
quality by incorporating it into
game play. The Mission Control
voice offers helpful instructions and
warnings to players such as "Laser
temperature critical," and "One ship
remaining . Excercise extreme
caution."
Visually, Astra Blaster is an
extravaganza, displaying more than
250 colors and 29 different targets,
each with its own unique motion and
sound.
Fuel and temperature gauges
monitoring fuel supply and
temperature of player's firing
weapon, a time warp that reduces
target speed, and a docking
sequence for refueling are all special
features that call upon players to
rise to the Astra Blaster challenge.
An intriguing feature of Astra
Blaster is 29 secret bonuses that pop
up throughout game play. To
maximize secret bonus points,
players must discover the formula by
which the bonus is awarded.
Astra Blaster is a 1- or 2-player
game that has been test marketed
very successfully at 50 cents per
play, according to Gremlin
Industries.
The San Diego, California
manufacturer boasted that Astra
Blaster was the hit of the
Amusement Trade Exhibition in
January.
As the Gremlin plant geared up for
its biggest production run ever,
Gremlin vice chairman Frank
Fogleman and president Duane
Blough were on hand in London
accepting accolades from eager
buyers.
PlAY METER, April, 1981