Tlltlna on
multi IBUBIS
.
Williams Electronics, Inc. introduced
its much-awaited Black Knight
pinball game at the AMOA
convention. Excitement and
enthusiasm greeted the first multi-
level, multi-ball pinball game.
Black Knigh t's playfield is
constructed on two separate levels
connected by three ramps giving fast
access to and from the top level. Two
separate sets of flippers enable
players to manipulate the ball on
both playfield levels. Skillful
maneuvering of the ball between the
multi-levels is a must for players to
accumulate high scoring.
To begin scoring possibilities that
can break into seven digits, players
concentrate on the diverse ways to
get Multi-Ball which can be achieved
on either playfield level. The Multi-
Ball eject hole accumulator on the
upper level will hold up to three balls;
the bottom playfield eject hole, one
ball. Locking up a ball in each eject
hole (the first ball sunk must be on
the top playfield) will give a player
two balls in play which achieves
double scoring on all playfield
accomplishments. Three balls in play
gives triple scoring and can be
attained by making two balls on top
and one on the bottom or getting all
three balls in the second level Multi-
Ball lock-up in one turn.
If a previous player has sunk balls
in the eject holes, balls will continue
to pop out until the current player
accomplishes Multi-Ball on his own
merit. Black Knight's exclusive
digital score animation flashes 2 or 3
on the score displays so all players
will know when the balls in play are
achieving double or triple scoring.
Since the ball speeds up and down
the three ramps from level to level,
Williams' Magna-Save becomes a
vital feature for players-a player-
controlled saving device operated by
two red buttons on the side of the
cabinet just forward of the flipper
buttons. Skillful players can use
Magna-Save to prevent the ball from
leaving the playfield via the outside
lanes. The . use of Magna-Save is
earned whenever any one bank of
the four drop target banks is made.
All of Black Knight's drop target
banks operate on a timing device.
If these challenges don't keep
players on their toes, Black Knight
offers additional tests of skill.
PLAY METER, February, 1981
VIdeo war:
no man's Land
The 1980 AMOA Show was the
forum for unveiling No Man's Land,
a new combat video game from D.
Gottlieb & Co., which is demonstra-
ting its fully committed entrance into
the total amusement game business
and video in particular, its officers
said.
Robert Bloom, Gottlieb president
and CEO, said, "This is a major
manufacturing and marketing effort
that has been in the planning stages
for many months. I think it will
become apparent at once to the
games industry that we are jumping
into video with both feet and on a
permanent basis. The character of
the first game in its upright and
cocktail table configurations should
offer solid evidence that we intend to
become a major producer in this
segment of the industry.
"We chose not to enter the field
until we had built up a backlog series
of video games to maintain a
continuity of production models
once we started manufacturing.
Initially we will go the licensing route
which will probably be continued
indefinitely. However, we have a
manpower pool of inventive
engineering and a modern new plant
that will be totally dedicated to video
games. In a short period of time we
fully expect to be a major factor in
the video game business."
Bloom concluded, "We are
extremely happy to be able to offer
this new line of video games to our
existing distributors-all of whom
have concentrated so faithfully on
Gottlieb pinball over the years. Our
distributor network is worldwide ,
and Gottlieb upright and cocktail
table models will be marketed
internationally."
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