Play Meter

Issue: 1981 June 01 - Vol 7 Num 10

Critic's Corner
By Roger C. Sharpe
seems like old times
tions in terms of setting up particular
standards and guidelines for
locations to follow if they have more
than some minimum number of
games. The idea of arcades and -
game rooms continually being
thought of as hang-outs whether
they're in malls or on some street
corner, has always plagued the
business and will continue to do so
unless there are some steps taken to
remedy the situation. I know that it's
difficult to police inside one's game
room as well as outside, but there
mus~ be a simple solution to stem
much of the fear that is felt. I know of
many people who won't even go into
some locations because of what they
have to go through just to get inside.
It's something to think about,
especially if you're one of those
absentee owners who can't
understand why business might be
off.
Knowing the nature of the
business, nothing will probably
happen to get the industry's act
together. It's a shame because one
senses the growing need for some
overall governing agency that would
set up specific parameters for
different types of locations, by which
everyone could co-exist. There will
possibly be a backlash of publicy
and location closings, at least in New
York because of the bombing
incident and maybe other areas
around the country will also suffer
the same fate , but for the most part
business will go on as usual until
some other controversy stands in
the path of profits.
But that's the way of the world and
I've been around too long now
tci expect anything different than
what has been done in the past. And
so it's time to move on to the game
PLAY METER, June 1, 1981
at hand.
Bally's Eight Ball Deluxe
A surprisingly appeaiing game, one
hopes that this follow-up to Flash
Gordon won't be considered an
interim machine that will quickly be
forgotten since it does have some
nice touches and a theme that has
always been. successful for pinball.
PLA YFIELD: The game starts with
two lanes at top (A-B) and leads
down to a three-thumper-bumper
area. Just to the left of this is an in-
line target set-up for bonus multiplier
and possible special, while the right
side has a single standing drop target
(8) and a kick-out hole for collecting
point values and returning the ball
back to the top. Back over on the left
is a passage, complete with rollover,
for getting back to the top as well as
building up points values getting
extra ball and e~en special when lit.
Just below this is a single flipper
while on the right side is a seven-
drop-target bank that also features
targets behirtd targets. The bottom is
a conventional set up of lanes (C-D)
leading down to trye flippers.
ANALYSIS: On the surface Eight
Ball Deluxe doesn't look like a
remarkable game, nor does it appear
to have much of what its noteable
namesake had, but put a coin in, play
a few balls, and the feeling changes
dramatically because the game is a
good one, although maybe it's just a
breath of fresh air from all the other
loaded games that haven't managed
to combine so much strategy and
skill shots. Even the open middle and
some of the drains aren't so bad
considering the layout of the board
and the flow of the game. It's all very
simple: just knock down the drop
Bally's EIGHT BALL DELUXE
61
targets on the right, stripes or solids,
depending upon whether you're
playing alone or with someone
else,or go down the appropriate
lanes when lit and then go for the "8"
target on the right side to finish off
the rack, before trying the stationary
targets on the right for filling out D-E-
L-U-X-E and. leading up to a special.
For breathers there's the shot up the
left alley which can build to extra ball
and even multiplier in-lines. Help also
comes from that top left flipper, but
all in all the game is very basic pinball
without multi-balls and multi-levels
and other touches which would
probably detract from the appeal of
the game. It's a shooter's machine
pure and simple with the action
primarily being left-to-right and right-
to-left, although there are somed
reverses from the flippers.
The nice thing is the build up of
action from the target§ which are
kept in memory from ball to ball.
Finish off a set and there's 56,000
points in the bank, the next time
112,000 points and .tqe next time a
special. The A-B-C-D lanes build up
the top "corner pocket" kick -out hole
values behind that top right target
and add to this some or the
cosmetics for Eight Ball Deluxe
GRAPHICS: Thank God,pinball
has finally caught up to the
) ·
contemporary scene which happens
to be the hottest thing going since
space:
country and western,
although it's not really played up to
the hilt here. But the total look is a
good break frqm what has become
the norm and makes this game stand
out from the crowd. Add this to the
rest of the package, which includes
speech such as that found on the
company's Kiss machine a couple of
AMOAs ago, telling you to go for the
"seven" or "make the eight ball" as
well as some other phrases, and
Eight Ball Deluxe shows that it has a
little bit of everything.
PLAY: Scoring isn't too bad on the
game, although everything is really
keyed into finishing off the racks for
building up point potentials. In fact,
depending upon your area and what
you've been doing lately, you might
even want to go with a five-ball game
and higher levels, but for three-ball
play on extra ball, you should be
right with a 600,000 point start
followed by 1,500,000 and 3,000,000
point levels. On free play you might
want to increase these by 200,000 to
400.000 point depending upon the
caliber of play at your location and
your percentaging.
PROS & CONS: Eight Ball Deluxe
isn't an .e xceptional game,but for the
times it seems to hit a responsive
chord-although I am dismayed by
seeing some locations charging 50¢ a
play, since the machine can't sustain
this kind of pricing. There are some
problem drains from that "8" target if
the velocity isn't there as well as from
the in-lines, but for the most part
there is a great deal of plqy on the
board and a fairly simple logic in
playing the game and knowing what
to do and when for the novice player.
I like the use of speech and think
it's effective as well as being
understandable even in a noisy
location, and the game should be a
solid earner since it has that "repeat
play" quality with its array of shot to
master. In all, it's a comfortable game
to play which is counter to many of
the other newer games on location
which really don't give you time to
thinls through your next shot, let
alone a sequence of shots.
RATIN_G: ###%
And that's the word this time around
for the corner. Algar the new
Williams wide-body is out and about
on a limited run and might get some
space next time, although Jungle
Lord seems to be ,fue game for this
company. And othernews as well, as
pinball seems to be resurfacing once
again for another assualt. Until
then, as always, be well and prosper.
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PLAY METER, June 1, 1981

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