Play Meter

Issue: 1981 November 01 - Vol 7 Num 20

'It 's
a game a player can get comfortable with, allowing any number
of play strategies to take advanta ge of the entire board ... '
many balls are in play, which is a
great touch and makes multi-ball
play t hat much more rewarding.
Th e right side, minus the flipper,
with its in-lines is really a flip-flop
from Viking but somehow it's more
attainable on the right side than it was
with that previous machine and the
additional flipper helps for some
short reverses or sweeps up to the
top arch and the upper in-lines o r
kick-out hole.
In fact, there's pretty decent
access throughout the board from
either of the two bottom flippers.
The really nice thing about Fathom is
that on extra ball play, the board
remains the way it was when the ball
drained, so it is truly a continuation
of play and adds to the flow of the
game: a true bonus that undoubtedly
the programmer must be thanked
for. But then there are subtle
touches such as that, esp ecially with
the introduction of tha t long "gate"
on top.
The bonus can be hefty and is
carried over fr om ball to ball
although the multipl i e r isn't.
H owever, we're talking about 55,000
points on either side (Blue and
Green) and the chance for a special
when a player reaches up to what I
think is 75,000 points on both sides.
Another is that the area between
the cen ter bank and the right side
target leads directly to the thumper
bumpers and can sometimes result
in a ball being sent back down after a
"missed" shot, right through the
flippers, or not have enough velocity
to compensate for its return flight.
On the whole, though, Fathom is a
game a player can get comfortable
with, allowing any number of play
strategies to take advantage of the
entire board.
RATING: ### 1_4
With th e Chicago show signalling
once again the annual rush to bring
out attention-grabbing mac hines,
the games on tap tend to confirm the
commitment. Next issue you'll have
a chance to get a close look at
Stern's Split Second, a multi-ball,
double-level machine that's big-
game size and continues this
company's presence in the
marketplace. A lso on the horizon is
the newest from Gottlieb which
should turn some heads if there were
any doubters about this company's
viability. With this model, Black Hole
they'll have three in a row and a
firming up of the direction they're
taking in trying to appeal to the
pinball audience. Bally's Medusa is
an exciting machine with some novel
twists and Williams, too, is readying
some surprises.
So, the race is on and everyone
seems prepared to last the distance
for what has been a period of growth
and an expanding use of available
technology for pinball machines that
have been different, unique in the
history of the industry and a portent
of things to come.
As for me, it's time to get back to
the contemplation of impending
fatherhood the second time around.
So until next time, be well and
prosper.
TOKENSeTOKENSeTOKENS
PRIZE REDEMPTION & TRADE CHECKS
CASINO SLOT & GAMING COINS
Phone o r write for catolog & IJOmple•
VAN BROOK OF LEXINGTON, INC.
P.O. BOX 5044, LEXINGTON, KY. 40555
606/231-7100
so
PLAY METER, November 1, 1981
1
1
Voices, tun and
torebodlna
Centuri, Inc. , has just completed
another licensing agreement with a
leading Japanese firm and will
manufacture Vanguard, a new video
space game.
The agreement with the Osaka-
based SNK Corp. (Shin Nihon
Kikaku) gives Centuri the exclusive
rights to manufacture and sell
Vanguard in North, South, and
Central America and the Caribbean
Islands, said Centuri President Ed
Miller in a recent announcement.
In Vanguard, players mus t
traverse 12 tunnels (or rounds), each
containing several stages of play.
The first tunnel alone contains eight
playing stages, and the number
varies with each remaining tunnel.
"Bon Voyage!" bids Vanguard's
commanding voice as play begins at
the opening stage of the first tunnel,
which is bordered by mountains of
blue and green-hued cubes, enemy
forces attack. The spaceship
protects itself with its four -
directional missiles and by passing
through the "Energy Zone." Once
"energized ," it is able to withstand
crashes into enemy rockets and
missiles and the bordering
mountains.
Succeeding stages are in-
creasingly more difficult and more
rewarding as points increase with the
added danger. Through the blue and
white rocky canyons of the Rainbow
Zone, the orange and green peaks of
the Stick Zone , around the
mountains of the Stripe Zone with its
city of enemy bases and barriers, the
spaceship accounts one threat after
another, and must overcome them
all to avoid being destroyed.
Finally, the player's ship enters
stage VJII, the Dock Zone ruled by
the enemy Gond. When Gond 1s
successfully attacked and destroyed
a commanding ·voice booms out:
"Congratulations." The spacecraft is
then cleared for the start of another
tunnel.
Centuri , Inc. is a Hialeah-based
manufacturer of high-technology
video games and other electronic
devices.
Fau wrau's
new uldeo
Nintendo's newest electronic video
game, Donkey Kong, offers players a
unique and fun-filled change from the
plethora of space adventure games
on the market.
Donkey Kong has become the
best-selling video game in Japan and
test marketing in the United States
has proven it to be extremely
popular with men, women and
children of all ages, according to
Nintendo.
Loosely based on the theme of
"King Kong," this original game is
unlike anything around. As Donkey
Kong climbs to the top of a building
structure carrying a pretty girl in his
arms, he is chased by a little man
who is trying to rescue her. As the
little man climbs to the top, he must
avoid the barrage of obstacles that
come his way- fireballs, attack
vessels and exploding barrels being
thrown at him by Donkey Kong. To
add to the amusing action on the
screen, Donkey Kong runs back and
forth, beating his chest with joy,
especially when he is able to hit the
little man with one of his barrels.
As the pursuer is bombarded with
obstacles in rapid-fire succession, he
must escape by jumping over them
or fendi ng them off with a hammer he
finds on the structure. Extra bonus
points are awarded for direct hits
with the hammer. Also, the faster the
little man gets to the top, the higher
the score.
Donkey Kong has four different
play boards with varying degrees of
difficulty. One or two persons can
play and each gets three little men
per game. However, the operator
can adjus t this number at h1s
discretion, to provide up to six men
per player. Operator flexibility is
further enhanced by the ability to
award an extra man at any of the
following levels: 7,000, 10,000, 15,000,
or 20,000 points. Adjustable coi~age
from 25q: to $1.25 is also pOSSible.
Donkey Kong is available in 3
models: upright, cocktail , and
cabaret.
51
PLAY METER , November 1, 1981

Download Page 46: PDF File | Image

Download Page 47 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.