Play Meter

(continued from page 24 ) players have to be content with hitting the horses or trying for a lengthier shot back up to the bumper - area of the playfield. The action? I found it slightly sluggish, although I tend to find this a peculiar dilemma with the feel of many solid-state pinball machines. The flippers seem to have more than enough power as well as a clear stroke but the touch is off and this disturbs me . Will players run to this game? Probably. It's an intriguing combination of color and sound that allows this machine to stand out from the crowd. A novelty? Probably. For the average player there may even be a sense of a challenge, although the more skilled and accomplished pinballer may turn his back on this effort . But it can be a crowd pleaser; even at the show it generated a great deal of attention and interest. The sound and artwork are singularly unique . Black is not your general pinball color, and yet here it works with very bright complementary colors. The cabinetry is also a departure from the norm and harkens back to the "innovative styling of the 60s" that Williams used to advertise. It is a cut away side, and also a longer sweep to the front area . Made from what appeared to be formica, it also incorporated what appeared to be a polyurethane playfield covering. I still haven't figured out the match feature which was almost overlooked in its position between the thumper bumpers. The five digit scoring is all readout and no drum, but for the graphic treatment works. A highly stylized bucking horse and rider grace the back glass, with corresponding shades brought out Let's help each other. + ~od neighbor. The American Red Cross md ve rt111ng cont r1butlld for th• public good ,,.,,,, ;'ID""" :-.,u ,. c.'"• in rather straight sweep sweeps and swirls on the playfield. All in all the game is a difficult one to rate since there is really no other pinball machine on the market like it . I do think that my view of it has mellowed in time, and that for the sheer novelty of the piece it deserves more attention for the near future. Rodeo may even prove to be a welcome addition to your stablewho knows? Rating: ## Sega's TEMPTATION If you didn't get a chance to preview this beautiful game in Sega's hospitality suite, too bad. Because if you liked Rodeo you might just have loved this model. The game has the same playing characteristics as its counterpart, but the alignment of the features is different . I didn't say better, only different. As a one-player machine goes there's a lot to shoot for, the only question is whether it's worth it. For the sake of the girl on the back glass I'd say "yes." The playfield offers two top thumper bumpers and two lanes at either side to allow the ball to return to the top of the playfield. The bumpers again though, have the plastic skirt which falls into the same problem as is the case with Rodeo. A center round-about feature is a departure from the norm with a pseudo-spinner type square protecting a target . Four drop targets dot mid-field equally at the left and right, and are more of a block-type configuration rather than the slender versions found on most American machines. Two lanes at the top of the playfield start the action with helping roll-overs that set the pace of any extra point values. At mid-right near the drop targets is a kick-out hole that is a bit deeper than usual; while at mid-left above the other side targets rests a swinging target. Although not totally symmetrical in the rebound and play action, the two sides tend to balance themselves. Once again we're faced with the Sega bottom kicker and its curved formation, and also a semi-Gottlieb bottom that' s aided by the addition of an open gate feature at the bottom right of the playfield. The action around this area is smooth and consists of properly nudging the ball off the kickers and up toward the target areas of the playfield. The game plays swiftly and falls into the same qualities shared by the other Sega effort. The sound is interesting and the total feel of the game is slightly numbing to the subtle wrist and sensitive touch of a "true" pinball player. Graphically, we again have a rather striking motif rendered in what no doubt can be called the "Sega style." Players may try this game out of curiosity, although the true test will be if they'll keep coming back to it. I don't know. In general the Sega pins are different from most conventional models, with features that seem to copy from everyone and no one at the same time. My feeling is that the games will find a place in the continually expanding market, and loyalists will no doubt crop up to play 'their' game. Time will tell, but fr~m these two efforts, Sega should definitely be a part of pinball's future development-they've shown by these, and other past efforts that they deserve to be observed and considered in the total scheme of things. It will be fascinating to see what they will follow up with, but for now one must be content with a little temptation. Rating: ## Segasa d.b.a Sonic's PROSPECTOR Of the new games at the show, this one probably impressed me more It was a than any other one. pleasant surprise to find it there, and it also showed that Sonic has turned in a new direction in designing pinball machines. The question is whether or not they can sustain the momentum. Although lacking a subtle artistic touch, this four-player has sound play action that seems to fill the entire field. The first thing to notice is the double bonus set-up divided into gold and silver bonus points. The latter can be collected while the ball is in play if one aims for the right spots; the former is an out-hole bonus and features greater total value . Three roll-overs start the action at the top as the regular lane entry has been discarded this time around. Instead, this game tends to bank on the action of the kick-out hole . One is at top right in a curved channel that scores the silver bonus and also features yet another rollover on its