Play Meter

Pinball for the
TV generation
Atari's V ideo Pinball brings a new
dimension to coin games . With the
combination of fast action , skill
challe nges , and excitement , Video
Pinball will astound both video and
pinball game enthusiasts . Not only is
the ga me designed for diverse player
appeal, but it accommodates virtually
any type of location as well .
All the attractions of a pinball
playfield - skill , drop targets , bump-
ers, slingshots , and rollovers - are
realistically featured through the
video simulation and the 3-D
playfield . The colorful disco theme
has bright LED lights on the playfield
to emphasize the score objectives
and multiple game features .
With an actual pinball plunger, the
player sets the video ball into action
and keeps it going with the set of side
buttons that control two sets of video
flippers . To add to~' th~ realism ,
players can nudge the ball I~ play by
pushing down on the control panel.
The competition becomes mor'e
intense as players try to achieve high
scoring objectives for Specials, extra
balls , replays , and bonuses.
One to four can play , and
operator options include three- or
five -ball settings , varied replay and
special levels, four different coinages,
differe nt language message displays ,
and more . The compact attractive
cabinet allows the popularity of video
and the excitement of p inball to be
enjoyed in any type of location .
PLAY METER , April , 1979
Monsters,
monsters
everywhere
Stern Electronics , Inc . has begun
production of Trident , its latest
solid-state mighty green monster , an
octopus and of course , the three-
pronged Trident in an undersea
setting.
Trident includes two new exciting
features : a Programmable/ Resetable
Drop Target Bank which becomes
increasingly more difficult to knock
down and includes a bonus multi-
plier, paying off in the outhole , and
two Play More Posts , one between
the flippers and one which can
deflect the ball from the outlane
towards the flippers for re-entry .
Other Trident features include :
two spinning targets with cumulative
scoring that lead to sweeping return
lanes to top of playfield , a kickout
hole keyed to the bonus multiplier,
no outlane on left side of playfield ,
return lane only , an outlane on right
side of playfield partially protected by
Play More Post , a mirrored back-
glass .
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