Play Meter

good shot possibilities and continuity
of action , but the scoring potential,
even with programming alternatives,
isn't the stratosphere digits available
on some games. Double and triple
bonus are reached through the top
lanes , much like Flash, although
there's no memory in the multiplier
itself from ball to ball.
The numbers ( 1-2-3-4) and the
inner lanes to the flippers ( D-E)
advance star values and specials as
well as the snake pit up to 50,000
points, while the drop targets build
up to an extra ball value in the left
side kick-out hole. Additionallv. the
top drop targets (G-0-R) build up
the snake pit to 50,000 points . The
shots here seem to be better left to
right and right to left, rather than
relying on reverses as set plays.
One thing for certain with Gorgar
is that the play is confined within the
field, meaning there isn't too much of
a rest period for the player-the
quarters go fairly quickly unless one
can hit the spinner repeatedly or land
in the magnetic force field at the top
left ( although the latter is only a
momentary relief from the speed of
the game). "There's decent lateral
play off the kickers to the side targets
and from the thumper bumpers back
up to the lanes and over to the drop
targets, but most of the action is
flipper oriented.
And, of course , the saving grace
to all the play is the attraction of the
Gorgar voice bellowing out "You
beat me!" or "Me hurt!"
It's a novelty sure to bring in action
while also drawing in the curiosity
seekers. And , as everyone must
surely realize, Gorgar welcomes in
the wave of the future with voice
becoming an integral part of the
coin-machine scheme of things. How
soon do you think it will be before
everyone has some type of option or
feature for voice.
GRAPHICS: Connie has come
into his own with Gorgar. Stylistically
a different type of artistic technique
than the realistic illustrations and
portraits of a Bally effort , the talents
of this individual are to be recognized
in their own right, for there's
something here that rivals the impact
of a 1--irebal/ anti-hero. And the detail
work on the playfield (such as the
little heads above the bottom lanes)
as well as the backglass, make this a
classic. The use of color is a vivid
reminder of the impact pinball can
have when not locked into the new
processes some companies have
toyed with where the vibrancy and
illumination are lost for the sake of
tonal shades and greater use of
pastels.
PLAY: This is a three-ball effort
all the way and since scoring may
appear to be great on the surface,
92
take a look at how your players are
hitting it and act accordingly without
breaking their backs. For extra ball
areas you might want to begin with a
130,000 start and follow it by
260,000 and 400 ,000 points. On
free pla y you 'll be safe with levels
increased by about 100,000 points.
PROS & CONS: Without the
voice, Gorgar is a good game with
striking artwork, but there are some
inherent problems with the layout.
First off, I heard one operator
recently comment that he thought it
was a carbon copy of Flash. Where
he was looking, I don't know. True,
there is a kick-out hole that's been
flopped from one side to the other
and there are three drop targets in
the middle of the field and a top right
spinner , but really , this game stands
on its own.
The only problems I've encounter-
ed with the game and conversations
with players have centered around
the low scores and difficulty in
building up out-hole bonus and
king-size scores on a consistent basis.
In design , some concern has been
expressed about the roll down from
the C lane at top, which all too often
has the ball just rolling down to the
flipper ( or between the flippers)
rather than bouncing off the thumper
bumper.
Also with the top lanes, is the
chance that happens too frequently
of the ball not going down one of the
lanes, but rather draining through the
top of the spinner and straight down
to the flippers. This dead action is
rough and is complicated by the left
side with the long rubber projecting
the ball down on a roll from the
magnetic hold or the drop targets to
an unsteady roll through the flippers
or the tips of the flipper.
And the bottom , rather than
allowing some bouncing off the
rubber-ringed posts, is still a more
often lost ball , unless you're at a
place where the tilt has been taken
off.
But the saving grace, again, is the
fact that everyone is going to need a
Gorga r on location because of what it
represents, that is, a gam~ with
phenomenal ear.ning potential-the
only concern is the staying power
and whether the playfield has all that
it could to keep players once the
novelty of voice has worn off.
RATING: ###
Gottlieb's BUCK ROGERS
From Gil Gerard and the TV series
right to the arcade comes what
Gottlieb is billing as a "new decade of
stars" game. And visually , if nothing
else, it shows what this company is
capable of doing given the right
motivation and theme as well as the
freedom for the artist to express
himself.
PLA YFIELD: The top of the field
offers a bit of a difference with four
lanes separated ( B-U and C-K) . The
center area is a teaming of a Gottlieb
standard: the vari-target, with a
captive ball added in as well. Move
down and to the sides and at the
middle are two thumper bumpers at
either side of the top lanes , a
bulls-eye target at the left and a
kick-out hole at the top right with a
short rollover lane just below this on
the right side. Over at the left is a two
star rollover button area for access
back to the top .
At mid-field on the left side are
two drop targets , an opening space
and two more drop targets closer to
center field, while on the right side is
a four drop target bank. The bottom
is a wire lane ( B and K) and flipper
set up , with a play-more post
between the flippers.
ANALYSIS: Buck Rogers isn't
bad-there are plenty of shot
possibilities here and play although
the right side is vaguely reminiscent
of Joker Poker with the targets, short
lane and kick-out hole replacing the
bulls-eye target. The left side and
even the formation of the kickers and
rubber to the bottom area and . the
flippers as well as the straight rubber
on the left side just below the drop
targets remind one of Close En-
counters as does the open area back
to the top which isn't really a lane ,
per se , nor does it contain the
spinner of Close Encounters.
Anyway , you can see those games
together and get an idea of the play
action. From flippers the action is
either left to right or right to left,
although some reverses are possible,
but the best areas still seem to be for
the top center captive ball and
vari-target area or to the left side
drop targets, as well as rest periods
back to the top.
The scoring is supplied by getting
down the drop targets at midfield
which control bonus multiplier and
spelling out B-U-C-K which lights the
value of the right side drop targets to
special potential. The interesting part
of the game is the vari-target since it
can build up the values of the top
right kick-out hole for extra out-hole
bonus points as well as ready drop
target multiplier values. And if you
hit the front captive ball, you have to
make sure it's hit hard enough to
push back the vari-target in order to
register the upgrading of the "Bases"
that are denoted on the playfield .
The top right kick-out hole also
supplies a count-down when the
out-hole bonus reaches 20 ,000. So
with 5X up , you can conceivably
score 100,000 points in just one
shot.
GRAPHICS: While the Gottlieb
PLAY METER, January, 1980