Play Meter

The new
shell aame
Pinball has
a bite
Stern Electronics has introduced
Viper, its latest one-to-four-player
solid state pinball game with a
serpentine theme of colorful back-
glass and playfield art.
Viper's new play feature, Roto
Shooter, is a rotating ball; chamber
that allows players to control the
ball's shooting position when aiming
for target points. The turn ing
mechanism, located in the center of
the playfield, is activated when the
ball is swallowed into the chamber.
Viper Shoot, located next to the side
flipper button, ejects the ball out of
the Roto Shooter.
In addition to lively audio effects,
play action features include: Viper
Reverse, controlling Roto Shooter
spin direction; bonus multiplier up to
4X, activated by hitting drop targets
in sequence; captive ball lane,
released when 1-2-3 sequence is
c w1th up to three balls able to be
launched simultaneously onto the
playfield.
70
Cleaner games
A utensil to aid keeping coin-op
games clean without frequently
cleaning them up is offered in
specially designed ashtray/ beverage
holder u nits being marketed by
Spectrum Engineering of Connecti-
cut.
The tray -holders serve to
eliminate damage to games and
floors from spills and cigarette burns
by game players. Playing time is
increased by increasing player com-
fort and minimizing distractions, the
manufacturer points out.
The units, designed to fit all coin-
operated games, are easily installed,
are interchangeable and leave no
marks on games, accord ing to
Spctrum Engineering. A variety of
sizes and colors are available, as are
custom-made units. For furthe r
information , co ntact: Spectrum
Engineering, 453 Glenbrook Road
Stamford, Connecticut 06906.
'
Stern Electronics has announced
production of Turtles, its new fun-
themed video game, licensed from
Konami Industry of Japan.
In a departure from space themes,
the solid state, one- or two-player
game features animated beetles
chasing turtles through a colorful
video maze. Game action is
accompanied by lively music and
sound effects.
Object of the game is for the player
to maneuver his turtles across the
screen, rescuing baby turtles from
mystery squares (for 100 points),
and carrying them to safety (150
points) while fleeing the attacking
beetles. To win, the player must
successfully rescue all turtlelets in
eight levels of play and reach the "top
of the house." In a special bonus
feature, a player who earns 5,000
points is awarded an extra turtle.
Other features include: attacking
beetles disabled by the Bug Bomb
button (100 points for each beetle
bombed); additional Bug Bombs
awarded when turtle passes Flashing
Star; increasing play difficulty with
completion of each maze; and
directional control of turtles with
joystick.
PLAY METER, january 1 , 1982