Art Bell Pinball Machine!

[sydtron]

So this was chatted about duringbthe Future Theatre aftershow in UFOSHIP.

Ideas?  I have no hopes of this ever being made. But It is fun to think about.  Im a pinhead. Im sure at least a couple of you folks are as well. 

It should have at LEAST a Mels Hole kickout hole.  Arts Parts Muti-Ball. Area 51 something or other.
Maybe every time you hit the pop bumpers ABBA starts to play? Lol. ANNND. GO!

[Bounder]

It'd be great to find this artist to do the cabinet art, if he or she exists anymore . . .



Failing that, it could be emulated.

[sydtron]

Oddly enough. That style DOES look like pinball art work.
Late 80's Early 90's. 
Idea: when you insert $ Have a Ross Mitchell intro.

[cweb]

Play "bumper" music when you start a new ball.

Moody Blues and some Baker Street, perhaps?

[Albemuth]

Yep, the Art Bell pinball machine would speak in Art-Lingo…Sort of like Gorgar…A little Cusco music would be good too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgar

“Caller you’re breaking up, are you on a cell phone?”
"West of the Rockies..."

A wails of the damned trap and a JC  trap... where your ball gets stuck and picks up additional points..

[Bounder]

Yes!

I wonder just how many "references" or options pinball boards can stand.  Need to research.  Hopi Elders, "JC," The Frantic Caller . . . I feel like Pahrump and Manila could be important, too.

[Bounder]

Update:

I looked at some closeup photos of the hardcover at ebay . . .

Zero mention of the artist.

As I recall Art spoke the person's name on air around the first printing.  Bah.

[Bounder]

Sketch of a "saucer" display concept.

[sydtron]

That is an interesting backglass idea! Wouldnt have to design much. Could just take an existing table and modify it. Someone took a Flash Gordon and made it a Ghostbuaters table.  With custom sound call outs from a usb drive.

[novat0]

Cool cabinet design.  I hate the trigger launchers, but aside from that it looks cool.

[Bounder]

Good point, Novat0.  I'm working from ignorance.

Enthusiastic ignorance.

What's everybody's favorite Pinball machine?  What's considered the cream of the crop?

. . . to borrow from.

[popple]

When you put your coin in the machine you should hear "FROM THE HIGH DESERT AND THE GREAT AMERICAN SOUTHWEST..." boom out of the speakers IDK you're allowed to put in the intro music.

[zeebo]

There should be switch that when on, saves your ball, but the ball should freeze temporarily, sending you into an NDE, where the lights get all weird, and you see a quick game review, before coming back to life.

[cweb]

Instead of a trigger, it could be a Grey's head (on a spring) that you pull back.

[sydtron]

Hard to pick a favorite machine.  Twilight Zone is damn good!  But The Getaway: High Speed 2 has a soft spot in my heart.

I have The Pinball Arcade on PS3.

[SaucyRossy]

Guys, this needs to happen.

I for one think the board should have old ham radio parts in it and every time you do something awesome it changes frequencies and plays classic moments from the show.

A Mel's hole ball trap needs to be on the field of play. Mad man Markum, Bigfoot, triangle ufo, Hoagland, etc.

[sydtron]

The Metallica pin has an electric chair thing on it. If we could get our hands on that toy. It could serve as a suitabke Mad Man Marcum.  Haha.  And yes yes! To the reat of all that!

[novat0]

Good point, Novat0.  I'm working from ignorance.

Enthusiastic ignorance.

What's everybody's favorite Pinball machine?  What's considered the cream of the crop?

. . . to borrow from.

I was a little late to the pinball concept.  Arcades were already dying when I grew up and the majority of my pinball playing has been on the computer.

[zeebo]

...What's everybody's favorite Pinball machine?  What's considered the cream of the crop?

I remember Twilight Zone being cool, and I guess I'm not alone as it's high up on the top 100 list I found below.  And of course it's kind of in the Art genre, so may give some ideas.  Also Funhouse, Pin-bot, and Whirlwind were good (and also on the list).  These games are all from the late 80's/ early 90's, my pinball/arcade game heyday.  I'm sure there are some more good later ones too. 

Watch out though, some of these are super-complicated with all these various modes and states.  I can only imagine what it's like to program them.  To me though, most important thing is it's fun, not necessarily that it has really deep gameplay.

https://pinside.com/pinball/top-100

[Camazotz Automat]

I remember Twilight Zone being cool, and I guess I'm not alone as it's high up on the top 100 list I found below. 

Sardondi and mines favorite pinball machine does not appear on the current top 100.

(weeping with Churchillian gravitas)

[sydtron]

Hell. I will play any pinball table at least once.  The old Electro mechanical games had some good themes.  I like ramps and spinners.  Ball locks and really anything.  Space Shuttle was a great table. So was World Cup Soccer '94.

And as far as complexity. Just have to flow chart it out.

[zeebo]

Hell. I will play any pinball table at least once.  The old Electro mechanical games had some good themes.  I like ramps and spinners.  Ball locks and really anything.  Space Shuttle was a great table. So was World Cup Soccer '94.

And as far as complexity. Just have to flow chart it out.

This list here is split between electronic games and the earlier mechanical ones.  I don't know in modern day which is easier to build.  Anyway hope Cam's fave appears somewhere on here.

http://www.ipdb.org/lists.cgi?anonymously=true&list=top300

[Mind Flayer Monk]

1992 Lethal Weapon 3 by Data East Pinball, Incorporated

Great pin!

[sydtron]

http://www.google.com/search?site=&source=hp&ei=OiZxVbr7LYXAtQWOv4HIBA&q=whoa+nellie+pinball&oq=whoa+nellie&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.1.0.0l4j5.4625.7000.0.8641.12.12.0.8.8.0.399.2230.0j7j3j1.11.0....0...1c.1.64.mobile-gws-hp..0.12.1051.3.IeJJEQ-hAr8#imgrc=twnG7lx7pzeLqM%253A%3Bundefined%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fthegeekparent.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2015%252F03%252Fwhoa-nellie-003.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fthegeekparent.com%252Fget-your-hands-on-whoa-nellie-big-juicy-melons%252F%3B1024%3B768

Have you ghys seen this one? Great theme. And made with new parts and boards. Old school EM look. 

[area51drone]

http://www.google.com/search?site=&source=hp&ei=OiZxVbr7LYXAtQWOv4HIBA&q=whoa+nellie+pinball&oq=whoa+nellie&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.1.0.0l4j5.4625.7000.0.8641.12.12.0.8.8.0.399.2230.0j7j3j1.11.0....0...1c.1.64.mobile-gws-hp..0.12.1051.3.IeJJEQ-hAr8#imgrc=twnG7lx7pzeLqM%253A%3Bundefined%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fthegeekparent.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2015%252F03%252Fwhoa-nellie-003.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fthegeekparent.com%252Fget-your-hands-on-whoa-nellie-big-juicy-melons%252F%3B1024%3B768

Have you ghys seen this one? Great theme. And made with new parts and boards. Old school EM look.

Played it at the NW Pinball show last weekend.  It was alright.  The whole machine is a piece of art.  The gameplay, meh.   Nordman had another game there that I had never played before, Special Force.  It was pretty interesting with the extra flippers for shooting down drop targets, and the helicopter ramp was reminiscent of Whitewater.    You have any pins sydtron?

[sydtron]

Sadly no.. but I keep up on whats what.  I cant afford one yet! But I have a friend with A Getaway in his basement.  Ive played my fair share of pins. In fact near where I live (about a 45 min drive) there is a place with tons of pins to play in good shape.  Main St. Amusements in Laffeyette IN.  Paradice! If youre ever out this way. Go! Its a hoot. And there is a bar next door.  They have most newer Sterns and some old EMs. And also solid state.  About 40 pins in all.

[zeebo]

Sadly no.. but I keep up on whats what.  I cant afford one yet! But I have a friend with A Getaway in his basement.  Ive played my fair share of pins. In fact near where I live (about a 45 min drive) there is a place with tons of pins to play in good shape.  Main St. Amusements in Laffeyette IN.  Paradice! If youre ever out this way. Go! Its a hoot. And there is a bar next door.  They have most newer Sterns and some old EMs. And also solid state.  About 40 pins in all.

Wow it's great to know those places even exist anymore!  Still after I make my first billion, I'll dedicate the basement of my mansion to a pinball/vidgame arcade (including a full bar and on-duty massage therapist for those gaming breaks).

[area51drone]

Sadly no.. but I keep up on whats what.  I cant afford one yet! But I have a friend with A Getaway in his basement.  Ive played my fair share of pins. In fact near where I live (about a 45 min drive) there is a place with tons of pins to play in good shape.  Main St. Amusements in Laffeyette IN.  Paradice! If youre ever out this way. Go! Its a hoot. And there is a bar next door.  They have most newer Sterns and some old EMs. And also solid state.  About 40 pins in all.

The revival of pinball has been something to watch.  These kinds of places are popping up all over the place.  Shoot me a PM, I can talk pins all day.