kirabug

Meteor, 1979, Stern. A “hit drops, bash spinner” game, and one of the pinball machines I learned first. Probably not the inspiration for the movie Armageddon but you wouldn’t know it from the backGlass, where some shiny chrome has been painted over so that every word has a chrome outline. Admittedly the backglass does show a sizable meteor and its friends do appear to be punching holes in Earth’s surface in the background. No clue where the chrome missiles aimed at the meteor are coming from though.

September 24, 2023August 21, 2023

Medieval Madness

Pinball

Medieval Madness, Williams, 1997.

This is one of my favorite games. Great sounds, great play, great toys.

An evil king holding a snake above his head in his right hand and a falcon perched on his left arm stands on the drawbridge of his castle.

Two trolls (each coming up to his knees, which, I mean, mini-trolls maybe?) stand beside him. One looks smug. The other is menacing the camera with a pike.

The castle is on fire and under siege.

To the left a wizard stands on a parapet. A woman hangs incredibly long hair out the window below him.

To the right a dragon is wrapped around the other parapet. A dragon hangs from his tail.

Someone is graffitiing “House of Payne” and “The King Is A Queen” on the right wall. A cannonball flies past the wall on the left.

September 23, 2023August 21, 2023

Mata Hari

Pinball

Mata Hari, Bally, 1977. Your eye probably get s drawn to the woman in the jewel bikini handing a map to a man in a top hat and tails. Which, I mean, Mata Hari was a German spy in World War I, soooo….

Mine goes to the bend at the waist which is either anatomically accurate and I just don’t pay attention to half naked women’s waists, or has way more folds than a human should have.

And then there’s the sheer volume of snakes in the room. It’s concerning.

But the big thing is the expression on the tiger’s head. Y’all? I don’t think that tiger is dead. I think it’s stoned, and happy about it.

September 22, 2023August 21, 2023

Mars Trek

Pinball

Mars Trek. 1977 made by Sonic. I can roll with the noseless rocket and the dozen planetessimals, but is that a young Yzma from Emporer’s New Groove playing the role of a black hole on the right?

September 21, 2023August 21, 2023

Lethal Weapon 3

Pinball

Lethal Weapon 3, Data East, 1992. Licensed from the movie, the backglass is a bunch of illustrated scenes. I’d tell you more but I haven’t seen the movie so “guy and other guy stand together looking menacing, and then do so again, and this time one has a gun drawn” probably doesn’t cut it.

The topper is a big blue police-style light so that’s interesting at least.