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From: laman@ncr-tp.UUCP (Mike Laman)
Newsgroups: net.games
Subject: Re: Old pinball machine favorites
Message-ID: <180@ncr-tp.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Apr-85 23:16:53 EST
Article-I.D.: ncr-tp.180
Posted: Wed Apr 24 23:16:53 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Apr-85 03:46:59 EST
References: <224@petfe.UUCP> <404@sftri.UUCP> <234@zaphod.UUCP> <204@sdcc13.UUCP> <968@uwmacc.UUCP>
Reply-To: laman@ncr-tp.UUCP (Mike Laman)
Organization: NCR Corporation, Torrey Pines
Lines: 47


Ahhh.  I learned to play pin-ball on "Flip-Flop".  I learned to cheat on it
too.  If you never saw the game, there were four targets in the upper center
one had to hit (among other things).  When you hit one of those targets,
a corresponding rectangular wooden "block" would "flip" over.  After getting
all four over, you next had to hit one of two mushroom (no not
thumper/pop bumbers) to "reset" the rectangles.  In other words "flop"
the rectangles back over.  You got a bonus for each rectangle you "flipped"
or "flopped" over, so hitting the mushroom was worth 4 bonus points.
After hitting all the targets so all the rectangle were "flipped" over
(and awaiting to hit the mushroom target), one person would put both
hands under the head of the pinball machine and his (I wasn't into girls
then) elbows in the middle of the glass over the playing surface.  When the
ball went for the mushroom, the person would push hard (when you're a young
teenager, you had to push real hard) using the machines head as an aid
to "dent" the glass down over the rectangles.  When we got lucky and hit the
mushroom, the game would try to "flop" the rectangles back over.  But if we
were pushing on the glass enough, the rectangles would hit the glass and fall
back waiting for us to hit the mushroom again (and get 4 more bonus).
The side alleys were a bear on that game.

One of the toughest games was "Old Chicago" and "Bronco".  Yea, I miss
some of those old games.  Thanks to some one for mentioning "Space Mission".
I was trying to remember that name.  I enjoyed that one too.

Now I'm not all that old (26).  I've just enjoyed the game for a long time.

I taught my best college friend how to play on "8 ball".  That's a good one
for doing that.  You learn to hit the chutes.

I liked the big machines too.  There are a couple around here, but as typical
of most older (not that the ATARI pinballs are old) machines, they get
run down.

Ohhhh.  How about "Sinbad".  I could (and did) play that game for hours.

I also used to work the night shift at a pinball arcade.  I'd lock up at
midnight and play games until three/four in the morning!  Those were the days!
(That was the fringe benefit that made that job well worth it.  I'd take the
glass off and practice some too.  Needless to say I got (and still am, but a
little rusty) quite good.)

Oh well, enough of my fun.  Keep those machine names coming!  I'm enjoying
every message and memory.

		Mike Laman
		UUCP: {ucbvax,philabs,sdcsla}!sdcsvax!ncr-tp!laman