Silver Ball Century ep. 41 - Late 1983 - Sequelitis
In late 1983, pinball is still crashing and the business is being rearranged. Bally is being consolidated into Bally Midway. Gottlieb has found itself owned by Coca-Cola and is being spun off as a new company named "Mylstar". The safest thing to release is a sequel.
Sharp Shooter II is nearly the same as Game Plan's first Sharp Shooter (1979), and it's the one we're playing in this series because its VPX is better. Firepower II rides on the coattails of the famous Firepower (1980). And Super Orbit, of all things, is Orbit (1971) updated for the '80s.
There are new things, though! Over in Italy, Zaccaria is in their peak era and releases the beautiful, cruel Farfalla. And Gottlieb tries cutting some costs and releasing Ready... Aim... Fire!, a machine whose gameplay is so bad it's amazing, a nest of pop bumpers for easily amused children.
Another questionably-designed new thing to enter the world in late 1983 is me. Hi, that's how old I am.
Silver Ball Century is once again on Tuesday this week - November 11 starting at 8:30pm, on twitch.tv/arborelia.
Tables in this episode
- Super Orbit (Gottlieb) - VPX by UnclePaulie
- Firepower II (Williams) - VPX by Goldchicco
- Amazon Hunt (Gottlieb) - VPX by Batch
- Farfalla (Zaccaria) - VPX by Kiwi
- Gold Ball (Bally) - VPX by Goldchicco
- Ready... Aim... Fire! (Gottlieb) - VPX by Rascal
- Rack 'Em Up! (Mylstar, aka Gottlieb) - VPX by Teisen
- Sharp Shooter II (Game Plan) - VPX by Kalavera