WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:00.133 --> 00:00:04.004 Hello and welcome to Technology Connextras Sights and Sounds. 00:00:04.037 --> 00:00:05.605 It's been a long time since I've done one of these. 00:00:05.638 --> 00:00:06.272 Sorry about that. 00:00:06.272 --> 00:00:10.877 But today we are looking at and listening to Aztec by Williams. 00:00:11.244 --> 00:00:13.446 This is an electromechanical pinball machine 00:00:13.446 --> 00:00:16.750 from 1976, and being electromechanical, 00:00:16.750 --> 00:00:19.919 it is chock full of weird doodads and mechanisms, 00:00:20.153 --> 00:00:23.156 which means it makes quite a lot of interesting noises. 00:00:23.423 --> 00:00:26.393 Which is the primary purpose of this video 00:00:26.393 --> 00:00:28.862 is to record those noises and let you hear them. 00:00:29.429 --> 00:00:32.098 Now, right now I have the microphone set up 00:00:32.098 --> 00:00:35.135 pretty close to where my head is as I play the machine, 00:00:35.402 --> 00:00:36.336 and I've already tested. 00:00:36.336 --> 00:00:39.572 That's a very faithful sound to what the machine sounds like. 00:00:39.873 --> 00:00:41.508 Also, the machine is closed up 00:00:41.508 --> 00:00:43.910 with the glass in place and the back panel on. 00:00:43.943 --> 00:00:46.212 That way the mechanisms are not overly loud. 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:50.917 I have a structure planned for this video, which is going to begin with me 00:00:50.917 --> 00:00:54.154 simply playing this game with no commentary at all. 00:00:54.554 --> 00:00:58.024 I will let you know the score I got at the end of each game, 00:00:58.224 --> 00:01:00.326 but really, I'm just going to play it. 00:01:00.794 --> 00:01:04.264 Next, I'm going to explore all of the individual mechanisms 00:01:04.264 --> 00:01:06.166 that are on the playfield, and I will also 00:01:06.166 --> 00:01:08.735 also verbally describe the playfield. 00:01:08.735 --> 00:01:10.503 So hopefully you have a better understanding 00:01:10.503 --> 00:01:12.572 of where all of the parts are. 00:01:12.972 --> 00:01:15.241 And then I'll do some more recordings of the mechanisms. 00:01:15.442 --> 00:01:18.678 And finally, at the very end, I'm going to do some more gameplay 00:01:18.678 --> 00:01:23.049 where I actually explain what I'm trying to do as I play this game. 00:01:23.583 --> 00:01:26.619 But for now, I'm just going to start. 00:01:27.020 --> 00:01:29.422 And that involves putting in a quarter. 00:01:29.756 --> 00:01:32.092 So I'm just going to play a few games through 00:01:32.292 --> 00:01:33.693 and then we'll check in later. 00:03:25.171 --> 00:03:26.873 And that's game over. 00:03:26.906 --> 00:03:29.008 I realized I forgot to give you a little context 00:03:29.008 --> 00:03:30.510 on what the flippers sound like. 00:03:30.643 --> 00:03:33.346 I didn't actually have a lot of flipper action in that game. 00:03:33.379 --> 00:03:35.815 You sometimes don't with these electromechanical games, 00:03:36.149 --> 00:03:38.251 but we ended at 243,000 points, 00:03:38.251 --> 00:03:43.022 which is actually only a little more than 100,000 away from a replay. 00:03:43.022 --> 00:03:45.225 It's set up to 350,000 points. 00:03:45.658 --> 00:03:48.995 So I'm going to start another game and give you a little bit more context. 00:03:56.169 --> 00:03:56.502 Okay. 00:03:56.502 --> 00:03:58.504 At this point the ball is in the shooter lane. 00:03:58.871 --> 00:04:01.441 But before I shoot the ball, I just want to make sure 00:04:01.441 --> 00:04:03.243 that I explain this noise. 00:04:05.778 --> 00:04:06.813 Those are the flippers. 00:04:06.813 --> 00:04:08.014 If you're hearing a buzzing, 00:04:09.182 --> 00:04:10.850 that means I'm holding the flipper up. 00:04:11.284 --> 00:04:14.621 But that buzzing is not always the same volume. 00:04:14.654 --> 00:04:16.422 The flipper linkages are a little worn, 00:04:16.422 --> 00:04:19.592 and so depending on each individual flip, sometimes the buzzer 00:04:19.592 --> 00:04:20.793 is louder than other times. 00:04:24.364 --> 00:04:25.431 But those are the flippers. 00:04:25.431 --> 00:04:26.633 If you hear this sound, 00:04:27.700 --> 00:04:30.336 that's me actually using the flippers. 00:04:30.336 --> 00:04:31.638 And if you hear this sound, 00:04:33.606 --> 00:04:36.542 I'm holding a flipper up to try and catch the ball. 00:04:37.010 --> 00:04:39.045 And then the very next sound you will hear is me 00:04:39.045 --> 00:04:41.781 releasing the ball into the playfield using the plunger. 00:05:13.646 --> 00:05:14.547 Ball two is now 00:05:14.547 --> 00:05:40.039 in play. The. 00:06:08.167 --> 00:06:09.502 Ball three is now in play. 00:06:48.174 --> 00:06:49.142 And that's game over. 00:06:49.142 --> 00:06:51.878 This one stayed going for a while, 00:06:51.878 --> 00:06:54.881 but I was never able to get into the real strategy to get a bunch of points. 00:06:54.881 --> 00:06:57.417 So we're at 191 950. 00:07:04.357 --> 00:07:05.191 You just heard me 00:07:05.191 --> 00:07:08.661 open the coin door to get my two quarters back, because I only have two. 00:07:09.762 --> 00:07:10.963 Let's start another game. 00:08:02.081 --> 00:08:03.282 Let's. 00:08:10.623 --> 00:08:11.958 Ball two is now in play. 00:08:22.001 --> 00:08:23.202 That was quick. 00:08:25.705 --> 00:08:26.906 Ball three is now in play. 00:08:48.861 --> 00:08:49.862 And that's game over. 00:08:49.862 --> 00:08:51.631 That was not a very good game at all. 00:08:51.631 --> 00:08:53.766 Only 127,000 points. 00:08:54.433 --> 00:08:56.936 I'll play one more game before we move on to the next section. 00:09:03.142 --> 00:09:06.712 Oh, and by the way, I should explain the pop bumpers. 00:09:06.712 --> 00:09:10.583 Whenever the two on the top are not lit, the bottom one should be lit. 00:09:10.983 --> 00:09:13.019 The light sockets in the bumpers 00:09:13.019 --> 00:09:15.855 are notoriously bad for corroding 00:09:16.088 --> 00:09:17.156 and having a poor connection 00:09:17.156 --> 00:09:19.392 with the actual light bulb, which is what you're seeing happen. 00:09:19.659 --> 00:09:21.727 It doesn't help that they physically move 00:09:21.727 --> 00:09:23.729 and the lights tend to get loose over time. 00:09:23.729 --> 00:09:25.131 But anyway, that's what's going on there. 00:09:25.131 --> 00:09:28.267 The bottom one should be lit when the top two are not. 00:09:55.227 --> 00:09:56.596 Ball two is now in play. 00:10:07.239 --> 00:10:08.441 But boy. 00:10:12.878 --> 00:10:14.413 Ball three is now in play. 00:10:29.161 --> 00:10:30.363 Oh! That's horrible. 00:10:34.567 --> 00:10:36.002 That was an awful game. 00:10:36.002 --> 00:10:37.203 So we're playing one more. 00:11:10.202 --> 00:11:12.638 I saw that happening, and there was nothing I could do about it. 00:11:12.638 --> 00:11:14.040 Ball two is now in play. 00:12:10.963 --> 00:12:12.231 Ball three is now in play. 00:13:03.482 --> 00:13:03.883 Okay. 00:13:03.883 --> 00:13:06.452 Ended at 210,810. 00:13:06.619 --> 00:13:07.286 All right. 00:13:07.286 --> 00:13:09.421 And now that we've gone through some gameplay, 00:13:09.588 --> 00:13:12.158 I'm going to describe what the machine looks like, 00:13:12.158 --> 00:13:14.426 as well as the layout of the playfield. 00:13:15.227 --> 00:13:18.264 This section of the video is for those who are not sighted. 00:13:18.531 --> 00:13:21.567 So if you can see the playfield and the machine, 00:13:22.067 --> 00:13:24.904 there's probably not a whole lot for you here. 00:13:25.571 --> 00:13:27.339 I will be putting visuals on screen 00:13:27.339 --> 00:13:28.741 as I describe things, 00:13:28.741 --> 00:13:31.277 and there might be some extra trivia peppered in here and there, 00:13:31.677 --> 00:13:33.445 but if this doesn't sound like your jam, 00:13:33.445 --> 00:13:35.948 you might want to skip ahead to the time that's on your screen. 00:13:35.948 --> 00:13:38.050 Now, where I will resume gameplay. 00:13:38.584 --> 00:13:42.288 I'll begin with a dimensional overview of the machine itself. 00:13:43.022 --> 00:13:45.591 If you've never run across a pinball machine before, 00:13:46.192 --> 00:13:48.861 these are pretty large objects. 00:13:49.161 --> 00:13:51.730 You might have heard them described as pinball tables 00:13:51.730 --> 00:13:53.766 because that's effectively what they are. 00:13:54.166 --> 00:13:56.702 It is a slender table that the player stands 00:13:56.702 --> 00:13:58.737 at one end of as they play the game. 00:13:59.338 --> 00:14:02.675 The machine is made of two simple wooden boxes. 00:14:02.975 --> 00:14:06.045 There is the main cabinet which contains the playfield, 00:14:06.045 --> 00:14:09.248 the flipper buttons, the flippers, the coin door, the shooter, 00:14:09.281 --> 00:14:11.250 basically everything the player interacts with. 00:14:11.717 --> 00:14:13.719 And then there is the back box. 00:14:14.386 --> 00:14:16.188 I'm going to ignore the back box for now, 00:14:16.188 --> 00:14:18.657 and instead we'll focus just on the main cabinet. 00:14:19.425 --> 00:14:21.360 Again, this is a simple wooden box 00:14:21.560 --> 00:14:24.363 and it has dimensions of 22in wide. 00:14:24.663 --> 00:14:26.732 51.5in long 00:14:27.032 --> 00:14:30.236 and between 16 and 19in tall. 00:14:30.903 --> 00:14:33.072 That's 56cm wide, 00:14:33.239 --> 00:14:35.441 131cm long, 00:14:35.741 --> 00:14:37.877 and 40 to 48cm tall. 00:14:38.711 --> 00:14:42.448 The reason for the varying height is that the top of this box follows 00:14:42.448 --> 00:14:45.618 the slope of the playfield, which is slope towards the player. 00:14:45.618 --> 00:14:47.720 That way, the ball always rolls towards you. 00:14:49.021 --> 00:14:50.656 Now, you may have noticed 00:14:50.923 --> 00:14:53.926 that 16in or 40cm does 00:14:53.926 --> 00:14:56.228 not a very tall table make. 00:14:56.595 --> 00:15:00.432 And that's because this box is in fact sitting on steel legs, 00:15:00.432 --> 00:15:02.835 which elevated 21.5in 00:15:02.835 --> 00:15:05.437 or 54.5cm off the ground. 00:15:05.905 --> 00:15:08.407 This place is the front of the main cabinet, 00:15:08.641 --> 00:15:12.378 37in or 94cm off the ground. 00:15:13.178 --> 00:15:14.713 Quick note about those legs. 00:15:14.713 --> 00:15:16.916 They're bolted to the corners of the cabinet 00:15:16.916 --> 00:15:19.652 and flare out a little bit as they approach the floor. 00:15:19.952 --> 00:15:23.255 And then at their bottom, they each have a leg leveler, 00:15:23.255 --> 00:15:25.791 which allows you to change the height of the leg. 00:15:25.958 --> 00:15:28.894 It's basically a circular foot on the end of a threaded rod. 00:15:29.561 --> 00:15:32.431 Now those as the name implies, help 00:15:32.431 --> 00:15:34.800 make sure that the playfield is level side to side, 00:15:34.900 --> 00:15:37.169 but it's very common for the back legs 00:15:37.336 --> 00:15:40.306 to be much more extended than the front legs. 00:15:40.506 --> 00:15:43.208 That way the playfield has a more aggressive pitch. 00:15:43.208 --> 00:15:47.513 This makes the game faster and more difficult, but also more exciting. 00:15:47.947 --> 00:15:50.482 Then at the far end of the main cabinet, 00:15:50.482 --> 00:15:54.687 away from where the player stands, is a small black pedestal 00:15:54.687 --> 00:15:56.989 which is supporting the back box. 00:15:57.456 --> 00:15:59.558 This is another simple wooden box, 00:15:59.825 --> 00:16:02.695 and this one has dimensions of 30in wide, 00:16:02.895 --> 00:16:05.030 27.5in tall, 00:16:05.331 --> 00:16:07.166 and about ten inches deep. 00:16:07.566 --> 00:16:09.535 That's 76cm wide, 00:16:09.635 --> 00:16:13.205 70cm tall, and about 25cm deep. 00:16:14.173 --> 00:16:14.573 Now, you may 00:16:14.573 --> 00:16:18.911 have noticed that this is wider than the main cabinet, and in fact it is. 00:16:19.111 --> 00:16:21.814 The back box overhangs the main cabinet 00:16:21.814 --> 00:16:24.817 by about four inches on each side or ten centimeters. 00:16:25.818 --> 00:16:28.287 This was done for a couple of reasons, in part 00:16:28.287 --> 00:16:30.756 when you have machines lined up side to side, 00:16:30.956 --> 00:16:33.525 there needs to be space between the main cabinet 00:16:33.525 --> 00:16:37.696 for people to put their hands, but also the back box serves 00:16:37.696 --> 00:16:39.965 almost like an advertisement for the game. 00:16:40.466 --> 00:16:43.202 the surface which faces the player, is quite large 00:16:43.369 --> 00:16:46.071 and has dimensions of 30 by 28in 00:16:46.071 --> 00:16:48.207 or 76 by 70cm, 00:16:48.640 --> 00:16:50.642 and it holds the back glass. 00:16:51.410 --> 00:16:55.080 Now, the back glass has quite a lot of colorful artwork on it. 00:16:55.147 --> 00:16:58.150 It has the game's theme, the game's name, the manufacturer 00:16:58.150 --> 00:17:01.687 logo, and various things that are enticing you to play the game, 00:17:01.687 --> 00:17:05.391 including often rather risque elements 00:17:05.391 --> 00:17:07.493 to attract young male players. 00:17:07.893 --> 00:17:11.263 This game actually has pretty tame artwork for its time. 00:17:12.164 --> 00:17:15.034 Additionally, the back glass has the score displays. 00:17:15.167 --> 00:17:18.237 In this game, there are four six digit displays 00:17:18.303 --> 00:17:19.805 which show the players the scores, 00:17:20.039 --> 00:17:23.275 and those displays are made of white plastic drums 00:17:23.275 --> 00:17:26.145 which have black numbers printed on them, and the drums 00:17:26.145 --> 00:17:28.881 rotate as the machine advances. 00:17:28.881 --> 00:17:29.782 Points. 00:17:29.782 --> 00:17:33.118 In addition to the score displays, the back box also serves 00:17:33.118 --> 00:17:36.188 as an informational display of the game's status. 00:17:36.455 --> 00:17:39.591 And this is done using light bulbs that illuminate behind it. 00:17:40.292 --> 00:17:42.961 Some of these informational displays are visible 00:17:42.961 --> 00:17:44.430 even when they are not lit. 00:17:44.463 --> 00:17:46.298 For example, on the bottom right, 00:17:46.298 --> 00:17:49.068 there's an area which says 1 to 4 can play. 00:17:49.334 --> 00:17:52.004 And there are four clear markings of the numbers 00:17:52.004 --> 00:17:55.974 one, two, three, and four, only one of which is illuminated right now. 00:17:56.475 --> 00:17:59.745 But other elements are hidden until they are lit up. 00:18:00.012 --> 00:18:03.749 For instance, the ball in play indicator shows as a symbol 00:18:03.749 --> 00:18:06.518 a yellow rectangle on the bottom left of the back glass, 00:18:06.785 --> 00:18:10.422 and you cannot see any of the numbers until they are illuminated. 00:18:10.756 --> 00:18:14.126 Right now the words game over are illuminated, 00:18:14.359 --> 00:18:16.595 but when the game is started, that light will go out 00:18:16.595 --> 00:18:19.298 and you will see A14 ball in play. 00:18:19.898 --> 00:18:23.435 Additionally, at the top of the back glass are the match indicator lights. 00:18:23.769 --> 00:18:25.104 They shouldn't be visible, 00:18:25.104 --> 00:18:27.272 but this fact glass is falling apart a little bit, 00:18:27.272 --> 00:18:28.507 so you can see the outlines. 00:18:28.507 --> 00:18:30.075 Just slightly. 00:18:30.342 --> 00:18:33.912 And then there is also the one up, two up, three up, four up lights 00:18:33.912 --> 00:18:37.850 next to each score display which tells the players which player is up. 00:18:38.517 --> 00:18:40.652 so as you're looking at the machine head 00:18:40.652 --> 00:18:43.722 on, you basically see a skinny looking table 00:18:43.722 --> 00:18:46.024 with a weird box on one end of it. 00:18:46.225 --> 00:18:48.127 And if you're looking at the machine from the side, 00:18:48.127 --> 00:18:52.831 you're seeing an L-shaped contraption sitting on top of legs. 00:18:53.632 --> 00:18:56.835 now when it's put together, the machine is quite large, 00:18:56.835 --> 00:18:59.505 it has a pretty big footprint and it's very tall. 00:18:59.538 --> 00:19:02.374 But of course the back box can be removed 00:19:02.474 --> 00:19:04.042 and the legs can be taken off. 00:19:04.042 --> 00:19:07.346 So the machines themselves are not actually that huge, 00:19:07.346 --> 00:19:09.548 but they are pretty big when they're put together. 00:19:09.982 --> 00:19:12.017 During this time period, the back box 00:19:12.017 --> 00:19:14.086 had to be completely removed from the game 00:19:14.086 --> 00:19:17.789 if you wanted to make it smaller, but later games incorporated hinges 00:19:17.789 --> 00:19:19.992 which would allow the back box to be folded 00:19:19.992 --> 00:19:22.194 down on top of the main cabinets. 00:19:22.895 --> 00:19:25.097 This game predates that though, but that's not important. 00:19:25.097 --> 00:19:25.664 Anyway. 00:19:25.664 --> 00:19:27.866 Now, as interesting as the back glass is, 00:19:28.100 --> 00:19:31.069 of course the most interesting thing is the playfield, 00:19:31.069 --> 00:19:33.772 which is underneath a second sheet of glass 00:19:33.772 --> 00:19:35.774 on top of the main cabinet. 00:19:36.575 --> 00:19:38.110 But before I explain that, 00:19:38.277 --> 00:19:40.445 I want to touch on the side art. 00:19:41.380 --> 00:19:42.915 Pretty much all pinball machines 00:19:42.915 --> 00:19:46.818 have some form of artwork that's been printed on their sides, 00:19:47.085 --> 00:19:48.987 and during this time it was done, 00:19:49.488 --> 00:19:51.857 cheaply and sloppily. 00:19:52.591 --> 00:19:54.393 The machine's sides are painted 00:19:54.393 --> 00:19:57.529 an off white color, and then there are very basic 00:19:57.529 --> 00:20:00.699 stenciled graphics that were spray painted on, 00:20:01.033 --> 00:20:04.336 and they are a red and gold color in this machine. 00:20:04.836 --> 00:20:06.305 Up the sides of the back box, 00:20:06.305 --> 00:20:09.841 there is an Aztec motif with an Aztec pyramid. 00:20:09.841 --> 00:20:11.210 Basically going up the side. 00:20:11.610 --> 00:20:13.645 And then on the sides of the main cabinet, there are 00:20:13.745 --> 00:20:16.315 what I would describe as dragons, 00:20:16.315 --> 00:20:18.951 but there's likely some sort of Aztec 00:20:18.951 --> 00:20:21.720 creature that I just don't know what it's called, 00:20:21.987 --> 00:20:24.323 but it does actually does look like a dragon to me. 00:20:24.890 --> 00:20:27.059 And I should also note that although 00:20:27.059 --> 00:20:29.895 the main cabinet is basically just a wooden box, 00:20:30.162 --> 00:20:32.831 there is a stainless steel side rail 00:20:32.931 --> 00:20:34.600 which is going on both sides of it, 00:20:34.600 --> 00:20:37.636 and it actually has a channel which holds on to the glass. 00:20:37.636 --> 00:20:41.573 So most of it is white with that gold and red artwork. 00:20:41.840 --> 00:20:45.777 But the top portion of it has a large stainless steel rail. 00:20:46.011 --> 00:20:49.448 And also embedded in that rail are these small red 00:20:49.448 --> 00:20:52.618 flipper buttons that the player will press to move the flippers. 00:20:53.218 --> 00:20:57.055 But now let's get to the meat and potatoes and talk about the playfield. 00:20:57.589 --> 00:21:00.926 The play field itself is nothing more than a wooden board 00:21:00.926 --> 00:21:03.195 that the steel pinball rolls around on, 00:21:03.629 --> 00:21:05.731 and this wooden board is sunken below 00:21:05.731 --> 00:21:09.368 the top surface of the main cabinet and covered by a piece of glass. 00:21:09.368 --> 00:21:12.371 That way, the players can't touch the ball and cheat. 00:21:13.038 --> 00:21:16.675 From the beginning of pinball up through the late 1970s, 00:21:16.675 --> 00:21:19.511 the playfield was essentially two dimensional, 00:21:19.511 --> 00:21:21.213 and this machine is no exception. 00:21:21.847 --> 00:21:25.284 The glass, when installed, sits only two inches, 00:21:25.284 --> 00:21:28.320 about five centimeters above the playfield surface, 00:21:28.587 --> 00:21:31.456 and it's positioned perfectly parallel to the playfield, 00:21:31.723 --> 00:21:34.026 meaning that two inch gap between the wood 00:21:34.026 --> 00:21:35.827 and the glass is consistent throughout. 00:21:36.828 --> 00:21:38.630 Starting in the 1980s, the 00:21:38.630 --> 00:21:42.334 manufacturers were experimenting with more three dimensional designs, 00:21:42.567 --> 00:21:45.070 moving the glass much farther from the playfield, 00:21:45.237 --> 00:21:48.640 especially towards the back of the machine, which made room for elements 00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:51.143 such as ramps and wire ball guides, 00:21:51.243 --> 00:21:54.313 which could carry the ball over other playfield elements 00:21:54.546 --> 00:21:56.181 and increase the number of targets. 00:21:56.448 --> 00:21:58.750 But this machine predates those features, 00:21:58.984 --> 00:22:00.852 and so everything is flat. 00:22:01.653 --> 00:22:04.890 But there's a whole bunch of stuff sticking out of the playfield 00:22:05.090 --> 00:22:08.627 which the ball is going to run into as it rolls around. 00:22:09.328 --> 00:22:11.630 Some of those are targets which you need to hit. 00:22:11.997 --> 00:22:14.166 Others are obstacles which get in the way, 00:22:14.399 --> 00:22:16.768 and others still are active elements 00:22:16.768 --> 00:22:19.071 which repel the ball when it gets near them. 00:22:19.671 --> 00:22:20.872 Those are the fun ones, 00:22:21.573 --> 00:22:23.508 but the simplest elements are the ones 00:22:23.508 --> 00:22:25.610 which end up making the game unique. 00:22:26.445 --> 00:22:30.148 Obstacles can divide the playfield into different sections, 00:22:30.349 --> 00:22:32.784 and giving those obstacles unique shapes 00:22:32.784 --> 00:22:35.387 can guide the ball along certain paths. 00:22:36.254 --> 00:22:39.491 The simplest obstacle you'll find is the humble post. 00:22:40.125 --> 00:22:41.960 This is simply a round molded 00:22:41.960 --> 00:22:44.629 plastic post roughly one inch tall 00:22:44.796 --> 00:22:47.799 and a half inch or 13mm in diameter, 00:22:47.999 --> 00:22:50.635 which is fastened to the playfield with a screw. 00:22:51.737 --> 00:22:54.539 Each post has a thick groove molded in it, 00:22:54.706 --> 00:22:58.977 which is designed to hold a rubber ring one half inch above the playfield. 00:22:59.344 --> 00:23:02.147 This puts it at the midpoint of the ball's diameter, 00:23:02.414 --> 00:23:04.916 assuring the ball always touches the bouncy rubber 00:23:05.117 --> 00:23:06.618 and not the hard plastic. 00:23:07.319 --> 00:23:11.056 You'll find dozens of these posts in any pinball machine. 00:23:11.556 --> 00:23:13.725 They are often used individually to protect 00:23:13.725 --> 00:23:16.661 some of the more fragile mechanisms from being struck by the ball. 00:23:16.995 --> 00:23:20.732 And in that case, there are also tiny posts made of metal, 00:23:20.966 --> 00:23:24.035 which are sometimes used for that purpose when space is limited. 00:23:24.636 --> 00:23:27.072 But the more common large plastic posts 00:23:27.272 --> 00:23:30.509 can be paired up to create a tiny little fence 00:23:31.209 --> 00:23:33.745 position two posts with a gap between them, 00:23:33.945 --> 00:23:37.382 and you can stretch a large rubber ring across both of them. 00:23:37.783 --> 00:23:39.718 And since they all have that groove 00:23:39.718 --> 00:23:42.020 which keeps the rubber rings at the appropriate height, 00:23:42.387 --> 00:23:46.057 this forms an effective and bouncy linear barrier. 00:23:46.725 --> 00:23:50.061 And there are plenty of those in this machine as well. 00:23:50.629 --> 00:23:53.398 In fact, various types of obstacles often 00:23:53.398 --> 00:23:56.535 get combined to create large out of bounds areas 00:23:56.701 --> 00:23:58.270 with eccentric shapes. 00:23:59.004 --> 00:24:01.473 Now, what amounts to a bunch of rubber bands 00:24:01.473 --> 00:24:04.609 stretched across pegs isn't very visually interesting. 00:24:04.976 --> 00:24:07.746 Plus, in some of the larger off limits areas, 00:24:07.746 --> 00:24:09.614 there are often rather unsightly 00:24:09.614 --> 00:24:12.117 mechanical elements taking up space in the middle. 00:24:13.185 --> 00:24:14.653 That doesn't look very attractive. 00:24:14.753 --> 00:24:17.422 So wherever there's a cluster of ugly doodads, 00:24:17.622 --> 00:24:20.225 flat decorative elements called playfield 00:24:20.225 --> 00:24:24.029 plastics are fastened atop the posts in a similar way 00:24:24.029 --> 00:24:26.331 that a tabletop rests on the legs of a table. 00:24:27.332 --> 00:24:30.202 This not only hides some of the more unsightly stuff, 00:24:30.435 --> 00:24:32.971 but also makes the shape of the out of bounds 00:24:32.971 --> 00:24:35.240 areas much more visually apparent. 00:24:36.041 --> 00:24:39.311 These regions also provide a good place to tuck light bulbs 00:24:39.711 --> 00:24:41.780 the ball can't get under the plastics 00:24:41.780 --> 00:24:43.515 thanks to the rubber rings and posts, 00:24:43.748 --> 00:24:46.451 which protects the light bulbs under there from impact. 00:24:46.618 --> 00:24:49.488 And light shining from the sides of the light bulbs 00:24:49.488 --> 00:24:52.724 provides a wash of light on the surface of the playfield, 00:24:52.824 --> 00:24:54.993 so the game can be played in a dark room. 00:24:55.627 --> 00:24:59.731 Plus, the plastics themselves become gently backlit by the bulbs below, 00:24:59.798 --> 00:25:00.999 which is very pretty. 00:25:01.566 --> 00:25:04.135 When artfully combined with the graphics 00:25:04.135 --> 00:25:05.937 that are printed on the playfield. 00:25:06.271 --> 00:25:09.774 The plastics also help highlight the objectives of the game. 00:25:10.275 --> 00:25:12.210 For example, the negative space 00:25:12.210 --> 00:25:16.615 between two barriers can form a pathway which guides the ball, 00:25:16.848 --> 00:25:19.351 which is a feature found twice in this game. 00:25:20.151 --> 00:25:22.988 The floating plastics provide visual depth, 00:25:22.988 --> 00:25:25.390 which makes those pathways more obvious. 00:25:25.924 --> 00:25:28.693 And although plastics are usually just covering things 00:25:28.693 --> 00:25:33.098 which block the ball, they can also be barriers themselves. 00:25:33.865 --> 00:25:35.233 Kind of anyway. 00:25:35.567 --> 00:25:38.737 This game features two curved plastics, 00:25:38.737 --> 00:25:41.373 which guide the ball along a curved path. 00:25:41.673 --> 00:25:45.577 Though the decorative plastic is in fact above the height of the ball 00:25:45.844 --> 00:25:49.681 and a second, identically shaped piece of clear plastic, below 00:25:49.881 --> 00:25:51.449 is what the ball actually touches. 00:25:52.183 --> 00:25:55.220 I will do my best to describe the layout of the playfield 00:25:55.220 --> 00:25:57.989 and the shape of the areas the ball cannot go. 00:25:58.223 --> 00:26:02.193 But I want to start at the bottom of the playfield where the flippers are. 00:26:02.561 --> 00:26:05.864 And this is actually a pretty wide open area. 00:26:06.765 --> 00:26:09.367 That's usually the case due to the nature of pinball, 00:26:09.467 --> 00:26:10.669 and as a matter of fact, 00:26:10.669 --> 00:26:13.171 the bottom third of this machine's playfield 00:26:13.338 --> 00:26:15.774 is identical across many, 00:26:15.774 --> 00:26:18.944 many games with only minor differences between them. 00:26:19.778 --> 00:26:22.113 It's a symmetrical design, where the left hand 00:26:22.113 --> 00:26:24.115 side is a mirror image of the right 00:26:24.616 --> 00:26:28.219 and the game's two flippers are positioned at the bottom center 00:26:28.219 --> 00:26:30.622 of the playfield and right in front of the player, 00:26:30.989 --> 00:26:35.226 approximately 10in or 25cm from the front edge of the cabinet. 00:26:36.494 --> 00:26:39.097 Flippers changed a few times over the years, 00:26:39.264 --> 00:26:41.866 but from the 70s onward they more or less 00:26:41.866 --> 00:26:44.603 standardized on slender plastic bats 00:26:44.603 --> 00:26:47.572 about 3in or 76mm long, 00:26:47.872 --> 00:26:50.108 with a slight taper along their length, 00:26:50.108 --> 00:26:51.710 which makes them somewhat pointy. 00:26:52.644 --> 00:26:54.713 They are surrounded by a thick rubber ring 00:26:54.980 --> 00:26:58.550 and attached on their outboard ends to a vertical shaft, 00:26:58.550 --> 00:27:01.186 which travels through a hole and below the playfield. 00:27:01.853 --> 00:27:04.322 That shaft is not visible to the player. 00:27:05.123 --> 00:27:08.593 In their resting position, they're pointing inward at each other 00:27:08.593 --> 00:27:12.030 and are angled downward about 20 degrees from horizontal. 00:27:12.864 --> 00:27:16.234 This means if you allow the ball to roll along the flipper, 00:27:16.801 --> 00:27:20.572 it will roll off the end and fall into the gap between the flippers. 00:27:21.239 --> 00:27:24.776 That gap is slightly smaller than each flippers length, 00:27:25.010 --> 00:27:27.345 and is one of the three ways you can lose the ball. 00:27:27.946 --> 00:27:30.915 There is nothing below the flippers but the out hole, 00:27:31.049 --> 00:27:34.185 so if the ball goes between them, you've lost it. 00:27:34.953 --> 00:27:36.554 But when the player presses 00:27:36.554 --> 00:27:38.823 one of the flipper buttons on the sides of the cabinet, 00:27:39.190 --> 00:27:41.559 a solenoid below the playfield is energized, 00:27:41.626 --> 00:27:44.195 which rotates the corresponding flipper shaft 00:27:44.295 --> 00:27:46.631 and causes it to quickly pivot upward 00:27:46.631 --> 00:27:48.299 by about 45 degrees. 00:27:49.067 --> 00:27:51.803 Press the button when the ball is touching the flipper 00:27:51.803 --> 00:27:54.305 and the flippers movement will throw the ball 00:27:54.305 --> 00:27:55.907 back up the playfield, 00:27:56.708 --> 00:27:59.477 where along the flippers length the ball is, 00:27:59.477 --> 00:28:02.681 as well as whether and how quickly it happens to be moving. 00:28:02.681 --> 00:28:06.384 At the instant you press the flipper button will affect its trajectory, 00:28:06.751 --> 00:28:09.254 making the player's perception and timing 00:28:09.320 --> 00:28:11.956 extremely important for ball control. 00:28:12.724 --> 00:28:15.493 Now, the flippers aren't just sitting by themselves. 00:28:15.894 --> 00:28:18.530 For one thing, they're only three inches long, 00:28:18.697 --> 00:28:21.933 but the playfield is more than 17in wide, 00:28:22.467 --> 00:28:26.204 so their pivot point is positioned at the end of a rigid wire 00:28:26.237 --> 00:28:28.473 guide sticking up from the playfield, 00:28:28.773 --> 00:28:31.042 which is aligned with the flippers top edge 00:28:31.209 --> 00:28:34.079 to effectively extend the length of the flippers 00:28:34.345 --> 00:28:36.214 almost to the sides of the cabinet. 00:28:37.215 --> 00:28:39.384 Once those wires are an inch and a half 00:28:39.384 --> 00:28:41.653 about four centimeters away from each side, 00:28:41.853 --> 00:28:46.191 they change direction and point straight up with their vertical component. 00:28:46.191 --> 00:28:48.326 4in or 10cm long. 00:28:49.427 --> 00:28:51.663 This means at the bottom of the playfield, 00:28:51.730 --> 00:28:54.232 there's effectively a large funnel shape, 00:28:54.232 --> 00:28:56.634 which so long as the ball doesn't go around, it 00:28:57.035 --> 00:29:00.972 will sort of catch the ball and guide it onto the flippers. 00:29:01.840 --> 00:29:04.609 Now there's a complication to this funnel, 00:29:04.609 --> 00:29:07.612 which I've skipped for the moment, but what's important to note 00:29:07.612 --> 00:29:11.483 is that when a flipper is held up by holding in a flipper button, 00:29:12.016 --> 00:29:15.220 the bat's upward angle relative to that wire 00:29:15.286 --> 00:29:18.490 forms a corner between the flipper and the guide. 00:29:18.890 --> 00:29:20.925 Almost like the shape of a check mark. 00:29:21.860 --> 00:29:24.496 This allows the player to catch the ball 00:29:24.496 --> 00:29:26.131 and hold it stationary. 00:29:26.898 --> 00:29:30.335 This isn't always possible depending on the ball's speed and trajectory, 00:29:30.702 --> 00:29:34.205 but if the player is successful at catching the ball in this way, 00:29:34.506 --> 00:29:36.808 they can exert very precise control. 00:29:37.542 --> 00:29:39.577 Once the player releases the flipper button 00:29:39.744 --> 00:29:43.615 since the ball was stationary, it will begin rolling from a stop 00:29:43.715 --> 00:29:46.751 in a slow, controlled, repeatable fashion, 00:29:47.018 --> 00:29:50.922 which makes flipper timing and thus aim much more predictable. 00:29:51.589 --> 00:29:53.458 So what's the complication? 00:29:54.325 --> 00:29:57.796 Well, what I've described so far might sound like a large, 00:29:57.796 --> 00:30:00.965 unobstructed catch basin at the bottom of the playfield, 00:30:01.299 --> 00:30:02.867 but this isn't the case. 00:30:03.668 --> 00:30:07.138 Above each flipper and slightly outboard from their pivot 00:30:07.138 --> 00:30:10.842 points are active elements known as slingshots. 00:30:11.509 --> 00:30:14.546 Slingshots are our first example of an obstacle 00:30:14.546 --> 00:30:17.015 formed by posts and rubber rings. 00:30:17.749 --> 00:30:20.785 Three posts are arranged in the shape of a triangle, 00:30:20.952 --> 00:30:24.055 and a large rubber ring stretches across all of them. 00:30:24.923 --> 00:30:26.758 The three sides of the slingshot 00:30:26.858 --> 00:30:30.895 have lengths of about two and a half, four, and five inches. 00:30:31.095 --> 00:30:34.432 That's roughly six, ten, and 13cm. 00:30:35.266 --> 00:30:37.135 A simple triangular playfield 00:30:37.135 --> 00:30:39.704 plastic with Aztec graphics printed on it 00:30:39.938 --> 00:30:42.373 obscures the center void of each slingshot, 00:30:42.607 --> 00:30:44.943 and there's a light bulb below for illumination. 00:30:46.244 --> 00:30:49.347 Now, the two shorter sides of the slingshots 00:30:49.581 --> 00:30:52.917 exactly follow the profile of the wire 00:30:52.951 --> 00:30:56.387 guide funnel thing, which redirects the ball onto the flippers. 00:30:57.055 --> 00:31:00.425 They're positioned slightly inboard and above that guide, 00:31:00.592 --> 00:31:04.262 so there's a consistent gap between the slingshot and the wire, 00:31:04.462 --> 00:31:07.432 just a bit larger than the diameter of the ball. 00:31:08.299 --> 00:31:09.968 This means that the slingshots, 00:31:09.968 --> 00:31:12.503 in conjunction with the wire guides, 00:31:12.704 --> 00:31:16.808 create a pair of lanes on the extreme edges of the playfield. 00:31:17.575 --> 00:31:20.845 Remember how the wire guides change direction and go vertical 00:31:20.845 --> 00:31:22.513 when they're an inch and a half from the edges? 00:31:23.348 --> 00:31:25.116 That means the ball can end up 00:31:25.116 --> 00:31:28.186 between that wire and the edge of the playfield, 00:31:28.720 --> 00:31:32.123 and if it does, then it will fall straight down 00:31:32.123 --> 00:31:35.026 with nothing to keep it from entering the area below the flippers. 00:31:35.727 --> 00:31:37.795 This makes it an out lane. 00:31:38.263 --> 00:31:40.565 If the ball goes there, you've lost it, 00:31:41.132 --> 00:31:43.501 but on the inboard sides of the wire, 00:31:43.801 --> 00:31:46.137 the slingshots create an L-shaped 00:31:46.137 --> 00:31:50.541 channel formed between the wire and the short sides of the slingshot, 00:31:50.775 --> 00:31:53.544 which will redirect the ball onto the flipper, 00:31:54.145 --> 00:31:56.247 and that makes it an in-game. 00:31:56.714 --> 00:32:00.118 Now, the only thing separating the in lane from the out lane 00:32:00.118 --> 00:32:02.020 is that rigid wire guide. 00:32:02.320 --> 00:32:04.489 And because it makes a 90 degree bend 00:32:04.489 --> 00:32:06.491 down into the surface of the playfield, 00:32:06.891 --> 00:32:10.895 it forms something of a skinny post that the ball might hit. 00:32:11.095 --> 00:32:13.298 And that makes a pretty distinctive sound because 00:32:13.298 --> 00:32:14.832 it's metal to metal contact. 00:32:18.069 --> 00:32:19.203 When this happens, the 00:32:19.203 --> 00:32:21.839 pinball will often nearly come to a stop, 00:32:21.839 --> 00:32:24.108 which creates something of a nail biter moment 00:32:24.309 --> 00:32:26.511 as it's teetering on that edge 00:32:26.511 --> 00:32:29.347 and you can't quite tell if it's going to fall to the left 00:32:29.347 --> 00:32:30.548 or to the right. 00:32:34.419 --> 00:32:35.820 Better players than I am 00:32:35.820 --> 00:32:38.723 will be able to nudge the cabinet to help influence 00:32:38.723 --> 00:32:42.260 which way the ball will roll, but I'm useless at that. 00:32:42.660 --> 00:32:44.562 Now lanes as a rule. 00:32:44.595 --> 00:32:45.797 Award points. 00:32:46.297 --> 00:32:48.299 In this game, the in lanes are marked 00:32:48.299 --> 00:32:50.635 5000 by the playfield graphics, 00:32:50.935 --> 00:32:54.272 and when the ball rolls through the vertical portion of either end lane, 00:32:54.439 --> 00:32:57.141 it will depress a trip wire sticking out of a long, 00:32:57.141 --> 00:32:58.977 skinny slot carved in the wood. 00:32:59.777 --> 00:33:03.781 Once depressed, the trip wire closes a switch below the playfield, 00:33:03.948 --> 00:33:08.219 which energizes the 5000 point relay and awards 5000 points. 00:33:09.087 --> 00:33:10.621 The out lanes award 00:33:10.621 --> 00:33:13.358 10,000 points and advance the bonus, 00:33:13.524 --> 00:33:16.194 which serves as some consolation for losing your ball. 00:33:16.694 --> 00:33:19.030 And if you've completed other objectives, 00:33:19.030 --> 00:33:22.200 they may also award a replay or extra ball 00:33:22.333 --> 00:33:24.602 indicated by a red playfield insert 00:33:24.702 --> 00:33:28.139 directly above each out lane, labeled special when lit. 00:33:28.740 --> 00:33:30.908 What it awards is configured by the operator. 00:33:30.942 --> 00:33:33.878 That's why it's a special, not replay or extra ball. 00:33:34.846 --> 00:33:36.047 Also of note, 00:33:36.047 --> 00:33:38.316 the trip wire that the ball depresses 00:33:38.316 --> 00:33:40.251 is different for the out lanes. 00:33:40.852 --> 00:33:43.621 Every other lane in this game can be activated 00:33:43.621 --> 00:33:46.224 by the ball rolling through it in either direction. 00:33:46.657 --> 00:33:49.627 The trip wires sticking out of the slots are shaped 00:33:49.627 --> 00:33:51.029 like the peak of a rooftop, 00:33:51.229 --> 00:33:53.931 so the ball can push it down from either side, 00:33:54.065 --> 00:33:55.266 and it will award points 00:33:55.266 --> 00:33:56.801 even if the ball is traveling through it 00:33:56.801 --> 00:33:59.270 backwards against the pitch of the playfield. 00:34:00.171 --> 00:34:02.373 But the out lanes have a trip wire, 00:34:02.407 --> 00:34:05.510 which only pokes out from the top side of the slot 00:34:05.710 --> 00:34:07.178 and ends in the center. 00:34:07.845 --> 00:34:10.148 That floating end will prevent the ball 00:34:10.148 --> 00:34:12.583 from rolling backwards and up through the out lane. 00:34:12.617 --> 00:34:15.319 Should the player happen to get ridiculously lucky 00:34:15.319 --> 00:34:16.954 with the ball's rebound trajectory. 00:34:17.855 --> 00:34:21.426 In other words, if the ball is out, it's out. 00:34:21.893 --> 00:34:23.528 This game is not getting. 00:34:24.228 --> 00:34:26.297 But the in lanes and out lanes 00:34:26.297 --> 00:34:29.033 are at the extreme edges of the playfield, 00:34:29.367 --> 00:34:32.370 and since the adjacent slingshots are fairly narrow, 00:34:32.770 --> 00:34:35.773 there's a pretty wide open space above the flippers. 00:34:36.808 --> 00:34:38.242 Now, in large part this is 00:34:38.242 --> 00:34:40.445 simply to allow for wider shots. 00:34:40.912 --> 00:34:44.482 Generally, it's easiest to shoot the ball across the playfield 00:34:44.615 --> 00:34:48.319 using the flipper on the opposite side as your intended target, 00:34:48.753 --> 00:34:51.089 meaning you shoot for targets on the left 00:34:51.089 --> 00:34:53.257 with the right flipper and vice versa, 00:34:54.025 --> 00:34:57.528 so the path between the flippers and the sides of the cabinet 00:34:57.895 --> 00:35:01.199 needs to be relatively unobstructed, which it is. 00:35:01.532 --> 00:35:02.700 And as a matter of fact, 00:35:02.700 --> 00:35:05.303 the slingshots are shaped to stay out of the way 00:35:06.170 --> 00:35:08.272 at their bottom, closest to the flippers. 00:35:08.473 --> 00:35:11.242 They're 7in or 18cm apart, 00:35:11.642 --> 00:35:15.146 but their long edge is angled slightly outward, 00:35:15.346 --> 00:35:17.748 which means that their top they are 10in 00:35:17.748 --> 00:35:19.584 or 25cm apart. 00:35:20.451 --> 00:35:21.252 In other words, 00:35:21.252 --> 00:35:24.722 they're sort of leaning back and out of the way of a ball 00:35:24.755 --> 00:35:26.991 being launched by the flipper across from it. 00:35:27.859 --> 00:35:29.427 But as much as that helps. 00:35:29.760 --> 00:35:34.899 It's also terrible because that side of the slingshot is active 00:35:35.700 --> 00:35:39.570 behind the long edge of the rubber ring as a pair of switches. 00:35:40.138 --> 00:35:42.073 Either one of these switches will close 00:35:42.073 --> 00:35:43.908 when the ball pushes on the rubber ring, 00:35:44.175 --> 00:35:46.978 and that will energize a solenoid below 00:35:46.978 --> 00:35:49.680 the playfield, which fires a kicking element 00:35:49.914 --> 00:35:54.185 that pushes the long edge of the rubber ring outward from the center. 00:35:54.552 --> 00:35:56.154 And it's not a subtle push. 00:35:56.187 --> 00:35:57.488 It will move the rubber ring 00:35:57.588 --> 00:36:00.224 about a half inch away from its resting position. 00:36:01.325 --> 00:36:02.827 The result is when the ball 00:36:02.827 --> 00:36:05.163 touches the long edge of the slingshots. 00:36:05.563 --> 00:36:08.566 They push the ball away at very high speed, 00:36:09.167 --> 00:36:11.269 which makes them a dastardly element 00:36:11.435 --> 00:36:14.272 because they make it very hard to control the ball. 00:36:14.405 --> 00:36:16.707 If the ball so much as brushes up against them, 00:36:17.742 --> 00:36:18.976 they face each other. 00:36:18.976 --> 00:36:21.279 So if the ball hits one at the right angle, 00:36:21.579 --> 00:36:23.714 it can end up rapidly flying back 00:36:23.714 --> 00:36:25.449 and forth between the two slingshots. 00:36:30.221 --> 00:36:32.089 That's hard enough to recover from. 00:36:32.290 --> 00:36:37.161 But to make matters worse, the slightly upward angle of the active side 00:36:37.328 --> 00:36:41.332 makes it likely that the ball will be propelled across the playfield 00:36:41.566 --> 00:36:44.268 just over the other slingshot 00:36:44.535 --> 00:36:47.371 and land directly in the outlane, 00:36:47.371 --> 00:36:48.906 which will cause you to lose the ball. 00:36:55.546 --> 00:36:58.015 The slingshots are only worth ten points, 00:36:58.015 --> 00:37:01.686 so this playfield element is all about creating chaos 00:37:01.986 --> 00:37:03.854 and it's best to avoid them if possible. 00:37:04.555 --> 00:37:07.191 But assuming you manage to avoid the slingshots 00:37:07.191 --> 00:37:10.628 and are able to catch the ball, where can you launch it? 00:37:11.495 --> 00:37:14.265 Now it's time to get into what makes this game unique. 00:37:15.066 --> 00:37:16.867 The area above the flippers 00:37:16.867 --> 00:37:19.270 and slingshots is mostly wide open space, 00:37:19.270 --> 00:37:23.374 but it's absolutely littered with playfield inserts. 00:37:24.141 --> 00:37:26.544 I mentioned those before when discussing the outlines. 00:37:26.978 --> 00:37:29.447 Playfield inserts are indicator 00:37:29.447 --> 00:37:31.916 lights embedded in the playfield surface. 00:37:32.783 --> 00:37:35.620 This was done by drilling a hole in the playfield, 00:37:35.753 --> 00:37:39.590 then filling it with a translucent piece of plastic called the insert. 00:37:40.558 --> 00:37:43.861 When installed, the inserts are flush with the playfield 00:37:43.928 --> 00:37:46.264 so they don't influence the ball's movement, 00:37:46.864 --> 00:37:48.799 or at least shouldn't. 00:37:49.200 --> 00:37:51.002 They can warp with age. 00:37:51.936 --> 00:37:53.971 Below each one is a light bulb, 00:37:53.971 --> 00:37:55.973 which causes it to glow when needed. 00:37:56.874 --> 00:37:58.776 This game has many, 00:37:59.010 --> 00:38:02.313 many inserts 36 if I've counted right, 00:38:02.747 --> 00:38:06.717 and most of them are simple white circles with thick black outlines, 00:38:07.285 --> 00:38:10.888 but the extra ball when lit and same player shoots again. 00:38:10.888 --> 00:38:13.924 Inserts are a transparent orange red 00:38:14.158 --> 00:38:16.560 and the special one lit inserts mentioned 00:38:16.560 --> 00:38:18.396 before are translucent red. 00:38:19.163 --> 00:38:21.032 There is also a single arrow 00:38:21.032 --> 00:38:23.934 shaped insert pointing at the spinner, 00:38:24.001 --> 00:38:25.670 which is a translucent yellow. 00:38:26.570 --> 00:38:28.639 Graphics could also be screen 00:38:28.639 --> 00:38:32.209 printed onto the inserts, along with the playfield artwork, 00:38:32.410 --> 00:38:35.846 which we see in this game as stylized red letters 00:38:35.946 --> 00:38:38.616 atop each of the five Aztec lights, 00:38:38.616 --> 00:38:42.019 which are found below the central target and in the kickback lane. 00:38:42.753 --> 00:38:45.923 Those are there to indicate which and how many letters have been lit. 00:38:46.123 --> 00:38:47.525 For the purposes of determining 00:38:47.525 --> 00:38:49.427 how many points those targets will be worth. 00:38:50.294 --> 00:38:53.564 Lighting those letters is the main objective of this game. 00:38:53.898 --> 00:38:56.734 But before I go over where their corresponding targets are, 00:38:57.068 --> 00:38:59.003 I want to talk about the bonus ladder. 00:38:59.704 --> 00:39:02.606 This isn't a target, it's just a status indicator 00:39:02.606 --> 00:39:05.576 which informs the player of the current bonus value. 00:39:06.410 --> 00:39:09.146 It fills most of the open space above the flippers, 00:39:09.380 --> 00:39:11.582 and is incorporated into the game's largest 00:39:11.582 --> 00:39:14.218 and most prominent piece of playfield artwork. 00:39:14.685 --> 00:39:18.389 An Aztec man who has blue skin for some reason 00:39:18.723 --> 00:39:21.325 in ceremonial dress, holding his arms 00:39:21.325 --> 00:39:23.661 up to give the appearance of having wings 00:39:24.528 --> 00:39:26.364 on the white feathers of the wings. 00:39:26.364 --> 00:39:30.968 Below his arms are ten playfield inserts, which together form an arc 00:39:31.068 --> 00:39:33.637 with the center of that arc closest to the player. 00:39:34.739 --> 00:39:36.707 Each individual light is labeled 00:39:36.707 --> 00:39:39.710 a point value, starting at 5000 points on the left, 00:39:39.944 --> 00:39:43.280 then 10,000, 15,000, and 20,000, and so on 00:39:43.581 --> 00:39:46.117 until the max value of 50,000. 00:39:46.951 --> 00:39:49.220 These points are awarded at the end of the ball, 00:39:49.387 --> 00:39:52.923 but each ball begins with 5000 points on the bonus ladder, 00:39:53.090 --> 00:39:54.859 so the 5000 light is lit. 00:39:55.793 --> 00:39:57.695 Targets which advance the bonus 00:39:57.895 --> 00:40:00.831 will step the bonus unit forward, which illuminates 00:40:00.831 --> 00:40:02.833 the next light on the bonus ladder. 00:40:03.868 --> 00:40:05.503 This game will not award 00:40:05.503 --> 00:40:09.140 any more than 50,000 bonus points, so if you get that far, 00:40:09.473 --> 00:40:12.843 it's just going to stop there and won't advance the bonus unit again. 00:40:13.911 --> 00:40:17.348 Right below the Aztec mans face is a slightly larger 00:40:17.348 --> 00:40:20.217 than typical white insert labeled double bonus 00:40:20.217 --> 00:40:23.120 when lit and well, when it's lit, 00:40:23.120 --> 00:40:26.824 the machine will double the bonus value as it awards the bonus points. 00:40:27.625 --> 00:40:28.859 But points are the point. 00:40:28.859 --> 00:40:30.094 So how do you get points? 00:40:30.661 --> 00:40:33.864 Well, you got to hit targets, so let's get to those. 00:40:34.732 --> 00:40:38.402 Everything you can deliberately hit in this game exists 00:40:38.402 --> 00:40:41.372 at roughly the midpoint of the playfield or higher. 00:40:42.139 --> 00:40:43.541 And to help get a sense of this, 00:40:43.874 --> 00:40:46.577 imagine that at the midpoint, there's a barrier 00:40:46.577 --> 00:40:50.247 which gently curves towards the player as it meets the sides. 00:40:50.481 --> 00:40:52.583 Something like a section of a ball. 00:40:53.517 --> 00:40:56.153 Now imagine there are two large holes 00:40:56.153 --> 00:40:58.823 in that barrier on either side of its center. 00:40:59.957 --> 00:41:02.326 That's pretty much what the landscape looks like. 00:41:02.626 --> 00:41:07.398 Targets and posts cause the extreme left and right sides of the playfield 00:41:07.498 --> 00:41:10.601 to curve inwards somewhat towards the midpoint. 00:41:10.968 --> 00:41:15.039 And at that midpoint, there's a center target sitting by itself, 00:41:15.339 --> 00:41:17.475 with a large gap on either side of it 00:41:17.475 --> 00:41:19.343 where the ball can go around it. 00:41:20.377 --> 00:41:23.547 For now, we will ignore everything above the midpoint, 00:41:23.647 --> 00:41:26.417 and we'll focus on the five stand up targets 00:41:26.417 --> 00:41:27.918 which are closest to the player. 00:41:28.786 --> 00:41:32.256 stand up targets are the simplest form of target in pinball, 00:41:32.523 --> 00:41:35.125 and most of the time they take the form of small 00:41:35.125 --> 00:41:38.229 plastic circles with a metal rivet in the center. 00:41:39.196 --> 00:41:42.333 The targets are about the same size as the ball's diameter, 00:41:42.333 --> 00:41:45.236 which is one and one sixteenths inches, by the way. 00:41:45.369 --> 00:41:46.637 Don't know if I mentioned that yet. 00:41:46.837 --> 00:41:50.941 Very normal number and the targets stand vertically, 00:41:51.008 --> 00:41:54.411 peeking out from the front edge of a hole drilled in the playfield. 00:41:55.312 --> 00:41:57.515 The targets lean forward slightly, 00:41:57.781 --> 00:42:00.351 but when the ball hits them and pushes them back, 00:42:00.551 --> 00:42:05.222 a switch is closed which registers points and or something else 00:42:06.257 --> 00:42:07.291 on the left and 00:42:07.291 --> 00:42:09.894 slightly below the midpoint of the playfield, 00:42:10.027 --> 00:42:13.831 nearly parallel to and at the extreme edge of the cabinet, 00:42:14.198 --> 00:42:16.667 are the E and Z targets. 00:42:17.268 --> 00:42:19.236 These targets are nearly parallel 00:42:19.236 --> 00:42:21.438 to the sides and facing inward. 00:42:22.439 --> 00:42:26.710 The E target is below the Z target and is nearly as low 00:42:26.710 --> 00:42:29.914 as you could possibly hit something from the right flipper 00:42:30.014 --> 00:42:32.249 without grazing the left slingshot. 00:42:33.384 --> 00:42:34.985 Then, about an inch and a half 00:42:34.985 --> 00:42:37.421 or 38mm above the E target 00:42:37.621 --> 00:42:39.523 and just a tad bit inboard 00:42:39.823 --> 00:42:41.191 is the Z target, 00:42:42.159 --> 00:42:44.595 as explained by text on the playfield. 00:42:44.728 --> 00:42:48.098 Both of these targets are worth 1000 points whenever they're hit, 00:42:48.399 --> 00:42:51.268 but they will also light their respective letter 00:42:51.268 --> 00:42:52.937 when first hit by the ball. 00:42:53.804 --> 00:42:57.207 They both feature an illuminated insert in front of the target, 00:42:57.441 --> 00:43:00.344 which indicates that they have not yet been hit. 00:43:00.911 --> 00:43:03.914 Once they are hit, that insert goes dark 00:43:04.048 --> 00:43:06.750 and the corresponding letter inserts on the Aztec 00:43:06.750 --> 00:43:08.385 display lights become illuminated. 00:43:09.320 --> 00:43:12.423 Now there's a pretty huge gap of about 6in 00:43:12.423 --> 00:43:16.527 or 15cm between the Z target on the left and the center. 00:43:16.527 --> 00:43:19.129 Target, which is smack dab in the middle of the playfield. 00:43:20.297 --> 00:43:21.832 Well, actually, that gap is 00:43:21.832 --> 00:43:24.501 not between targets, but in fact between posts. 00:43:25.135 --> 00:43:27.404 Stand up targets are usually protected 00:43:27.404 --> 00:43:29.206 by a post on either side of them. 00:43:29.807 --> 00:43:32.176 Those posts keep the ball from hitting the target 00:43:32.176 --> 00:43:34.078 at a weird angle and breaking it, 00:43:34.411 --> 00:43:36.547 but they also have a rubber ring around them, 00:43:36.547 --> 00:43:40.284 which ends up causing the ball to rebound in unpredictable ways. 00:43:41.151 --> 00:43:44.388 Anyway, the center target is just as small as the rest, 00:43:44.388 --> 00:43:47.324 but since it has a post flanking its left and right side, 00:43:47.658 --> 00:43:51.962 it takes up a bit shy of three inches in width, perhaps seven centimeters. 00:43:52.963 --> 00:43:56.867 This is the game's most complex target when it comes to scoring. 00:43:57.368 --> 00:44:00.904 It advances the bonus value and is worth 500 points 00:44:01.171 --> 00:44:04.074 or 1000 points for each lit letter. 00:44:04.308 --> 00:44:07.277 And there's a row of Aztec inserts just below to remind you 00:44:07.277 --> 00:44:11.148 how many are lit, and it will award an extra ball 00:44:11.148 --> 00:44:14.151 when indicated by an insert directly below the light. 00:44:14.985 --> 00:44:17.054 It's got a lot going on, all indicated 00:44:17.054 --> 00:44:19.990 by a bunch of written text screen printed onto the playfield. 00:44:20.858 --> 00:44:23.460 Now on the right hand side of the center target. 00:44:23.761 --> 00:44:25.763 Things are pretty similar to the left. 00:44:26.196 --> 00:44:29.700 There's another gap which leads to areas higher up the playfield. 00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:32.336 And then flanking the right side of the playfield 00:44:32.469 --> 00:44:34.438 is another pair of stand up targets. 00:44:34.505 --> 00:44:36.740 This time, the T and C targets. 00:44:37.408 --> 00:44:41.278 They score the same as the other letter targets 1000 points on each hit, 00:44:41.545 --> 00:44:43.681 but of course they like T and C. 00:44:44.548 --> 00:44:45.983 However, on this side 00:44:46.216 --> 00:44:50.287 the targets are following a much more aggressive curve inward. 00:44:51.021 --> 00:44:53.724 The Z and E targets are actually in a line 00:44:53.724 --> 00:44:55.826 almost parallel to the left side of the cabinet, 00:44:56.126 --> 00:44:59.296 but the C target is pointing towards the flippers 00:44:59.296 --> 00:45:01.432 and the T target even more so. 00:45:01.699 --> 00:45:04.034 Plus is positioned much farther inward. 00:45:04.968 --> 00:45:08.439 This is done to accommodate the mechanism for the kickback lane, 00:45:08.439 --> 00:45:10.607 which is adjacent to the T target, 00:45:10.974 --> 00:45:12.943 but I'll explain that in a moment. 00:45:13.777 --> 00:45:17.815 So to recap, from left to right we have the E and Z targets. 00:45:18.015 --> 00:45:19.550 Then there's a big old gap. 00:45:19.850 --> 00:45:21.518 Then there's the center target. 00:45:21.885 --> 00:45:23.887 Another gap though not quite as big. 00:45:24.121 --> 00:45:26.557 And then there's the T and C targets. 00:45:27.157 --> 00:45:30.527 That represents everything in the bottom half of the playfield. 00:45:30.761 --> 00:45:34.498 And those five shots are all very important to the gameplay, 00:45:34.698 --> 00:45:37.601 as you need to light some letters to score points quickly. 00:45:37.868 --> 00:45:40.437 And you need to hit the center target to get an extra ball. 00:45:41.271 --> 00:45:43.040 But what about those gaps? 00:45:43.707 --> 00:45:46.510 Well, they lead to the top half of the playfield, 00:45:46.810 --> 00:45:49.713 and it's much more complex than the bottom half. 00:45:50.714 --> 00:45:52.483 In the center, we find the 00:45:52.483 --> 00:45:54.518 game's three pop bumpers. 00:45:55.119 --> 00:45:58.288 These are a staple in pinball and appear to the player 00:45:58.288 --> 00:46:00.591 as round, mushroom shaped objects 00:46:00.758 --> 00:46:02.826 protruding from the playfield surface. 00:46:03.494 --> 00:46:08.932 There are 3in or 76mm in diameter, and are 1.5in tall. 00:46:08.932 --> 00:46:10.200 That's 38mm. 00:46:11.201 --> 00:46:12.469 They're not very tall, 00:46:12.503 --> 00:46:16.173 but they almost touch the playfield glass in these early games. 00:46:16.473 --> 00:46:18.609 That's how two dimensional these play fields were. 00:46:19.810 --> 00:46:23.313 A light bulb below a plastic cover can illuminate the bumper, 00:46:23.480 --> 00:46:26.450 and in this game they are marked 100 points 00:46:26.450 --> 00:46:29.086 or 1000 points when lit. 00:46:30.154 --> 00:46:33.157 In this game, the bumpers are arranged in a triangle 00:46:33.257 --> 00:46:36.059 close to, but not quite equilateral. 00:46:36.627 --> 00:46:39.763 One sits by itself in the dead center of the playfield. 00:46:39.930 --> 00:46:43.133 In fact, it's adjacent to and behind the center target, 00:46:43.634 --> 00:46:45.068 and the other two are above it. 00:46:45.836 --> 00:46:48.105 On average, they're spaced about 5in 00:46:48.105 --> 00:46:50.641 or 13cm apart center to center, 00:46:51.008 --> 00:46:54.611 but the top left bumper is just a little too high 00:46:54.611 --> 00:46:58.448 and a little too left to call this a truly equilateral triangle. 00:46:59.483 --> 00:47:02.085 Anyway, when the ball gets close to these bumpers, 00:47:02.319 --> 00:47:05.022 it rolls over a circular plastic skirt, 00:47:05.022 --> 00:47:08.025 which, when disturbed, closes a switch below 00:47:08.025 --> 00:47:11.895 the playfield that energizes a solenoid coil, below 00:47:12.029 --> 00:47:14.431 which pulls an angled metal ring 00:47:14.431 --> 00:47:17.367 straight down via two connecting rods. 00:47:18.202 --> 00:47:21.071 That ring is normally above the height of the ball, 00:47:21.405 --> 00:47:25.843 but it will come crashing down against the ball when the solenoid fires, 00:47:26.176 --> 00:47:29.313 and the roughly 45 degree angle of the descending ring 00:47:29.546 --> 00:47:33.016 will force the ball away from the bumper at high speed. 00:47:33.817 --> 00:47:37.120 And because there are three of these bumpers in close proximity 00:47:37.287 --> 00:47:39.489 and they can launch the ball into each other. 00:47:39.990 --> 00:47:41.758 The results are often chaotic. 00:47:41.758 --> 00:47:43.360 Rapid movement of the ball. 00:47:49.399 --> 00:47:50.234 Fun fact 00:47:50.234 --> 00:47:52.402 because the rings of the pop bumper 00:47:52.402 --> 00:47:54.972 jammed the ball into the wooden playfield, 00:47:55.305 --> 00:47:58.141 it's very common for there to be a lot of wear 00:47:58.141 --> 00:48:01.011 around the pop bumpers to prevent that. 00:48:01.044 --> 00:48:03.914 Many games are equipped with a transparent mylar 00:48:03.914 --> 00:48:06.483 protective sheet surrounding the pop bumpers, 00:48:06.650 --> 00:48:09.953 which is visible here as a faint ring surrounding each one. 00:48:10.587 --> 00:48:13.156 Now, this central area with the pop bumpers 00:48:13.423 --> 00:48:16.393 is sort of enclosed on three sides. 00:48:16.960 --> 00:48:19.563 To the left of the pop bumpers is a pair of linear 00:48:19.563 --> 00:48:22.666 barriers, the standard rubber ring stretched across posts. 00:48:23.500 --> 00:48:26.937 These two barriers are not quite parallel to the side of the cabinet. 00:48:27.237 --> 00:48:30.374 The longer of the two is above the other and is leaning 00:48:30.374 --> 00:48:31.575 towards the right a bit, 00:48:31.842 --> 00:48:34.711 and the shorter one below is leaning in the opposite direction. 00:48:35.612 --> 00:48:37.581 That means they meet in a corner 00:48:37.814 --> 00:48:40.617 that sort of hugs the top left pop bumper. 00:48:41.685 --> 00:48:44.254 On the other side of these barriers is a curved 00:48:44.254 --> 00:48:47.024 pathway hugging the left side of the cabinet. 00:48:47.324 --> 00:48:48.926 But we'll get back to that in a bit. 00:48:49.927 --> 00:48:52.329 Because of the corner where those two barriers meet, 00:48:52.629 --> 00:48:55.632 the ball will often bounce back into the pop bumpers 00:48:55.632 --> 00:48:58.869 if it's propelled into that corner, which can make for quite a show. 00:48:59.937 --> 00:49:01.838 Then to the right of the pop 00:49:01.838 --> 00:49:04.074 bumpers is another linear barrier, 00:49:04.374 --> 00:49:09.212 this one straight and very long, about ten inches 25cm in length. 00:49:10.080 --> 00:49:13.183 This barrier is nearly parallel to the machine's sides, 00:49:13.417 --> 00:49:15.852 and it's so long that it's actually made of 00:49:15.852 --> 00:49:18.522 two rubber rings stretched across four posts, 00:49:18.755 --> 00:49:23.126 the lowest of which is adjacent to and protecting the T stand up target. 00:49:23.927 --> 00:49:26.363 This long, skinny barrier ends up 00:49:26.363 --> 00:49:29.366 top in a point which the ball can get around, 00:49:29.633 --> 00:49:32.502 and on the other side of that barrier to its right 00:49:32.869 --> 00:49:34.871 is another path of sorts. 00:49:34.938 --> 00:49:36.506 But again, I'll get back to that. 00:49:37.574 --> 00:49:39.276 And finally, above the pop 00:49:39.309 --> 00:49:42.546 bumpers are four posts which are themselves 00:49:42.546 --> 00:49:44.848 at the bottom of three lanes. 00:49:45.649 --> 00:49:48.085 Those lanes lead to a small area 00:49:48.085 --> 00:49:50.988 at the very top of the playfield that I call the entry point, 00:49:51.221 --> 00:49:53.390 which is where the ball first enters the playfield. 00:49:53.390 --> 00:49:54.591 At the start of each ball. 00:49:55.525 --> 00:49:57.327 I'll describe that more in a bit, 00:49:57.661 --> 00:50:00.897 but while the pop bumpers can absolutely send the ball 00:50:00.897 --> 00:50:04.167 back up through one of those lanes, quite often the ball 00:50:04.201 --> 00:50:08.372 bounces off the posts which separate them and back into the pop bumpers, 00:50:08.372 --> 00:50:12.376 which is why I described this area as being enclosed on three sides. 00:50:13.276 --> 00:50:16.813 There are a few other details to note in this central area, 00:50:16.980 --> 00:50:19.616 but most important to understanding the layout here 00:50:19.883 --> 00:50:23.487 is that the ball can go completely around this area 00:50:23.487 --> 00:50:26.957 by going through the spinning target on the left. 00:50:28.158 --> 00:50:31.428 This element doesn't really fit neatly into a single region, 00:50:31.428 --> 00:50:33.163 which is why I haven't brought it up yet. 00:50:33.897 --> 00:50:35.866 Remember how the lower half of the playfield 00:50:35.899 --> 00:50:39.636 has a gap between the center target below the center pop bumper, 00:50:39.636 --> 00:50:42.205 and the E and Z targets on the left edge? 00:50:43.240 --> 00:50:46.343 Well, that gap is in fact split in two 00:50:46.576 --> 00:50:48.745 by that two piece linear barrier, 00:50:48.745 --> 00:50:50.514 which is hugging the left pop bumper. 00:50:51.548 --> 00:50:53.950 The lowest post, which makes up that barrier 00:50:54.418 --> 00:50:57.587 is sort of floating 4in or 10cm 00:50:57.587 --> 00:51:00.157 to the right of the cabinet's left hand side. 00:51:01.091 --> 00:51:03.593 If the ball travels to the right of that post, 00:51:03.794 --> 00:51:05.695 it will end up amongst the pop bumpers, 00:51:05.962 --> 00:51:08.398 but if it travels to the left of the post, 00:51:08.665 --> 00:51:10.867 it will hit the spinning target, 00:51:11.501 --> 00:51:14.871 which is less of a target and more of a doorway. 00:51:15.772 --> 00:51:20.210 The spinner itself is a simple metal plate, which is suspended on an axle 00:51:20.410 --> 00:51:24.548 and supported by a square archway, roughly 2.5in wide. 00:51:24.548 --> 00:51:26.049 That's 63mm. 00:51:26.817 --> 00:51:28.819 The arch is spanning the gap 00:51:28.819 --> 00:51:31.688 between the left side of the cabinet and the floating post. 00:51:31.688 --> 00:51:33.490 It's attached to the. 00:51:33.523 --> 00:51:36.860 The left side of the arch is in fact slightly inboard from the edge, 00:51:36.860 --> 00:51:39.963 fastened to a second post directly above the Z target. 00:51:41.198 --> 00:51:44.000 The archway, and thus the plate, is angled 00:51:44.000 --> 00:51:46.870 slightly with its right side higher than its left, 00:51:47.104 --> 00:51:50.207 which means it's sort of directly facing the right flipper, 00:51:50.407 --> 00:51:53.276 with an easy shot possible across the playfield. 00:51:54.578 --> 00:51:56.213 When the ball hits this plate, 00:51:56.480 --> 00:52:00.717 it gives way and begins to spin rapidly in a tumbling motion. 00:52:01.485 --> 00:52:05.489 Each rotation causes a crankshaft to pull up on a rod, 00:52:05.689 --> 00:52:08.225 which closes a switch contact below the playfield 00:52:08.892 --> 00:52:11.695 that awards points, so you'll end up with a rapid 00:52:11.695 --> 00:52:14.297 chattering of the score reels and chimes. 00:52:14.297 --> 00:52:16.600 If the spinner is hit hard and straight enough. 00:52:23.373 --> 00:52:24.674 Ordinarily, this scores 00:52:24.674 --> 00:52:28.111 100 points per rotation, but if A is lit, 00:52:28.378 --> 00:52:32.015 the yellow arrow shaped playfield insert pointing at the spinner 00:52:32.015 --> 00:52:34.451 illuminates to indicate that the spinner is now 00:52:34.451 --> 00:52:36.720 worth 1000 points per rotation. 00:52:37.420 --> 00:52:40.557 Fun fact the spinners plate is painted white 00:52:40.724 --> 00:52:43.793 and has a simple red Aztec mask graphic 00:52:43.793 --> 00:52:46.229 on the right hand side, facing the left 00:52:46.663 --> 00:52:49.065 and on the other side of the plate, which you can't 00:52:49.099 --> 00:52:52.135 normally see is a matching blue Aztec 00:52:52.135 --> 00:52:54.938 mask on the left hand side facing the right. 00:52:55.639 --> 00:52:58.408 This causes a visual effect when the plate is spinning, 00:52:58.575 --> 00:53:01.545 which allows you to see both masks at the same time, 00:53:01.678 --> 00:53:04.614 so it looks like the red and blue mask are facing each other. 00:53:04.814 --> 00:53:05.815 It's a fun little effect. 00:53:05.815 --> 00:53:07.017 The designers put in their. 00:53:07.617 --> 00:53:10.520 spinners since the ball passes through them when they're hit, 00:53:10.954 --> 00:53:14.224 usually form the entrance to some sort of pathway 00:53:14.824 --> 00:53:18.795 and directly behind the spinner is a long curved path 00:53:18.895 --> 00:53:21.965 which bends to the left, running right at the edge of the playfield 00:53:22.265 --> 00:53:24.768 before it curves back to the right and delivers 00:53:24.768 --> 00:53:28.104 the ball to the entry points at the very top of the playfield. 00:53:29.105 --> 00:53:30.574 That path is to the 00:53:30.574 --> 00:53:32.709 left of the central pop bumper area 00:53:33.043 --> 00:53:35.946 and effectively provides a bypass around it. 00:53:36.546 --> 00:53:39.049 However, you have to hit the ball fairly 00:53:39.049 --> 00:53:41.518 accurately in order for it to make it to the top. 00:53:42.219 --> 00:53:44.454 If it doesn't hit the plate straight on 00:53:44.454 --> 00:53:47.023 and instead brushes up against either of the posts 00:53:47.023 --> 00:53:48.258 protecting the entrance, 00:53:48.725 --> 00:53:52.562 it will rebound into the sides of the pathway, lose speed, 00:53:52.829 --> 00:53:54.197 and won't make it to the top. 00:53:55.065 --> 00:53:57.934 Also, just before the top of this pathway, 00:53:58.235 --> 00:54:00.637 there's a rollover switch sticking out of a slot 00:54:00.837 --> 00:54:02.639 which advances the bonus value. 00:54:03.306 --> 00:54:06.276 It also has a playfield insert below labeled lights. 00:54:06.276 --> 00:54:10.313 Double bonus when lit after the Z or T target have been hit. 00:54:10.413 --> 00:54:11.915 That feature is activated, 00:54:11.915 --> 00:54:15.018 and this rollover switch is one of two that will lock in. 00:54:15.018 --> 00:54:16.386 Double bonus once hit. 00:54:17.254 --> 00:54:19.589 So the spinner provides a bypass 00:54:19.589 --> 00:54:22.125 around the left of the pop bumpers and back to the top. 00:54:22.659 --> 00:54:24.961 But what's going on to the right of the pop bumpers? 00:54:25.862 --> 00:54:28.064 Well, that long, skinny barrier 00:54:28.064 --> 00:54:30.700 to their right ends in a point above 00:54:30.700 --> 00:54:34.337 which is a rigid playfield plastic with a semi-circular shape. 00:54:35.038 --> 00:54:38.508 The combination creates a negative space between the two elements, 00:54:38.508 --> 00:54:40.377 which is shaped like a cane. 00:54:41.211 --> 00:54:45.148 The hook of that cane is pointing down at the top right pop bumper, 00:54:45.515 --> 00:54:49.519 and the stem of the cane is on the other side of that linear barrier. 00:54:49.786 --> 00:54:51.788 Parallel to the side of the playfield 00:54:52.022 --> 00:54:54.824 and ending to the right of the target. 00:54:55.725 --> 00:54:57.894 This is what I call the kickback lane. 00:54:58.428 --> 00:55:01.064 The hook shape forms something of a scoop, 00:55:01.364 --> 00:55:04.200 so if the ball is hit upward into that area, 00:55:04.467 --> 00:55:08.271 it will be caught and deflected back down into the stem of the cane, 00:55:08.471 --> 00:55:09.973 where it will then fall to the bottom. 00:55:10.874 --> 00:55:12.742 The ball would be trapped there, 00:55:12.976 --> 00:55:16.413 but at the bottom is a wired trip switch poking up through a slot 00:55:16.413 --> 00:55:19.182 to register that the ball is there and award points, 00:55:19.516 --> 00:55:23.353 and then a solenoid powered kicker will propel the ball 00:55:23.386 --> 00:55:25.722 back up and out of the kickback lane. 00:55:26.756 --> 00:55:29.659 This is the highest value target in the game, 00:55:29.893 --> 00:55:35.332 worth 5000 points, or 10,000 points for each lit letter. 00:55:35.932 --> 00:55:38.535 A second set of illuminated playfield inserts 00:55:38.535 --> 00:55:41.404 for each of the five letters in Aztec is positioned 00:55:41.404 --> 00:55:43.206 down the stem of the kickback lane 00:55:43.440 --> 00:55:46.009 to make it more obvious how many points will be awarded 00:55:46.009 --> 00:55:47.544 based on how many letters are lit, 00:55:48.411 --> 00:55:50.780 and this target will also activate 00:55:50.780 --> 00:55:53.316 double bonus indicated by another insert 00:55:53.316 --> 00:55:56.653 at the top of the entrance to this area with a large graphic 00:55:56.653 --> 00:55:59.022 which says lights double bonus when lit. 00:56:00.023 --> 00:56:02.859 Because of that scoop shape at the entrance of this target, 00:56:03.226 --> 00:56:05.028 it's actually quite easy to hit. 00:56:05.695 --> 00:56:09.699 There's an unobstructed shot between the left flipper and that scoop, 00:56:09.999 --> 00:56:12.569 so as long as the ball clears the center target, 00:56:13.002 --> 00:56:16.106 even though it's quite far up the playfield and near the top, 00:56:16.306 --> 00:56:19.542 you don't need a very accurate shot to get the ball in there. 00:56:20.176 --> 00:56:23.012 And of course, since the scoop is pointing at the top right pop 00:56:23.046 --> 00:56:26.950 bumper on occasion, the ball will leave the kickback lane 00:56:27.183 --> 00:56:29.252 and then get pushed right back in there. 00:56:29.319 --> 00:56:33.390 If you're lucky, that can be a quick 100,000 points. 00:56:33.390 --> 00:56:34.591 If all letters are lit. 00:56:35.392 --> 00:56:38.395 There is actually a second way to get lucky with this target, 00:56:38.395 --> 00:56:43.266 and that is if the ball bounces when it hits the bottom on occasion, 00:56:43.266 --> 00:56:47.003 the ball will bounce with the right timing such that it is above 00:56:47.003 --> 00:56:49.072 the kicking element at the moment it kicks, 00:56:49.539 --> 00:56:51.708 which means it misses the ball 00:56:51.708 --> 00:56:53.977 and it lands on the trip wire again, 00:56:54.110 --> 00:56:55.945 so it scores twice in a row. 00:56:56.646 --> 00:56:59.849 This isn't that common though, because the game designers were clever. 00:57:00.150 --> 00:57:03.586 They put a second wire guide at the bottom of this channel, 00:57:03.820 --> 00:57:06.890 which is designed to knock the ball to the side a little bit 00:57:07.090 --> 00:57:09.659 and hopefully prevent it from bouncing in the first place, 00:57:09.926 --> 00:57:13.329 which is pretty effective, but it's not always effective. 00:57:13.329 --> 00:57:16.433 So sometimes you get a double scoring just from pure luck. 00:57:16.933 --> 00:57:19.903 now there's really just one area left to describe, 00:57:20.069 --> 00:57:21.704 and that's the entry point. 00:57:21.704 --> 00:57:23.006 And the lanes below it. 00:57:24.107 --> 00:57:25.842 Something that's a little weird 00:57:25.842 --> 00:57:28.445 about most pinball games, including this one, 00:57:28.812 --> 00:57:31.915 is that everything we've been talking about so far 00:57:32.115 --> 00:57:34.784 is not actually centered in the cabinet. 00:57:35.618 --> 00:57:38.721 That's because of the shooter lane to the right, 00:57:39.656 --> 00:57:42.625 while the shooter lane is part of the wooden board, 00:57:42.625 --> 00:57:44.027 which is the playfield. 00:57:44.360 --> 00:57:48.965 It is functionally adjacent to the playable area and on its right. 00:57:49.365 --> 00:57:51.468 And in this game it serves merely 00:57:51.468 --> 00:57:53.203 as a ball delivery mechanism. 00:57:54.037 --> 00:57:56.139 It exists as a narrow channel formed 00:57:56.139 --> 00:57:59.709 between two long pieces of wood that are sticking up from the playfield. 00:58:00.343 --> 00:58:04.180 The wood piece on the right is literally the edge of the wooden board, 00:58:04.180 --> 00:58:05.615 which everything is fastened to, 00:58:06.015 --> 00:58:08.051 and the one on the left defines the right hand 00:58:08.051 --> 00:58:09.652 side of the playable area. 00:58:10.587 --> 00:58:13.122 The shooter lane is not much wider than the ball, 00:58:13.356 --> 00:58:16.426 and it extends nearly the entire length of the cabinet. 00:58:17.360 --> 00:58:19.496 When the game is started, the machine uses 00:58:19.496 --> 00:58:23.199 a solenoid to knock the ball sideways from where it sits in the out hole, 00:58:23.533 --> 00:58:26.569 after which it finds itself at the bottom of the shooter lane, 00:58:26.703 --> 00:58:29.839 where it will then rest on the tip of the spring loaded plunger. 00:58:30.607 --> 00:58:34.410 The plunger sticks out the front of the cabinet on the right hand side, 00:58:34.577 --> 00:58:36.346 and the handle allows the player 00:58:36.346 --> 00:58:39.349 to pull back on the plunger, which compresses the spring. 00:58:40.316 --> 00:58:41.284 When this is done, 00:58:41.284 --> 00:58:44.888 the ball rolls back only slightly as the plunger 00:58:44.888 --> 00:58:48.525 tip is protruding through a piece of metal which holds the ball in place. 00:58:49.459 --> 00:58:50.960 You can pull the plunger back 00:58:50.960 --> 00:58:55.031 about 4in or 10cm, which compresses the spring quite a lot. 00:58:55.331 --> 00:58:57.534 So when you let go of the plunger, handle 00:58:57.834 --> 00:59:00.470 it rapidly moves forward and strikes the ball, 00:59:00.603 --> 00:59:03.206 propelling it upward at very high speed. 00:59:04.374 --> 00:59:06.843 At about three quarters of the way up the playfield, 00:59:07.076 --> 00:59:09.479 the shooter lane begins curving to the left 00:59:09.479 --> 00:59:13.316 thanks to a large metal piece which blocks the corners of the playfield 00:59:13.449 --> 00:59:15.385 and forms a semi-circle at the top. 00:59:16.052 --> 00:59:18.888 So when a ball is shot up by the plunger, 00:59:19.155 --> 00:59:22.692 it follows the path of the semi-circle and starts curving to the left. 00:59:23.259 --> 00:59:25.762 It quickly reaches the apex of that semi-circle 00:59:25.762 --> 00:59:28.698 at the center line, the very top of the playfield, 00:59:29.065 --> 00:59:31.034 and then it starts curving back downward 00:59:31.034 --> 00:59:33.202 as it continues towards the left hand side, 00:59:34.037 --> 00:59:36.906 but it quickly encounters an obstacle. 00:59:37.907 --> 00:59:39.342 At roughly the 10:00 00:59:39.342 --> 00:59:41.844 and 2:00 position of that semi-circle 00:59:42.145 --> 00:59:44.614 are simple mechanisms called gates. 00:59:45.315 --> 00:59:47.183 These are metal brackets akin 00:59:47.183 --> 00:59:49.552 to archways which the ball will travel under. 00:59:49.819 --> 00:59:53.389 And they have a moving flap which the ball can push open from one side 00:59:53.523 --> 00:59:54.891 but not the other. 00:59:55.792 --> 00:59:58.361 The gate at the 2:00 position prevents 00:59:58.361 --> 01:00:00.964 the ball from traveling back down the shooter lane. 01:00:00.964 --> 01:00:02.732 Once it has entered the playfield, 01:00:03.399 --> 01:00:06.302 but thanks to the second gate at the 10:00 position, 01:00:06.636 --> 01:00:09.472 once the ball enters the playfield, it rapidly 01:00:09.472 --> 01:00:11.908 bounces back and forth between the two gates 01:00:12.275 --> 01:00:15.244 until it loses enough speed that gravity takes over 01:00:15.244 --> 01:00:16.679 and it starts rolling towards you. 01:00:17.313 --> 01:00:18.982 That's this sound here. 01:00:23.853 --> 01:00:26.055 The ball moves so rapidly during this 01:00:26.055 --> 01:00:28.191 that it's sliding more than it's rolling, 01:00:28.491 --> 01:00:32.362 and over time it has carved a wear line into the wood of the playfield. 01:00:33.296 --> 01:00:35.765 I want to note that this basic arrangement of a shooter 01:00:35.765 --> 01:00:39.569 lane on the right, sending the ball up and along that semi-circular top 01:00:39.902 --> 01:00:43.272 was quite common going back to the 1940s, 01:00:43.640 --> 01:00:46.342 but it's less common for there to be two gates. 01:00:46.843 --> 01:00:49.145 In many games, the left hand gate is instead 01:00:49.145 --> 01:00:51.748 a simple rubber bumper which the ball bounces off. 01:00:52.081 --> 01:00:54.751 But here that's replaced by a gate 01:00:54.751 --> 01:00:57.920 at the top of the pathway behind the spinning target. 01:00:58.655 --> 01:00:59.756 As a matter of fact, 01:00:59.756 --> 01:01:02.759 the top of the curved pathway behind the spinning target 01:01:02.925 --> 01:01:06.229 joins up with the semi-circular metal shield at the top. 01:01:06.562 --> 01:01:08.998 So if that gate weren't there, 01:01:09.165 --> 01:01:10.800 the game would start with the ball 01:01:10.800 --> 01:01:14.437 making a very fast trip up and over the top of the playfield 01:01:14.570 --> 01:01:17.407 before curving back and being shot out of the spinner 01:01:17.573 --> 01:01:19.342 and across to the right flipper. 01:01:19.876 --> 01:01:21.077 That'd be fun. 01:01:21.077 --> 01:01:23.079 But anyway, because of the gates, 01:01:23.079 --> 01:01:26.082 the ball will always get trapped in this area. 01:01:26.082 --> 01:01:28.451 If it comes up either through the shooter lane 01:01:28.651 --> 01:01:31.120 or through the path behind the spinning target. 01:01:32.155 --> 01:01:34.924 This entry point at the very top is shaped 01:01:34.924 --> 01:01:36.793 almost like a slice of pizza. 01:01:37.493 --> 01:01:40.229 The semi-circular top forms the shape of the crust, 01:01:40.496 --> 01:01:43.900 and linear barriers under playfield plastics forms 01:01:43.900 --> 01:01:46.602 straight lines perpendicular to that semicircle, 01:01:46.836 --> 01:01:50.173 which extend inward and downward from the gates, 01:01:50.440 --> 01:01:52.308 similar to the sides of a pizza slice. 01:01:53.176 --> 01:01:56.012 And by the way, I've already talked about these plastics. 01:01:56.512 --> 01:01:58.481 The one on the left is the same one 01:01:58.481 --> 01:02:00.216 which covers the linear barriers 01:02:00.216 --> 01:02:02.985 separating the pop bumpers from the pathway behind the spinner, 01:02:03.553 --> 01:02:05.722 and the plastic on the right is the same one 01:02:05.722 --> 01:02:08.291 that creates the scoop shape for the kickback lane. 01:02:09.425 --> 01:02:11.828 These are very oddly shaped 01:02:11.828 --> 01:02:14.363 playfield plastics because of all the stuff they're covering up. 01:02:14.731 --> 01:02:16.833 But each one has a straight section 01:02:16.833 --> 01:02:18.634 which comes inward from the gates, 01:02:18.634 --> 01:02:21.137 creating the sides of our pretend pizza slice 01:02:21.337 --> 01:02:23.506 and funneling the ball towards the center. 01:02:24.207 --> 01:02:26.442 But rather than converging to a point, 01:02:26.676 --> 01:02:29.812 those sides stop short and lead into three 01:02:29.812 --> 01:02:32.715 parallel lanes arranged left to right. 01:02:33.483 --> 01:02:36.185 Those lanes are created by simple dividers 01:02:36.185 --> 01:02:39.322 made of two posts with a plastic cover spanning them, 01:02:39.756 --> 01:02:44.060 and they break up an otherwise open area into three distinct paths. 01:02:44.093 --> 01:02:46.262 The ball could take as it falls towards you. 01:02:47.196 --> 01:02:49.599 The game registers the ball passing through the lanes, 01:02:49.599 --> 01:02:50.967 using the same piece of wire 01:02:50.967 --> 01:02:53.136 sticking up from the bottom of the playfield through a slot. 01:02:53.136 --> 01:02:54.337 Trick. 01:02:54.504 --> 01:02:56.839 The outer lanes award 1000 points 01:02:57.073 --> 01:03:01.110 and may also advance the bonus if that lane is lit. 01:03:01.210 --> 01:03:02.678 When the ball passes through it, 01:03:03.513 --> 01:03:07.116 the lanes are lit by a white playfield insert directly above each lane, 01:03:07.383 --> 01:03:10.253 and which lane is lit varies throughout the game. 01:03:11.254 --> 01:03:13.923 The center lane awards 1000 points as well, 01:03:14.223 --> 01:03:17.660 but it also lights A in Aztec 01:03:17.660 --> 01:03:20.229 and the spinning target for 1000 points. 01:03:21.197 --> 01:03:21.664 That's right. 01:03:21.664 --> 01:03:24.233 If you've been wondering where A is this whole time, 01:03:24.467 --> 01:03:26.869 it's the center lane at the very top. 01:03:27.503 --> 01:03:30.206 And that means whether or not you'll light 01:03:30.206 --> 01:03:32.575 A is mostly down to chance, 01:03:32.742 --> 01:03:35.378 especially since it's in the middle and isn't helped 01:03:35.378 --> 01:03:38.347 by the funneling effect of those linear barriers. 01:03:38.815 --> 01:03:40.149 But because you're able 01:03:40.149 --> 01:03:42.485 to get the ball back up to this point through the spinner, 01:03:42.819 --> 01:03:45.488 you can theoretically have as many goes at it as you like. 01:03:46.422 --> 01:03:49.892 Now, those entry lanes are the most important part up top, 01:03:49.892 --> 01:03:52.195 but they aren't the only thing going on up there. 01:03:53.029 --> 01:03:57.066 Just below the semi-circular path, the ball first bounces back and forth. 01:03:57.066 --> 01:03:59.602 Along are three rollover buttons. 01:04:00.269 --> 01:04:02.371 Those are literally small translucent 01:04:02.371 --> 01:04:05.174 red buttons that protrude from the playfield slightly 01:04:05.408 --> 01:04:07.844 and are depressed by the ball when it rolls over them. 01:04:08.678 --> 01:04:11.480 These buttons may be depressed by the ball once it loses 01:04:11.480 --> 01:04:14.050 speed and falls toward you, but they might not. 01:04:14.884 --> 01:04:17.420 The two outer buttons award 100 points, 01:04:17.687 --> 01:04:20.323 and the center button, which is faintly illuminated 01:04:20.323 --> 01:04:23.259 by a light bulb below, advances the bonus value. 01:04:23.759 --> 01:04:26.329 And fun fact that's all it does. 01:04:26.462 --> 01:04:29.065 You don't get points, so the chimes do not sound. 01:04:29.398 --> 01:04:33.069 All you hear as a player is the stepping action of the bonus unit. 01:04:33.069 --> 01:04:34.303 When the ball rolls over, it. 01:04:35.171 --> 01:04:35.771 Also, 01:04:35.771 --> 01:04:39.308 the straight lines of our pizza slice are in fact made by rubber 01:04:39.308 --> 01:04:40.576 rings stretched across post, 01:04:40.576 --> 01:04:42.578 like most of the linear barriers found throughout. 01:04:42.845 --> 01:04:45.581 And they have a switch behind the rubber ring to register 01:04:45.581 --> 01:04:47.550 ten points whenever the ball hits them. 01:04:48.084 --> 01:04:51.554 But once the ball has fallen through one of the three entry lanes, 01:04:51.554 --> 01:04:55.324 it will roll directly into one of the game's three pop bumpers. 01:04:55.691 --> 01:04:59.762 In fact, the pop bumpers are nearly perfectly centered below each lane, 01:05:00.029 --> 01:05:03.599 though the lower center bumper is much farther below the other two. 01:05:04.600 --> 01:05:05.334 This means 01:05:05.334 --> 01:05:09.605 every ball in play starts out by flailing around a bit at the top, 01:05:09.805 --> 01:05:11.641 falling into one of the three lanes, 01:05:11.874 --> 01:05:15.244 and then falling down into the pop bumpers, where chaos ensues 01:05:15.745 --> 01:05:19.615 and eventually either by force of the pop bumper or through a gentle roll, 01:05:19.682 --> 01:05:22.618 it will make its way through one of the gaps between the center targets 01:05:22.618 --> 01:05:23.819 and the sides, 01:05:23.886 --> 01:05:27.156 and wind up down by the flippers, where the player can hopefully catch it, 01:05:27.356 --> 01:05:29.692 or at least flip it back up for some more points. 01:05:30.493 --> 01:05:33.629 Now, at this point, I've described everything on the playfield, 01:05:33.629 --> 01:05:35.564 but there are a couple of things to note here. 01:05:36.198 --> 01:05:38.668 First, nearly every linear barrier 01:05:38.668 --> 01:05:41.337 which is made of a rubber ring has a switch behind it 01:05:41.337 --> 01:05:42.605 which awards ten points. 01:05:43.306 --> 01:05:45.875 Those aren't likely to get you over to a replay, 01:05:45.908 --> 01:05:48.544 but that's how the match units, which quasi 01:05:48.577 --> 01:05:51.347 randomly awards free games, gets advanced. 01:05:51.948 --> 01:05:53.883 And since the pop bumpers tend 01:05:53.883 --> 01:05:56.452 to bounce the ball off those other linear bumpers, 01:05:56.886 --> 01:05:58.921 this moves the match unit a lot. 01:05:59.622 --> 01:06:02.091 Plus, in this game, the match unit causes 01:06:02.091 --> 01:06:04.327 a few of the targets to alternate point values. 01:06:04.627 --> 01:06:07.763 For example, the pop bumpers are worth 1000 points when lit, 01:06:07.863 --> 01:06:09.498 but they're never all lit together. 01:06:09.532 --> 01:06:12.735 It's either the top two that are lit or the bottom by itself. 01:06:12.969 --> 01:06:16.272 And when the match unit advances, it alternates between these two states. 01:06:16.505 --> 01:06:19.308 So hitting a ten point bumper is what switches between them. 01:06:20.242 --> 01:06:23.679 That can lead to some interesting patterns of chimes sounding 01:06:23.879 --> 01:06:25.348 when the ball keeps bouncing 01:06:25.348 --> 01:06:27.950 between the same pop bumper and a ten point bumper 01:06:28.484 --> 01:06:31.687 every other hit of the pop bumper is worth 1000 points, 01:06:31.687 --> 01:06:33.723 which changes which chime is sounded. 01:06:34.557 --> 01:06:35.858 Oh, right side note. 01:06:36.058 --> 01:06:38.694 Which of the game's three chimes sounds 01:06:38.694 --> 01:06:41.397 depends on the point value of the target you hit. 01:06:41.964 --> 01:06:46.469 Or more accurately, which point relay is firing in the back box. 01:06:47.436 --> 01:06:48.904 In this game, the highest 01:06:48.904 --> 01:06:51.173 tone sounds for 100 point targets. 01:06:51.540 --> 01:06:54.010 The middle tone sounds for ten point targets, 01:06:54.310 --> 01:06:58.914 and the lowest tone sounds for 1010 thousand point targets. 01:06:59.448 --> 01:07:02.551 Some games had a fourth chime, but that's pretty rare. 01:07:03.319 --> 01:07:04.920 And on that note, 01:07:05.021 --> 01:07:06.989 there's one target I've left out. 01:07:07.690 --> 01:07:10.092 Tucked into the corner formed between the top 01:07:10.092 --> 01:07:13.062 post of the linear bumper to the left of the pop bumpers 01:07:13.362 --> 01:07:15.998 and the bottom post of the left entry lane. 01:07:16.232 --> 01:07:17.933 Is another stand up target. 01:07:18.667 --> 01:07:22.505 This one is worth 1000 points and advances the bonus value 01:07:22.538 --> 01:07:25.074 when that target is lit again, indicated 01:07:25.074 --> 01:07:27.443 by a white playfield insert next to the target. 01:07:28.377 --> 01:07:30.780 That target is only lit to advance the bonus 01:07:30.813 --> 01:07:32.882 after every other ten point bumper hit. 01:07:33.115 --> 01:07:36.352 So it often does not do anything but award 1000 points. 01:07:37.119 --> 01:07:40.022 The position of this stand up target makes hitting it 01:07:40.022 --> 01:07:43.125 deliberately using the flippers nearly impossible. 01:07:43.692 --> 01:07:45.995 The top left pop bumper is in the way, 01:07:46.262 --> 01:07:48.697 although that pop bumper will often send the ball 01:07:48.697 --> 01:07:51.100 right into the target, sometimes repeatedly. 01:07:51.834 --> 01:07:53.402 And if it helps to get your bearings. 01:07:53.602 --> 01:07:56.605 The position of this target is effectively opposite 01:07:56.605 --> 01:07:58.908 to the entry scoop of the kickback lane. 01:07:59.575 --> 01:08:00.342 From left to right, 01:08:00.342 --> 01:08:03.312 it's stand up target left lane, center lane, right lane, 01:08:03.546 --> 01:08:06.248 and then the post at the bottom of the right lane forms 01:08:06.248 --> 01:08:10.019 the left hand edge of the scoop shape, which directs the ball downward. 01:08:10.719 --> 01:08:13.522 So that's everything going on with this playfield. 01:08:14.123 --> 01:08:17.660 As you can probably imagine, the playfield is a blank canvas 01:08:17.660 --> 01:08:20.162 that game designers could do pretty much anything with, 01:08:20.529 --> 01:08:22.765 and there's a huge variety of games out there. 01:08:23.365 --> 01:08:26.969 Plus, there are many more elements that this game doesn't feature at all. 01:08:28.170 --> 01:08:30.606 I'll now be switching back to more gameplay 01:08:30.606 --> 01:08:33.209 where I describe what I'm trying to accomplish as I play. 01:08:33.609 --> 01:08:36.112 But before I do, I want to provide a brief recap 01:08:36.112 --> 01:08:39.315 of what happens when you plunge the ball and what you can do. 01:08:40.449 --> 01:08:43.152 Every game starts with the ball at the entry point 01:08:43.285 --> 01:08:45.521 and falling through one of the three lanes. 01:08:46.088 --> 01:08:49.291 You might get lucky and light A, or you might not. 01:08:49.925 --> 01:08:52.862 The ball is going to bounce around in the central area for a while, 01:08:52.862 --> 01:08:55.297 thanks to the pop bumpers hitting various targets 01:08:55.297 --> 01:08:57.700 and possibly getting shot into the kickback lane, 01:08:58.167 --> 01:09:00.569 but eventually it will roll towards the flippers. 01:09:01.337 --> 01:09:03.172 If it touches a slingshot on its way 01:09:03.172 --> 01:09:04.740 down, you'll have to be on your toes 01:09:04.740 --> 01:09:06.942 and try to catch it before things get out of hand. 01:09:07.443 --> 01:09:08.878 And assuming you have caught it. 01:09:09.111 --> 01:09:11.747 You then have eight basic things to shoot for. 01:09:12.181 --> 01:09:14.350 The four letter targets flanking the sides, 01:09:14.517 --> 01:09:15.985 the center target in the middle. 01:09:16.352 --> 01:09:19.121 The scope of the kickback lane at the top right, 01:09:19.488 --> 01:09:21.557 the spinning target at the center left 01:09:21.557 --> 01:09:23.025 which will take the ball back to the top. 01:09:23.025 --> 01:09:24.226 If you hit it well enough. 01:09:24.593 --> 01:09:26.262 And the eighth option 01:09:26.695 --> 01:09:29.431 is just to fling the ball back up into where the pop bumpers are. 01:09:29.632 --> 01:09:32.001 Though that's not much of a strategy really. 01:09:32.535 --> 01:09:34.503 You might get lucky and light a 01:09:34.503 --> 01:09:37.373 if the pop bumpers push the ball back up through the center lane. 01:09:37.740 --> 01:09:38.941 But for the most part, 01:09:39.041 --> 01:09:41.410 there's no reason to deliberately send the ball there. 01:09:41.577 --> 01:09:43.212 You'll just be asking for trouble, 01:09:43.345 --> 01:09:46.949 as it's very possible for the outer pop bumpers to launch the ball 01:09:46.949 --> 01:09:49.852 right back and straight down the middle between the flippers. 01:09:50.352 --> 01:09:52.621 Oh, and real quick, I just want to apologize 01:09:52.621 --> 01:09:55.958 for the audio quality from my voice in this next section. 01:09:56.192 --> 01:09:58.594 I did a test recording with the microphones 01:09:58.594 --> 01:10:00.462 set up similar to where I had it, 01:10:00.462 --> 01:10:03.566 and I thought that I was actually being picked up pretty well by the mic. 01:10:04.200 --> 01:10:08.270 But then when I did the actual recording, something changed. 01:10:08.270 --> 01:10:10.539 And I'm not that clearly audible. 01:10:10.639 --> 01:10:13.475 I should have been wearing a laugh mic, but I wasn't. 01:10:13.475 --> 01:10:17.980 So I am sorry for the audio quality here, but the machine itself 01:10:18.147 --> 01:10:20.316 sounds just as good as it did at the beginning. 01:10:20.683 --> 01:10:21.150 All right. 01:10:21.150 --> 01:10:22.785 And now I'm going to play some more games. 01:10:22.785 --> 01:10:25.387 But this time I'm going to slow down and explain 01:10:25.387 --> 01:10:27.756 what I'm trying to do as I play the game. 01:10:28.490 --> 01:10:30.593 I woke up to the fact that at the beginning, 01:10:30.593 --> 01:10:32.127 I wasn't really trying that hard. 01:10:32.228 --> 01:10:35.497 I needed to slow down myself, but, it's often 01:10:35.798 --> 01:10:37.967 very hard to do that in the moment. 01:10:37.967 --> 01:10:39.969 So now I'm going to play some more 01:10:39.969 --> 01:10:42.538 and actually explain the strategy behind this game. 01:10:48.544 --> 01:10:48.978 Okay. 01:10:48.978 --> 01:10:51.247 So with the ball now served, to me, 01:10:51.847 --> 01:10:53.949 the most important thing about this game 01:10:53.949 --> 01:10:56.852 is the fact that the center target and the kickback lane, 01:10:57.186 --> 01:11:00.189 their value changes depending on how many letters are lit. 01:11:00.189 --> 01:11:03.359 And critically, the kickback lane, which is at the top 01:11:03.359 --> 01:11:07.630 right of the playfield that awards 10,000 points for every lit letter. 01:11:07.930 --> 01:11:11.467 And that's a fairly easy target to hit regularly. 01:11:11.800 --> 01:11:13.936 You have, it's easier from the left flipper, 01:11:13.936 --> 01:11:16.105 but you can also backhand it from the right flipper 01:11:16.405 --> 01:11:18.674 so it's much harder to backhand it. 01:11:18.674 --> 01:11:22.778 I tend to find it's easier if it's rolling down the lane. 01:11:22.778 --> 01:11:24.580 I give, let it bounce, then kick it back up. 01:11:24.947 --> 01:11:26.949 But, regardless, 01:11:27.316 --> 01:11:30.419 the real strategy of this game is get some letters lit. 01:11:30.519 --> 01:11:32.988 Hopefully Z and T are part of them 01:11:32.988 --> 01:11:36.458 because that will activate double bonus, but get at least two letters lit 01:11:36.558 --> 01:11:38.494 and then keep going for that target. 01:11:38.827 --> 01:11:41.297 That's going to rack your points up faster than anything else. 01:11:41.563 --> 01:11:45.334 The temptation to complete as tech is actually quite risky, 01:11:45.334 --> 01:11:48.037 because all of the side stand up targets, 01:11:48.604 --> 01:11:52.841 they all have the ball rebound in disastrous ways. 01:11:53.208 --> 01:11:58.113 The layout of this playfield is quite good at having the targets. 01:11:58.113 --> 01:12:01.350 You need to make that target worth more, 01:12:01.383 --> 01:12:04.453 be a risky shot, and that's really the wonder 01:12:04.453 --> 01:12:07.356 of how pinball works as far as I'm concerned. 01:12:07.356 --> 01:12:08.924 I really like that aspect of the game. 01:12:09.992 --> 01:12:11.193 It just makes it challenging. 01:12:11.460 --> 01:12:15.364 These old games are surprisingly replayable, 01:12:15.698 --> 01:12:18.801 even though they are so simple, and it's because of how 01:12:18.801 --> 01:12:21.070 risky those target combinations are, I think. 01:12:21.503 --> 01:12:24.073 But anyway, when I plunge the ball, 01:12:24.606 --> 01:12:27.810 I may light a if it goes through the center lane 01:12:28.043 --> 01:12:29.812 and a is useful 01:12:29.812 --> 01:12:33.082 because it's another letter, it increases the value of those targets, 01:12:33.349 --> 01:12:37.286 and it increases the spinner value from 100 to 1000 points. 01:12:37.286 --> 01:12:41.290 However, it's generally not too worth fixating on that, 01:12:41.557 --> 01:12:44.660 because even if you give the spinner a right whack, you're 01:12:44.827 --> 01:12:47.529 not really going to get any more than 30,000 points. 01:12:47.529 --> 01:12:48.697 And that's if you're lucky. 01:12:48.964 --> 01:12:51.233 So anyway, let me just start the game and I'll explain 01:12:51.233 --> 01:12:52.434 what I'm trying to do. 01:12:53.035 --> 01:12:56.405 I also explain what's happening as we're going along. 01:12:56.739 --> 01:12:57.973 So we did light a. 01:13:00.175 --> 01:13:01.377 And we lost the ball already. 01:13:05.748 --> 01:13:07.116 We happened to light E 01:13:07.149 --> 01:13:09.017 but I didn't even get to hit it with the flippers, 01:13:09.017 --> 01:13:11.286 which again is something that happens with these games. 01:13:11.754 --> 01:13:12.955 It's just what happens. 01:13:13.288 --> 01:13:15.624 So we only got 23,000 points on that ball. 01:13:20.462 --> 01:13:21.663 Did not light a. 01:13:25.200 --> 01:13:26.101 The ball was pushed 01:13:26.101 --> 01:13:28.604 back up through the lanes by the bumpers, 01:13:28.604 --> 01:13:30.806 but now I have caught it in the left flipper. 01:13:31.273 --> 01:13:33.809 So what I want to do right now 01:13:33.809 --> 01:13:35.878 is probably try and light t, 01:13:36.245 --> 01:13:39.448 and in order to aim what you're hitting at, 01:13:39.782 --> 01:13:41.917 it's a it's not that complicated, 01:13:41.917 --> 01:13:44.586 but when you think about it too much, it becomes more complicated 01:13:44.887 --> 01:13:46.989 because the speed of the ball 01:13:46.989 --> 01:13:49.458 as it's rolling down the flipper is going to influence 01:13:49.458 --> 01:13:53.462 the angle that it departs the flipper from when you hit it. 01:13:53.829 --> 01:13:56.999 So a lot of this is just timing. 01:13:56.999 --> 01:13:58.634 You get good at recognizing 01:13:58.967 --> 01:14:01.770 how long, I should say, once you've caught the ball. 01:14:01.770 --> 01:14:02.971 A lot of it is timing. 01:14:03.038 --> 01:14:05.340 You get good at recognizing how long you have to wait, 01:14:05.340 --> 01:14:07.209 once you release it to then flip. 01:14:07.810 --> 01:14:10.312 And that is sometimes more important 01:14:10.312 --> 01:14:13.515 than where the ball actually is as it's rolling down the flipper. 01:14:14.416 --> 01:14:16.752 But as a general rule, 01:14:17.052 --> 01:14:20.389 the wider the shot you have to make, the more difficult it is. 01:14:20.389 --> 01:14:22.591 It's pretty easy to make shots 01:14:23.492 --> 01:14:25.027 towards the center of the playfield, 01:14:25.027 --> 01:14:28.030 like it's pretty easy to get the ball back up towards the pop bumpers, 01:14:28.330 --> 01:14:30.199 but it's fairly difficult 01:14:30.399 --> 01:14:34.002 to get them to go to the stand up targets on one hit. 01:14:34.002 --> 01:14:37.506 And even if you get there, the rebound is dangerous. 01:14:37.506 --> 01:14:38.807 And that's why this game, 01:14:39.308 --> 01:14:41.443 despite being so simple, is actually quite fun to play. 01:14:41.710 --> 01:14:44.246 So I'm going to try to hit T, 01:14:44.246 --> 01:14:47.683 which will involve me letting go of the ball and I can go the flipper, 01:14:47.950 --> 01:14:51.086 letting it roll down the flipper probably until about the two thirds 01:14:51.086 --> 01:14:53.622 mark, and then hitting it again. 01:14:55.424 --> 01:14:56.625 And I was too early. 01:15:01.497 --> 01:15:04.132 The ball was bouncing around the bumpers right there. 01:15:05.000 --> 01:15:06.869 I've now caught it in the right flipper, 01:15:07.269 --> 01:15:08.770 so I haven't really done anything yet. 01:15:09.338 --> 01:15:12.040 No letters are lit, the ball is just bouncing around. 01:15:12.040 --> 01:15:13.809 So we only got like 15,000 points. 01:15:13.809 --> 01:15:15.377 We're at 38,000 points right now. 01:15:15.377 --> 01:15:17.479 So again, now I have the right flipper. 01:15:17.479 --> 01:15:18.747 I'm going to try to hit Z. 01:15:20.716 --> 01:15:21.950 I was just short. 01:15:25.354 --> 01:15:26.555 Unfortunately, I'm. 01:15:28.657 --> 01:15:28.991 Okay. 01:15:28.991 --> 01:15:29.525 Hold on. 01:15:29.525 --> 01:15:30.726 I don't have control. The ball 01:15:31.627 --> 01:15:32.427 okay. 01:15:32.427 --> 01:15:34.062 Unfortunately on this game 01:15:34.496 --> 01:15:36.465 when the ball comes in an end lane, it's 01:15:36.465 --> 01:15:37.966 pretty much impossible to catch it. 01:15:37.966 --> 01:15:42.070 It has just enough momentum to where it will bounce off the flipper. 01:15:42.070 --> 01:15:45.274 So you do kind of have to just hit it. 01:15:45.541 --> 01:15:47.910 If the ball goes into an end lane and see what you can do. 01:15:47.910 --> 01:15:49.611 But again, I'm going to try to hit T. 01:15:51.113 --> 01:15:52.648 And again was a little too early. 01:15:53.815 --> 01:15:55.017 When I go for Z. 01:15:55.250 --> 01:15:57.486 Technically got it. 01:15:57.486 --> 01:16:00.055 So I've let Z in a bit of a weird way. 01:16:00.055 --> 01:16:01.223 I didn't hit it directly. 01:16:01.223 --> 01:16:04.059 It bounced off of the slingshot, then went back up into Z, 01:16:04.226 --> 01:16:05.427 but Z is now lit. 01:16:05.527 --> 01:16:08.463 That's important because double bonus is now possible. 01:16:08.764 --> 01:16:12.100 So I can go into that kickback lane and get double bonus, 01:16:12.100 --> 01:16:14.469 which means that the value of the bonus, which is currently 01:16:14.469 --> 01:16:16.672 10,000, will be doubled at the end of the ball. 01:16:16.905 --> 01:16:19.441 But also now that target is worth 10,000 points. 01:16:19.775 --> 01:16:21.076 That's not a whole lot, 01:16:21.310 --> 01:16:24.580 but because it's going to double the bonus effectively 01:16:24.680 --> 01:16:27.516 just hitting that right now is worth 20,000 points. 01:16:27.516 --> 01:16:28.350 So I'm going to go for it. 01:16:32.087 --> 01:16:34.890 And that's how easy that target is to get 01:16:36.425 --> 01:16:38.594 because it's almost got a scoop shape. 01:16:39.294 --> 01:16:41.797 It's going to guide the ball into where it needs to go. 01:16:41.964 --> 01:16:44.866 It's a lot harder to get on the right flipper, but you can do it. 01:16:45.167 --> 01:16:46.268 But in this case, 01:16:46.268 --> 01:16:48.637 I'm going to try to go up through the spinner 01:16:48.637 --> 01:16:51.406 and get the ball back at the top of the playfield to try and light 01:16:51.406 --> 01:16:53.709 A, because lightning E is very risky. 01:16:54.176 --> 01:16:57.112 I'm just happy if he happens to get lit during game. 01:16:57.112 --> 01:16:58.413 For now, I'm going to try to get back up 01:16:58.447 --> 01:16:59.648 to the top of the playfield, 01:17:01.183 --> 01:17:06.054 but I was the one time we did light E just there. 01:17:06.188 --> 01:17:07.990 Okay, I have the ball again in the right flipper. 01:17:07.990 --> 01:17:10.559 I'm going to try to whack it up through the spinner to the top 01:17:14.429 --> 01:17:15.597 and there we go. 01:17:15.597 --> 01:17:16.431 The ball is at the top. 01:17:16.431 --> 01:17:18.467 But we did not like a we. 01:17:18.467 --> 01:17:19.668 We still 01:17:20.202 --> 01:17:21.403 never mind. 01:17:24.539 --> 01:17:24.906 Okay. 01:17:24.906 --> 01:17:28.110 Right there I tried to hit the ball back up to the top, 01:17:28.110 --> 01:17:30.212 but it didn't quite have enough, speed. 01:17:30.312 --> 01:17:31.346 So it fell back down. 01:17:31.346 --> 01:17:32.814 And I have it again in the right flipper. 01:17:33.148 --> 01:17:35.083 We have Z and E lit now, 01:17:35.250 --> 01:17:37.886 so the kickback line is worth 10,000 points. 01:17:37.886 --> 01:17:40.322 It may be worth trying to repeatedly hit that target. 01:17:41.289 --> 01:17:44.893 So what I will do is I'm going to try to attempt a post transfer, 01:17:45.127 --> 01:17:48.563 which is where I will very briefly let this flipper go, 01:17:48.997 --> 01:17:52.267 then hit it again so the ball bounces up into that post 01:17:52.567 --> 01:17:53.802 and into the other flipper. 01:17:54.236 --> 01:17:58.006 Quick addendum that post is the bottom post of the slingshot. 01:17:58.040 --> 01:18:00.442 It's just above the pivot point of the flipper. 01:18:00.609 --> 01:18:03.745 So if you briefly let go of the flipper and then flip it again, 01:18:03.745 --> 01:18:06.348 the ball is going to get shot right up into that post 01:18:06.581 --> 01:18:08.950 and hopefully bounce over to the other flipper. 01:18:08.984 --> 01:18:10.185 That's what I'm trying to do. 01:18:10.719 --> 01:18:12.888 I find it harder to do that on this game 01:18:12.888 --> 01:18:15.624 than my more modern games, but I'm going to try it anyway. 01:18:17.359 --> 01:18:18.560 They did it all 01:18:18.560 --> 01:18:20.729 right, so now that I have the ball on the left flipper, 01:18:20.962 --> 01:18:23.498 I'm going to push it up into that kickback target hopefully 01:18:23.732 --> 01:18:25.133 and get 20,000 points. 01:18:25.801 --> 01:18:27.969 And I missed. 01:18:30.038 --> 01:18:31.206 Oh well. 01:18:34.443 --> 01:18:35.644 And go for it again. 01:18:36.478 --> 01:18:37.779 It's much much too late. 01:18:40.148 --> 01:18:41.616 And the ball's out. 01:18:46.088 --> 01:18:47.556 But because we had double bonus, 01:18:47.556 --> 01:18:49.825 we got 40,000 bonus points, which is not bad. 01:18:50.058 --> 01:18:52.360 So our 142,000 points right now. 01:18:58.533 --> 01:18:59.735 We got a. 01:19:03.505 --> 01:19:04.005 Okay. 01:19:04.005 --> 01:19:05.207 That didn't work. 01:19:05.974 --> 01:19:07.175 That also didn't work. 01:19:09.144 --> 01:19:11.646 Sometimes you really just cannot catch the ball. 01:19:13.014 --> 01:19:14.216 All right I caught it again. 01:19:14.216 --> 01:19:16.318 So right now we have a and t lit. 01:19:16.685 --> 01:19:20.055 I'm going to try and go for Z actually just to get another letter. 01:19:20.422 --> 01:19:21.923 Really? 01:19:21.923 --> 01:19:23.125 Well. 01:19:25.093 --> 01:19:25.927 Oh, boy. 01:19:25.927 --> 01:19:27.496 Okay. All right. 01:19:28.096 --> 01:19:31.566 Through sheer luck, we now have AZT and C lit. 01:19:31.566 --> 01:19:34.669 So every time we hit that target, it's going to be worth 40,000 points. 01:19:34.703 --> 01:19:36.671 Let's go for it. There we are. 01:19:40.408 --> 01:19:40.809 And we're just 01:19:40.809 --> 01:19:43.178 going to try again the next time we get an opportunity. 01:19:45.313 --> 01:19:46.915 That was really bad and dumb of me. 01:19:46.915 --> 01:19:48.116 Okay. 01:19:50.085 --> 01:19:51.553 I was trying to do a backhanded 01:19:51.553 --> 01:19:55.490 kick up into that target, but I hit the center target, 01:19:55.490 --> 01:19:57.159 which is also extremely risky. 01:19:57.292 --> 01:19:58.960 And it is pop, right? Damaging the flipper. 01:19:58.960 --> 01:20:01.897 So we had a really good shot of getting a replay on that last ball, 01:20:01.897 --> 01:20:04.332 but I screwed it up with that last move there. 01:20:04.332 --> 01:20:08.136 So we ended at 239,930, 01:20:08.403 --> 01:20:11.239 and I completely forgot there was a credit on the machine. 01:20:11.239 --> 01:20:12.474 I'm recording this out of sequence, 01:20:12.474 --> 01:20:15.744 so there was a credit on the machine from when I did the just playthrough. 01:20:15.877 --> 01:20:17.078 So I can just hit start. 01:20:23.018 --> 01:20:24.219 Let's try again 01:20:24.719 --> 01:20:27.189 and hopefully I'm describing decently well what's happening. 01:20:27.422 --> 01:20:28.957 When you're hearing a lot of random 01:20:28.957 --> 01:20:31.359 chatter, that's when it's amongst the pop bumpers. 01:20:31.359 --> 01:20:32.928 And I really I'm just watching it. 01:20:32.928 --> 01:20:34.629 I cannot really describe what's happening 01:20:34.830 --> 01:20:38.667 because I need to be paying attention to catch it when it gets inevitably 01:20:38.800 --> 01:20:41.937 shoved down towards the outlines and or the flippers. 01:20:48.476 --> 01:20:49.678 Got a let there? 01:20:53.949 --> 01:20:56.384 Oh, I wasn't able to catch the ball. 01:20:57.319 --> 01:20:58.587 We just got up in the ticker. 01:21:00.622 --> 01:21:02.557 Got 20,000 on the bonus. Now 01:21:03.925 --> 01:21:05.126 and lost the ball. 01:21:11.233 --> 01:21:12.434 So not a great ball. 01:21:12.434 --> 01:21:14.436 39,120 points. 01:21:26.715 --> 01:21:29.384 I okay, I have the ball on the right flipper. 01:21:29.384 --> 01:21:30.919 No letters are lit right now. 01:21:30.919 --> 01:21:33.488 You did hear it go into the kickback lane and awarded 01:21:33.488 --> 01:21:35.857 5000 points because there are no lit letters. 01:21:36.291 --> 01:21:38.693 Let's try it once again to light Z. 01:21:40.362 --> 01:21:42.230 And I did it all right. 01:21:42.230 --> 01:21:43.431 So now 01:21:44.499 --> 01:21:45.667 that flipper is quite buzzy. 01:21:45.667 --> 01:21:46.868 Apologies for that. 01:21:46.902 --> 01:21:49.137 Because I have it in the right flipper again. 01:21:49.137 --> 01:21:51.206 I'm going to try a post transfer. 01:21:52.641 --> 01:21:53.208 All right. 01:21:53.208 --> 01:21:54.643 Now I have it in the left flipper 01:21:55.176 --> 01:21:57.279 and I'm going to go for that target. 01:21:57.279 --> 01:21:58.179 The kickback target. 01:21:59.381 --> 01:22:00.582 Have you got it? 01:22:03.018 --> 01:22:04.786 That means double bonus is now lit. 01:22:05.220 --> 01:22:10.225 Not super useful because we only have 5000 points on the bonus. 01:22:10.225 --> 01:22:11.526 Okay, I got the ball again. 01:22:12.160 --> 01:22:13.295 I'm going to. 01:22:13.295 --> 01:22:16.364 I'm actually just going to go back up through the spinner lane again. 01:22:16.364 --> 01:22:17.565 Try to get it to the top. 01:22:20.969 --> 01:22:23.138 Well I got there but I didn't have enough momentum. 01:22:23.138 --> 01:22:24.406 But now I have in the left flipper. 01:22:24.406 --> 01:22:27.008 So I still only have one letter left. 01:22:27.008 --> 01:22:30.779 So each time going for that, kickback lane is not that lucrative. 01:22:30.979 --> 01:22:33.548 Let's try to get another letter, which again, is risky, 01:22:33.548 --> 01:22:34.749 but I'm going to go for t. 01:22:36.518 --> 01:22:37.152 Got it. 01:22:37.152 --> 01:22:38.920 And we went to the out lane. 01:22:42.257 --> 01:22:43.758 Which is why that's so risky. 01:22:43.892 --> 01:22:47.896 It really tends to go right back to the out lane. 01:22:49.731 --> 01:22:50.932 Again these games, 01:22:51.232 --> 01:22:53.468 they're really well designed to frustrate you, 01:22:53.468 --> 01:22:55.937 but give you just enough control 01:22:56.438 --> 01:22:58.139 to have some skill involved. 01:22:58.907 --> 01:23:00.241 You might think it's a wonderful game. 01:23:00.241 --> 01:23:01.710 You might think it's a little insidious. 01:23:02.010 --> 01:23:03.211 I think it's both. 01:23:12.053 --> 01:23:13.321 Okay, well, that was terrible. 01:23:16.091 --> 01:23:19.060 Oh, the ball is stuck. 01:23:28.036 --> 01:23:30.071 There is a rubber ringed post 01:23:30.071 --> 01:23:33.541 right in front of the out hole that may bounce off of. 01:23:33.541 --> 01:23:37.278 And anytime there's a rubber ring, the ball can get stuck there. 01:23:37.278 --> 01:23:38.146 And that's what just happened. 01:23:38.146 --> 01:23:40.915 So we should have ended at 117,000. 01:23:40.915 --> 01:23:43.685 But because we tilted we're only at 102,000. 01:23:44.052 --> 01:23:46.087 I will do one more game with explanation. 01:23:46.087 --> 01:23:47.088 Maybe another. 01:23:47.088 --> 01:23:48.289 Let's see. 01:23:53.261 --> 01:23:54.863 But before I actually play the game, 01:23:54.863 --> 01:23:57.866 I realized I haven't touched on something which I meant to. 01:23:58.299 --> 01:24:01.102 You've probably seen me do this many times 01:24:02.437 --> 01:24:03.972 now on camera. 01:24:04.439 --> 01:24:06.808 It might not come across what exactly I'm doing. 01:24:07.809 --> 01:24:09.644 I have not actually hit the flippers 01:24:09.644 --> 01:24:11.846 at the same time I'm hitting one, then the other. 01:24:12.414 --> 01:24:15.583 And this is actually a really effective strategy 01:24:15.583 --> 01:24:18.853 to save the ball from draining, 01:24:18.853 --> 01:24:22.057 because the tip of the flipper travels in an arc 01:24:22.624 --> 01:24:23.858 as it moves up. 01:24:25.093 --> 01:24:26.528 The tip is actually moving 01:24:26.528 --> 01:24:28.830 a little bit closer to the center line. 01:24:29.364 --> 01:24:31.066 So if you have the ball 01:24:31.232 --> 01:24:32.667 rolling between the flippers 01:24:32.667 --> 01:24:34.369 and it really looks like you're going to lose it, 01:24:35.070 --> 01:24:36.571 you might be able to save it 01:24:36.838 --> 01:24:39.974 by hitting the flipper that it's closest to first, 01:24:40.375 --> 01:24:44.446 and the tip will just barely pop it into the other flipper. 01:24:44.779 --> 01:24:46.414 And then you hit that other flipper 01:24:46.614 --> 01:24:48.817 and it will push it back up to the playfield. 01:24:49.117 --> 01:24:52.620 This strategy is shockingly effective. 01:24:52.620 --> 01:24:56.191 It surprises me how often it's able to save the ball, 01:24:56.524 --> 01:25:00.562 but the downside is you don't have control over the ball. 01:25:00.562 --> 01:25:04.365 You've just kept it from draining, but you had no idea where it went. 01:25:04.632 --> 01:25:06.067 So you have to be on your toes 01:25:06.067 --> 01:25:09.037 because it might come right back to the flippers very, very quickly. 01:25:09.404 --> 01:25:11.172 But it's still a really effective strategy. 01:25:11.606 --> 01:25:13.875 Better players than me will be able 01:25:13.875 --> 01:25:16.744 to nudge the machine in that same scenario. 01:25:17.112 --> 01:25:20.048 And by that I mean physically pushing the machine from side to side. 01:25:20.849 --> 01:25:22.050 Because if you think about it, 01:25:22.217 --> 01:25:24.619 when the ball is rolling down the playfield, 01:25:24.786 --> 01:25:28.256 this is a flat board and it's pretty low friction. 01:25:28.556 --> 01:25:30.492 So if it's rolling down the playfield 01:25:30.625 --> 01:25:33.228 and you suddenly push the machines of the left, 01:25:33.761 --> 01:25:37.132 well, the ball is not really going to change directions. 01:25:37.132 --> 01:25:39.434 It's just going to keep going in the path it was going in. 01:25:39.601 --> 01:25:42.604 But you've now moved the flipper to the left 01:25:42.604 --> 01:25:46.040 relative to the ball, so you can actually change 01:25:46.040 --> 01:25:49.777 what's it seems like you're changing the path of the ball, 01:25:49.777 --> 01:25:52.213 but really you're just moving the playfield underneath it. 01:25:52.981 --> 01:25:54.249 I'm just no good at that. 01:25:54.249 --> 01:25:57.752 Plus, these electromechanical games, they are not forgiving. 01:25:57.752 --> 01:25:59.687 Newer games will give you a tilt warning. 01:25:59.854 --> 01:26:02.757 These you trip the tilt mechanism balls done. 01:26:03.024 --> 01:26:06.761 So I'm would even probably do that very much on this game. 01:26:07.095 --> 01:26:09.430 You can only do very subtle nudging. 01:26:09.430 --> 01:26:12.167 And, I'm just bad at it anyway. 01:26:12.167 --> 01:26:14.002 But I wanted to just explain that's 01:26:14.002 --> 01:26:15.970 what you're seeing happen when I'm doing that move. 01:26:15.970 --> 01:26:19.607 I'm not just hitting both flippers at the same time. 01:26:19.874 --> 01:26:20.608 Okie dokie. 01:26:20.608 --> 01:26:22.076 Through the magic of light. 01:26:22.076 --> 01:26:23.044 Video editing. 01:26:23.044 --> 01:26:26.047 Here's what an actually good game looks like. 01:26:26.214 --> 01:26:27.649 I'm going to get a replay this time. 01:26:27.649 --> 01:26:28.850 I can feel it. 01:26:29.184 --> 01:26:31.152 And no, it has nothing to do with the order 01:26:31.152 --> 01:26:32.620 these clips were put into the video. 01:26:32.620 --> 01:26:33.621 I don't know what you're talking about. 01:26:35.123 --> 01:26:36.324 Here we go. 01:26:39.594 --> 01:26:41.229 Got some bonus points, that's all. 01:26:41.829 --> 01:26:43.565 Another one of those points. 01:26:44.232 --> 01:26:45.266 Okay. 01:26:45.266 --> 01:26:48.036 Can't I have the ball in the left flipper now? 01:26:48.236 --> 01:26:51.206 It came in through the end lane, which meant I couldn't really catch it, 01:26:51.206 --> 01:26:53.441 so I kind of just had to play around a little bit, but I got it now. 01:26:53.741 --> 01:26:54.943 Z was lit. 01:26:55.009 --> 01:26:56.144 Didn't really try to do that. 01:26:56.144 --> 01:26:57.979 I think it just I don't remember when that happened. 01:26:57.979 --> 01:26:59.080 We have zealot. 01:26:59.080 --> 01:27:01.216 I'm going to now try to get T or C 01:27:02.717 --> 01:27:03.918 and I failed 01:27:04.686 --> 01:27:06.254 but I have it back in the left flipper. 01:27:06.254 --> 01:27:08.823 So let's try again okay I got C. 01:27:13.962 --> 01:27:16.831 There's with oh no okay. 01:27:16.831 --> 01:27:18.066 When this happens 01:27:19.601 --> 01:27:21.936 I'm probably going to tilt the game. 01:27:29.410 --> 01:27:30.612 I don't know we say that. 01:27:30.645 --> 01:27:31.145 All right. 01:27:37.986 --> 01:27:38.786 That's a good sign. 01:27:38.786 --> 01:27:39.854 We're going to win this game. 01:27:39.854 --> 01:27:41.055 I know it. 01:27:42.223 --> 01:27:44.592 The tilt mechanism gave us some grace. 01:27:45.994 --> 01:27:47.262 Got three letters left. Now. 01:27:49.330 --> 01:27:50.531 Awesome. 01:27:50.798 --> 01:27:52.834 Okay, Z, E and C are all lit. 01:27:56.938 --> 01:27:58.573 I had the ball in the right flipper. 01:27:58.573 --> 01:28:00.475 I'm not entirely sure what I want to do. 01:28:00.842 --> 01:28:02.543 I'm going to go up through the spinner, I think. 01:28:02.543 --> 01:28:05.179 Try to get some more bonus points because we have double bonus lit. 01:28:08.549 --> 01:28:09.317 Okay we did. 01:28:09.317 --> 01:28:11.986 We got some more bonus points or 84,000 01:28:13.354 --> 01:28:14.555 more bonus. 01:28:17.292 --> 01:28:19.394 Oh, we have the bonus ladder filled. 01:28:20.561 --> 01:28:21.763 Oh crap. 01:28:24.465 --> 01:28:26.000 Honestly though, cannot complain. 01:28:26.000 --> 01:28:29.704 We're at one 9898, nearly 200,000 points, 01:28:29.704 --> 01:28:31.105 which is great for ball one. 01:28:39.113 --> 01:28:40.982 Top bumper pushed it into the shooter. 01:28:41.316 --> 01:28:42.483 I just got a lit. 01:28:42.483 --> 01:28:43.685 That was nice. I 01:28:45.253 --> 01:28:46.654 still have not touched the ball 01:28:47.021 --> 01:28:48.222 and we had the outlines. 01:28:55.063 --> 01:28:55.596 That's okay. 01:28:55.596 --> 01:28:57.332 It makes our odds of winning harder, 01:28:57.332 --> 01:29:00.902 but we only need 111,000 points to get a replay. 01:29:02.303 --> 01:29:03.504 Very doable. 01:29:19.721 --> 01:29:20.922 Oh, boy. 01:29:22.256 --> 01:29:23.458 I got Z lit. 01:29:24.559 --> 01:29:26.928 There's some miracle we didn't just take me out, Lane, 01:29:26.928 --> 01:29:28.663 but I need to slow down here. 01:29:29.997 --> 01:29:31.199 Okay. 01:29:32.333 --> 01:29:34.402 I'm going to go 01:29:34.402 --> 01:29:37.505 because we can get double bonus now 01:29:37.538 --> 01:29:39.507 if I go up through the spinner, that's what I'm going to do. 01:29:47.849 --> 01:29:48.783 We can get there. 01:29:48.783 --> 01:29:49.984 We really can. 01:29:55.356 --> 01:29:56.991 In fact, we almost have it in the back. 01:30:02.196 --> 01:30:03.398 Oh, crap. 01:30:11.539 --> 01:30:14.909 A replay is not guaranteed on the bonus score. 01:30:16.644 --> 01:30:18.413 Sorry, I have not gone explaining. 01:30:21.549 --> 01:30:22.383 But there we go. 01:30:22.383 --> 01:30:27.288 394,680 points, which crossed 350. 01:30:27.288 --> 01:30:29.257 So we now have a credit on the machine. 01:30:29.724 --> 01:30:31.058 Do we want to play our free game? 01:30:31.058 --> 01:30:32.193 Let's play our free game. 01:30:35.763 --> 01:30:36.964 Let's see if we can do it again. 01:30:38.166 --> 01:30:40.301 And I'll try to explain more what I'm doing. 01:30:40.301 --> 01:30:42.937 So all right we're into the popovers. 01:30:42.937 --> 01:30:44.138 We got some bonus points 01:30:45.406 --> 01:30:46.140 okay. 01:30:46.140 --> 01:30:47.542 The ball is going a little wild. 01:30:48.509 --> 01:30:50.144 I now have it caught in the left flipper. 01:30:50.778 --> 01:30:51.979 I'm going to go for t 01:30:52.814 --> 01:30:53.381 I got it. 01:30:53.381 --> 01:30:56.451 Can't really catch it right now. 01:30:57.952 --> 01:30:59.153 Oh my goodness. 01:30:59.854 --> 01:31:01.055 Okay. 01:31:02.023 --> 01:31:03.157 Had a hard time getting control, 01:31:03.157 --> 01:31:05.460 but I have t let's I'm not going to go for C. 01:31:05.460 --> 01:31:07.728 Let's do a post transfer I'm going a left flipper now. 01:31:09.997 --> 01:31:11.265 Well that didn't really work. 01:31:15.536 --> 01:31:18.172 Okay. Here we got e lit by accident. 01:31:18.172 --> 01:31:19.540 So we have TNT lit. 01:31:20.041 --> 01:31:21.909 I'm just going to go back up to the top. 01:31:21.909 --> 01:31:23.377 Oh, boy. So they didn't. 01:31:24.579 --> 01:31:25.780 Okay, well that's all right. 01:31:25.913 --> 01:31:27.415 I have the ball on the left flipper 01:31:28.416 --> 01:31:29.884 and now it's in a kickback lane. 01:31:30.918 --> 01:31:32.620 So there's 20,000 points. 01:31:38.759 --> 01:31:40.862 I just picked it back up through the spinner 01:31:40.862 --> 01:31:42.263 because I wouldn't have been able to catch it. 01:31:43.965 --> 01:31:45.600 I got some more bonus points. 01:31:45.600 --> 01:31:47.602 There is 25,000 on the bonus ladder. 01:31:49.704 --> 01:31:50.872 When in the in lane 01:31:50.872 --> 01:31:52.073 and I just push it back up. 01:31:54.075 --> 01:31:55.243 We got a double kicker. 01:31:55.243 --> 01:31:57.311 That sometimes happens if the ball bounces. 01:31:57.311 --> 01:31:59.013 Just right now we got a land. 01:31:59.680 --> 01:32:02.617 So we got a T and E all that. 01:32:02.884 --> 01:32:04.085 Oh crap. 01:32:04.652 --> 01:32:06.220 Fire the flipper a little early there. 01:32:06.220 --> 01:32:08.122 I almost caught it off of a rebound, 01:32:08.122 --> 01:32:09.590 but now I have it in the right flipper. 01:32:10.091 --> 01:32:11.759 Let's do another post transfer. 01:32:12.693 --> 01:32:13.995 Great. Oh, 01:32:15.263 --> 01:32:16.397 not great enough, though. 01:32:16.397 --> 01:32:17.598 Let's try it again. 01:32:20.801 --> 01:32:22.003 What was that? 01:32:23.538 --> 01:32:25.273 Well, I was around about post transfer. 01:32:25.273 --> 01:32:26.474 Here we go. 01:32:27.975 --> 01:32:30.211 There's another 30,000 points off the kickback. 01:32:32.580 --> 01:32:33.281 Hit the outline. 01:32:33.281 --> 01:32:35.149 But not a problem because. 01:32:39.120 --> 01:32:40.121 With those bonus points, 01:32:40.121 --> 01:32:44.125 we were at 219,910 points on the beginning of ball two. 01:32:44.125 --> 01:32:45.326 That's really good. 01:32:46.160 --> 01:32:47.361 Let's keep going. 01:32:48.930 --> 01:32:50.131 Hey, is lit. 01:32:52.266 --> 01:32:53.634 I have the ball and the right flipper. 01:32:53.634 --> 01:32:54.835 I'm going to go for E! 01:32:56.070 --> 01:32:58.573 I did it and I also got C, 01:32:58.573 --> 01:33:01.409 so we now have three letters already A, B and C 01:33:01.676 --> 01:33:04.412 double bonus isn't available, but 30,000 points 01:33:04.412 --> 01:33:06.547 per hit on that target is good enough for me. 01:33:08.349 --> 01:33:09.884 There's another 30,000 points, 01:33:10.217 --> 01:33:11.519 so we're at 258. 01:33:13.955 --> 01:33:15.323 There's another 30,000 points. 01:33:15.323 --> 01:33:17.158 So we are now at 294. 01:33:23.197 --> 01:33:23.831 Loss ball. 01:33:23.831 --> 01:33:25.032 No big deal. 01:33:30.037 --> 01:33:32.940 I'm at 326,000 points right now. 01:33:33.174 --> 01:33:35.610 So if I don't get a replay 01:33:35.776 --> 01:33:37.411 that's going to be it's going to be 01:33:37.411 --> 01:33:39.747 because the ball is just abjectly horrible. 01:33:40.081 --> 01:33:42.750 Hopefully I can manage to squeeze in 24,000 points. 01:33:49.023 --> 01:33:51.225 With those bonus points, that puts us in a better spot. 01:33:56.163 --> 01:33:58.866 A win's not guaranteed yet, but it's close. 01:34:07.775 --> 01:34:08.976 There we go. 01:34:15.816 --> 01:34:17.018 Excuse me. 01:34:17.585 --> 01:34:18.786 Two replays in a row. 01:34:19.153 --> 01:34:20.321 It is possible. 01:34:20.888 --> 01:34:23.024 And now I'm going to play another game. 01:34:23.891 --> 01:34:25.593 Yeah. 01:34:25.593 --> 01:34:26.794 One more. 01:34:28.062 --> 01:34:29.330 You're still watching, right? 01:34:40.074 --> 01:34:40.508 All right. 01:34:40.508 --> 01:34:41.942 We got some bonus points there. 01:34:41.942 --> 01:34:43.144 And lot left, though. 01:34:45.379 --> 01:34:46.947 Oh, I'm surprised that happened. 01:34:47.381 --> 01:34:50.818 Okay, I have the ball in the right flipper. 01:34:50.818 --> 01:34:52.019 Let's go for Z. 01:34:52.653 --> 01:34:54.088 I was just too short. 01:34:55.856 --> 01:34:58.125 The cops are having their fun with the ball. 01:35:03.698 --> 01:35:04.899 Okay, 01:35:05.566 --> 01:35:07.001 we have t lit now, 01:35:07.134 --> 01:35:09.637 but I don't have control the ball now I do. 01:35:10.071 --> 01:35:11.138 So it's in the left flipper. 01:35:11.138 --> 01:35:15.042 So, we have 20,000 points on the bonus, so it's very worth doubling it. 01:35:15.209 --> 01:35:16.677 Even though we've only got t lit. 01:35:16.677 --> 01:35:18.245 I'm going to hit for that kickback lane. 01:35:19.113 --> 01:35:20.314 And there we go. 01:35:21.015 --> 01:35:23.551 There's 10,000 points and double bonus is now lit. 01:35:24.018 --> 01:35:26.721 I have the ball again in the left, flipper. 01:35:27.388 --> 01:35:29.423 I'll go for C, 01:35:29.423 --> 01:35:31.025 even though I don't really want to. 01:35:32.493 --> 01:35:33.694 Yeah, 01:35:34.028 --> 01:35:36.163 that is a really hard target to deliberately hit. 01:35:36.397 --> 01:35:37.598 And look what I just did. 01:35:40.067 --> 01:35:42.403 I tried to be clever and catch the ball, 01:35:42.403 --> 01:35:44.205 but it was just too far to the left, 01:35:44.405 --> 01:35:45.539 so he lost it down the middle. 01:35:45.539 --> 01:35:46.941 But not a terrible ball. 01:35:46.941 --> 01:35:50.778 70,000 points could be a lot better, but could be a lot worse. 01:35:54.715 --> 01:35:55.916 Got some bonus points. 01:35:56.250 --> 01:35:57.551 Got some more bonus points. 01:36:00.221 --> 01:36:01.922 And some more bonus points. 01:36:08.229 --> 01:36:09.430 Okay, that's. 01:36:11.398 --> 01:36:13.267 The ball had too much speed to catch there, 01:36:13.267 --> 01:36:15.102 so I could just hit it and hope for the best. 01:36:16.771 --> 01:36:20.608 Okay, I got t hit on the left flipper there, so T is now lit. 01:36:20.841 --> 01:36:22.042 Can I go for Z? 01:36:22.877 --> 01:36:24.044 Z is now lit. 01:36:24.044 --> 01:36:25.913 Okay. 01:36:27.281 --> 01:36:30.017 With z and T lit. 01:36:31.152 --> 01:36:33.320 Yeah. I'm going to do I have the ball on the right flipper. 01:36:33.320 --> 01:36:34.955 I will try another post transfer. 01:36:37.057 --> 01:36:39.093 It's not quite how I want it to go, but it worked. 01:36:40.261 --> 01:36:40.828 Oh, shoot. 01:36:40.828 --> 01:36:41.195 Okay. 01:36:41.195 --> 01:36:42.396 Saved it barely. 01:36:44.198 --> 01:36:44.532 Yeah. 01:36:44.532 --> 01:36:45.866 Get in that target. 01:36:48.369 --> 01:36:50.504 Sometimes the pop bumpers will do it for you. 01:36:51.338 --> 01:36:52.540 Not today. 01:36:52.740 --> 01:36:53.941 We'll end that link. 01:37:00.281 --> 01:37:02.082 And awarded 25,000 bonus points. 01:37:02.082 --> 01:37:04.151 We're only at 126,000 points. 01:37:04.151 --> 01:37:07.288 It's pretty bleak to get a replay, but not impossible. 01:37:20.134 --> 01:37:21.335 Dang it! 01:37:25.206 --> 01:37:26.106 Well, that didn't go well. 01:37:26.106 --> 01:37:28.375 We're at 152,810. 01:37:28.843 --> 01:37:33.180 And with that rather abrupt ending, this is the end of the video. 01:37:33.414 --> 01:37:36.350 But I want to leave you with two extra pieces of information. 01:37:36.750 --> 01:37:37.885 First, 01:37:37.885 --> 01:37:40.221 I wasn't describing what was going on earlier 01:37:40.221 --> 01:37:41.755 when I was banging on the machine. 01:37:42.256 --> 01:37:44.859 What sometimes happens with these games? 01:37:44.859 --> 01:37:48.395 And I think it happens as they age because of the way 01:37:48.395 --> 01:37:52.266 the playfield where's the slot in the lanes 01:37:52.266 --> 01:37:53.734 that has the wire sticking out 01:37:53.734 --> 01:37:55.302 so it can register the ball rolling through it? 01:37:55.769 --> 01:37:59.840 The bottom edge of that slot will sometimes get compressed a little bit. 01:38:00.074 --> 01:38:02.743 I think that happens because over time the ball, 01:38:03.110 --> 01:38:05.713 when it rides in the slot, it sinks down a little bit. 01:38:05.913 --> 01:38:09.483 And then as it's coming out of the slot, it kind of impacts the playfield. 01:38:09.483 --> 01:38:12.586 And so it gets sunken in just a little bit. 01:38:12.887 --> 01:38:16.390 And very occasionally the ball will have 01:38:16.390 --> 01:38:18.893 the perfect speed to get stuck there. 01:38:19.126 --> 01:38:19.960 And that's what happened. 01:38:19.960 --> 01:38:22.529 So the ball was barely caught. 01:38:22.997 --> 01:38:24.865 So it was pretty easy to dislodge. 01:38:24.865 --> 01:38:28.202 But because the tilt mechanism is so sensitive in these early games 01:38:28.202 --> 01:38:31.205 and one firing of it and the ball's over, 01:38:31.205 --> 01:38:32.406 I was trying to be very gentle. 01:38:33.274 --> 01:38:35.910 The other thing I want to mention is there will be a second 01:38:35.910 --> 01:38:38.579 Sights and Sounds video on this machine, focused 01:38:38.579 --> 01:38:41.482 exclusively on the mechanisms that make it work. 01:38:42.016 --> 01:38:44.752 I was originally planning that to be part of this video, 01:38:45.052 --> 01:38:49.390 but while you might have noticed, it taken me forever to make this, partly 01:38:49.390 --> 01:38:54.128 that's because I am absolutely no good at recording things off the cuff, 01:38:54.428 --> 01:38:58.599 and I wanted to describe the playfield layout as well as I could. 01:38:58.599 --> 01:39:00.901 So I ended up scripting most of that, 01:39:01.235 --> 01:39:03.671 and I wasn't happy with the script for a long time. 01:39:04.071 --> 01:39:06.840 So this video just got back Bernard forever. 01:39:07.041 --> 01:39:10.377 And, once I got it all put together, 01:39:10.377 --> 01:39:12.346 I realized, oh, this is going to be way too long 01:39:12.379 --> 01:39:13.781 to include everything in one video. 01:39:14.048 --> 01:39:17.318 So there will be a second video, and it's going to be much more casual 01:39:17.451 --> 01:39:20.587 and likely it's only going to be recycled B-roll 01:39:20.587 --> 01:39:23.357 from the original video, original main channel videos. 01:39:23.357 --> 01:39:26.126 But I've got tons of B-roll 01:39:26.260 --> 01:39:29.129 that was not used in those videos, so I can show more 01:39:29.129 --> 01:39:32.166 what's going on in the mechanisms, and I will be doing that 01:39:32.967 --> 01:39:37.705 hopefully sooner than half a year or however long it has been. 01:39:38.272 --> 01:39:41.976 But I have a lot of other stuff that I need to get going on. 01:39:41.976 --> 01:39:44.545 So that's going to be, in the 01:39:44.979 --> 01:39:48.215 not too distant future, but not very, very soon. 01:39:48.515 --> 01:39:51.185 But anyway, thank you for watching and or listening. 01:39:51.385 --> 01:39:53.687 And I will have that part two 01:39:53.787 --> 01:39:55.255 or whatever we're calling it for you 01:39:56.156 --> 01:39:57.358 at some point. 01:39:57.791 --> 01:39:59.093 How's that for a promise?