source: KLOV
Name: Tapper
Manufacturer: Bally Midway
Year: 1983
Type: Videogame
Class: Wide Release
Genre: Platform
Monitor:
Orientation: Horizontal
Type: Raster: Standard Resolution
CRT: Color
Conversion Class: Midway MCR III
Game Specific: Tapper Pinout
Number of Simultaneous Players: 1
Maximum number of Players: 2
Gameplay: Alternating
Control Panel Layout: Single Player Ambidextrous
Sound: Unamplified Stereo (requires two-channel amp)
Upright/Standard
Cocktail
Manufactured by: Williams Electronic Games, Inc.
Date: July 1998
Type: Solid state
Generation: Williams WPC-95
Release: 3,361 produced
Estimated value: $7860-$9140
Cabinet: Normal
Display type: Dot Matrix
Players: 4
Flippers: 2
Ramps: 3
Multiball: 4
Latest software:V1.0 - August 16, 1998
Game Design: George Gomez
Mechanics: Chris Shipman
Software: Bill Pfutzenreuter Lyman F. Sheats Jr.
Artwork: Greg Freres Kevin O'Connor
Animation: Adam Rhine
Sound: Jon Hey Vince Pontarelli
Music: Chris Granner Vince Pontarelli
I picked up this pin in August of 2017 after a few years of searching and watching. In that couple of years of ownership, my enthusiasm for the title really hasn’t faded.
Attack from Mars (1995) is a Brian Eddy designed game that has been recently remade by CGC/PPS.
For perspective.. a friend on the Panhandle picked up an AFM and a Champion Pub around 2014 for a combined price greater than both of our household vehicles, at the time. :) Granted, his games were top notch examples.
I recall seeing one in the wild as a kid but scantly recall having the opportunity to play one before playing it on Pinball Arcade on the iPad when I got into this hobby 6 years ago. Back then, they were sort of unobtanium in terms of price.
For years, I watched with interest for one but also typically let me my pinball-inclined friends talk me out of them with:
It will get old: Just shooting the center shot over and over.
Rules are too linear.
It is the same layout as Medieval Madness.
I bought the Stern Star Trek (Premium) instead thinking it would be a good stand in with similarities combined from AFM and STTNG. Ultimately, for me the conclusion was that Stern’s Star Trek was (still is) an excellent game in its own right but it didn’t adequately scratch the AFM itch.
I’ve played a few remakes and to my eye they played as well as the originals and looked great too, especially with the upgraded DMD. I know early Medieval Madness Remakes had some insert printing annoyances for super-OCD folks but PPS and CGC seem to stand behind the games. (The remake electronics do differ and I’ll talk about that in another post) For me the real benefit of the remakes is that they cap the used sale values on the original titles and put them in range for acquisition.
In another: {out with the new, in with the old} round of selling & buying (and loosing my ass each time) - I cycled the Sterns and JJPs out of the my game room to get the space (and cash) to start seeking Bally / Williams 90’s titles. This pin was part of the vanguard of that mental battle and so far I’m not sorry, (at all) for the.. downgrade(?)
You can read more about the acquisition of this specific game, list of additions, etc here: Attack from Mars!
In the coming weeks I’m posting a series of arcade and pinball reviews of games that are currently being fostered in the basement. Ten minutes (+/- a few minutes) with each game to talk about gameplay, maintenance or whatever comes to mind.
As I post them, I’ll go back and make the game entries below clickable.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Attack from Mars
Medieval Madness
Indiana Jones The Pinball Adventure
Scared Stiff
Tales of the Arabian Nights
Cocktail Table Arcade-SD Multigame
Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 - Review completed on 4/19/19
Ms Pacman (Cabaret)
Centipede (Cabaret)
Donkey Kong (Multi Kong w/ Arcade-SD)
Namco Reunion
Tapper
Tron
Q*Bert (Mylstar FPGA)
Robotron (Multi-Williams FPGA)
Tempest
Mortal Kombat 4 (and MK1, MK2, MK3 w/ RiddledTV Switcher)
Nintendo Entertainment System Online (Nintendo Switch Online Service)
The search for that nostalgic feeling, It is hard for me to recall how many times I’ve bought versions of some classic NES games over the years. Ironically, Nintendo’s capability in this respect has often fallen short of ideal. The original run of the NES Classic Mini, for instance, had supply-demand issues and some cost-cutting measures that sacrificed the experience. Wired controllers with short cable length, USB power, etc.
Nintendo Switch Online, for $35/year provides access to the Nintendo Entertainment System Online library of 38+ classic NES titles.
Get your Star Wars Episode 9 Teaser Trailer on:
Hope this one wraps up the Skywalker Saga in a satisfying way! My expectations have been low on the Star Wars front lately but maybe, just maybe there will be a strong finish?
Galaxy’s Edge Disney Land Officially Opens May 31, 2019
Galaxy’s Edge Disney World Officially Opens August 29, 2019
Meanwhile, I believe the line for Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World is starting to form along Florida’s I75. Just look for this sign:
I believe an attendant is near this sign and will give you a queue-timing card on a neck lanyard in order to keep the wait times accurate. ;)
The speculated 6+ hour wait times sound like fun for the whole family! 🥺
As of several weeks out, Avengers: Endgame is sold out for opening night and opening weekend at premium theater experiences everywhere.
With the iconic MCU Phase 1 conclusion in early summer and Skywalker Saga completion in winter, a new streaming service launching in November, park tickets & hotel lodging with parking fees, $5 bottled water and $20 cheeseburgers: Disney gets all of the money in 2019.
In a growth-predicated economy with investor-beholden incentives what then do you do in 2020, if you are the The Mouse?
..lots of butts in seats, eating popcorn.. maybe they should have bought Orville Redenbacher too?
ah, nevermind then. carry on.
Added two upcoming events to the Calendar, Pinball in Pelham 4 (Plus!) and of course, Southern Fried Gameroom Expo.
Remember, SFGE is in July this year instead of June.
If you are planning on attending SFGE from the Gulf Coast, this year and want some help loading / unloading games - send me a message. I try to take an extra day or two off work to help all of the kiddos get loaded and unloaded for the trip and set back to their homes when done.
I believe we have a volunteer to drive up a U-Haul this year and their may be room on the truck for any that want to chip in. Ideally, I’d like it so the person renting and driving has their gas & rental covered for the trip. It’s the east we can do for being stow-aways on the journey. :)
Whether you are bringing a game or just interested in having a great time; if you have never been to SFGE, I highly recommend it! The organizers are some of the most awesome people you will ever meet and it is an epic weekend of gaming goodness and camaraderie.
Check out some of my previous trips logs and pictures:
SFGE 2016
SFGE 2017
SFGE 2018
Game Over Retro Pub in Mobile hosted Gulf Coast Pinball League’s March Pinball League Night, Monday Evening, March 25th.
Charlie getting the games ready for League Play
Good turnout, 11 players showed for this play outing.
The game selection at Game Over in Mobile is comprised of a mixture of 1 part barcade-owned titles and 2 parts on-loan from private collections. It is neat to see the collaboration of the local collecting community & the commercial barcade endeavour co-exist in this way. Kind of a Yin & Yang, Feng shui thing or maybe I’m mixing my Asian philosophical metaphors. I didn’t see Tsing Tao on a tap handle FWIW..
There are some cool arcade titles… . The highlights of which for me were mostly-working but playable Silent Scope Dark Silhouette, a Ms. Pacman / Galaga Reunion, Soul Calibur, a Neo-Geo, Cruisin USA, TMNT and some boilerplate multicades that seem to get some love.
I believe everything is on .50c per play.
A few games stood out in disrepair, though. The multicade in a Centipede cabinet was sort of a bummer. The NBA Jam was hard to see (LCD monitor with limited viewing angles). House of the Dead 2’s guns were out of alignment making it unplayable. Lots of dark marquees. I suspect the respective game owners are working on these things, though. In fairness, they’ve been on location for about a month so there is still time to get in and get a working baseline on everything.
The Yang: Finishing a game on 1 credit. :)
The Yin: Games in need of repair
In all fairness, the arcades that are here are still an order of magnitude better than what our local coin op are pawning out to Pizza places & bars. This isn’t a museum, it is a bar with trade stimulators along the outer wall. The measurement for the win-condition should be: Is it Playable? Is it Frustrating to Play? Most games were playable, so that’s a positive step forward, right?
… right?
.. anybody?
(clears throat)
The Pinball Machines (on loan from a private collection) include some awesome titles and are in very good condition after a month of play. Much better than any operator-owned games I’ve seen on the Gulf-Coast thus far.
The current titles are:
Star Trek: The Next Generation
No Good Gophers
NBA Fastbreak
Black Pyramid
Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure
Revenge from Mars
It is pretty rare to see some of these Bally-Williams titles on the street, taking quarters. Get out there and feed them while you can. :)
The only thing I see in this picture is a Guinness handle. It is like those laser-art pictures in the mall from 90’s.
Game Over Retro Pub were gracious hosts. The tournament coincided w/ their open-mic night so we enjoyed some home-grown jams while we played.
However, they were..
out of Guinness. (dun, dun, duuuuuuun!)
I think there is a law against having “pub” in your name and not having Guinness? But.. I’ll allow it (this time) considering proximity to St. Patty’s Day & Mardis Gras. The Mobilians were thirsty last week I guess..
(Chants): Guinness of Health!
err..umm.. what happened? Sorry, I lost you for a minute in a tasty extra-stout day-dream… . where were we?
Oh, right.. Back to stumping for our friends at Game Over Retro Pub for all of the good things they did… . Plenty of drinks to choose from and a simple menu that will take you back to the hungry snackbar along the bike-route to your neighborhood arcade. Cheez Whiz, ya’ll.
If you are local to the Mobile, Alabama area you should stop into Game Over Retro Pub. Order a drink and a tasty sandwich, cheese fries and get some quarters from the bar. The place has a great vibe, friendly staff and a neat location in Downtown Mobile.
On the-book-of-faces: https://www.facebook.com/gameoverretropub/
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/vGgoZUx45A62
Charlie brought his A-game and schooled us in the A-Tournament with Black Pyramid and Indy acting as the deciding matches.
Pro Tournament Standings: https://matchplay.events/live/v1gr0/standings
Pro Tournament Matches: https://matchplay.events/live/v1gr0/matches
Mike Cast rolled up the Novice matches, undefeated in head-to-head play for the night
Novice Tournament Standings: https://matchplay.events/live/qbxnw/standings
Novice Tournament Matches: https://matchplay.events/live/qbxnw/matches
This is a series… informally.. so the series standings are as follows:
https://matchplay.events/live/series/913
