Attack from Mars

Bill Dodd

August 15, 2017

Attack from Mars is one of those games that I've known that I want but I've let others' talk me out of pursuing.

"It's just that center shot over and over again.."

In fact, when I bought my Star Trek Premium, I bought it with hopes that it would scratch both the STTNG and AFM itches based on layout and center saucer toy.

As a market-force, the the Chicago Gaming / PPS remakes have (generally) helped to bring some of the player's quality original AFMs (MM's to a lesser extent) to come down into more reasonable price ranges. Before the remakes, it wasn't unheard of to find a player's quality AFM for $8,000.

Here, I found a player's quality AFM on Pinside, listed at a reasonable price by a flexible seller.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/archive/51870

He provided plenty of pictures to convey the condition, which I've archived here: https://images.eyedyllic.com/Hobbies/Attack-from-Mars-Pinside/n-ZMfNqc/

Initial Condition Survey

The game arrived via STI a couple of days before an open house / party. So I did a mad-dash just to get it playing for the party. The condition was in the range that I expected. Heavy cabinet wear around the flippers, some sloppy mylar around the left ramp, the saucer lights didn't work most of the time and the strobe wasn't functional.

Note the fact that Ghostbusters playfield was also lifted.. Node board failures two days before an open house / pinball party... bleh!

Shopping List

ColorDMD: http://shop.colordmd.com/colordmd-replacement-display-for-attack-from-mars-pinball-machine/
Cointaker LEDs: https://cointaker.com/t/attack-from-mars
Mothership LED Board: https://ksarcade.net/attack-from-mars-mother-ship-led-board-a-20670.html
Enhanced Strobe Kit: http://www.pinbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_11&products_id=256
Mirror Art Blades: https://www.pingraffix.com/product-page/attack-from-mars-pinball-bladeskinz
Chrome Door: http://www.pinballplating.com/available-parts/bally-williams-coin-doors
Chrome Rails: http://www.pinballplating.com/available-parts/bally-williams-side-rails
Chrome Lockdown: http://www.pinballplating.com/available-parts/bally-lockdown-bars
Chrome Hinges: http://www.pinballplating.com/available-parts/bally-williams-93-95-hinges-pivot-bolts-set
Enhanced Strobe Kit: http://www.pinbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_11&products_id=256
Pinball Life Lit Flipper Buttons: https://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=3760
Pinball Life Glass: https://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=768
Duplicolor Metallic Gunmetal Rattle Can:
https://www.autozone.com/paint-and-body/paint-spray-can-and-touch-up/dupli-color-gunmetal-metallic-perfect-match-paint/59700_0
Spaz Stix Holographic Rattle Can:
https://www.amazon.com/Color-Change-Holographic-Paint-Aerosol/dp/B0015H1FG0
A mixture of black, orange, yellow and white acrylic paints
Convolux, Green Protector Set: http://www.shop.freddys-pinball-paradise.de/index.php?f=3&q=convolux%206507
LED OCD for Controlled Lamps: http://ledocd.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=22

Pictures along the way..

The combination art-mirror blades from Pingraffix really turned out awesome. The animated, PowerBladez were just announced and I had saw them at a show but I thought the combination art and mirror really added a less-distracting and complimentary look to the game and goes well with the chrome accents. The Cointaker kit was the most incomplete that I've received from them but I suspect that AFM might be a title where there were inconsistencies between runs with regards to bulb-base types. That or being in the wild for so long, this game's lighting config had been molested by operator repair goons.