Bally's Attack from Mars is now doing the rounds of pubs and arcades throughout the country. I first saw it at the 1996 ATEI exhibition in London, and what struck me immediately was the totally open playfield layout. All the signs are that pinball is now in decline and large dedicated videos seem to be coming into fashion in a big way. This has lead the pinball manufacturers to look at ways of reducing costs in order to produce games that are more attractive to operators by way of being offered at a lower price. Consequently, some games are being promoted as 'back to basics' or 'at it's classic basic best'. Attack from Mars is being offered for sale at considerably less than a game such as Star Trek:TNG, when it was new. There are also no costly gimmicks such as mini-playfields, probe launchers and dummy's heads.
The table is of standard size and has several small flying saucers dominating the top of the playfield. Each of these has a red flash lamp on top, and there is a much larger saucer near the top centre. This has a chase lamp string going around it and a green dome above. Underneath this saucer is a large single red drop target with a sink hole behind. The drop target is guarded in front by a trio of red spot targets which can be lowered flush with the playfield, allowing access to the drop target behind.
In the top right corner are two rollovers, below which is a trio of jet bumpers. Below these and to the lower right of the large saucer is a kick-out hole. This can be entered in either of two ways; from above through the jets, or via the flippers from below. The ball is always ejected towards the flippers.
The flippers are a standard arrangement with the accompanying return lanes and outlanes. Two metal ramps, slightly above playfield level, are at the sides and carry balls from the top of the playfield to the return lanes. Personally, I like games with long shots, and from the flippers there are no less than seven ways to shoot straight to the top of the playfield. As mentioned, the centre of the playfield is completely uncluttered, and is in fact, a mass of lamps, many forming long rows in front of the long shots from the flippers.
The left loop takes the ball to above the top rollovers and the left ramp returns the ball down the left metal ramp to the return lane. To the left of the large saucer is the centre loop which sends the ball either in an arc to the right metal ramp and then to the return lane, or whisks it behind the saucer where it is popped up to the top of the left metal ramp. It's actual course is determined by a diverter. In the centre top of the playfield is the red spot target trio, to the right of which is the kick-out hole. Further to the right is the right ramp which sends the ball down the right metal ramp and finally, the right loop leading up to the top rollovers.
The above shots activate different features of the game which will be individually described later.
The ramps and loops also form Jackpot shots, when suitably qualified.
Above the left slingshot are three almost vertically placed green spot targets, spelling M-A-R. Two single targets spelling T and I are located either side of the red trio of spot targets. Two more single targets, spelling A-N are above the right slingshot. Together, the four groups spell M-A-R-T-I-A-N, and each has a plastic figure of a martian above it and attached by a thin metal rod.
The lamp layout, with it's groups of circles and arrows, reminds me of Demolition Man and Terminator II. The whole playfield is a blaze of red, orange and green in colour. The backglass depicts a city scene with flying saucers in the sky, and an explosion as one of them crashes. Several green martians are in view, each having four arms, a pair of large red eyes and a brain-shaped head. One lucky martian is carrying a beautiful woman.
The game uses a xenon flash tube situated underneath the central saucer. It is incredibly bright and this may be what has prompted Bally to print an epilepsy warning alongside the plunger. As has become the trend with recent games from WMS, the Internet email address for the game (mars@wms.com) has been incorporated in the dot matrix display attract mode graphics.
Attack from Mars heralds a change for Bally in terms of back-box design. Up until now, the back-box of electronic games has contained the backglass, or more recently a plastic film with the artwork fastened to a sheet of clear glass, mounted in front of a hinged door. Removing the backglass or film insert reveals the white door which has the back-box lamps, both G.I. and controlled, mounted on it. Unlatching and opening the door facilitates access to the circuit boards. With Attack from Mars however, things are different. The back-box lamps have been attached directly to the rear of the backglass, and mounted on a piece of thick plastic. There is no inner hinged door. The lamp supply comes from a long lead with a plug and socket to permit separation and removal of the backglass. The speaker and display assembly is made of a lighter and thinner plastic than usual, and is lowered in the usual way. This new arrangement makes removal and replacement of the glass somewhat tricky. Care is also needed when opening the back-box so that the loom going taut as the door swings open doesn't result in dropping the backglass on to the playfield glass. It seems to be rather an odd set-up; whether it's a cost cutting measure or the shape of things to come remains to be seen.
There are only three circuit boards, namely the CPU, the power driver board and what Bally now call the audio visual board. They have dispensed with the Fliptronic and dot matrix controller boards. The layout of the power driver board differs from previous games and this now uses smaller sized fuses than we are used to seeing.
Press Start and a 1950's sci-fi B movie style radio announcement proclaims, "This is an emergency broadcast. Reports are coming in from all over the world of an attack from Mars!" This is accompanied by a martian saying either "Greetings earthlings" or "Earth will be ours!"
The ball is launched electronically via a large red launch button. Press this and then a flipper button so the ball passes through the flashing rollover for 10M plus 5X bonus. The points awarded for this skill shot increment by 10M each time it is successfully made. An alternative super skill shot is offered; this is selected by holding in the left flipper button while launching the ball. The small gate to the left of the two top rollovers opens allowing the ball to pass in a long arc down to the left flipper. From here there is a choice of loop shots and ramps to aim for, indicated by flashing arrows. A successful shot will complete all three lamps in front of it. During the remainder of the ball, a shot to these areas will light only one lamp at a time.
The player is a soldier whose main mission is to attack and destroy flying saucers poised over five cities which are in France, Germany, Italy, England (they must really hate Europe!), and America. Then Mars is attacked in the final battle. Completing the trio of red spot targets in front of the central saucer starts an attack wave. If super skill shot is selected, any single target will start the wave. The target when hit sinks down into the playfield enabling the player to shoot at the drop target behind. A country is lit, indicated on a panel of lights in the centre of the playfield, and the selected country rotates via the slingshots.
Whichever country is lit when the attack wave starts is the one that the player must save from the martians. In France the Eiffel tower is under attack, in Germany the target of the martians is the Brandenberg gate, in Italy it's the leaning tower of Pisa, whilst in Britain it's London Bridge, although Tower Bridge is actually depicted in the graphics. In the USA, the target is the Statue of Liberty. Repeated shots have to be made both at the drop target, which at first instantly resets, and a pair of static targets on both sides. Having made sufficient shots at these targets the drop target eventually stays down and the ball can enter the hole behind it. During the attack the graphics show a UFO firing a beam at each monument and this is accompanied by some good funny commentary from a resident of each city.
Every time the three targets are hit the saucer moves violently, assisted by it's securing rod, and the xenon tube flashes. Completing the attack wave by shooting into the hole behind the drop target scores 200M for the first country saved and 300M and light extra ball at saucer kick-out for the second country saved. Saving the third, fourth and fifth countries scores 400M, 500M and 600M respectively. The player is then congratulated with phrases such as "Ooh la la, vivre la France!", "Germany is victorious!", "Italia, Italia!", "I say, super shot! Ta ta for now" and "Nobody messes with the USA". The ball is popped up to the left metal ramp. Having saved all the cities, the player goes on to attack Mars itself by again aiming for the hole behind the saucer drop target. The drop target remains down and the hole shot must be made ten times. The dot matrix display shows part of the Martian planet and each successful hole shot results in a piece of the planet's surface being blown away. The Martians respond to successful shots with various insults. Destroying Mars with ten shots awards 2,500M and the Martians plead rather pitifully, "Can't we just be friends?"
Making the centre loop shot lights lock 1 and a diverter bar moves to deflect the ball into a hole behind the central saucer. The game prompts, "Get every available man" and the display shows a line of tanks moving off. Making the second lock causes the display to show missiles being raised in preparation for firing and the game announces, "Missiles on standby". As has become an established trend now, the game uses virtual ball lock; that is the ball is not physically locked but returned to play via the left metal ramp. A third shot to the centre loop starts multiball and the display shows a missile being launched. It is unsuccessfully counter-attacked by flying saucers as the last ball locked is kicked out and two more balls are delivered by the auto-plunger.
Five Jackpot shots are lit at the ramps and loop shots. Each of these award an increasing number of points, starting at 60M and rising to a maximum of 100M. Successfully making all five jackpot shots leads to a moving Superjackpot shot worth 250M. During multiball there is an initial period of play when drained balls are returned to play. A second attempt at multiball is made harder as now the light lock shot has to be made not just before, but also between locks as well.
At the beginning of the game, the first of three lamps are lit in the Capture, Big-O-Beam, Atomic Blaster and Tractor Beam ramps and loops. Shooting one of these lights the second lamp and awards 20M. Another shot lights the third lamp and awards 25M. A third shot completes the sequence. Again, the game offers a selection of amusing speech and graphics during these rounds.
Completing any of the sequences starts a hurry-up feature where the central trio spot bank counts down from 100M to 25M. Additional shots to ramps or loops that have already had their sequences completed awards a Fleeing bonus of 10M.
When all four sequences, (Capture, Big-O-Beam, Tractor Beam and Atomic Blaster) have been completed a four ball multiball round commences. Shoot any ramp or loop for points then the centre hole for Total Annihilation Jackpot, which is worth 100M.
Complete the green M-A-R-T-I-A-N spot targets to light Martian Attack at the kick-out hole. Shooting the hole brings a cry of "Oh no, Martians!" followed by "Attack!", after which the ball is kicked out and the four martians on the playfield start jumping up and down with their arms waving frantically. A hit at each Martian's accompanying target bank; just making one target in multi-bank positions is sufficient, stops the associated martian. Stop all four to begin Martian Multiball.
A second ball is fired from the auto-plunger and during multiball hitting a martian causes it to jump and yell and awards 20M. This continues until only one ball remains in play. Starting Martian Multiball a second time leads to the despairing cry, "Not you again!" The number of martians hit in this round is recorded and a place is reserved alongside the high scores for the Martian Champ to enter their initials. A new martian champ can also earn a replay for his achievement.
This is a random award feature available at the kickout hole when lit. The award is only given if the hole is entered from a direct flipper shot; rebounds off the jet bumpers don't count. Once used, it can be re-lit by completing the outlanes and flipper return lanes; assistance being provided by using the flipper buttons to change lanes. Awards available include:
When the kick-out hole is made whilst the feature is qualified, four of the above awards are displayed and a flying saucer shoots three out leaving one remaining. This is the award that is given. Awards that are not individually described above are self-explanatory.
As described previously, making the skill shot awards 5X bonus multiplier. The next completion of both top lane rollovers increments the bonus to 7X, and then by a further 1X for each successive completion. If the skill shot is missed, the value starts at 2X and increments by 1X for each completion of the top rollovers. There is no maximum value at which the multiplier stops increasing. The jet bumpers start at 1M points per hit. They increase by 50k every time the bonus multiplier is advanced up to a maximum of 2M. Hitting the jet bumpers 100 times, awards super jets when each hit is worth 3M.
Shooting either ramp qualifies all ramps and the loop shots for combo awards.
Making the six feature lamps located between the slingshots, by achieving their respective features during the game, qualifies Rule the Universe. A shot to the kick-out hole starts multiball, during which a total of sixteen ramps, targets and loops must be made to score mega-points! During the initial period of this multiball drained balls will be automatically re-launched.
At the end of each ball the player earns 1M for each martian killed, multiplied by the bonus X value.
Attack from Mars is an excellent machine. Physically, it looks basic and there aren't that many coils on the playfield. What makes it so good is the software which was written by Lyman Sheats, Jr; another individual who has come to work in pinball following his attendance at previous Pinball Expos. Game designer is Brian Eddy, artwork is from Doug Watson, and the sound and music comes from Dan Forden.
Essentially, it's a fun game with its curious combination of 1950's B-movie style coupled with modern technology theme. The question that must be asked is how does Bally expect anyone to get as far as the rule the universe feature. Getting to Conquer Mars alone is hard enough, and I consider myself to be a reasonably good player. The machine would also appear to be very reliable. The game operated by my own company has been on site for three months, has had no service call-outs, and the error log has remained clear despite 4500 games having being played.
Visit Williams' Attack From Mars Web Site at http://www.wms.com/ for more information about this great new game.
