Posted in: Games, Pinball, Video Games | Tagged: arcade, Bally, Bally Pinball, dalek, dr. who, Midway Manufacturing, pinball, pinball machine, Time Lord, Whovians
It's Bigger On The Inside: Dr. Who Pinball By Bally
Most of you reading this are aware of Dr. Who. While I'm not a big Dr. Who fan (I've seen maybe a handful of episodes), I am a big pinball fan. Bally released this game into the wild in 1992, long after Dr. Who's initial TV debut, and long before a new generation of Whovians would take the geek world by storm. The game isn't an easy one. While it has bumpers and flippers, it also has slingshots, standup targets, fly away targets, kick-out holes, bank drop targets, ramps, and a multiball system. There's a Time Expander mini field that raises and lowers during the game, and on a weird note the flippers are shorter than average flippers, which was done intentionally to shorten game play and to increase sales. The short flipper trend didn't last long.
This game was a bitch to put into production. Sample games were initially made, followed by prototypes, and then the actual game was released to the public. You can find prototypes floating around, but I've yet to see one. I've played this game at a number of arcades, and while I do enjoy it, it's not one I would put in my personal collection.
idw