Okay, so whether you've been collecting for years or just started, most guys know that most A/B list games have a lot to offer. With enough of these under my belt, I've spent a lot of the last year exploring other eras and types of pins to see what else was out there for me.
One recent purchase is turning out to be a huge revelation. The game is a Bally Special Force from1986.
It's a 6803 platform. They are generally regarded as being super unreliable and many of these games were produced during some lean times at Bally. Generic Bally cabinet art, particle board cabinets with T-molding, a single bulb lighting up the backglass (hmmm, kinda sounds like modern Stern games :lol: )
In short, these are not "collector" games.
Special Force first got on my radar when I saw one for sale about a year ago in Guelph. The seller listed it for $2000... the game is maybe $600 on a really good day. But, it jogged a memory. I could sort of recall it from when I was a kid... but not much else. Anyway, the seed was planted and I did some research. Turns out this was Dennis Nordman's first game... and who doesn't like Dennis?
I ended up finding one in Buffalo for $400 en route to Allentown and, with some help from Cooke, got it mostly running. It came home with some sound problems, but a couple of months later I just bought a $100 NOS MPU for the game and called it a day. Works fine now.
If you've recently picked up Pinball Magazine #2, you'll hear in Dennis' own words how SF was released around the same time as High Speed... and how Williams was really leading the way with their platform and sound system. However, the more I play this game, it is becoming very apparent that Nordman's creativity and the game's programming give it a storyline that is stronger than HS and a playfield design that makes HS look like an EM.
The theme is a pretty severe Rambo meets Nicaraguan conflict. Here's a peek at the layout:
The lower playfield is nothing overly exciting... In fact it borrows a lot from an earlier Bally: Centaur.
The game has two one way gates and posts in the outlanes to allow for some pretty aggressive ball saves.
The inserts keep track of rockets (which you earn via standup targets/ramps and can be "fired" with a second set of flipper buttons to knock down drop targets). They also track bombs (earned the same way) and weapons bonuses and hostages (locked balls)... plus your bonus and multipliers.
The upper playfield has a lot more going on. Not only did Dennis squeeze in 3 pretty cool ramp shots, with the helicopter ramp being an earlier version of his whirlpool design for WH2O, but there are three tank drop targets up the left side hiding a standup, another tank drop target on the right which blocks the entrance to the weapons ramp that builds the weapons bonus. A last drop target up the middle, once dropped,allows the player to lock balls (take hostages).
The pop bumpers behind the left ramp have some unique caps that make them look like a village of huts and are a big part of one of this games coolest features. Nordman also really went all out with the dirt effect ramps and multi-tiered plastics to really bring the jungle theme to life.
So, the gameplay goes something like this:
Spell R O C K E T S and B O M B S via standup targets
Once bombs are collected, hit the flashing standup target LOAD BOMBS to the right of the helicopter ramp. This lights bombs 1, 2 & 3 for every shot. Then make the tough helicopter ramp shot to advance each bumper. Once the ramp shot is made, each bumper fires rapidly like a machine gun and the lights up for a higher value. Each loaded bomb fires one more "hut" in sequence. Not very politically correct, but one hell of a feeling to bomb 3 in a row!
You can rack up some good points by knocking down the right single drop target and making repeated shots to the inside right "weapons" ramp. This is a quick return ramp that returns the ball back to you almost instantly. Making the big right ramp shot collects the bonus and also deposits the ball at the pop bumpers... and awards rockets.
The other main objective is multi-ball and Special Force has a neat mb sequence. First, you have to knock down the middle drop target. Tis cannot be done by shooting rockets via the lower flipper buttons. You have to knock it down and then make a clean shot up the middle to lock a ball in a hidden saucer behind the target. Once this is done, the inserts between the flippers show 1 or 2 hostages taken. Once two balls are locked, you must make the standup target up the left side. It's not an easy shot, so dispensing with the 3 drop targets by first firing 3 rockets is the way to go... then a clean shot up the left corridor will light "Release Hostages" at the right ramp. Make the right ramp and all 3 balls will start to come down through the village (pop bumpers).
During multi ball, you must make that same left corridor shot to "Set Explosives" and light "Escape" in front of the helicopter ramp. Then you simply have to "get to the choppa" and make the helicopter ramp to collect a huge jackpot.
One funny quirk of the programming is that locked balls (or hostages) do not get released after the game is over. They can be taken by other players in a multi player game, or they simply stay locked like little pinball POWs until someone gets them out. All in all, the game has some very nice rules and cool little features that really make it stand out.
In closing, I can't believe how much fun I am having with this very underrated and under appreciated pin. The best $400 I've ever spent in this hobby!
So I'm curious what other sleepers you' guys have found? What pin have you bought or played that you just don't see in every collection, but it knocked your socks off?
One recent purchase is turning out to be a huge revelation. The game is a Bally Special Force from1986.
It's a 6803 platform. They are generally regarded as being super unreliable and many of these games were produced during some lean times at Bally. Generic Bally cabinet art, particle board cabinets with T-molding, a single bulb lighting up the backglass (hmmm, kinda sounds like modern Stern games :lol: )
In short, these are not "collector" games.
Special Force first got on my radar when I saw one for sale about a year ago in Guelph. The seller listed it for $2000... the game is maybe $600 on a really good day. But, it jogged a memory. I could sort of recall it from when I was a kid... but not much else. Anyway, the seed was planted and I did some research. Turns out this was Dennis Nordman's first game... and who doesn't like Dennis?
I ended up finding one in Buffalo for $400 en route to Allentown and, with some help from Cooke, got it mostly running. It came home with some sound problems, but a couple of months later I just bought a $100 NOS MPU for the game and called it a day. Works fine now.
If you've recently picked up Pinball Magazine #2, you'll hear in Dennis' own words how SF was released around the same time as High Speed... and how Williams was really leading the way with their platform and sound system. However, the more I play this game, it is becoming very apparent that Nordman's creativity and the game's programming give it a storyline that is stronger than HS and a playfield design that makes HS look like an EM.
The theme is a pretty severe Rambo meets Nicaraguan conflict. Here's a peek at the layout:
The lower playfield is nothing overly exciting... In fact it borrows a lot from an earlier Bally: Centaur.
The game has two one way gates and posts in the outlanes to allow for some pretty aggressive ball saves.
The inserts keep track of rockets (which you earn via standup targets/ramps and can be "fired" with a second set of flipper buttons to knock down drop targets). They also track bombs (earned the same way) and weapons bonuses and hostages (locked balls)... plus your bonus and multipliers.
The upper playfield has a lot more going on. Not only did Dennis squeeze in 3 pretty cool ramp shots, with the helicopter ramp being an earlier version of his whirlpool design for WH2O, but there are three tank drop targets up the left side hiding a standup, another tank drop target on the right which blocks the entrance to the weapons ramp that builds the weapons bonus. A last drop target up the middle, once dropped,allows the player to lock balls (take hostages).
The pop bumpers behind the left ramp have some unique caps that make them look like a village of huts and are a big part of one of this games coolest features. Nordman also really went all out with the dirt effect ramps and multi-tiered plastics to really bring the jungle theme to life.
So, the gameplay goes something like this:
Spell R O C K E T S and B O M B S via standup targets
Once bombs are collected, hit the flashing standup target LOAD BOMBS to the right of the helicopter ramp. This lights bombs 1, 2 & 3 for every shot. Then make the tough helicopter ramp shot to advance each bumper. Once the ramp shot is made, each bumper fires rapidly like a machine gun and the lights up for a higher value. Each loaded bomb fires one more "hut" in sequence. Not very politically correct, but one hell of a feeling to bomb 3 in a row!
You can rack up some good points by knocking down the right single drop target and making repeated shots to the inside right "weapons" ramp. This is a quick return ramp that returns the ball back to you almost instantly. Making the big right ramp shot collects the bonus and also deposits the ball at the pop bumpers... and awards rockets.
The other main objective is multi-ball and Special Force has a neat mb sequence. First, you have to knock down the middle drop target. Tis cannot be done by shooting rockets via the lower flipper buttons. You have to knock it down and then make a clean shot up the middle to lock a ball in a hidden saucer behind the target. Once this is done, the inserts between the flippers show 1 or 2 hostages taken. Once two balls are locked, you must make the standup target up the left side. It's not an easy shot, so dispensing with the 3 drop targets by first firing 3 rockets is the way to go... then a clean shot up the left corridor will light "Release Hostages" at the right ramp. Make the right ramp and all 3 balls will start to come down through the village (pop bumpers).
During multi ball, you must make that same left corridor shot to "Set Explosives" and light "Escape" in front of the helicopter ramp. Then you simply have to "get to the choppa" and make the helicopter ramp to collect a huge jackpot.
One funny quirk of the programming is that locked balls (or hostages) do not get released after the game is over. They can be taken by other players in a multi player game, or they simply stay locked like little pinball POWs until someone gets them out. All in all, the game has some very nice rules and cool little features that really make it stand out.
In closing, I can't believe how much fun I am having with this very underrated and under appreciated pin. The best $400 I've ever spent in this hobby!
So I'm curious what other sleepers you' guys have found? What pin have you bought or played that you just don't see in every collection, but it knocked your socks off?
