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(Topic ID: 113990)

Any non flat play fields exist?

By el_brio

9 years ago

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47 posts
32 Pinsiders participating
Latest reply 9 years ago by Magic_Mike
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Linked Games

Blackwater 100 Bally, 1988
Orbitor 1 Stern Electronics, 1982

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#1 9 years ago

???

Are there any non-flat playfields out there? I've been thinking that a curved playfield could offer some interesting shots. Something like a curved saucer area or or banked corners. Almost like a miniature skate park concept. Maybe make the playfield deeper than normal and have some ramps that you would need to hit correctly that would launch the ball up to a target that wouldn't be reachable unless the ball is airborne. It would need to be some sort of composite instead of wood I guess. Bad idea or interesting concept?

#2 9 years ago

DAV

wayout440

Pinside member

Berea, OH

11y 113K 11,264 3 12

Ever heard of Orbitor 1?

orbitor1_plexi.jpg

#3 9 years ago

FEC

Syco54645

Pinside member

Pittsburgh, PA

11y 78,300 3,101 12 15

Orbitor 1 is fun for a few minutes. Terrible game though. I picked it for league once.

#4 9 years ago

???

el_brio

Inactive member

9y 6,150 37

Never heard of it. That's kind of what I have in mind. Except no low spots and more verticality. Would make a cool motorcross or skate park themed game.

#5 9 years ago

OOF

Erik

Pinside member

Franklin, TN

12y 117K 7,700

I think one of the many jpop patents shows a transition to the backboard that the ball can roll up. Not sure which title it was intended for. That would be separate pieces but sort of the same idea.

#6 9 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Sana'a

12y 164K 40,199 18

Fireball actually bends the wood itself for the upper skill shot.

Orbitor1 is a great game in a larger collection - tons of fun.

#7 9 years ago

TGB

Thunder424

Inactive member

Angola, IN

10y 24,150 294 1 67

Played an Orbitor1 at PatZ last year... definitely a unique game. My son and wife gravitated toward it. I put a couple of games on it, but didn't need more than that.

#8 9 years ago

???

el_brio

Inactive member

9y 6,150 37

Watched a game play video of Orbitor 1 and it doesn't look that fun. Looks like you have no control whatsoever of the ball. I'm thinking more along the lines of a mostly flat surface with some curved elements.

#9 9 years ago

ARS

Robotoes

Pinside member

Rutland, VT

9y 48,650 1,250

Orbitor1 is a great game. I don't think I'd ever want to own one, but it's wicked fun to play. There is a level of control though, takes some getting used to.

It's the only game I can think of with a non-flat surface...

#10 9 years ago

CCC

ccotenj

Inactive member

11y 77,150 7,231

OP
Quoted from el_brio:
Watched a game play video of Orbitor 1 and it doesn't look that fun. Looks like you have no control whatsoever of the ball. I'm thinking more along the lines of a mostly flat surface with some curved elements.

oh, it's a blast to play...

it can be rather frustrating at times, but that's part of the charm of pinball...

#11 9 years ago

RPL

QuarterGrabber

Inactive member

Ottawa, ON

10y 73,900 6,723 9 34

OP
Quoted from el_brio:
Never heard of it. That's kind of what I have in mind. Except no low spots and more verticality. Would make a cool motorcross or skate park themed game.

If you are looking for a more vertical playfield, try Banzai Run.

#12 9 years ago

M G

MarcelG

Pinside member

Boca Raton, FL

11y 37,450 209 4 1

to those who can't control the ball in Orbitor are just not as skilled. This is a drop catch-heaven game. The top spinning bumper is your friend ...

#13 9 years ago

DAV

blue95

Pinside member

Newcastle

13y 53,400 603 8 18

Orbitor 1 is a terrible thing to play

#14 9 years ago

BLY

MrBally

Pinside member

Paradise, NV

12y 141K 13,926 22 1

I think It is a fun game to play. Once or twice. We should take a poll.

#15 9 years ago

MEL

blondetall

Pinside+ Member

11y 99,300 6,269

I played a Blackwater 100 at the last Atlanta Expo, and it was very different and cool. I think the playfield itself is flat, but there are lots of multi-levels including levels behind/above the flippers where normally card holders are. It also starts every game with a 3 ball multiball, like 3 motorcycles racing together.

http://ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=319

http://ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=319&picno=16877 playfield

#16 9 years ago

???

el_brio

Inactive member

9y 6,150 37

Quoted from QuarterGrabber:
If you are looking for a more vertical playfield, try Banzai Run.

Never had the chance, but I'd like to. Anyone in the NW Chicago suburbs have one? I'll bring the beer and pizza.

#17 9 years ago

YBX

yancy

Pinside member

West Dundee, IL

11y 122K 7,201 25

Cybernaut has an inclined section of the playfield leading to standup targets. There's a notch cut under the playfield to allow the wood to bend up. It's kind of hard to see in photos.

#18 9 years ago

RPL

QuarterGrabber

Inactive member

Ottawa, ON

10y 73,900 6,723 9 34

Quoted from yancy:
Cybernaut has an inclined section of the playfield leading to standup targets. There's a notch cut under the playfield to allow the wood to bend up. It's kind of hard to see in photos.

Doesn't Phantom of the Opera have the same kind of incline for the organ that opens up?

#19 9 years ago

CRS

SilverUnicorn

Pinside+ Frequent

Quakertown, PA

12y 115K 6,692 21

Bally's Escape From the Lost World had an injection molded upper playfield. Not sure if that counts to what you were looking for though.

Chris

#20 9 years ago

Eddie

Pintech

Monroe, NY

15y 111K 1,695 16 9

My Orbitor 1 Tribute Vid. Its one of my favorite machines.

Most who first play it never have the chance to understand whats going on and give it a quick pass.

Once the machine is explained as to whats whats going on and the rules are laid out the machine quickly becomes liked.

This happens all the time on my machine in my arcade.

#21 9 years ago

???

lladnip

Inactive member

13y 32,400 972

Quoted from MarcelG:
to those who can't control the ball in Orbitor are just not as skilled. This is a drop catch-heaven game. The top spinning bumper is your friend ...

ya its the only game i can think of that the ball can be behind the flippers and if you get your crap together and let it out you have about a 70% of getting it back. also the rear broad sweeps taking out the right target bank are awesome.

i cant ever see the orbitor 1 departing the collection- it would be the hardest game to replace.

#22 9 years ago

DAD

TurboBengal

Inactive member

Louisville, KY

11y 56,400 495 4 134

Quoted from Eddie:
My Orbitor 1 Tribute Vid. Its one of my favorite machines.
» YouTube video
Most who first play it never have the chance to understand whats going on and give it a quick pass.
Once the machine is explained as to whats whats going on and the rules are laid out the machine quickly becomes liked.
This happens all the time on my machine in my arcade.

vid not working. I soo want to play this game

#23 9 years ago

KJM

KevInBuffalo

Buffalo Pinball

11y 131K 3,184 11

Orbitor 1 VE anyone?

#24 9 years ago

Eddie

Pintech

Monroe, NY

15y 111K 1,695 16 9

Quoted from TurboBengal:
vid not working.

Odd its working for me ?

Here I posted again let me know if it works.

#25 9 years ago

DAV

wayout440

Pinside member

Berea, OH

11y 113K 11,264 3 12

Yes, Orbitor 1 takes some getting used to, but is a blast to play competing with friends.

Quoted from SilverUnicorn:
Bally's Escape from the Lost World had an injection molded upper playfield. Not sure if that counts to what you were looking for though.
Chris

The playfield is actually an upper and lower wood playfield with a crapload of "3D" molded ramps. I had this game for a while and I was also thinking of this game before you mentioned it. The way the ball can bounce and fall off the levels and molded "mountains" sure gives it an unique feel of play.

#26 9 years ago

RPL

QuarterGrabber

Inactive member

Ottawa, ON

10y 73,900 6,723 9 34

Quoted from Eddie:
Odd its working for me ?
Here I posted again let me know if it works.
» YouTube video

it works for me. Thanks for the vid.

#27 9 years ago

Darcy

Pinside member

Leduc, AB

11y 124K 6,360 17

How would those Super Bands on the flippers effect an Orbitor 1?

#28 9 years ago

CRS

SilverUnicorn

Pinside+ Frequent

Quakertown, PA

12y 115K 6,692 21

Quoted from wayout440:
The playfield is actually an upper and lower wood playfield with a crapload of "3D" molded ramps. I had this game for a while and I was also thinking of this game before you mentioned it. The way the ball can bounce and fall off the levels and molded "mountains" sure gives it an unique feel of play.

Oh, ok, my mistake. Thanks for the clarification! It sure was different though.

Chris

#29 9 years ago

JJZ

toyotaboy

RandOM Pinball

Allyn, WA

12y 184K 11,930 3 14

Quoted from blondetall:
I played a Blackwater 100 at the last Atlanta Expo, and it was very different and cool.

I played a friend's, that game is a highly underrated nordman game

#30 9 years ago

BIF

CactusJack

Pinside member

Lake Forest, CA

10y 80,050 4,200 93

Joust has the wood playfield bent in the center.

#31 9 years ago

MGE

MattElder

Alvin G & Co. Museum

13y 98,300 1,855

Quoted from CactusJack:
Joust has the wood playfield bent in the center.

A.G. Soccer-Ball, A.G. Football, and USA Football also have the playfield bent in the center.

#32 9 years ago

DTF

dantebean

Inactive member

11y 66,650 2,532 1 6

I've played a lot of non flat playfields out on locations.

#33 9 years ago

DAV

blue95

Pinside member

Newcastle

13y 53,400 603 8 18

The actual wooden parts are flat, but the top playfield of Blackwater 100 isn't really flat.DSC00306.JPG

#34 9 years ago

ROB

rkahr

KAHR.US Circuits

Falls Church, VA

10y 85,400 1,846 11

There was an orbiter 1 in free play at Allentown a couple years ago... I thought it was fun to play because you kinda have to throw a lot of your "flat world" skills aside to succeed. Thanks to whoever brought it because I'm sure I'd never have the chance otherwise!

-Rob
-Visit http://www.kahr.us to get my daughterboard that helps fix WPC pinball resets.

#35 9 years ago

PBP

PopBumperPete

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 99,300 4,035 8

I suppose making a not flat playfield surface would be expensive, that is why they introduced magnets

#36 9 years ago

WEB

Magic_Mike

Pinside member

Atlanta, GA

11y 56,550 2,985 20

OP
Quoted from el_brio:
Watched a game play video of Orbitor 1 and it doesn't look that fun. Looks like you have no control whatsoever of the ball.

Roger Sharpe would have never saved pinball if he had used an Orbitor 1, that's for sure.

#37 9 years ago

FRX

Frax

Pinside member

Conyers, GA

12y 103K 16,662 2 9

OP
Quoted from el_brio:
Looks like you have no control whatsoever of the ball.

100% incorrect. It does require a skill set that is entirely unique to the game though. You can do things on this game that just simply are not available to the player on any other game.

Ever saved a ball drain by raising the flipper and letting the ball pass BENEATH it? That's Orbiter 1.

It's unique, crazy, and there is a LOT of finesse and skill involved to get a really high score.

#38 9 years ago

CCC

ccotenj

Inactive member

11y 77,150 7,231

Quoted from Frax:
100% incorrect. It does require a skill set that is entirely unique to the game though. You can do things on this game that just simply are not available to the player on any other game.
Ever saved a ball drain by raising the flipper and letting the ball pass BENEATH it? That's Orbiter 1.
It's unique, crazy, and there is a LOT of finesse and skill involved to get a really high score.

^^^ this...

it has to be played to be appreciated... it really sucks at first, because it seems impossible to control the ball... but eventually the different possibilities start to show themselves... executing the shots to exploit those possibilities is hard, but fun to try...

i wouldn't mind having one...

#39 9 years ago

GRV

GravitaR

Pinside member

Saginaw, MI

12y 129K 2,920 31 71

Bugs Bunny Birthday Ball has a part of its playfield that the ball flows UP on. (Upper Left side)
Pictured here:

image-11.jpg

image-3.jpg

#40 9 years ago

ECB

erak

Pinside member

Grimsby, ON

15y 122K 3,749 5 86

Fireball, and fireball classic has the back part of the playfield raised. Its a solid playfield just has a line cut in it to raise the back portion to make kind of a ramp.

fb_pf3.jpg

#41 9 years ago

GRV

GravitaR

Pinside member

Saginaw, MI

12y 129K 2,920 31 71

If including Fireball and Fireball Classic then 4 Million B.C. has to be mentioned as well.

image-4.jpg

#42 9 years ago

MVJ

shimoda

Pinside member

11y 75,150 3,651 8 24

Never seen an Orbitor1. That video actually makes it look fun to play, much more random but the motion of the ball is very strange and magnetic-like.

#43 9 years ago

DMM

Dave88

Inactive member

9y 23,900 45 11

Quoted from blue95:
The actual wooden parts are flat, but the top playfield of Blackwater 100 isn't really flat.

I played Blackwater 100 for the first time yesterday. There's one at Pinball Wizard in NH. I've always walked past it (there are so many tables there, just too many for me to try all at once) but I finally dropped some tokens into it yesterday. A very interesting game for sure. I didn't realize until the last ball that the "skill shot" was a race start reaction time type thing and then I got too excited and red-lighted. haha

The only thing I didn't like about it was because of the way it's set up the two playfields can feel very claustrophobic at times and since each ball starts out as a 3 ball multi-ball the upper playfield almost becomes non-existent in your mind once any ball comes down onto the lower playfield.

#44 9 years ago

WEB

Magic_Mike

Pinside member

Atlanta, GA

11y 56,550 2,985 20

Quoted from shimoda:
Never seen an Orbitor1. That video actually makes it look fun to play, much more random but the motion of the ball is very strange and magnetic-like.

When guests play mine, they actually think that the game has magnets.

Here is the best video of the game:

#45 9 years ago

DAV

blue95

Pinside member

Newcastle

13y 53,400 603 8 18

Quoted from Dave88:
I played Blackwater 100 for the first time yesterday. There's one at Pinball Wizard in NH. I've always walked past it (there are so many tables there, just too many for me to try all at once) but I finally dropped some tokens into it yesterday. A very interesting game for sure. I didn't realize until the last ball that the "skill shot" was a race start reaction time type thing and then I got too excited and red-lighted. haha
The only thing I didn't like about it was because of the way it's set up the two playfields can feel very claustrophobic at times and since each ball starts out as a 3 ball multi-ball the upper playfield almost becomes non-existent in your mind once any ball comes down onto the lower playfield.

Depending on what obstacle I'm chasing, I'll let the bottom playfield balls drain and play the top as long as I can

#46 9 years ago

MVJ

shimoda

Pinside member

11y 75,150 3,651 8 24

Quoted from Magic_Mike:
When guests play mine, they actually think that the game has magnets.
Here is the best video of the game:
» YouTube video

Still haven't been able to get over and play and talk jazz. Sometime soon. I', in Atl to play pinball all the time. Would love to try this game.

#47 9 years ago

WEB

Magic_Mike

Pinside member

Atlanta, GA

11y 56,550 2,985 20

Quoted from shimoda:
Still haven't been able to get over and play and talk jazz. Sometime soon. I', in Atl to play pinball all the time. Would love to try this game.

We had a real fun jazz jam session a few weeks ago till about 2 AM in the morning.

A well known celebrity musician even popped by.

I will shoot you a PM the next time we have a get together.

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