Really????

I can't even imagine the hardest core Scientologist liking that steaming pile.

It is the lowest rated movie of all time on Rotten Tomatoes:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/battlefield_earth/

Even movies like The Pest, Gigli, Corky Romano and The Hobbit rate higher.

Living in The Hague, Netherlands I have been very lucky in the pinball scene. One arcade at the seaside of the part of the city called Scheveningen (large boulevard, long sandy beach and therefore in the summer loads of tourists) in the end was for pinball a Beta-site. With a average of thirty pintables you would find Bally, Williams, Chicago Coin, D. Gottlieb and later Alvin G. and Capcom games. Simply every make. And a small arcade nearby had mostly the Italian and Spanish games. So I was always able to play a wide variety of games. First visit was in 1970 and the best year was 1980. Apart from the above mentioned makes there was also an importer for the Stern games in The Hague. So I got to play almost every Stern ever built. Nice to experience later in Germany that they did have Orbitor 1 games as well but minus the speach board which made the game considerably more expensive.
Orbitor 1 was there as well and I have owned on. The reason I had to sell it was I could only set up four games. I have had quite a few Stern games and today I still enjoy them. To date I do have Star Gazer, Nine Ball, Quicksilver, Freefall, Flight 2000, Meteor and soon will have a Catacomb.
Stern was every now and then called a Williams design in a Bally cabinet. The games looked basic but if you get to know the rules there is more than meets the eye.
Now for Orbitor 1. The strange playfield you have to get acquainted to. Skill is however completely present at this game. As written before when the ball comes from a side hold the flipper on the same side up and often the ball rolls behind this flipper on top of the other. The plastic bends up directly at the elbow of the flipper so if the speed is low the ball will actually rest on the elbow and you can select and aim for your shot. When the extra ball and/or special at the top two right targets are lit you can only get them by hitting them with the ball first go trough the spinner. And the two side banks complete will add the bonus multiplier up to fourteen times. A good ball will end in a lot of noise and points.
This game may even show a bit more what you could call a slogan for the Sam Stern games: "Very simple to explain, very frustating to finally complete it".
And if you don't like this game there are hundreds more to choose from, so no worries.

I've been looking for one for two years! That game is very fun, and just kooky (for lack of a better word). But, I have a large collection. If it were my only game, I'm sure it would get old, fast. Like Hyperball, and Hi-Score Pool, it's a pinball novelty. But some of us really like novelty games. It's what makes this industry great! There's a type of game for everyone's tastes. On the flip side, I see a lot of games going for big bucks that I don't see the attraction to. Again, different strokes.

Novelty yes. Thinking it might be the next big thing..crazy. Even for the time it is easy to see this concept would never go beyond a handful of designs at best. If i were in charge i'm not even sure i'd ok this for production. If i had, it would be limited to a very very low production number. I'd probably never even look back at it after that. I read the article and realize it never made it far but still crazy that it would have been produced, possibly in great numbers. I think its pretty easy to understand this model would never become a standard. I guess its possible they eventually could have used a standard wood playfield with a small section cut out and had this concept inserted into a very small section of the playfield but that would be the best it could get i would think.

now that's a false statement right there. Nobody likes Battlefield earth. not even the actors that were in it.

As for the spinners being tricky. I've never had one person guess how they work correctly that didn't know the mechanical makeup of the game. Everyone always says. IS there magnets or something in there? The Spinners are also advanced way ahead of their time, because of the hit sensor system they have. With the U optos that we are used to from TZ. They have clear discs with printed slashes in them spinning through the opto. So when the ball grazes the spinner, it slows down a fraction, and acknowledges the hit, hence giving you points. Amazing stuff for 1980.

I've played it and even reviewed it. I didn't find it all that fun, but the people should play it for the novelty factor alone. It also looks really cool with that backglass and playfield. It just doesn't play very well. Part of the problem is how wide the area is outside the flippers. It just feels way too random if it will go over there are drain. Makes nudging nearly impossible too.

I'm still waiting for an opportunity to play one. The only one I ever saw was in storage.

If you ever see one, give it a try. You might not like it, but it is totally different that any other pinball game you have played for sure!

Holy resurected thread! For all those who posted that they had never played one, there will be an Orbiter 1 tourney at MGC this weekend.

And as for this

Great book! Worst movie adaptation from a book EVER!

Major necro here but this is the type of thread that is good to necro rather than re-starting.

I like Orbitor 1. Would love to see a blinged out and modded example. I bet you could do some cool stuff with mods for this game.

I forget about this game except when I see it at the Expo and I figured all the previous comments might be interesting to those that haven't read them, rather than starting all over.

Dude, you've played mine and know you can play it anytime you want. It's not like you don't get to see it.

I was toying with the idea of doing the color LED strip rolls under the playfield and use the techno strobe effect on it to totally screw with people when they play. That would be chaos. Put that along with the banana flippers on, but upside down. Would be the game from hell to control.

I know I can and I'm very thankful for that. I was just pointing it out for those who haven't tried it. So what ya doing Thursday?

When I throw a pinball party, everybody loves Orbitor 1!

It's more of a game to play only when guests come over.

Everybody thinks that the game has magnets!

Here is an awesome review of the game:

Orbitor 1 is a fantastic game with an ingenious design. Talk about innovation this machine has it in spades from the Backbox to the Playfield and its Bumper Spinners.

The artwork is second to none and the machine should be standard fair on location in any Planetarium where it would do very good as an earner.

This is one of my favorite machines in my collection and is probably the finest example anywhere.

I have had many TOP ranked Players at my home not like the machine. They had all played it at one time or another and were familiar with it on just a few curiosity games played at PAPA or at an Expo. When I explained the rules and showed them the techniques required to play the game, and yes you can stop the ball on the flippers with a proper drop catch, They really liked it and became determined to beat the Highscore not one had a bad thing to say about it after their sessions on it.

Once the machine was reveled to them they all became hooked.

The timed balls are a moot point if you can keep the balls in play long enough to exceed the time limit.

The Timed balls can be eliminated with a modded Rom that is available.

For those that don't know how it works. You are given 5 (3 ball is an option in settings) balls to play out or a minimum total ball play time which is adjustable say for example 1min.

If you Play at least 1min with any number of balls then when the last ball drains the game is over like any other Pin.

If you drain all balls before you have had at least played 1min you are given balls until you have 1 Minute cumulative playtime (Ball Time)

There is a cool feature where you get an award (Credits or Points) for Maximum ball time which is in a window in the back glass.
Its like a Ball time High Score.

It also clocks the time your ball is in play while you are playing which resets with every ball.

I think most O1 haters have never really given themselves the chance to learn or have had the opportunity for someone to show them what all is involved with the game and so it can appear to be a confusing mess with an out of control ball being randomly whipped around a weird playfield by magnets.

Is it Pinball? Yes why not? It has Flippers a Playfield,Balls,Spinner, Drop down and Standup targets a Plunger and requires the same Flipper Skills and then some to play it.

Its a fast game to be sure and it will help anyone to improve their flipper skills.

What O1 is, can be considered to be the most original designed pinball machine ever made. I didn't say best I said most Original.

Here is a better vid of O1 going over some of the rules and Todd also points out the toughest shot in Pinball the timed through the spinner and the O in orbitOr when its available.

My son and I played Orbitor 1 at PAPA and had a blast. No other game had us laughing as much as this one.

The unexpected movement of the ball like being able to knock the ball back into play after it goes past the flippers was a ton of fun. Definitely not your typical pinball experience but worth playing for sure.

orbitor1.jpg

Fun game to play every now and then. Whenever I see one, I have to play!
Great article, by the way....love the part where they talk about the other game with 2 playfields you could play simultaneously.

I had to buy one at one time, just because I had too and could. After I had it for awhile, I sold it just like the many others that have come and gone.

For me it was unique, just like an Aftor or Hercules, had to have them so later I could say yeah I had one (actually 2 of them).

I'm glad somebody had the balls to step outside the box and make one, just like all the other unique games out there..... Its what keeps (kept) pinball alive to this day, although missed today (except for WOZ and Luci)!!

interesting game, played it at allentown last year (hope it's there again)... struggled like hell with it, since i am far from a master of the drop catch...

if one showed up in my game room, i wouldn't complain, simply because it's so frikken cool looking... but i don't think i'd hunt one down and pay what they cost for one...

That was my game at Allentown last year. Not bringing this year, as I sold it to a guy in Florida. I have another one, but it will not be working in time for Allentown this year. Hopefully someone else will bring one this year.

I bought my first Orbiter One at Allentown outside flea market, about 12 years ago. Paid like $375 for it

I love the game since it's so weird... fun to play for casuals (which is important if you host parties).

I had a shot at one for $2300 at the TPF and walked. It was a really nice example. Maybe I shouldn't have.

Maybe Stern will do an updated Orbitor 02.

I played one at a Distributor. I was waiting for the parts guy to get back from lunch. Started playing it, wow it has some wild play. Flip the ball backwards it may become a saved ball, and not drain. As I was playing it, and a salesman heard it, he walked into the showroom and asked, " What do you think of that game? It is new." Gave him my 5 cents worth, it was hard to play, kind of frustrating, he laughed. I never saw that pin again there or in any local Arcade.

I used to play it whenever I saw it, because it was kind of neat because it was so odd.

Now, I do not play it whenever I see it. I've had enough.

Such a unique game. Every time I have a party people always gravitate to it. I don't play it as much as the other games but it's such a great conversation piece and it's pretty rare so i really enjoy having it. I bought this game around 10 years ago with the idea of restoring it to it's original condition. I finally finished my restoration last year. Check out the pictures here:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/117305596606845162368/posts

Rick told me Orbitor 1R is next....

darn... but thanks very much for bringing it last year, i enjoyed it...

For you bums that never level your games (yeah, there are a lot of you), this one's for you!

non-level makes it more challenging...

i'm looking to buy one. know any for sale ?

i like playing it. it's just crazy. totally dig how the ball rolls around behind the flipper and can sometimes roll back in front of them and around them. wish there were more targets to go after.

IMG_4390.JPG

My wife and I are the ones that snagged the Orbitor 1 from this year's TPF. It's very fun for a change of pace. Like when TOTAN is just beating the crap out of you and you have to walk away for a few. If we ever get around to hosting a party, I'm sure it'll be a hit. We plan on bringing it to the Houston Expo as long as we own it. So far, it hasn't gotten boring and the novelty hasn't worn off. And we play it a lot. We do have 4 other games, though.

Way ahead of its time and I remember it being awe inspiring. That 3D moon crater surface was just so cool and I still love the looks of it today. It's not a keeper for looks alone though. I owned one in the 80's for a while. Didn't take long for the novelty to wear off.

Do I wish it never existed? Nope. I'm glad they took a risk making it and I'm thankful I was able to own and play it for a while.