Usually the DE one's are the best as there is so much on the playfield you dont see until its bare.

John P. Dayhuff
Battle Creek, Mi
269-979-3836

Data East Star Wars .

I LOVE Bally's early 80's playfield art. I'm currently too lazy to link pics, but look at bare PF pics of Centaur, Xenon, Embryon, Fathom and Space Invaders. They're absolutely gorgeous. The detail and coloring are amazing. You could spend over 30 minutes looking up close at all the intricacies. Same applies for backglasses of the same games. I believe Paul Faris inked all or most of these. He is the MAN.

I've never seen Zaccaria playfields bare, but they are still trippy, psychedelic and otherworldly. Farfallah comes to mind.

As for WMS: TOTAN, CV Gorgar, SS and TOM. On some of their other games, I like the bare art not so much for the detail, but for the layout of the shots and mix of illustration/graphic design elements to give an appearance of how the ball will move. Examples: AFM, T2, MM, F-14, NF, HS2 and DM.

Yes - Aurich.... Paragon is special... Golden Cliff, Valley of Demons, Beasts Lair and the Waterfall - I like it! It's the only keeper for me, which does not impress me with an outstanding gameplay.

Here's one of my favorites:

Voltan Escapes the Cosmic Doom
VoltanPF.jpg
Source:http://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=2004&page=4

I love the morbid look on the one hand and in contrast vivid expression on the other hand. the choice of color is great as the little "ornaments" all over the playfield. David Christensen at his best!

The two runner ups are the already mentioned Centaur and Fathom.

Centaur - black and white playfield with some red typos, was that ever done before or after? Colors come from the inserts, bumper caps, posts and some plastics... Great overall look being the host of a machine which was way ahead of its time like (maybe) no other. Another "winner" by Paul Faris (see Paragon).

cent05.jpg
Source: http://classicplayfields.com/photo74.html

Fathom - colorful - but which color scheme was there originally? My nice original Fathom is also more "green", but if you take a look at the flyer... it's more "blueish"... Anyway - Greg Freres did so many designs (still doing), but Fathom is really special. So many details, so many things to explore. Take a look how well this is integrated... see out/inlanes. And on top of it... the gameplay of this machine is the "pride of creation" of this early solid state generation (from my point of view )

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Source: http://www.pinballshark.com/?p=1727

TSPP has lots going on in the back that is covered, fun art.

Xenon is another beautiful example. The only nitpick are the large blank, white areas for the ramps. Otherwise, the detail is mind-blowing. It tells the sexualized story of Xenon in many scenarios.

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I can't find good images of some of the ones that come to mind. I really like how Python used strange perspectives in his games. I'm not sure which is my favorite but Comet/Cyclone/Hurricane are all super cool.

cyclonecomplete.jpg

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Jerry Kelley was really good at crazy perspectives too. I think the Wiggler is my favorite of his. I don't have any images of it unpopulated but here is the playfield.

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I wish I had some good images of Cover Girl unpopulated. The characters on this playfield are so simple and yet so beautifully executed. They used a really awesome metallic ink in the checkerboard and it shimmers when you look at it. I usually like the plastics on Roy Parker's games but in this one they are mediocre and get in the way of the simple elegant playfield.

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Python Anghelo had some very clever perspective playfield art. But in Hurricane's case, too much bland white at the top. Bad Cats, OTOH, has crazy, hilarious playfield art. Like the cats peering over the center seafood wheel (especially the kitty holding the net) and the cat's eyes that are bonus x lights!

I wanted to share some love for 90s WMS playfields. In this case, AFM and HS2. Not for intricate details, but striking, flowing graphic design. These were done by Doug Watson, who also did PF art for T2, F-14 and DM amongst others. You can just see by the shot layouts and guidelines that both are fast, flowing games.

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It would have been cool if he had tucked some details into the top that no one would see like that spot under the plastics in CV.

I think The Hobbit is pretty sweet.

I think single level playfields are best for looking at unpopulated.

Laser Cue is gorgeous I just can't find an unpopulated photo.

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Cirqus Voltaire is beautiful
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