Many many games do this.

All depends on the game designer where they want the ball to launch to.

It is a good thing to have a variety of shots in a game these days to set it apart from others.

Yes, the cross-playfield shot dates way back to the 30s and the invention of pinball itself. Ed Cebula did it often and so did Steve Ritchie.

Examples:
Flash
Lethal Weapon 3

I don’t think there’s a specific searchable term for that type of ball launch. If you want to know whether a machine has it, you can search YouTube for gameplay videos of that machine to see the actual ball launch at work.

Off the top of my head for games you can get new right now with cross-playfield plunges:

Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden both plunge across to a left loop or left side ramp area, with several short-plunge skill shots to lower targets or lanes.

Not sure you can still get them brand new, but Star Wars you plunge into the right-center stand-up target Bank, can then bank or short plunge into the left drops.

Godzilla of course.

Not cross playfield, but at least non-traditional: Stern Jurassic Park plunges to a 180 lift ramp and habitrail that delivers the ball to the right inlane. Several skill shots/combos to take then as the first shot(s).

Hmm, I thought the list would longer, anyone else?

I've never heard a specific term for it, one may exist, but if it does exist it's not commonly used.

Let’s dub it “cross-fire”!

Midfield launch, perhaps?

There are many games that does this, it's not unusual.

My Black Rose and Roadshow pins launches across the playfield if you plunge a bit harder.

Getaway, thunderbirds

YoU'lL GeT KaUt uP IN DA....!!!!!

It's just called launch trajectory.

Tales from the Crypt
Alien Poker
Laser Cue
High Speed
Victory

Then there's the halfway scoop launch.
Diamond Lady
Jurassic Park (Stern)

This is an extensive list - more common than one would think.

bring back center launches you cowards

cowards.gif

Sometimes people refer to it as a "short plunge" as in "the skill shot has a short plunge" or name the type of shot it is like a figure 8 plunge or a ramp plunge like on Bally Fireball and 4 Million BC but I'm not sure if a specific name has been given to a skill shot that is unorthodox... speaking of which you can call it an 'unorthodox skill shot' I suppose...

TSPP also -

CONGO

Whirlwind
No Good Gofers
No Fear
Iron Maiden
Twilight Zone
Family Guy
Terminator 2
Last Action Hero
Tales from the Crypt
Shadow
Theater of Magic
Houdini
Flash

plenty of games don't launch all the way to the top of the playfield.

just in my modest collection i can think of at least four games that launch to the midpoint or upper 2/3rds:

Houdini
Stern Grand Prix (re-themed NASCAR)
Cirqus Voltaire
NBA Fastbreak

and then a bunch simply feed the launch back to the flippers:

World Cup Soccer
Theatre of Magic
Doctor Who
Cactus Canyon (R)

then i have a few oddballs which catch the ball post skill-shot then relaunch or release it to a spot that isn't the top of the playfield:

Police Force
Street Fighter II

not launching to the top seemed to be a popular feature in the WPC days. TOTAN, TZ, T2... maybe this was more common in that era, especially for B/W games. i'm less familiar with the DE/Sega, Gottlieb, and Capcom games from the 90's so i can't off-hand say if they joined in on this trend or not.

I'd call it a cross-over plunge. It's a nice feature in that it opens up the top of the playfield for more stuff.

So glad everyone in the world doesn't have the exact same creativity, wants or thoughts. Variety is what keeps pinball interesting.

stranger things

Check out the plunge on 4 million BC, designed by the legendary Ted Zale. Super innovative and critical cross playfield skill shot for the time.

I don't think anyone said it, but it's a short plunge.

Hay,don't forget "Ripleys"

Nah, a short plunge is when you have an option between a full plunge that goes to the top like normal, or a short plunge to attempt a skill shot, usually.

I'd call a "short plunge" when you have the option to plunge softly enough that the ball drops directly to the flippers. Like Star Wars and Stranger Things. On SW I do that in order to shoot the FORCE skill shot myself; on STh I do that in order to get control since the skill shot isn't worth anything.

Not sure whether to use that term for a soft plunge that falls down the right orbit; examples are GOT and AIQ, or Rush's upper flipper.

good "short plunge" examples where a less than full plunge can have benefits: GB, Tron, TAF, RCT (skill shot or mode start.) it happens on games with that follow the cross-field launch as well, like GZ and TZ.

i've also heard "soft plunge" to describe the same thing.

Experienced a "soft plunge" the other night but in my defense I'd had a few drinks and was real tired......the gf understood....

this seems like more of a "you" problem, maybe a "her" problem too, but less of an "us" issue; i think they make a pill to help if it happens often.

I think the most iconic cross playfield ball launch is Twister.

The skill shot was to hit the spot on the disk.

Quite a feeling of accomplishment when you finally did it!

Just FYI to the original poster, if you dont know, the skillshot jackpot plunge is this. You want to just hit the top rollover switch and fall back to the 2nd one. Not sure of other bonuses on the game.

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Not to highjack the thread but what is this thing called?

20230728_213057 (resized).jpg

Eye bolt

that's for an op to put a lockable bracket over the door as an extra security precaution in the days when games were big targets for thieves. it still happens but a lot less often with way more cameras and generally ess cash in the boxes.

Very cool, thank you both.

This gadget is called a hasp. But it might be called something else, when the bar goes across the entire coin door. A coin door bracket, probably, making me look silly. First time for everything!

The downside to these is if someone REALLY wants to get in, they’ll go around instead of through. That means more damage to cabinet and or playfield.