(Topic ID: 87696)
Gardner, MA
1 week later
Thats what I'd like to know, I've been looking for this game for years. That picture of the backglass you posted is mine off the database. I now have it hanging on the wall next to my Hercules which is the place holder for the Bigfoot game. Pretty sure if you do some searching in the Gameroom Magazine archives you will find the story in the July 2003 edition.
John P. Dayhuff
Battle Creek, Mi.
269-979-3836
2 years later
Elusive bigfoot even in the pinball world!Being from southern oregon 30 miles away from where one of the bigfoot tv episodes was filmed I can say this would be a killer pinball theme for my area!Even if the original is never found I could see a new version maybe done in fishtails type fashion with a motorized bigfoot topper!
3 years later
Quoted from Dayhuff:So cool and thanks for sharing!! Is that a young Rob Berk with his hand on his chin?
John
Good eye. Looks like him to me.
Some video as well.
From the TV show US against the World from 1977 on NBC.
Brief gameplay footage of the machine starts at the 1:00 mark with Gabe Kaplan playing.
1 week later
Quoted from Dayhuff:So cool and thanks for sharing!! Is that a young Rob Berk with his hand on his chin?
John
Note from Rob: "No ... slight resemblance"
Quoted from cait001:wanted to add this photo of Bigfoot being played at the AMOA Expo '77 in Japan.
Picture from Game Machine magazine 1977-11-15
[quoted image]
more on AMOA Expo '77 Japan, Game Machine (ゲームマシン) magazine 1977-12-01
here's a crop of another photo of Bigfoot:
19771201p p6-7 - amoa 1 - bigfoot crop.jpg
I'm including the fulll article here just in case someone who can read Japanese comes along and finds this thread. (gotta keep that archivist/researcher hat on!)
19771201p p6-7 - amoa 1.jpg
19771201p p8 - amoa 2.jpg
19771201p p10 - amoa 3.jpg
hilarious that in 1977 they were still advertising brand new Kicker Catcher machines at expos! (they were first made in like the 1930s, and they were using basically the same casting/parts)
2 months later
Although I rarely log onto PinSide anymore, here is a small bit of additional information regarding Bigfoot (Bally, 1977) beyond what is presently recorded at the IPDB. This is just a simple summary of a much more, extensive detailed history.
The game project was initiated by Bally in 1975 as a means to use the last remaining potential of the EM era for profits. The signs of the electronic SS era was just around the corner and most engineers and management were already beginning to prepare, although electronics were not yet completely ready. The second backup prototype (which was incomplete) was dismantled in early 1978 after Bally made the decision to not go forward with the development of production. All backglasses (including the "final stack" extras which around ~15 were made) were created using plexiglass. The game backglass was never intended to be made of glass. There are NO versions using early crystal glass. The weight of the backglass alone using glass would easily have been over 35+ lbs, extremely fragile, and not easily moved or removed from the backbox channel without the assistance of more than two people. A little known fact is there is more than one backglass image for this game, as when the game was being prepared, backglasses were being rushed, and the final product was not ready for viewing. There are no indications that the primary prototype was retained after the final various worldwide trade shows in late 1977, but all remaining records have now been lost to time. This game remains truly "missing". Component AE design concepts and scaling including the thumper bumper and flipper parts were recycled into development of Atari's Hercules, however these parts still remained handmade until Hercules went into full production.
Bigfoot remains the heaviest "traditional" pinball machine ever created due to its oversized parts, 4 player, EM nature. Weight was estimated at roughly 500 lbs due to added reinforcement required to offset increases in vibration and structural integrity, parts, and components. This was yet another reason why the game was never made, and why Hercules became the birth child of this original idea.
There are plenty of other oddities and facts about this game that made it unique in pinball history, but someday I may document them for the database.
The Bigfoot backglass reproduction officially produced by PPS of the final prototype backglass (full size version) is an excellent match to the original plexiglass version as a proper scan was created and colors do match as I have compared both an original and repro side by side. Although expensive, they did a good job. Based on their quality efforts, I purchased a reproduction to add to my backglass repository.
Keep flipping.
- TBK
2 months later
Quoted from Dayhuff:Hmm......now they just need to prove it.
John
Im sure you read the post that made me post this
Quoted from mjg417:Im sure you read the post that made me post this
I found what you were talking about. Highly skeptical he has more than just a plexi backglass. Won't respond to several asking about it.
Put up or shut up.
Quoted from mjg417:Congratulations Ryan1234 on your newly acquired big foot can I stop over sometime to play it?
Yep. Second Tuesday of next week.
4 months later
Does anyone have a proper photo of the playfield, or can we cobble something together? I’m fascinated to see what the gameplay was like, it would be cool to remake it in VPX or similar program. This is truly one of the greatest mysteries of pinball. Even Loch Ness Monster has been photographed and has video. Bigfoot is still just grainy photos and a poor video!
As per the public pinside map....pinsider Dantesmark currently owns the elusive Bigfoot. Maybe someone can ask him if he can post some pictures to satisfy our curiosity?
Screenshot_20210620-185247.png
Found it
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/18kwhat-3-or-4-pins-do-you-buy/page/2#post-6120634
Content warning: very stupid.
Quoted from jj44114:George Aronoff had one. He was a lawyer for Bally. His wife sold it when he died.
Not only did he and his firm represent Bally, he sat on the Board of Directors for many years. He was very approachable at the annual shareholder meetings. Always had a good cigar in tow. He gave up the cigars around 1993.
At the Bally meeting held in Atlantic City in 1988, Chairman Bob Mullane became sick so George chaired the meeting.
I did not hear that he passed away....
Quoted from jj44114:George Aronoff had one. He was a lawyer for Bally. His wife sold it when he died.
Quoted from MrBally:Not only did he and his firm represent Bally, he sat on the Board of Directors for many years. He was very approachable at the annual shareholder meetings. Always had a good cigar in tow. He gave up the cigars around 1993.
At the Bally meeting held in Atlantic City in 1988, Chairman Bob Mullane became sick so George chaired the meeting.
I did not hear that he passed away....
GREAT NEWS EVERYBODY!!!
Similar to a thread last year where somone said their Mother-in-Law had died causing them to fall behind in their commitments; former Bally Manufacturing Corporation Attorney and Board member (also for Bally Entertainment and Bally Gaming International) George Aronoff has recovered from his death which jj44114 reported earlier.
Quoted from frenchmarky:[quoted image]
Marty Feldman Vs. Roger Daltrey on Bigfoot 
Quoted from TecumsehPlissken:Marty Feldman
wont be long before spooky makes 'young frankenstein'.
Feldman - "Too bad this game ain't got two-ball multiball, I could watch both of them at the same time, mate."
Looks like Rich Little is back there too.
Quoted from Dayhuff:Far as I know the game play is the same as Bow and Arrow which is what the playfield layout was based off on.
John
It’s not the same, they used the same internals and harness and repositioned it for use as a larger game.
I kept trying to find a good copy of that “Us Versus The World” clip but I cannot
263A0F8F-6AAD-4FD2-8D0C-4EFCBAF1AE24.jpegB040673E-02A8-49D4-B735-C18FA4877E8F.jpegQuoted from Isochronic_Frost:It’s not the same, they used the same internals and harness and repositioned it for use as a larger game.
I kept trying to find a good copy of that “Us Versus The World” clip but I cannot
[quoted image][quoted image]
Yeah not the same.
It is, however, the same as Hercules which eventually got built.
Quoted from CrazyLevi:Yeah not the same.
It is, however, the same as Hercules which eventually got built.
No quite
1ABFD7E6-A7E2-41DA-83E9-48CA13E49DBC.jpeg
Bigfoot is unique enough that I want to play it. I will homebrew it if I have to! (I really don’t want to)
Quoted from MrBally:GREAT NEWS EVERYBODY!!!
Similar to a thread last year where somone said their Mother-in-Law had died causing them to fall behind in their commitments; former Bally Manufacturing Corporation Attorney and Board member (also for Bally Entertainment and Bally Gaming International) George Aronoff has recovered from his death which jj44114 reported earlier.
More importantly than him recovering after his recent dubious departure, does he actually have Bigfoot???
I recall playing a Hercules in Castle Park arcade near here (So Calif) a few times 40 years ago, but I watched a few videos of it and Bigfoot and I don't remember Herc playing so godawful slow. They both look like playing a regular game at a 2 degree slant with weak-ass flippers while you're doped up on tranquilizers.
Quoted from frenchmarky:I recall playing a Hercules in Castle Park arcade near here (So Calif) a few times 40 years ago, but I watched a few videos of it and Bigfoot and I don't remember Herc playing so godawful slow. They both look like playing a regular game at a 2 degree slant with weak-ass flippers while you're doped up on tranquilizers.
As I have played Hercules many times in my life, that game makes all my older EM look super fast.
The Hercules that I have played have featured the hollow plastic ball, the undersized cue ball, and a rubber ball. Of course different rebounding, but still...so...slow.......
Quoted from jbovenzi:As I have played Hercules many times in my life, that game makes all my older EM look super fast.
The Hercules that I have played have featured the hollow plastic ball, the undersized cue ball, and a rubber ball. Of course different rebounding, but still...so...slow.......
It’s a novelty for sure but a multiplayer
game on one that works well undeniably fun.
Quoted from CrazyLevi:It’s a novelty for sure but a multiplayer
game on one that works well undeniably fun.
I can still hear those sounds echoing in the Expo hallway.
Quoted from yancy:I can still hear those sounds echoing in the Expo hallway.
The PiNBaLL iS a CUE BALL!!!
Quoted from MrBally:The PiNBaLL iS a CUE BALL!!!
That game would probably play well with a wiffle ball!
d a jumbo-sized pinball machine concept for the Bally Manufacturing Corporation.
The Strong, ROCPublished 4:31 p.m. ET Aug. 23, 2013
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Note: You can play this mammoth pinball machine in The Strong's summer exhibition, Boardwalk Arcade, on view only through Sept. 8
Hercules and Shannon Symonds, Courtesy of The Strong, Rochester, NY
Mythological Creatures on Hercules Arcade, Courtesy of The Strong, Rochester, NY
Shannon Symonds and Hercules Arcade, Courtesy of The Strong, Rochester, NY
In 1976, game designer Ron Halliburton of Arcade Engineering created a jumbo-sized pinball machine concept for the Bally Manufacturing Corporation. Bally created two prototypes for the electro-mechanical game they called Bigfoot and determined not to move it to production. Allan Reizman, Engineering Lab Supervisor at Bally, reported that the intense vibrations and stress the oversized components placed on the frame caused the game to shake itself apart. Yet, Halliburton’s former employee, Gene Lipkin, believed the game had potential. Bally sold the Bigfoot concept to Lipkin’s employer, Atari. The resulting game proved mythic inproportion.Atari’s Steve Bicker redesigned Big Foot and JimKelley created the artwork. In 1979, Atari released the solid state electronic game under the new title Hercules. The game earned the status of largestpinball machine ever commercially produced. The game’s physical stature represented the son of Zeus and the greatest of all Greek heroes—it stood sevenfeet tall, eight feet long, and three and a half feet wide. Hercules dwarfed its contemporaries. The 1979 game Old Coney Island, for example, had a playing field only four feet long and under two feet wide.Due to its massive size, Hercules required many custom-made parts. Bicker explained, “The project manager, Steve Taylor, was an engineering genius… Steve had to engineer components that didn’t exist. He modified washing machine solenoids to power the flippers, the thumper bumpers, and the slingshots.” Taylor also used a pool cue ball instead of a standard pinball, which would have looked lost on the oversized playing field and would likely have slipped under the extra-large flippers. Atari designers also compensated for the excessive vibrations by adding extra shock-resistant components and reinforcing all electronic connections with stronger material.Intended for game play in amusement parks,Hercules needed extensive and colorful graphics to compete with the other games and activities that attracted players. Bicker recalled artist Jim Kelleybeing told to use “circus colors” in his designs, which he defined as “basically, as much orange and purple as you can stand.”Lovers of Greek mythology will find much significance in the artwork on the playing field, which incorporates some of Hercules’ most famous feats of strength. A serpent appears at the foot of the board, perhaps symbolizing the two giant snakes sent by Queen Hera to kill Hercules as a child. Hercules strangled the snakes before they could strike. A group of Amazon warriors stand at the top of the playing field, which may represent the ninth Labor of Hercules. This challenge required him to steal the girdle of Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons. A centaur appears on two of the bumpers, possibly depicting Nessus, who attempted to rape Hercules’ wife, Deianira. Hercules killed him with a poisoned-tipped arrow. Along the edge of the play field, discerning players will notice the Nemean Lion, a vicious beast with special fur that made the beast impervious to human weapons. Hercules choked the Nemean Lion to death.Atari only manufactured seven commercial pinball machines, with Hercules being its last and arguably most novel. Pinball historians argue over the exact number of Hercules games produced, but they all agree that no more than 500 appeared on the market. We’re thrilled to have this unique game as part of ICHEG’s pinball collection. It’s a testament to the extensive creativity of the pinball industry. Hercules is currently available for play in our summer Boardwalk Arcade exhibit on view through September 8.
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