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Game Setup Modes II [message #55585] Sun, 05 May 2013 23:18
mancuso is currently offline  mancuso
Messages: 9
Registered: May 2013
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Junior Member
Message-ID: <423@psuvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Jan-84 13:09:24 EST
Article-I.D.: psuvax.423
Posted: Mon Jan 23 13:09:24 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Jan-84 07:08:24 EST
Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ.
Lines: 101

To add flames to the discussion of the dark side of arcade games, 
(accounting, skill levels, etc) I would like to contribute the
following description of the features of a pinball machine
that I recently bought (this weekend to be exact).  

The game is Bally's Space Invaders pinball machine (not the video game)
The date on the manual is 1980, so this info may be a little dated, but
here goes anyway.

The machine is put into the maintenance mode by pressing a button that
is on the inside of the coin door.  The first mode entered is a lamp
test mode that blinks all the lights so you can find burned out bulbs.
Pressing the button again gets the operator into the score display driver
module test mode.  The credit/ball# display and all of the score displays
cycle through 000000-111111-...999999 to check for burned out displays, 
bad driver chips, etc.  Another press gets you into the solenoid test mode
where all of the solenoids are energized in sequence (with the solenoid 
number appearing on the credits display).  If there is a bad solenoid, 
it can be identified by the number on the display.  The next test checks
the sound module by continuously playing the 'end of game' song. The next press
checks the switches to make sure that they are all 'open'.  If one or more
switches are shorted, a number referring to the switch is flashed on the
credits display.  

The next part is the bookkeeping section of the machine.  Pressing the
test button again gets you into the first section.  An 01 will appear
in the credits display to indicate the first 'register' is being accessed.
this is the first point threshold.  A 'special' is awarded at this threshold
as programmed (x-ball, replay, points).  The setting can be changed in
intervals of 10,000 by holding in the credit button.  To change
the interval to -10,000, press the test button while the credit button is
held.  When the desired threshold is reached, release the credit button
and push the test button to get to threshold #02 and #03.  Any or all of
these may be set to 0 to disable them.  Pressing the test button again 
displays the current high score.  this may be cleared and reset in the same
way as the threshold values.  After the high score is set, pressing the button
again displays an 05 in the credits display, and the current number of credits
on all 4 of the score displays.  More credits can be added (up to a total of
5) by holding the credit button in.  These credits will show up on the
'service credits' register (see below).  Pressing the test button again
displays the total number of payed and free games played. (this and any of
the other registers can be cleared by putting a coin in slot #3 while the
register is being displayed)  The next register displays the number of
free games awarded.  Register 08 shows the number of times the high score
has been beaten + the number of times the machine has been turned over
(>1,000,000 points).  Reg 09, 10, 11 is the number of coins through
coin slots 1, 2, and 3 respectively.  reg 12 is the number of specials
awarded by board targets.  Register 13 is the number of minutes of game play.
and register 14 records the number of service credits that have been added.

Recap:

lamp test
display test
solenoid test
switch test
sound test
01 threshold #1
02 threshold #2
03 threshold #3
04 high score to date
05 current credits
06 total plays (payed & free)
07 free games
08 # times high score beaten
09 coins in chute #1
10 coins in chute #2
11 coins in chute O#3
12 number of specials from targets
13 minutes of game play
14 service credits

The play personality of the game can be programmed with the 32 dip switches
on the  MPU board (a motorola 6800 for those who are interested).  The
credits/coin can be set for slots 1 & 3 and for slot 2 in the range from
2 coins/credit up to 15 credits/coin.  The number of balls/game can
be set to 3 or 5.  The result of a 'special' can be set to be a
free game, an extra ball, or points.  Some of the targets can be set
so that if (for example) 3 out of 5 of the targets were hit, and the
player's turn ends, on the next turn those targets would be still considered
hit, or they can be set so that they are reset at each ball.  The maximum
number of credits can be set to 10, 15, 25 or 40, the 'match' feature
can be turned on or off, the award for beating the high score to date
can be set to 0 1 2 or 3 credits or an extra ball.  The sounds can be set
to eliminate the background 'thumping', and to make noise when the flipper
buttons are pressed.  the point values of some of the targets can be set
reset at each ball, or to hold their values between balls.

All in all, the machine can do much more than I ever expected when I was
playing it in the arcade.  The manual also goes over how to move the outlane
posts to make the game more difficult, or to make it easier, so the computer
is not the only one that can make the game harder.  The dark side of the
arcade business?  I think it is alive and well.

---
Overall there is a smell of fried onions.  (fnord)

                                 :+: Pat Mancuso
                                 :+: Penn State University
                        Usenet:  :+: allegra!psuvax!mancuso
                        Bitnet:  :+: mancuso@psuvax1
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