Star Wars Episode I (pinball)

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Star Wars Episode I

Manufacturer	Williams
System	Williams Pinball 2000
Designer	Designer: John Popadiuk Programmers: Cameron Silver, Duncan Brown Artwork: Dave Mueller, Paul Barker, Kevin O'Connor Mechanics: Jack Skalon, Bob Brown Music / Sound: Eric Pryzby
Release Date	June 1999
Production Run	3,525 units (confirmed)

Star Wars Episode I is a 1999 pinball game released by Williams. It is based in the Star Wars film The Phantom Menace.

Last game manufactured by WMS industries (Williams and Bally labels) before the announcement to close their doors on October 25, 1999. The jet bumper rule of the 1.4 software reminds players of that date. (The number of points for spelling Jar Jar is 19,992,510; This is the date 25-10-1999, the same day WMS announced the closing of their pinball branch).

[edit] Gameplay

The goal of the game is become a Jedi Spirit. To reach the Spirit level you must battle through Youth, Knight, and Master levels, fighting Darth Maul in a light saber battler at each level. To get to the duel you must spell J-E-D-I by completing the various modes started at the Holoprojector or being randomly awarded a letter through various other means. The modes include:

Ground Battle
Sub Escape
Hanger Escape
Jar Jar Juggling
Podracing
Space Battle
Sith Droids
R2-D2 Astrodroid
Queen’s Game
Jedi Musical Chairs
Watto’s Chance
Destroyer Droids
Gungan Battle

[edit] Multiball

Multiball is started by putting a ball into each of the saucers (Mos Eisly Market and Watto’s Junk Shop). If you are playing with more than one player it is possible to “steal” the other players multi-ball prep work by starting your own multiball. Its also possible to know the active ball into a saucered ball that both come flying back at you. Useful in a multiplayer game, less so in a single player (and absolutely horrible if it happens during a Jedi Battle)

When multiball is started, the center target lights up for a 1,000,000 jackpot. If you drain 2 balls (or 3 if your ball saver is still running) without making the first jackpot you will be offered the opportunity to restart the multiball by shooting either saucer. I think the saucer shots are harder than the initial jackpot, so I’d be surprised if this is used much J Note that the restarted multiball is only two balls (no auto-plunger, after all). If you do find yourself restarting a multi-ball, don’t forget to hit that skill shot again.

Here’s the pattern for the jackpots:

Center target only – 1,000,000 points
Left and Right ramps – 1,000,000 points each
Center target, Left and Right ramps – 1,000,000 points each with a Super Jackpot awarded for the last of the three 5,000,000 points.

Repeat the pattern. After you’ve lost two of the three balls in play, the multiball ends and the saucers go dark. To relight the saucers you need to hit either saucer once for each multiball that has been started. So to lock the ball in the Junk Shop for the second multiball, you first need to hit either the Junk Shop or the Market once first.