Line #23 Pinball/Firepower


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/firepower-backglass_6833.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Mission: Multi-Ball Destruction]]
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4	->"FIRE! / ONE! / TWO! / THREE!"
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6	''Firepower'' is a PhysicalPinballTable designed by Creator/SteveRitchie, programmed by Creator/EugeneJarvis, and illustrated by Constantino and Jeanine Mitchell. Released by Creator/WilliamsElectronics in 1980, it is noteworthy for being the first pinball with a "lane change" feature,[[note]]The player presses the flipper buttons to change which rollover lights are lit[[/note]] as well as being the first solid-state game with multiball.
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8	As with other pins of the time, the premise is an ExcusePlot to showcase the gameplay. Without warning, an alien war planet has appeared next to Earth and unleashed an army of JetPack-wearing invaders against humanity. In response, the player must spell FIREPOWER to increase the game's point values, hit the six targets to light the eject holes, then lock two balls into the saucers to start multiball.
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10	''Firepower'' is considered one of the classics of '80s pinball, a game that's simple to understand yet challenging to play, though sustaining multiball is fairly difficult due to the wide outlanes. A sequel, ''Firepower II'', was released in 1983; designed by Creator/MarkRitchie, it retains most of the layout and rules of the original.
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12	A digital version of ''Firepower'' is available in ''VideoGame/PinballHallOfFame: The Williams Collection''. Both it and its sequel were also available from [=FarSight=] Studios' ''VideoGame/ThePinballArcade'' until their license for all Williams and Bally tables expired on July 1, 2018.
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14	!!The ''Firepower'' pinball demonstrates the following tropes:
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16	* CityPlanet: The alien warworld is one of these.
17	* ConvenientlyClosePlanet: The alien warworld is so close to Earth that humans can retaliate with their rocket-powered spaceships.
18	* CreatorCameo: Steve Ritchie provides the game's voice clips.
19	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Being the first solid state pinball machine with multiball, Firepower has no bonuses, jackpots, multipliers nor other advantages later machines would have to starting multiball, beyond just having more than one ball on the playfield at the same time.
20	* ExcusePlot
21	* JetPack: Worn by the flying invaders.
22	* MachineMonotone[=/=]YouNoTakeCandle
23	* MadLibsDialogue: Done as with ''Pinball/{{Gorgar}}'', although this game has a slightly larger vocabulary.
24	* MonochromaticEyes: The eyes of the alien leaders have white pupils and no visible irises.
25	* MoreDakka
26	* MyBrainIsBig[=/=]RubberForeheadAliens: The alien leaders have oversized wrinkled foreheads.
27	* {{Pastiche}}: The aliens are drawn in a style that closely mimics that of Creator/JackKirby, though most believe it was done as UsefulNotes/{{Plagiarism}} instead of any sort of homage. The same could be said for the alien warworld (with it's very close satellite moon) which may have been inspired by an Angus [=McKie=] illustration for the ''Terran Trade Authority'' handbooks from TheSeventies.
28	* UpdatedRerelease: ''Firepower II'', which kept the original's layout, but added a cross-table chute and tweaked the rules for better balance.
29	* SpaceFighter: Featured for the humans in both games.
30	* SpellingBonus: played with; F-I-R-E is spelled with the top rollovers, but POWER is a set of three targets.
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Context Pinball / Firepower