[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flash-pinball_1309.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:You don't look like [[ComicBook/TheFlash Wally West...]]]]

->"Electrifying... high-voltage action!"
-->--''Advertising flyer''

''Flash'' is an early solid-state [[PhysicalPinballTables pinball machine]] designed by Creator/SteveRitchie. It was illustrated by Jeanine and Constantino Mitchell, and released by Creator/WilliamsElectronics in 1979.

The player takes on the role of an unnamed [[PhysicalGod Thunder God,]] who is out to achieve high scores by [[ShockAndAwe throwing bolts of divine lightning]] on the world below. While your admirers watch on, shoot the center bank of drop targets to build up Thunder, Lightning, Tempest, and the Super Flash, then shoot the upper-left orbits to reach the top of the playfield. Light up 1-2-3-4 for the bonus multiplier, and hit the left five-bank to increase the rewards on the saucer. As the game builds to a crescendo, don't be blinded by your lightning flashes on the way to victory.

''Flash'' is notable for several pinball firsts -- it was the first game to have a dynamic background sound during gameplay, and it was the first game to use flash lamps for a temporary burst of bright light. Despite its clean layout and simple rules, this is a fast and challenging game that rewards player attention and skill, and the only weak part of the game is the lackluster art.

''Flash'' went on to become the third-best-selling pinball game of all time, with around 19,500 tables sold, and is an early example of many of the concepts Ritchie would bring to his later games.

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!!This pinball game demonstrates the following tropes:

* AnotherDimension: The backglass shows a golden floating city among the clouds, ostensibly the home of the god.
* {{Cap}}: The maximum score is 999,990 points.
* ElementalPowers
* ExcusePlot: What does throwing lightning have to do with high scores? Who cares?
* EpilepticFlashingLights: The main selling point of the game.
* FanserviceExtra: The Thunder God's assorted female followers, all wearing revealing clothing and having zero relevance.
* IdiosyncraticComboLevels: The storm levels go from "Thunder", "Lightning", "Tempest", and then "Super Flash".
* PaintedOnPants: The lightning god is wearing nothing but a pair of green spandex pants.
* PhysicalGod
* PrettyBoy
* ShockAndAwe
* SignatureStyle: Fast, flowing gameplay and a left orbit to an upper-right flipper are early hallmarks of the Creator/SteveRitchie style.
* SongsInTheKeyOfPanic: The longer you play, the higher and faster the background sound gets in an attempt to distract you. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neNiMNH1MHk Can get downright obnoxious.]]
* SpaceClouds: Played with; the backglass and playfield show the Earth as seen from space, surrounded by SolidClouds and lightning bolts.
* YellowLightningBlueLightning

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