[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/silverball-mania_3554.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''In the beginning, it was just pinball...'']]

''Silverball Mania'' is a PhysicalPinballTable designed by Creator/JimPatla and illustrated by Kevin O'Connor. It was released in 1980 by Creator/{{Bally}}.

In the annals of pinball, ''Silverball Mania'' stands out for its mesmerizing art; the mirrored backglass is a stunning combination of black and silver, an eye-catching attraction in any sort of light. The playfield itself depicts an abstract mercurial landscape of chrome, where muscular men and lithe women spring forth from a gigantic silver ball under the watchful tutelage of a silver wizard. Among all this activity, the player's goal is to hit the various targets and spell SILVERBALL MANIA; loop the central horseshoe to raise the Disappearing Kicker, then let it kick drained balls back onto the table and try for the Carry-Over Special.

The game was originally an unthemed "whitewood" from Jim Patla. The imagery came to O'Connor from an idea in a ComicBook about an artist who drew everything in chrome. While ''Silverball Mania'' is not a particularly difficult game, it's definitely a memorable one.

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!!''Silverball Mania'' depicts the following tropes:

* AcidTripDimension: The playfield depicts a mild version of this, with mercurial fountains spewing pinballs and glowing gradients of blue, yellow, and orange everywhere.
* AntiFrustrationFeature: The Disappearing Kicker, which shoots drained balls back onto the playfield.
* BarbieDollAnatomy: Even though almost everyone in the game is naked, there are no genitals to be seen.
* ChromeChampion: Everyone in the game, without exception.
* [[GoldMakesEverythingShiny Chrome Makes Everything Shiny]]: And we mean EVERYTHING.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: One of the people shown on the backglass is a man who is... [[http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2156&picno=36191 "playing" a pinball machine]] rather ''enthusiastically.''
* MetallicMotifs: Guess.
%%* NoPlotNoProblem
* PowerGlows: The giant silver ball in the center of the table glows as people arise from its surface.
* SceneryPorn: The main purpose of the game, really.
* SilverHasMysticPowers: Invoked with the Silver Wizard, who's implied to be the cause of the game's activities.
* SlidingScaleOfShinyVersusGritty: Hammers the needle deep into the "Shiny" end of the spectrum.
* ShoutOut: A chrome version of Kevin O'Connor's Jeep Grand Cherokee appears on the playfield.
* SkillShot: Plunge the ball down the top center rollover to raise the Kicker and score 5,000 points.
* SpellingBonus: Spelling S-I-L-V-E-R-B-A-L-L-M-A-N-I-A enables the Wizard Bonus, Supreme Wizard Bonus, and then a Special. Also, each time it's spelled lights one letter in "SILVERBALL" on the backglass; completing it earns ''four'' free games.
* VisualPun: The wizard is shown holding a pair of pinballs in his outstretched hands, making him a [[Music/{{Tommy}} Pinball Wizard.]]
* WizardClassic: The silverball wizard, complete with (chrome) pointed hat, (chrome) beard, and (chrome) robes.