Robot is a Physical Pinball Table released in 1985 by Italian arcade game maker Zaccaria.
The game depicts a Robot War in an unspecified future, with the player as part of a human resistance fighting against the mechanical menace. Hit the five dropdown targets to enable the Orange Special, then knock down the three Z-Targets and enter the Tunnel to raise the bonus multiplier. Run across the Robot Bridge and five robots will rise from the playfield; knock them all down to advance the Red Special and collect the jackpot.
In spite of its cliche-riddled threadbare Excuse Plot, Robot is well-regarded for its shot variety and lively playfield design. Rolling down the Robot Bridge to raise the robot targets is viscerally satisfying, and the vibrant artwork has a distinctively European charm. The scoring can be a bit uneven, but this remains a fun and original game for players of all types.
A digital version is available for Zaccaria Pinball.
This pinball game demonstrates the following tropes:
- Bad Future: Killer Robots are on the rampage, humanity is on its last legs, and great cities lie in ruins in the background. What else could it be?
- Caped Mecha: The robot on the backglass wears a giant red cape.
- Computer Equals Tape Drive: The robot has a band of multicolored blinking lights around its torso.
- Computer Voice/Machine Monotone: The robot leader speaks with a distinctively electronic voice.
- Excuse Plot: What did you expect from a pinball game?
- Helmets Are Hardly Heroic: Averted; all of the human fighters wear spherical space helmets that completely cover their heads.
- Humongous Mecha: The robots are large enough to grab a human in one hand.
- Kill All Humans: The robots' goal.
- Killer Robot: All of them, without exception.
- One-Word Title: "Robot"
- Robot War: The game depicts one in an unspecified future, with the player as part of a human resistance fighting against the mechanical menace.
- Space Clothes: The human fighters all wear full-body jumpsuits in bright shades of green, purple, and pink.
- Spelling Bonus: Repeatedly knock down the pop-up robots to spell R-O-B-O-T and enable the Red Special.
- Tin-Can Robot
- Touch of the Monster: On the backglass, a robot holds an unconscious woman in his right hand.
