History Pinball / JamesBond007

There are two pinball machines titled ''James Bond 007'' (both based on the ''Film/JamesBond'' film series).
* ''Pinball/JamesBond007Gottlieb'', released in 1980.
* ''Pinball/JamesBond007Stern'', released in 2022. (The page also covers the 60th Anniversary Limited Edition, a separate game by the same company released in 2023.)

If a direct link led you here, please correct it to one of the above pages.
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[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james-bond-007-pinball_2_5814.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:"The Pinball Licensed To Thrill"... ''[[WellThisIsNotThatTrope not.]]'']]

''James Bond 007'' is a {{Pinball}} game designed by Allen Edwall with artwork by Doug Watson. It was released by Creator/{{Gottlieb}} in 1980, and is [[LicensedPinballTables based on the]] ''Film/JamesBond'' film franchise, particularly ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe''.

Unlike most pinball games, ''James Bond 007'' is not centered around maximizing your score with a limited number of pinballs available. Instead, the game is [[TimedMission time-based]]; the player starts off with 50 "Time Units" (seconds), and can keep playing so long as they have time remaining. Naturally, the clock ticks down during gameplay; the player can temporarily stop the clock or get more time by making key shots, but the game ends when the ball drains after time has expired.

Unfortunately, although it was an interesting idea, the game failed to resonate with players -- novices couldn't build up enough Time Units to get a reasonable game experience, while pros found the open playfield boring and easily exploited for indefinite play. The backlash was so bad that most operators tried to return the tables to Gottlieb. In response, the company released updated [=ROMs=] to turn it into a conventional pinball game without the timer, but it still failed to find an audience.

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!!The ''James Bond 007'' pinball demonstrates the following tropes:

* AppealToNovelty
* BadassInANiceSuit: James Bond, natch, as represented by Creator/RogerMoore.
* BondGunBarrel: On the lower playfield, right above the flippers.
* TheBrute: Jaws, seen leaping at Bond on the backglass.
* CallAHitPointASmeerp: "Time Units". Was Bond too cool to use "seconds"?
* {{Cap}}: The game does not allow the player to get more than 50 Time Units.
* FanserviceExtra: The various Bond girls on the playfield and the backglass, who have no effect on the gameplay.
* HeartbeatSoundtrack: The main soundtrack is a rhythmic counter that goes faster when fewer Time Units remain.
* MiracleRally: A target allows the player to get a Special (free game) with one shot, but it is only activated when the player runs out of Time Units.
* NoPlotNoProblem: There's no rhyme nor reason for what Bond is doing, or why he has a time limit to do it.
* ObviousRulePatch: The revised [=ROMs=].
* TimedMission: Originally, the whole point of the game.
* UnstableEquilibrium: The Time Units mechanic resulted in beginners getting wrecked in no time while the experts could play for as long as they wanted.

[[TheOneWith The one with]] [[TimedMission a timer]] and a reputation of not being as good as the [[Pinball/GoldenEye GoldenEye table.]]

[[TheOneWith The one with]] the reputation of not being as good as the [[Pinball/GoldenEye GoldenEye table.]]

TheOneWith the reputation of not being as good as the [[Pinball/GoldenEye GoldenEye table.]]

Unlike most pinball games, ''James Bond 007'' is not centered around maximizing your score with a limited number of pinballs available. Instead, the game is [[TimedMission time-based]]; the player starts off with 50 "Time Units" (seconds), and can keep playing so long as he has time remaining. Naturally, the clock ticks down during gameplay; the player can temporarily stop the clock or get more time by making key shots, but the game ends when the ball drains after time has expired.

* BadassInANiceSuit: James Bond, natch, as represented by RogerMoore.

Unfortunately, although it was an interesting idea, the game failed to resonate with players -- novices couldn't build up enough Time Units to get a reasonable game experience, while pros found the open playfield boring and easily exploited for indefinite play. The backlash was so bad that most operators tried to return the tables to Gottlieb. In response, the company released updated [=ROMs=] to turn it into a conventional pinball game, but it still failed to find an audience.

* TheBrute: Jaws, seen leaping at Bond on the playfield.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james-bond-007-pinball_6822.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"The Pinball Licensed To Thrill"... ''[[WellThisIsNotThatTrope not.]]'']]

* TheProblemWithLicensedGames: Inverted; the ''Bond'' license had absolutely nothing to do with the game's woes.

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* ObviousRulePatch The revised [=ROMs=].

''James Bond 007'' is a {{Pinball}} game designed by Allen Edwall, with art work by Doug Watson. It was released by Creator/{{Gottlieb}} in 1980, and is [[LicensedPinballTables based on the]] ''Film/JamesBond'' film franchise, particularly ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe''.

Unlike most pinball games, ''James Bond 007'' is not centered around maximizing your score with a limited number of pinballs available. Instead, the game is [[TimedMission time-based]]; the player starts off with 50 "Time Units" (seconds), and can keep playing so long as he has time remaining. The player can temporarily stop the clock or get more time by making key shots, but the game ends when the ball drains after time has expired.

[[caption-width-right:350:The Pinball Licensed To Thrill]]

Unfortunately, although it was an interesting idea, the game failed to resonate with players -- novices couldn't build up enough Time Units to get a reasonable game experience, while pros found the open playfield boring and easily exploited for indefinite play. The backlash was so bad that Gottlieb quickly released updated [=ROMs=] to turn it into a conventional pinball game, but the game still failed to find an audience.