History Pinball / SpaceInvaders

* UnwinnableByMistake: Like other pinball games, players could get a free game [[MatchSequence if the last two digits in their final score matched a random multiple of ten]] (00, 10, 20, etc.). However, the lowest scoring targets award 50 or 100 points, making the player's final score always ending in 00 or 50...

[[caption-width-right:350:[[RunningGag Us? copying]] ''Film/{{Alien}}''? [[VideoGame/CrushPinball surely, you jest.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[RunningGag Absolutely not copying]] ''Film/{{Alien}}'' [[VideoGame/CrushPinball at all, nosiree...]]]]

As with most other {{pinball}} games at the time, there wasn't much of [[ExcusePlot a story to the game]] -- the player would simply shoot pinballs at various alien targets to repel the invaders. To flesh things out, Bally distributed an eight-page ComicBook[=/=]advertisement to arcade operators that provided a backstory: the invaders were a race of [[Creator/HRGiger Giger-esque]] aliens who have infiltrated Earth as sprites in the VideoGame cabinets. Now the second phase of their plan has begun, as the aliens exit the arcade games and combine to form ''incredibly addictive'' pinball machines that completely steal the minds (and quarters) of unsuspecting humans.

* UnwinnableByMistake: Like other pinball games, players could get a free game if the last two digits in their final score matched a random multiple of ten (00, 10, 20, etc.). However, the lowest scoring targets award 50 or 100 points, making the player's final score always ending in 00 or 50...

* InNameOnly: Aside from the name and a few small sprites on the playfield, the pinball has no relationship to the ''Space Invaders'' arcade game.

As with most other {{pinball}} games at the time, there wasn't much of [[ExcusePlot a story to the game]] -- the player would simply shoot pinballs at various alien targets to repel the invaders. To flesh things out, Bally distributed an eight-page ComicBook[=/=]advertisement to arcade operators that provided a backstory: the invaders were a race of [[HRGiger Giger-esque]] aliens who have infiltrated Earth as sprites in the VideoGame cabinets. Now the second phase of their plan has begun, as the aliens exit the arcade games and combine to form ''incredibly addictive'' pinball machines that completely steal the minds (and quarters) of unsuspecting humans.

''Space Invaders'' was an [[PhysicalPinballTable arcade pinball machine]] designed by Jim Patla and released by [[Creator/MidwayGames Bally]] in 1979. As Bally's VideoGame division Midway was the Western distributor of the [[VideoGame/SpaceInvaders arcade video game]] at the time, that makes this the UrExample of the PinballSpinoff.

The art for the game (by Paul Faris) was heavily "borrowed" from the designs used in the movie ''Film/{{Alien}}''. Naturally, 20th Century Fox sued Bally over the resemblance, stopping production after 11,000 machines were manufactured. Bally eventually reached a settlement with Fox, paying royalties for each pinball sold.

* CreepyLongFingers

''Space Invaders'' was an [[PhysicalPinballTable arcade pinball machine]] released by [[Creator/MidwayGames Bally]] in 1979. As Bally's VideoGame division Midway was the Western distributor of the [[VideoGame/SpaceInvaders arcade video game]] at the time, that makes this the UrExample of the PinballSpinoff.

The art design for the pinball game was heavily "borrowed" from the designs used in the movie ''Film/{{Alien}}''. Naturally, 20th Century Fox sued Bally over the resemblance, stopping production after 11,000 machines were manufactured. Bally eventually reached a settlement with Fox, paying royalties for each pinball sold.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/CrushPinball Absolutely not copying]] ''Film/{{Alien}}'' at all, nosiree...]]

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* FakeDifficulty: Like other pinball games, players could get a free game if the last two digits in their final score matched a random multiple of ten (00, 10, 20, etc.). However, the lowest scoring targets award 50 or 100 points, making the player's final score always ending in 00 or 50...

As with most other {{pinball}} games at the time, there wasn't much of [[ExcusePlot a story to the game]] -- the player would simply shoot pinballs at various alien targets to repel the invaders. To flesh things out, Bally distributed an eight-page ComicBook[=/=]advertisement to arcade operators that provided a backstory: the invaders were a race of [[HRGiger Giger-esque]] aliens who have infiltrated Earth as sprites in the VideoGame cabinets. Now the second phase of their plan has begun, as the aliens exit the arcade games and combine to form ''incredibly addictive'' pinball machine that completely steal the minds (and quarters) of unsuspecting humans.

* AlienInvasion

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: The Invader's Queen resembles a four-eyed human female with silver scales.
* HumanoidAliens: The aliens in general, but the Queen in particular.

* NewMediaAreEvil: Played with in the comic; people who play the ''Space Invaders'' video game become enraptured by it to the point of ignoring everything around them. On the other hand, the long lines of people who want to play the pinball is treated as just a curiosity.

As with most other {{pinball}} games at the time, there wasn't [[ExcusePlot any sort of story to the game]] -- the player would simply shoot various alien targets to repel the invaders. Instead, Bally distributed an eight-page ComicBook[=/=]advertisement to arcade operators to provide a backstory: the invaders were a race of [[HRGiger Giger-esque]] aliens who have infiltrated Earth as sprites in the VideoGame cabinets. Now the second phase of their plan can begin, as the aliens exit the arcade games and combine to form ''incredibly addictive'' pinball machine that completely steal the minds (and quarters) of unsuspecting humans.

As with most other {{pinball}} games at the time, there wasn't [[ExcusePlot any sort of story to the game]] -- the player would simply shoot various alien targets to repel the invaders. Instead, Bally distributed an eight-page ComicBook[=/=]advertisement to arcade operators to provide a backstory: the invaders were a race of [[HRGiger giger-esque]] aliens who have infiltrated Earth as sprites in the VideoGame cabinets. Now the second phase of their plan has begun, as the aliens exit the arcade video games to combine into an addictive pinball machine and completely steal the minds (and quarters) of unsuspecting humans. The entire comic can be read [[http://kotaku.com/5902881/the-giant-alien-dick-machines-of-space-invaders-pinball/ here.]]

The other notable feature of this game was the heavy reuse of art from 20th Century Fox's ''Film/{{Alien}}''. Fox sued Bally over the game's resemblance, stopping production after 11,000 machines were manufactured. Bally eventually reached a settlement with Fox, paying royalties for each pinball sold.

* NewMediaIsEvil: Played with in the comic; people who play the ''Space Invaders'' video game become enraptured by it to the point of ignoring everything around them. On the other hand, the long lines of people who want to play the pinball is treated as just a curiosity.

* SpikesOfVillany

[[caption-width-right:350:[[RecycledGag Absolutely not copying]] ''Film/{{Alien}}'' at all, [[VideoGame/CrushPinball nosiree...]]]]

* EyelessFace

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen

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