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1[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mary-shelleys-frankenstein_2254.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:300:''Creator/SegaPinball creates a monster hit!'']]
3
4->''"'''FRANKENSTEIIIIIIN!!'''"''
5-->-- '''The Creature'''
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7''Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'' is a PhysicalPinballTable designed by Creator/JohnBorg and illustrated by Creator/PaulFaris. [[LicensedPinballTables Based on the]] Tri-Star film directed by Creator/KennethBranagh, it was released in January 1995 as the debut pin from Creator/SegaPinball.
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9As expected, the game revisits key scenes from Victor Frankenstein's experiments to reverse death. Travel to Ingolstadt, collect body parts from the Graveyard, then raise the Voltage to reanimate The Creature. Lynch Justine, start Geneva Multiball, and endure the Stoning, and try to pick up an Extra Ball or Frankenstein Millions along the way. Players who can get to the Ice Cave in the North Pole might be able to complete the Creation and discover the game's final secrets -- but watch out when the Creature begins throwing pinballs at you...
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11Among pinball players, ''Frankenstein'' is considered a difficult but impressive first table from Sega, with a feel that sets it apart from other manufacturers' games. Although the rules aren't too complex, the placement of targets and lanes require very precise shooting skills, and completing some scenes becomes very hard as a result. The audio/visual package also gets lots of praise, from the great use of animation on the oversized LED screen, Paul Faris' detailed artwork, and having both the movie soundtrack and Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" as theme songs. If there is a downside, it's that the Creature on the playfield is underutilized, but the game is strong enough in other areas that it becomes moot.
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13A digital version of ''Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'' is available on ''VideoGame/ThePinballArcade'' and ''VideoGame/SternPinballArcade'', the latter being available for free. Following the removal of all Bally/Williams tables in July 2018, ''Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'' has replaced ''Pinball/TalesOfTheArabianNights'' as the free table.
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16!!This pinball demonstrates the following tropes:
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18* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Averted for the most part, to the surprise of many players. There are NO grace periods of any kind anywhere -- not with the ball saver, the Scene awards, or the multiball jackpots.
19** Played straight for very poor players; if a player has been doing badly, the game will set the next Scene to "Light Extra Ball" (or even light the Special) at the start of the last ball.
20** Notably, if the ball goes into the left outlane immediately after the ball is plunged, it won't deactivate the Kickback.
21* BigElectricSwitch: [[PaintingTheMedium The ball launcher is this.]]
22** One appears during the SkillShot; throwing it collects the indicated reward.
23* {{Cap}}: The score caps out at 9,999,999,990.
24* CreditsGag: One of the messages during the AttractMode asks players to become an organ donor, complete with phone number.
25* FastballSpecial: Done by The Creature, who throws pinballs at the player.
26* GorgeousPeriodDress[=/=]OfCorsetsSexy: The playfield is decorated with various shots of Elizabeth (and other ladies) wearing elegant Victorian dresses with laced corsets.
27* IncendiaryExponent: On the lower playfield, the resurrected Elizabeth is shown framed by fire.
28* MixAndMatchMan: The Creature has large, visible scars.
29* MythologyGag: Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog appears on the display during the AttractMode. After the display loops several times, Sonic sports scars like Frankenstein's other creatures.
30** AdaptedOut: Sadly this was removed from the ''Pinball Arcade'' version, for obvious copyright reasons.
31*** However, another nod to Sonic The Hedgehog that wasn't edited out (possibly because no one caught on) appears in the form of the sound heard when a jackpot is scored on any of the multiball modes. It may be difficult to spot amongst all the other noises going on at the same time, but if one listens closely, the noise heard is the sound from VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD when travelling to the Future or Past versions of levels.
32* NintendoHard: Completing most of the creation scenes as intended is an exercise in futility due to the requirements in most of them and the extremely tight time limit. For example, in "Creature Feature", the ramp must be shot a total of ''eight times'' in 30 seconds. If you mess up even once, you might as well call it quits. Most players instead opt to start Creature Multiball while the mode is active, which automatically counts the mode completed for all but a few select scenes (the aforementioned "Creature Feature" being one of the exceptions).
33** Averted with the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Light Extra Ball"]] scene, which awards a CREATION letter simply for activating it.
34* PaintingTheMedium: The ball launcher is also the doctor's BigElectricSwitch.
35* RealSongThemeTune: The game allows players to choose either the movie soundtrack or Edgar Winter's rock anthem "Frankenstein" as the theme music.
36* SayMyName: ''All over the place'': the game even quotes the trope directly at times!
37* SecondaryAdaptation: Based on the Creator/KennethBranagh-directed film, which itself was based on [[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} the book of the same name]].
38* ShirtlessScene: There's a (relatively) small shot of a shirtless Victor on the backglass.
39* SkillShot: Throw the BigElectricSwitch to collect the currently-flashing reward.
40* SpellingBonus: Hitting all of the F-R-A-N-K-E-N-S-T-E-I-N letters starts a Creation Scene, and shooting the scoop spells G-E-N-E-V-A to start Geneva Multiball. During the "Creature Feature" scene, shooting the ramp spells C-R-E-A-T-U-R-E. C-R-E-A-T-I-O-N itself is spelled by passing a score threshold for each Scene.
41* WizardMode: Creation Multiball is available after finishing all eight Scenes. The player gets 100 million for each CREATION letter collected, then a one-minute six-ball multiball starts. All targets are worth 1 million points or more, and spelling FRANKENSTEIN nets another 100 million. After the minute is up, the game goes dead while all balls are drained, then the game loads up another ball to continue.
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