Attack from Mars

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Attack From Mars
Attack From Mars Pinball Flyer.png
Manufacturer Midway
Release dateDecember 1995
System Midway WPC-95
Design Brian Eddy
Programming Lyman Sheats
ArtworkDoug Watson
MechanicsRobert C. Friesl
Music Dan Forden
Sound Dan Forden
Production run3,450

Attack from Mars is a 1995 pinball game designed by Brian Eddy, and released by Midway (under the Bally label). The game uses the DCS sound system.

Contents

In this game, the player must fend off an alien invasion from the planet Mars by defending the world's major cities, destroying the invasion fleet, and conquering Mars itself.

Design

The game was conceived of by Brian Eddy celebrating classic 50s sci-fi movies like The War of the Worlds, but with a modern sense of humour. [1] It has a fan layout, meaning all shots can be hit from the 2 flippers at the bottom of the playfield.

Notable features on the playfield include four mechanized Martian figures, a strobe light (for Strobe Multiball), and several flying saucers mounted above the ramps/loops. The largest of these, placed above a set of targets at the top center of the playfield, can shake and flash in time with the player's success in defeating Martian forces.

The diverters used a different method of operation than on earlier games. [2]

During the earlier part of the design process of the machine the large flying saucer could move around the middle third of the playfield, but was removed due to cost and reliability concerns. [3]

Doug Watson conceived the design of the Martians with four arms each with three fingers. The model for the woman on the backglass was a friend of Watson's. [4]

Doug Watson recorded all the callouts of the Martians. [4]

Gameplay

Six objectives must be completed in order to qualify for the Rule the Universe wizard mode, as follows:

Once all six objectives are met, the player can shoot the "Stroke of Luck" scoop to begin Rule the Universe, a four-ball multiball in which all shots and scoring modes are active. The goal is to score 5 billion points without losing every ball; doing so awards a further 5 billion. Once Rule the Universe ends, the player can immediately begin to make progress toward enabling it again.

The game includes five multiball modes, the four described above as well as Strobe Multiball (three balls), which can only be started as a random "Stroke of Luck" award. The stand-up target bank rises to block access to the saucer; repeated hits to these targets score points and give awards. [5]

There is a video mode which was coded by Brian Eddy, [3] this involves shooting down flying saucers, and then the mothership.

Reception

Attack from Mars is noted for its lasting cultural impact and its ability to appeal to both newer and experienced players, and received attention for its unusually high scoring. [6]

In a 2023 retro review Pinball Mag called it "a success of esteem rather than sales", noting it sold about 1/6th the number of machines as the best-selling The Addams Family , which released in 1992. They praised the fan layout, which is accessible for new players while leaving reaching the wizard mode a challenge for more experienced players giving an overall rating of 7.4/10. [7] In a 1996 review of the year, this reduction in sales of pinball machines was noted by Williams themselves. [8]

Sequels and later machines

A sequel called Revenge From Mars , was released in 1999. It was designed by George Gomez, and most of the original Attack from Mars design team. It was the first game to run on Williams' Pinball 2000 platform. [9] WMS Gaming introduced slot machines in 2011 called Attack from Mars and Revenge from Mars. [10]

Digital versions

The table was included in the arcade game cabinet UltraPin in 2006.

Attack from Mars was released for The Pinball Arcade in March 2013, [11] until its delisting on June 30, 2018. [12]

It released for Pinball FX3 for several platforms on December 4, 2018, and included additional animations; [13] a remastered version was released for Pinball FX on March 31, 2022. In 2019 Zen Studios released Williams Pinball on IOS and Android and included Attack from Mars; a follow-up mobile game, Zen Pinball World, was released in December 2024, and this table added on February 28, 2025. A VR version released for Pinball FX VR on May 15, 2025.

Remake

In 2017, the Chicago Gaming Company released three new versions: Attack From Mars Classic, Attack From Mars Special Edition, and Attack From Mars Limited Edition. [14] The company acquired the license to re-make the game in 2010, along with the rights to recreate other Williams machines and parts. [15] Each version has some cosmetic differences, including different options for cabinet trim, a large color display with HD graphics, lighting effects on the speakers, and an animated topper. [16]

References

  1. Shalhoub, Michael (2012). The pinball compendium: 1982 to present (2nd revised ed.). Atglen, Pa: Schiffer Publishing. pp. 207–208. ISBN   978-0-7643-4107-6.
  2. US 5507488,Eddy, Brian&Friesl, Robert C,"Ball diverter for a pinball game",published 1995-03-20,issued 1996-04-16
  3. 1 2 Stefan, Stefan (April 28, 2002). "Interview with Brian Eddy". www.svenskaflippersallskapet.com. Archived from the original on 2008-01-22. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
  4. 1 2 Watson, Doug (2019-10-18). Pinball News - Pinball Expo 2019 Seminars - Doug Watson (Video). Retrieved 2025-08-25 via YouTube.
  5. Attack From Mars Remake Manual (Revision 1.4). Chicago Gaming Company.
  6. Ruben, Adam (2017). Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains, and the Cult of the Silver Ball. Chicago Review Press. ISBN   9781613735930.
  7. Nick_O (2023-09-15). "Attack From Mars Pinball Machine | Bally | Retro review". Pinball Mag. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
  8. "Williams discusses a challenging year". Play Meter. Vol. 22, no. 13. December 1996. pp. 42–46. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  9. Horowitz, Ken (2023-04-27). From Pinballs to Pixels: An Arcade History of Williams-Bally-Midway. McFarland. ISBN   978-1-4766-4796-8.
  10. Legato, Frank. "Attack from Mars/Revenge from Mars". GGB Magazine. Retrieved 2025-07-09.
  11. Corriea, Alexa Ray (2013-03-15). "The Pinball Arcade coming to PS4, Star Trek and Attack from Mars DLC tables coming this month". Polygon. Retrieved 2025-07-09.
  12. Lawson, Aurich (2018-05-08). "The Pinball Arcade is losing its classic tables; grab them while you can". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
  13. "Zen Studios Announces Williams Pinball Volume Two Is Coming To Pinball FX3 In December". Nintendo Life. 2018-11-16. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
  14. "Attack from Mars Remake on the Assembly Line". Pinball Supernova. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  15. Skor, Doug (2017-06-01). "Chicago Gaming Unveils Attack From Mars Remake, Brings Pinball Manufacturing Home". Vending Times. Archived from the original on 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  16. "Attack from Mars! Remake". Chicago Gaming Company. Retrieved 2024-10-15.