The Simpsons (pinball)

Last updated
The Simpsons
Manufacturer Data East Pinball
Release dateOctober 1990
SystemData East (Version 3)
DesignJoe Kaminkow, Ed Cebula
ProgrammingRehman Merchant
ArtworkKevin O'Connor, Margaret Hudson
MechanicsEd Cebula, John Lund
Music Brian Schmidt
SoundBrian Schmidt
Voices Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer
Production run5,502 units

The Simpsons is a 1990 pinball game released by Data East Pinball. It is based on the animated sitcom The Simpsons and features many elements from the series, such as character voices and music. The game was popular in the United States, becoming a hit for Data East Pinball. It has been cited as helping increase the popularity of pinball machines at the beginning of the 1990s. The Simpsons pinball game was followed by The Simpsons Pinball Party in 2003.

Contents

Content

The pinball machine is modeled after the animated sitcom The Simpsons . [1] [2] The pop bumpers are styled as nuclear reactor cooling towers and several characters from the show function as targets. Other targets depict the Simpson family's favorite foods, such as chocolate ice cream and donuts, and the family bowling. [2] The machine is equipped with a Yamaha synthesizer that plays the theme song from the television series. [1] It also features a computerized voice system on an OKI sound chip, [1] and the characters are constantly talking. [2] The original voices of the characters from the series are used. Mr. Burns says "Smithers, fire that man!" and "Don't you know how to use flippers?", while Bart says lines like "Don't have a cow, man," "Way to go, man," "You blew it, man," and "Hey, man, we're both underachievers." [2] This was also the last pinball machine by Data East Pinball to utilise an alphanumeric display before changing to the dot-matrix display. [3]

Development and release

The Simpsons creator Matt Groening gave advice to the producers of the game. Matt Groening by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
The Simpsons creator Matt Groening gave advice to the producers of the game.

The pinball game was released by Data East Pinball in 1990. [4] [5] It was licensed by Fox Broadcasting Company and produced in Data East's factory in Melrose Park, Illinois. [1] According to an article in Chicago Sun-Times , the producers took advice from The Simpsons creator Matt Groening while developing the game. [1] On November 9, 1990, Data East executive vice-president Gary Stern described the game to the press as "fun – a whole package ... voices, music, artwork, great ramps." [4] He also noted that "This game is already on its way to becoming a monster hit." [1] In 2007, Stern said in an interview with License! that "While we export about one-third of our games, that first [The Simpsons pinball] model did especially well in the U.S." [6]

Reception and legacy

The Simpsons pinball machine won the award for best pinball game in 1990 by the Amusement and Music Operators Association, a group that represents coin machine operators. [2] According to the Chicago Sun-Times article, pinball players have cited Data East's The Simpsons as a game that helped increase the popularity of pinball. [1] The pinball market had been dead by the end of the 1980s, following the surge of the video game market, but it rose in popularity at the beginning of the 1990s. [2] Tom Henry of The Tampa Tribune wrote in 1991 that pinball games became popular again because they started emphasizing themes: "The artwork, targets and sounds work together to create a story, manufacturers say. The computer unveils the subplot differently, depending on skill levels and the sequence in which shots are made." [2] He cited the Simpsons pinball game as an example of this—a "game with a strong theme." [2]

Both Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon [7] and Wilt Chamberlain have owned the game. [8] A second Simpsons pinball machine, The Simpsons Pinball Party (designed by Stern Pinball, the successor to Data East Pinball), was released in 2003. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinball</span> Arcade entertainment machine

Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails called 'pins' and had hollows or pockets which scored points if the ball came to rest in them. Today, pinball is most commonly an arcade game in which the ball is fired into a specially designed cabinet known as a pinball machine, hitting various lights, bumpers, ramps, and other targets depending on its design. The game's object is generally to score as many points as possible by hitting these targets and making various shots with flippers before the ball is lost. Most pinball machines use one ball per turn, and the game ends when the ball(s) from the last turn are lost. The biggest pinball machine manufacturers historically include Bally Manufacturing, Gottlieb, Williams Electronics and Stern Pinball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Data East</span> Japanese video game and electronics company

Data East Corporation, also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game, pinball and electronic engineering company. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, and released 150 video game titles. At one time, the company had annual sales of 20 billion yen in the United States alone but eventually went bankrupt. The American subsidiary, Data East USA, was headquartered in San Jose, California. Its main headquarters were located in Suginami, Tokyo.

Stern is the name of two different but related arcade gaming companies. Stern Electronics, Inc. manufactured arcade video games and pinball machines from 1977 until 1985, and was best known for Berzerk. Stern Pinball, Inc., founded in 1986 as Data East Pinball, is a manufacturer of pinball machines in North America.

<i>Medieval Madness</i> 1997 Williams pinball machine

Medieval Madness is a Williams pinball machine released in June 1997. Designed by Brian Eddy and programmed by Lyman Sheats, it had a production run of 4,016 units. As of April 3, 2022, the Pinside pinball community lists it as the #2 highest-ranked pinball machine ; many adherents consider it the greatest of all time.

Patrick M. Lawlor is a video game and pinball machine designer.

<i>Black Knight</i> (pinball) 1980 pinball machine

Black Knight is a 1980 pinball machine designed by Steve Ritchie and released by Williams Electronics. Ritchie designed two sequels: Black Knight 2000, released by Williams in 1989, and Black Knight: Sword of Rage, released by Stern Pinball in 2019.

<i>The Simpsons Pinball Party</i> 2003 pinball machine

The Simpsons Pinball Party is a 2003 pinball game released by Stern Pinball.

<i>Back to the Future: The Pinball</i> 1990 pinball machine

Back to the Future: The Pinball is a 1990 pinball machine designed by Joe Kaminkow, Ed Cebula and released by Data East, based on the film trilogy.

<i>Last Action Hero</i> (pinball) 1993 pinball machine

Last Action Hero is a pinball machine designed by Joe Kaminkow and produced by Data East Pinball. It is based on the motion picture of the same name.

<i>South Park</i> (pinball) 1999 pinball machine

South Park is a 1999 pinball game based on the American adult animated sitcom of the same name and released by Sega Pinball.

<i>FunHouse</i> (pinball) 1990 pinball machine

FunHouse is a pinball machine designed by Pat Lawlor and released in November 1990 by Williams Electronics. Starring a talking ventriloquist dummy named Rudy, the game is themed after the concept of an amusement park funhouse. FunHouse is one of the last Williams games to use an alphanumeric display; the company switched to dot matrix the following year.

<i>Spider-Man</i> (pinball) 2007 pinball machine

Spider-Man is a pinball machine designed by Steve Ritchie and manufactured by Stern Pinball that was first released in June 2007. The table encompasses all three films in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, which in turn were based on the prior comics and television series.

<i>The Simpsons</i> (franchise) American animated comedy franchise

The Simpsons is an American animated comedy franchise whose eponymous family consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The Simpsons were created by cartoonist Matt Groening for a series of animated shorts that debuted on The Tracey Ullman Show on Fox on April 19, 1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into The Simpsons, a half-hour prime time show that was an early hit for Fox, becoming the first Fox series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1989–1990). The popularity of The Simpsons has made it a billion-dollar merchandising and media franchise. Alongside the television series, the characters of the show have been featured in a variety of media, including books, comic books, a magazine, musical releases, and video games.

<i>The Pinball Arcade</i> 2012 video game

The Pinball Arcade is a pinball video game developed by FarSight Studios. The game is a simulated collection of 100 real pinball tables licensed by Gottlieb, Alvin G. and Company, and Stern Pinball, a company which also owns the rights of machines from Data East and Sega Pinball. Williams and Bally games are no longer available since June 30, 2018, as FarSight had lost the license to WMS properties, which has since passed to Zen Studios.

<i>Harley-Davidson</i> (Sega/Stern pinball) 1999 pinball machine

Harley-Davidson is a Sega Pinball pinball machine released in September 1999 and was the last machine released by this company. It was designed by Jon Borg and Lonnie D. Ropp.

<i>Flight 2000</i> (pinball) 1980 pinball machine

Flight 2000 is a 1980 Stern widebody pinball machine. It was the first table by this company with speech. The theme of the game revolves around futuristic space flight.

<i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> (pinball) Pinball machine

The Phantom of the Opera is a pinball machine released by Data East in 1990. The game is based on the 1910 French novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, but not based on the 1986 musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber or movie of the same name, although released around the same time. The game was designed by Joe Kaminkow and Ed Cebula.

Deadpool is a pinball machine designed by George Gomez and released by Stern Pinball in August 2018 based on the comic books of the same name. Nolan North provided voicework as the voice of Deadpool. Brian Huskey provided the voice of Lil' Deadpool and Jennifer Lafleur provided the voice of Dazzler.

Lyman F. Sheats Jr. was an American pinball champion, game designer and coin-operated game operating system software engineer who had worked for Bally, Williams, and Stern Pinball, among other companies.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tucker, Ernest (1990-11-09). "Pinball shoots full tilt into the 1990s". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 5.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Henry, Tom (May 11, 1991). "A replay in the works". The Tampa Tribune .
  3. ↑ Rossignoli, Marco (2000). The Complete Pinball Book: Collecting the Game and its History. 4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310: Schiffer Publishing. p. 147. ISBN   978-0-7643-3785-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. 1 2 Tucker, Ernest (1990-11-09). "Pinball wizards pick their favorite games". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 5.
  5. ↑ O'Malley, Kathy; Collin, Dorothy (1990-05-31). "O'Malley & Collin INC". Chicago Tribune . p. 28.
  6. 1 2 "A salute to The Simpsons: on the eve of its 400th episode and feature film debut, License! Global takes an in-depth look at The Simpsons' $5 billion worldwide empire". License!. 2007-05-01. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
  7. ↑ Silva, Daniella (2015-08-20). "'The Simpsons' Memorabilia, Fine Art Belonging to Sam Simon to Be Auctioned". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  8. ↑ Hiaasen, Rob (1990-12-19). "Chamberlain is shooting for the top in the restaurant game". The Palm Beach Post. p. 71. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.