First alphanumeric table speculation...

[Citizen]

All the System 11 machines were alpha numerics (I think)

Yup. 1986 is a pretty easy way to remember which pre-DMD tables are numeric and which are alphanumeric for Williams and Bally.

High Speed came out January 1986. It was the first Williams of '86, the first System 11 and the first Williams alphanumeric.

Bally released Eight Ball Champ, Lucky Lady and Beat the Clock at the start of '86 as numerics, but after those 3 they went alphanumeric.

 

[dave950lam]

As much as I want all the above, I really hope the first tables we see of these are something we've yet to have digitally.

+1

It would be nice to have it, but I don't think BoP will make it to Zen (for obvious reasons), unless they change ratings. Or they could clothe the bride on the table....

 

[shogun00]

Can I ask a dumb question? What's the difference between a numeric and alphanumeric pinball machine, other than numbers or numbers and letters? I could look it up, but with having so much expertise at hand I'd like to ask you guys.

Numeric:
- Also known as Early Solid State. Lots of experimenting.
- Numbers only and no record keeping.
- Very limited audio with some early tables only using chimes. Tables with music were only 2-5 second long. And tables with voice sound very robotic.

Alphanumeric:
- Use of numbers, letters, and unique characters.
- Introduction of full length songs and alternating music tracks.
- Advancements in lighting effects.
- Record keeping (hi scores) and other operator tools (operator's menu).
- Introduction of modes and simple animations.
- Voicing sounds more natural.

 

[dmil666]

Numeric:
- Also known as Early Solid State. Lots of experimenting.
- Numbers only and no record keeping.
- Very limited audio with some early tables only using chimes. Tables with music were only 2-5 second long. And tables with voice sound very robotic.

Alphanumeric:
- Use of numbers, letters, and unique characters.
- Introduction of full length songs and alternating music tracks.
- Advancements in lighting effects.
- Record keeping (hi scores) and other operator tools (operator's menu).
- Introduction of modes and simple animations.
- Voicing sounds more natural.

Cool! Thanks for the extra details. It's nice to know what people are talking about.

 

[shutyertrap]

Here's what I'd like to see first from the 'yet to be digitized' selections...

Fire!
Gameshow
Mousin' Around
Police Force
Radical!
Riverboat Gambler
Rollergames

For the ones we've already had, I'll take these first...

Bride of Pinbot
Diner
Dr Dude
Earthshaker
F-14 Tomcat
Funhouse
Whirlwind

 

[shogun00]

Here are my top 5 most wanted.

Road Kings
Police Force
Radical!
Bad Cats
Mousin' Around

 

[Crawley]

These are the ones I'd like to see in Zen from that list:

Black Knight 2k
Bride of Pinbot
Diner
Earthshaker
Funhouse
Pin*Bot
Whirlwind
Fire! - Love the theme and game play of this table. Also pretty difficult.
Jokerz - Recently got to put a lot of time in to this table. Its good.
Transporter - Not a lot of depth to this table but love the theme and its difficult as hell

Would also be ok with Grand Lizard. I can see Zen doing some neat stuff with the enhanced graphics on for this one.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

For reference here are the Top 11 (because Flash Gordon is in the Top 10 and is licensed) non-DMD solid-state tables in the ipdb.org top 300 - the number in brackets is the overall position in the Top 300.

1. (15) Fun House
2. (22) The Machine: Bride Of PIN*BOT
3. (38) High Speed
4. (40) Flash Gordon (licensed)
5. (43) Centaur
6. (46) Taxi
7. (49) Whirlwind
8. (50) Swords Of Fury
9. (51) PIN*BOT
10. (52) Diner
11. (56) Black Knight

Flash Gordon, Centaur, and Black Knight are the only non-System 11/WPC tables in that list. Expect the first few non-DMD packs to draw heavily from it. Also, expect a Black Knight Trilogy 3-pack at some point because it's too obvious a thing not to happen.

 

[Nomorestalker]

Here's what I'd like to see first from the 'yet to be digitized' selections...

Fire!
Gameshow
Mousin' Around
Police Force
Radical!
Riverboat Gambler
Rollergames

For the ones we've already had, I'll take these first...

Bride of Pinbot
Diner
Dr Dude
Earthshaker
F-14 Tomcat
Funhouse
Whirlwind

RADICAL
RADICAL
RADICAL
RADICAL
RADICAL

Also honorable mention for riverboat gambler for having the cringiest soundtrack but also fun gameplay.

 

[Pete]

great bunch of requests love them all and second everyone especially -Game Show -Mousin Around -Badcats & -Radical
But you forgot the two I most want to see that farsight have not done yet which are: Heavy Metal Meltdown & Grand Lizard

 

[shutyertrap]

Added to that main list all the Bally 6803's, as I didn't remember those as being alphanumeric at first. Thanks to Citizen for even posting the list of those in the first place.

It's weird, the different eras of Bally. Seems almost like Gottlieb, in how the name sort of got acquired and passed around.

 

[Citizen]

Speaking of alphanumerics and Gottlieb, here's a little fun fact. Gottlieb didn't release any alphanumerics until they were bought by Premier. Not even Mylstar produced any (except prototypes).

 

[shutyertrap]

Gottlieb didn't release any alphanumerics until they were bought by Premier.

Which gave us score displays only slightly larger than that found on a Texas Instruments scientific calculator! BIG backglass, TEENY TINY display.

 

[Citizen]

At least they filled all that backglass space with great art.

...

 

[trash80]

great bunch of requests love them all and second everyone especially -Game Show -Mousin Around -Badcats & -Radical
But you forgot the two I most want to see that farsight have not done yet which are: Heavy Metal Meltdown & Grand Lizard

Have you actually played either of those recently? Heavy Metal Meltdown is a migraine meltdown, and a digital version of Grand Lizard if set up properly will cause epileptic seizures if you hadn't already killed yourself from the looping conga line.

There are many tables that seem like a great idea on paper (or in nostalgia land), but they would be horrific in the Zen space. Pretty much every single table in existence has been given an excellent VPX version at this point, and you may want to mosey on over there to get a taste of some of these and see if you maybe mis-remember just how (not)great these tables were.