The Mystery of Eight Ball Deluxe

[Zaphod77]

EBD HAS to be made. because it was the top game before addam's family.

Even though it's not the best game, it has historical significance. and it's pretty good for a single ball game.

 

[invitro]

EBD HAS to be made. because it was the top game before addam's family.

Isn't that Eight Ball with 20,230 produced?

 

[karl]

EBD HAS to be made. because it was the top game before addam's family.

Even though it's not the best game, it has historical significance. and it's pretty good for a single ball game.

Hmm! Eight ball sold a lot more than EBD,(if I remember correctly) so if they went by that logic, we would have Eight Ball before EBD. Eight ball De luxe is a far better game, though. So I hope you are wrong

 

[karl]

Isn't that Eight Ball with 20,230 produced?

Correct. EBD only sold 8250 copies.

 

[Zaphod77]

hmm everyone was saying that addam's family dethroned eight ball deluxe.

counting all three production runs it's pretty close.

8,250 for original (confirmed)
2,388 for LE (confirmed)
and i'm seeing

8,850 for the third version for a total of

19,488

and that's not a confirmed production number for the third version.

UNtil confirmed numbers for the third run are found, it's gonna be hard to tell.

 

[karl]

Third version?

 

[Zaphod77]

there were actually 2 runs.

1) the first run.
2) the LE one to use up hyperball cabinets. also part of the first run. production numbers for both types are confirmed.
3) the second run of the game, because it was so popular. this one says bally midway instead of just bally, and is known as the third version.

 

[karl]

Thanks. Didn't know about the third run of it. Wonder how many they sold?

Good to know about it if I ever get my hands on this game. I bet the first one is the most expensive/hard to get a hold of.

 

[tenparts]

I can see them going with Flash and Eight Ball (in the form of EBD). The rest... well I'm sure they'd like to get KISS and Playboy and Star Trek done, but I don't see it happening. (btw Bally Star Trek isn't actually that good of a table, at least as far as I'm concerned - give me Atari's Superman table from that era, please.)

Yeah, Star Trek seems alright at first, but then you figure out the shot to the plunger...

Superman is wonderful, even at it's normal "slow" angle (Atari games simply aren't meant for steeper angles), as is Stellar Wars. I'd really like to see that trio (the above, plus Flash) of early Ritchie games, and maybe even Airborne Avenger.

I just want more "sets" of tables, I guess. We should have all the Atari tables for example, with adjustable sloping, just because.

 

[soundwave106]

hmm everyone was saying that addam's family dethroned eight ball deluxe.

Addam's Family dethroned *Eight Ball*, but folks are right that game counts sometimes are tough with multiple versions floating around.

For instance, Big Shot seems to have a low production run on IPDB (2900) until you add Hot Shot (9000), Pro Pool (800), and Play Pool (2339). Together, that makes for a pretty popular EM table.

Even with TAF the "official" production run doesn't count the 1000 TAF gold pins.

Eight Ball Deluxe was pretty popular from what I'm gathering (heck I remember seeing one, the only other one from that era I remember seeing in the 90s was Space Shuttle), it sold way more than the first run indicates. Hard to tell exactly of course.

 

[David T. Melnick]

EBD should definitely be made. It is kind of like the previous generation's Addams Family in that it is the most recognizable table from that era. Releasing that table might even lead to an older crowd discovering TPA and give Farsight a good reason to release more late 70's and early 80's tables, thus increasing TPA's lifespan.

Unfortunately, Farsight tends to stay away from pre 1986 games (unless it is one that was released on one of the Hall of Fame discs). There was a Bally poll during season 2 in which EBD lost to Centaur by a thin margin. There was talk about releasing EBD later in season 2, but they had to renegotiate their deal with WMS, and Cue Ball Wizard (along with a pretty long string of other Gottliebs) was released instead.

Now, it has been a really long time since the last pool themed table was released and I really think it is time for EBD to be released. And I think there is a good chance of it coming this season.

-----------
+1 (*10)

 

[David T. Melnick]

I'm 47 and I have to admit that a big reason I want more EMs in TPA is that they're NOT the kind of pinball I grew up with, they play differently, and I like that variation on the SS/alpha machines that were the bulk of my experience.

I can't believe they made a Captain Fantastic pinball (that's an Elton John record, kids), much less that it moved 10K units.
[EDIT: Oh, of course, it's because of "Pinball Wizard," which I associate with Tommy, not with that album.]

Wizard! I have played Wizard. Played it quite a bit. [And I didn't realize Bally managed to sell 10K+ each of TWO Tommy-themed games released within a year of each other.]

------------
I'm sure I will be crying (happily) if TPA comes out with Tommy. Due to my late POW granddad.

 

[David T. Melnick]

The vocal "EM guys" make plenty of noise....

I've always fancied myself a late-80s to early-90s fan, but I LOVE Xenon, Firepower, and Gorgar(BK just isn't my thing). I think I prefer the simple, straightforward designs.



If they made even 3 or 4 of these tables it would make a lot of people very happy.

---------
You are so right, Kratos. These tables are great eh.

 

[David T. Melnick]

They're probably more fun to play than they are in TPA... though Gorgar is about as much fun as any TPA table. The very few times I've found good-condition 1970's machines, like Wizard, I've played them every chance I could... maybe I need to move next door to a pinball museum.

---------
I've been thinking more than ever of Las Vegas for the last few years. tPHoF

 

[invitro]

hmm everyone was saying that addam's family dethroned eight ball deluxe.

counting all three production runs it's pretty close.

8,250 for original (confirmed)
2,388 for LE (confirmed)
and i'm seeing

8,850 for the third version for a total of

19,488

and that's not a confirmed production number for the third version.

UNtil confirmed numbers for the third run are found, it's gonna be hard to tell.

I have the 2011 edition of the wonderful Mr. Pinball Pinball List & Price Guide and here's what it has on EBD, with some info from IPDb for comparison.

Eight Ball Deluxe                    1981-03  This game was remade at least 3 times.
Eight Ball Deluxe (blue displays)    1981-04  Rare engineering test game.
Eight Ball Deluxe L.E.               1982-10  Remake of Eight Ball Deluxe (1981), but used
                                              odd-looking segmented cabinet from Rapid Fire
                                              gun game cabinet overrun.
Eight Ball Deluxe (hinged backglass) 1985-??  Remake of Eight Ball Deluxe in normal cabinet
                                              except the backglass is hinged instead of
                                              lifted out.

                                                           | IPDb    IPDb    IPDb           IPDb Date Of
Name        Date    Features       Production Trend  Value | Date    Model   Project Date   Manufacture
EBD         1981-03 EVXY&$^{23578}      8,250     -  1,400 | 1981-04 1200-E  Sept 15, 1980  April, 1981
EBD (b.d.)  1981-04 EVXY&               30-50     -  1,325 | ***
EBD L.E.    1982-10 EVXY&^{378}         2,388        1,075 | 1982-10 1300
EBD (h.b.)  1985-?? EVXY&              <2,658*    -  1,400 | 1984    0B87                   **
** "Manufacture Date of this game is given as either 1984 or 1985."
*** IPDb does not mention the blue displays, but does have pictures of them.
    One reads "Prototype Game #21 of 30".

the "<2,658*" means that by serial number analysis, there
is an 80% probability that less than 2,658 of these machines
were produced.

the codes above mean:
E - Electronic
V - Voice
X - Drop Target(s)
Y - More Than 2 Flippers
& - Asymmetrical Playfield
$ - Significantly Collectible
^{23578} - these are superscripts, and refer to the bibliography.

Where are you seeing 8,850 production for the 1984/1985 version?

 

[Nightwing]

EBD is the first pinball table that I remember playing. I did play some pinball before that - but EBD is the one that sticks in my memory. So here's hoping it makes it into TPA.

 

[canuck]

We really need this table next season.

 

[Tan Coul]

EBD was my first pin as well - never played it before going down to University in sunny Brighton in 1987 - happy days with Pins everywhere, but EBD was my first and still my favourite...

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

EBD was my first pin as well - never played it before going down to University in sunny Brighton in 1987 - happy days with Pins everywhere, but EBD was my first and still my favourite...

Sussex Uni, eh (the Poly was still a Poly back then!!)? Almost but not quite overlapped since I was there from '92 to '96 (with a year in France wedged in there).

 

[pm1109]

Im guessing we will see this in Season 5!