One era of pinball that was key to its evolution was the solid state era of pinball, but what are solid state pinball machines? Early solid state pinball machines were the next evolution after electromechanical pinball machines, and when there was a huge leap in terms of what pinball machines were capable of. The earliest solid state pinball machines made the big leap by having their mechanisms being controlled digitally using a series of electronic microchips instead of simply reacting to the press of a switch for instance.
Solid State technology was introduced to pinball machines as early as 1975 by the very obscure electronic games company ‘Micro Games’, and this opened up the flood gates to the solid state era of pinball machines with 'The Spirit of 76'.
The digital age changed pinball machines in a big way. Virtually all aspects of the game changed - How tables were controlled, how scores were kept, how the score was displayed, the rules and even sound were all updated in the transition to solid state technology. Gone were the mechanical clicks of score reels, and instead scores were displayed using digital alphanumeric displays. Pinball machines were no longer about simply trying to keep the ball alive on the table, but players now had actual involved objectives to try and shoot for, and in some cases speech in order to react to game play, or even help guide the player on where to shoot (the first table of which to feature speech being Gorgar in 1979).
The 1980s was when early solid state machines reigned in arcades, and a number of brilliant titles were released which are still sought after machines today. Some notable examples include Firepower (which featured the first ever solid state multiball mode), Eight Ball Deluxe, Xenon and Centaur. These machines are also easier to diagnose issues for, given the whole internal design of these pinball machines were simplified from their older electromechanical incarnations.
There are some associated issues with this era of pinball machines, namely condition. Whilst some good examples of some of the more famous games of this era exist, machines of this time are now approaching 40 years old, and more often than not are very well worn. In addition, the gameplay whilst more advanced than electromechanical games is still fairly simple compared to what was to come later, so games of this era are normally eclipsed in overall popularity.
Whilst we have sold some of the more iconic early solid state games (like Eight Ball Deluxe and Xenon), our selection is normally on a case by case basis. If you would like to learn more about early solid state machines, don’t hesitate to contact our team on 0800 622 6464 or 01454 413636.
