The Firefly Pinball Game

POSTED BY: pinballwizard
UPDATED: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 04:32
VIEWED: 14286
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PINBALLWIZARD

Sunday, December 18, 2005 2:04 AM

...doesn't exist at the present time, but I recently noticed that my father's vintage 60's King Tut pinball machine in the basement could, with a painstaking amount of effort, be turned into a Fire Fly pinball machine! The object of the game was to light up King Tut's name on the machine by hitting targets with the ball. So I got to thinking "King-Tut...Fire-Fly...King-Tut...BINGO!!!"

Luckely, my Dad likes the idea. It couldn't be said that he cares less with what I do with that thing: it has a little sentamental value for him, but since I'll be going for a BFA at some point in the next 3 years, he trusts my artistic and creative abilities. As for my "mechanical skills" as Napoleon Dynamite would say, I learned it all from him, soooooo.... we'll see.

In addition to refurbishing the playing area and case with more 'verse-like decorations (the machine's aged condition makes it seem more appropriate), I want to add some audio features into it. All I could really do is add some extra targets and bumpers hooked up to a computer progamed to say "Everything's shiny, Capm'n" or "I don't wanna explode!" or even "I'm a leaf on the wind." Very hard to do, but it's not impossible.

In my opinion, it would be very, very shiny. What do you think?

Art is about lying to tell the truth...stop looking at me like that!

PINBALLWIZARD

Sunday, December 18, 2005 5:08 AM

Bump

<-I really like this guy

LOUGOJIRA

Sunday, December 18, 2005 5:28 AM

I'm a pinball playing fool...loved the things since I was a tiny twerp and my dad would take me to the arcades to play them.

I like the idea. It sounds cool, and it would certainly be a labor of love more than anything. The problem I have with this is how is it going to benefit us, or even the public in general in getting more publicity for the show? Nobody would get to play it but you and your friends...and just going on how interesting it sounds, I'm envious already!

What you might consider, after you get all the work done on this that you plan to do, is submitting the idea (along with photos, and maybe some video) to companies like Williams, or Sega, companies that still make pinball machines. They may take the idea and expand upon it...and produce the machine en masse so everybody can enjoy it.

Good luck in the project, and have fun!

BTW, Bram Stoker's Dracula is hands-down the coolest of cool pinball machines in existence! If you're a pinball fan and haven't played this, by all means go and play it!

PINBALLWIZARD

Sunday, December 18, 2005 3:31 PM

To be honest, I hadn't been thinking of benefits for the public when this idea zoomed out of my brain, and me being an Eagle Scout too!
I certainly could submit the idea to either one of those companies, good idea, but like the machine itself, it's a long shot. The biggest problem being that this machine doesn't run off computer chips: we're talking player-piano technology here, a spinning drum that sets of primative electric servos. No way would they go through the effort of replicating that.
But, if they're anything UNLIKE Fox , it would intrigue them that some random kid would go through that kind of effort for a "cancelled show." With the awesome DVD sales just around the corner, they might take notice! If they actually got interested, their experince might solve my technology problems.
But if no one is interested in making it of the world to enjoy, I could always auction the thing off and donate the cash to charity.

PINBALLWIZARD

Sunday, December 18, 2005 3:34 PM

I'm going to the cinema tonight to see Kong. Bringing along a lot of quarters for the machines!

TENTHCREWMEMBER

Sunday, December 18, 2005 4:16 PM

One of my all time favorite pinball games was the DR. WHO pinball game. I could play for hours on just a couple of quarters.

Hey, anyone out there remember Bill Budge's Pinball Construction Set? I don't know if they still make such a thing, but back in the day I had it on my Apple IIe and I used to make hundreds of them! And to date how old that is, I had an entire series based on the U.S. air strikes on Libya.

I'd love to see your pinball game when it is done!

BWAH!
TCM

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LITTLECROW

Saturday, January 7, 2006 11:37 PM

I was just thinking I'd really like to see a Firefly/Serenity pin!

If it turns out really well, just posting pics of it online should generate some interest.

If you find someone really good, or just really interested in building one from the ground up, you could take it to a pinball expo/convention and generate some noise there.

Keep us posted!

http://www.myspace.com/littlecrow
Can't Stop The Signal

PINBALLWIZARD

Monday, January 16, 2006 4:50 AM

I can't figure out how to post a freaking picture on here!!!

Can someone please help an ignorant freshman?

PINBALLWIZARD

Tuesday, January 17, 2006 9:36 PM

Okay, here's the link to view my machine

This is what the King Tut machine looks like now. During my second semester of college I'll be Photoshopping the heck out of this and other images, getting an idea of what I can and can't do. Essentially I won't be changing anything electric or structurally, just giving it a new paint job. I have to plan it all ahead of time before I touch to paint. Wish me luck!

PINBALLWIZARD

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 4:51 PM

ta da

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