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Date	*Name (Click to display that game)*	MFG	Type	Prod.	Specialty	Pl.	Model	Pics	Rating
1935-02	Barrel Roll	Allied Amusemen...	EM			1p		5
1985-06	Comet	Williams	SS	8,100		4p	540	53	7.7
1991-08	Hurricane	Williams	SS		Mechanical Back...	4p	50012	26	7.5

Barrel Roll / IPD No. 179 / February, 1935 / 1 Player

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Average Fun Rating:

No ratings on file [ Be first to rate this game! ]

Manufacturer:

Allied Amusement Company, of Los Angeles, California, USA (1934-1935)

Date Of Manufacture:

February, 1935

Type:

Electro-mechanical (EM)

Serial Number Database:

View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net) (External site)

Notable Features:

Trap holes (17), Free Play holes (2), Vertical up-kickers (2). Two habitrails and three lighted "revolving reels" lift the balls off the playfield and deposit them into scoring pockets. A rollover in the upper playfield raises the draw bridges on the habitrails. Advertised as 44 inches long by 22 inches wide.

Design by:

Bon MacDougall, C. Hale

Notes:

Compare the revolving reels with the Ferris wheel playfield action used later on Williams' 1988 'Cyclone' and Williams' 1991 'Hurricane'.

According to the Automatic Age ad shown here, the game mechanics were built by a company named Wilhite. The cabinets were made by Morris Furniture Company. We have no other information about either company.

One of the designers of this game, C. Hale, was reported in the October 1935 issue of Automatic Age, page 105, as a new employee of California Exhibit Company working as an Associate Engineer in their Research Department. In that article, he was described as previously having been an "associate developer" of this game and, before that, of PAMCO's 1934 'Major League'.

Photos in:

Automatic Age, February 1935, page 248

Images:
(click to zoom)

Coin Machine Journal ad 800x689 [Russ Jensen]	Automatic Age Ad* 1156x1632 [Rob Hawkins]	Playfield 805x1600	Cabinet - Side 1200x340	Playfield 1102x899 [Benjamin Liggett]

Comet / IPD No. 548 / June, 1985 / 4 Players

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Average Fun Rating:

7.7/10 (81 ratings/62 comments) [ Add Your Rating! ]

Manufacturer:

Williams Electronics Games, Incorporated, a subsidiary of WMS Ind.,
Incorporated (1985-1999) [Trade Name: Williams]

Date Of Manufacture:

June, 1985

Model Number:

540

MPU:

Williams System 9

Type:

Solid State Electronic (SS)

Production:

8,100 units (confirmed)

Serial Number Database:

View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net) (External site)

Theme:

Happiness - Circus/Carnival - Rollercoasters - Fair

Notable Features:

Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (3), Slingshots (2), Standup targets (9), Kick-out holes (2), Drop target (1), Left crossover return lane, Mini-post screw between flippers. The drop target protects a stationary target. Corkscrew ramp in upper left playfield can be qualified to award extra ball and/or Special. The Cycle Jump ramp in upper right playfield can be qualified to award 1 million points.

Actual measured weight: 248 lbs (includes legs).

Design by:

Barry Oursler

Art by:

Python Anghelo

Software by:

Brian Dolatowski, Bill Pfutzenreuter

Notes:

Designer Barry Oursler told us how this game got named:

Comet wasn�t the original name. It was going to be 'Riverview', named after the amusement park that used to be across the river from Williams. After discussions with management and some of our big distributors, I changed the name and used one of the roller coaster names from that park. Comet was a common name for roller coasters, along with Cyclone and Hurricane. I figured I might as well keep the theme going.

Oursler also told us that artist Python Anghelo wanted the top rollover inserts to be 1-9-8-6 in recognition of Halley's Comet near-Earth fly-by in 1986.

Comet was the first solid-state machine to feature a one million point shot, using Steve Kordek's voice to announce "One Million!". An example of an electro-mechanical game with a million point shot is Williams' 1957 'Arrow Head'.

Bill "Pfutz" Pfutzenreuter told us that Brian Dolatowski was the original programmer. Brian finished all the rules, then left Williams for another job. Pfutz inherited the game, fixed a few bugs, and convinced management to give him more time to make the game better by adding more light shows and flasher effects.

Marketing Slogans:

"It's 1-in-a-million!"

Photos in:

Arcade Treasures External Link

, page 122
Pinball Snapshots External Link

, pages 56-60
The Pinball Compendium 1982 to Present External Link

, page 62
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book A-F

Rule Sheets:

Comet Rule Sheet (14/Jul/2004) by Robert Fellows

Owners List URL:

http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/548 (External site)

ROMs:

42 KB

ZIP

ROMs

[Williams Electronics, Inc.]

Documentation:

5 MB

PDF

Instruction Manual (English, with paginated schematics)

[Williams Electronics, Inc.]

600 KB

PDF

Manual Supplement for Game Adjustment Table (undated)

[Williams Electronics, Inc.]

Files:

123 MB

MP4

Flashing Million-Point Award

[Lenny Esposito]

Images:
(click to zoom)

Playfield 426x438 [Russ Jensen]	Backglass 428x437	Flyer, Front 879x1141	Flyer, Page 2 879x1141	Flyer, Page 3 879x1141
Flyer, Back 879x1141	Cabinet - Front View* 300x640 [Mike Messersmith]	Backglass - Reverse 400x300	Playfield 288x394	Cabinet - Back 183x285
Cabinet - Front View 248x398	Illuminated Backglass 644x528 [The Halifax Pinball Company]	Illuminated Upper Playfield 800x600 [The Halifax Pinball Company]	Upper Playfield 800x600 [The Halifax Pinball Company]	Illuminated Middle Playfield 800x600 [The Halifax Pinball Company]
Illuminated Lower Playfield 800x600 [The Halifax Pinball Company]	Illuminated Ball View 800x600 [The Halifax Pinball Company]	Left Playfield 1024x1365 [Vic Camp]	Lower Playfield 1024x1365 [Vic Camp]	Cycle Ramp 1024x1365 [Vic Camp]
Cycle Ramp 1024x768 [Vic Camp]	Cork Screw 1024x768 [Vic Camp]	Cork Screw 1024x768 [Vic Camp]	Center Playfield 1024x768 [Vic Camp]	Cabinet - Left 746x768 [Vic Camp]
Cabinet - Right 876x750 [Vic Camp]	Backbox - Right 908x1352 [Vic Camp]	Backbox - Left 860x1364 [Vic Camp]	Backglass - Reverse 952x654 [Vic Camp]	Inside Backbox 1024x768 [Vic Camp]
Inside Backbox 1024x768 [Vic Camp]	Behind Backglass 1024x768 [Vic Camp]	Under Playfield 1024x1365 [Vic Camp]	Inside Cabinet 1024x1365 [Vic Camp]	Inside Cabinet 1024x768 [Vic Camp]
Inside Front Door 1024x768 [Vic Camp]	Inside Front Door 1024x768 [Vic Camp]	Cabinet - Front 976x812 [Vic Camp]	Playfield 768x1024 [Vic Camp]	Playfield - Ball View 1024x768 [Vic Camp]
Ball Shooter Lane 1024x1365 [Vic Camp]	Blank Playfield 1024x1851 [Mark Clayton]	Blank Playfield - Upper 1024x768 [Mark Clayton]	Blank Playfield - Middle 1024x768 [Mark Clayton]	Blank Playfield - Lower 1024x768 [Mark Clayton]
Blank Playfield - Reverse 1024x1922 [Mark Clayton]	Blank Playfield - Detail 1024x768 [Mark Clayton]	Blank Playfield - Detail 1024x768 [Mark Clayton]	Blank Playfield - Detail 1024x768 [Mark Clayton]	Blank Playfield - Detail 1024x768 [Mark Clayton]
Blank Playfield - Detail 1024x768 [Mark Clayton]	Blank Playfield - Detail 1024x768 [Mark Clayton]	Blank Playfield - Detail 1024x768 [Mark Clayton]

Hurricane / IPD No. 1257 / August, 1991 / 4 Players

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Average Fun Rating:

7.5/10 (87 ratings/62 comments) [ Add Your Rating! ]

Manufacturer:

Williams Electronics Games, Incorporated, a subsidiary of WMS Ind.,
Incorporated (1985-1999) [Trade Name: Williams]

Date Of Manufacture:

August, 1991

Model Number:

50012

MPU:

Williams WPC (Dot Matrix)

Type:

Solid State Electronic (SS)

Serial Number Database:

View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net) (External site)

Theme:

Happiness - Circus/Carnival - Fair

Specialty:

Mechanical Backbox Animation

Notable Features:

Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (3), Standup targets (4), Ramps (2), 3-bank drop targets (1), 3-ball Multiball, Topper, The Juggler (a ball popper arch), Rotating Ferris wheels (2). Mechanical backbox animation (large disc spins).

Design by:

Barry Oursler

Art by:

John Youssi, Python Anghelo

Dots/Animation by:

Tony Goskie, Tim Coman

Mechanics by:

Music by:

Sound by:

Software by:

Notes:

John Youssi's signature is on the backglass and Python Anghelo's signature is on the playfield.

The Ferris wheels on the playfield each carry the ball for a portion of its rotation. This feature appeared earlier on Williams' 1988 'Cyclone'. The idea appears even earlier on Allied Amusement's 1935 'Barrel Roll'.

Marketing Slogans:

"Hang on to your hat... with rides and games and a whole playfield of carnival attractions, Williams really takes you on a wild ride!"
"Hurricane Is Blowing into Town!"

Photos in:

Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book G-R

Rule Sheets:

Hurricane Guide Version 1.2.1 (Jun/10/1995), by Keefer

Easter Eggs:

Available at Cows and Easter Eggs (External site)

ROMs:

192 KB

ZIP

Game ROM L-2

[Williams Electronic Games]

342 KB

ZIP

Sound ROMs

[Williams Electronic Games]

Documentation:

5 MB

PDF

English Manual

[Williams Electronic Games]

259 KB

PDF

Operators Handbook

[Williams Electronic Games]

166 KB

TXT

Parts List

Service Bulletins:

5 KB

PDF

Service Bulletin #37

[Williams Electronic Games, Inc.]

Files:

699 KB

PDF

Backbox Lamp Locations and Wiring

[Jeff Sucidlo]

Images:
(click to zoom)

Flyer, Front 887x1153	Flyer, Back 887x1153	Translite 453x465 [Mike Messersmith]	Full Machine 255x629 [Mike Messersmith]	Playfield 450x586 [Mike Messersmith]
Cabinet 505x675 [HighwayGames]	Upper Playfield 1024x683	Playfield 1024x683	Cabinet - Left 1024x567	Cabinet - Right 1024x683
Backbox - Left 520x720	Front 940x720	Under Playfield 480x640 [John Gray]	Behind Backglass 640x480 [John Gray]	Inside Backbox 640x480 [John Gray]
Behind Backglass* 1200x1600 [Jeff Sucidlo]	Backglass - Artist Signature 1024x576 [Jasper van Eeden]	Playfield - Artist Signature 1024x576 [Jasper van Eeden]	Playfield - Ball View 1200x900 [Sean Casey]	Cabinet - Left 954x900 [Sean Casey]
Cabinet - Right 772x900 [Sean Casey]	Blank Playfield 1022x2500 [Hansjoerg Reiter]	Ferris Wheels Mechanism 1200x910 [Hansjoerg Reiter]	The Juggler 1200x940 [Hansjoerg Reiter]	Topper 448x150 [Timmy Vierboom]
French Instruction Card 1200x900 [Jean-Louis Chevalier]

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