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Capcom's Flipper Football.

THEIR NEW FLIPPER FOOTBALL COMBINES

POPULAR THEME WITH SIMPLE TECHNOLOGY
AND GAMEPLAY

An interesting tale lies behind the genesis of Flipper Football, the new game from Capcom Coin-Op featured on this month's cover. Ed Schmidt, the factory's service chief, marched into the R&D offices a while ago and let `em have it right between the eyes. Quoting top distribs and ops from around the globe, Ed declared: "We do not want any pinball games that are complicated and expensive to maintain, replace and operate. Almost all pinball games are too complicated for 90% of the players; only specialists can play them! We don't want licensed themes; how about original subjects? You have to

read a 200 page novel

to play the games.

How about simple

rules and realistic scor

ing? ...We need a new

kind of game that's fun

and keeps us in bus

iness." (Leave it the

service manager to bring the design team back to reality!)

Six months later, Flipper Football was born: a 20x46" electromechanical game, themed around the world's most popular sport, soccer. "It's the

first of a new genre of

games based on our trademarked Interplay Display," said execs. A 3D ball is shot at the goal - under the display, located on the playfield - and its progress is continued on the display in 2D animation, toward the goal and a tough-to-beat goalkeeper. Now, there's a compelling, satisfying, fun use for hi-tech! But it's instantly understandable and adds in a logical, obvious way to gameplay.

Playing features include three game rules taken from real soccer: you score in the opponents' goal (at the top end of the playfield); they score in your goal (lower ball drain); and don't touch the ball with your hands. Real soccer elements are also included like penalty kicks, burn-the-goalie shots, yellow and red cards, free kicks, etc. There's even an unpopular ref (you can shoot the ball at him). Like real soccer, Flipper Football is a "timed play" game; operators can adjust the amount of time given per coin.

Settings allow for solo or team play, such that ball drain can be

counted as a goal against the player (solo play) or as the oppos

ing team taking the offensive (team play). Custom team names

may be entered in the display to add local color, as well.

Players will like the advanced sound (Capcom calls it "MBIII

super hi-tech audio featuring multi-MPEG sound processing").

They'll also like the impressive dot matrix display (256x64 dots) and the high score features. The game has a "highest goal getter" table which contains compound scores of individual players over a set period of time. This helps with linking units for possible league

and championship prize play. Players enter initials and birth

dates for ID purposes on awards day.

Operators will like the smaller, lighter backbox (easier to

move); automatic troubleshooting; short circuit protected lamps

and solenoids; individually controlled lamps (no general illumi

nation settings a first); brown-out compensation, line frequen

cy and zero cross detection for consistent gameplay; lamp warm

ing for longer life; one coil type on most features; all-new play

field access system with multi-level lift bracketing for simplified

service; adjustable flipper power; visual feedback diagnostics;

and no ground wire on back of playfield!

Flipper Football will debut at Capcom's AMOA booth. For