Gorgar is a 1979 Williams pinball game that holds significant historical importance as the first talking pinball machine, featuring innovative speech synthesis and magnetic playfield elements. The game became a landmark title in pinball history, introducing voice synthesis technology that captivated players and inspired hobbyists like Melissa Cerquin to pursue the pinball hobby. Despite its age, Gorgar remains competitive in modern tournament play, demonstrating its enduring design quality and appeal to both collectors and serious players.
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Speech synthesis technology prototyped for Disco Fever was implemented in Gorgar the following year
Gorgar is one of the greatest backglasses of all time
Gorgar was designed by Barry Ousler
14,000 Gorgar machines were produced
Classic pinball machine in Western Massachusetts that Dave planned to pick up on return trip
Williams System 6 pinball machine; Mike's alternative to Firepower
Referenced as first pinball game with voice capability; timeline marker for Flash technology (pre-voice)
Classic pinball machine; fictional character/personification appeared in Twippies Conan bit, referenced humorously throughout
Early solid-state pinball machine; discussed as nostalgic entry-level option for those who remember playing it
Pinball machine in Dave's restoration queue; planned completion by May alongside Evil Knievel and Firepower
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Gorgar was the first talking pinball machine
The game features seven spoken words: Gorgar, Speaks, Beat, You, Me, Hurt, Got
Modern restoration of Gorgar should include speaker upgrades to enhance heartbeat sound
Gorgar was the first speaking pinball game
The talking voice on Gorgar was an optional upgrade costing around $70-$100
Some Gorgar machines were sold without the voice option
Gorgar is the first talking pinball machine
Gorgar was one of the first pinball machines with a voice ROM
Gorgar machines typically cost less than $1,000 on the secondary market when common examples are available
First digitized speech-sound pinball game (1979); designed by Oursler; first hockey-themed pinball; his best-selling title; major industry breakthrough
Early talking pinball machine; Dr. Dave recently restored a version without voice option (which was a purchasable upgrade); multiple units in Dr. Dave's restoration experience
Williams solid-state pinball machine (December 1979); discussed in listener email segment regarding flipper assembly compatibility and upgrades.
Pinball machine; multiple back glasses sold by George at show
Williams pinball machine; multiple copies restored by Dr. John Day with WPC flipper conversions
1979 Williams pinball machine; first talking pinball; designed by Barry Ousler; artwork by Constantino and Janine Mitchell; 14,000 units produced
Classic pinball machine; John Papadiuk is creating Gorgar-themed merchandise (shirts) with final graphics in progress
Pinball machine at Bad Axe Retrocade, described as having strong appeal due to retro theme
First talking pinball machine designed by Barry Oursler; used speech synthesizer chip with 10-12 word vocabulary; released during late 1970s.
Harry Williams System 6 machine; RPU demo machine; mentioned for distinctive sound design preserved in upgrades
1979 Harry Williams pinball machine, first with synthesized speech, 14,000 units produced
Classic pinball machine; Bug's top-ranked backglass, rated S-tier for hitting all criteria including tattoo-worthiness
Solid-state machine; showcased at museum as the first talking pinball machine
Pinball machine released around the same time as Xenon (1980); George mentions its promotional flyer included a 45 RPM record with sound clips
Mentioned in passing as part of honorable mentions discussion
Classic pinball machine, noted as one of the first with voice ROM; discussed as wide-body format; typical secondary market price under $1,000
First talking pinball machine; discussed as foundational pinball history; known for spongy flipper playability issues
Williams game by Oursler, notable as the first pinball game with speech synthesis.
A 1979 Williams pinball game; first pinball game with speech synthesis; featured at Richmond Pinball Collective; hosts played well-maintained version and appreciated its strategic gameplay
Older pinball machine played at Richmond Collective; Sam demonstrated pro-level nudging technique
Classic pinball game reviewed; represents devil fighting theme; doesn't save balls
Gottlieb pinball machine that Clark modified to produce additional words; he created a hardtop version; both original and modded versions discussed
Barry's landmark title, first speaking pinball game
Williams game (14,000 units); author's initial prediction before revision to Whirlwind
Classic Bally/Williams pinball game (1979); 14,000 units produced; author's speculation for next 2.0 kit candidate
1979 Williams game designed by Barry Oursler, listed among his notable works
Pinball machine; Tri-State Selfie League game played by author
Pinball machine that appeared in Roncevert arcade rotation, replacing Godzilla
Table of the Week for Blockade Podcast; technically Halloween-themed but not part of October tournament
Classic pinball table; Farsight planning emulation after Black Knight
Popular Williams game that received speech synthesis technology originally prototyped for Disco Fever
First talking pinball machine; designed by Barry Oursler. Referenced as part of Barry's legacy and career accomplishments.
Classic Williams game; subject of Cliff's first 'troll' post claiming it sucks; game mechanic (shatting) is difficult for Cliff due to flipper positioning
Late 1970s pinball game obsessively collected by Greg; license plate, back glass art, oil painting at his property
Pinball machine that replaced TriZone in inventory; retail price $1,599; made more money than TriZone
First talking pinball machine; Oursler design; featured landmark speech synthesis technology
1979 Williams game; first talking pinball machine; featured magnets and signature sound synthesis; still competitive in modern tournaments
Classic pinball machine; first to use speech synthesis; sparked Melissa's initial interest in pinball hobby
Referenced as early single-level pinball table that could benefit from improved physics tuning