History of the Bally Attack From Mars Pinball Machine

Knapp Arcade·article·analyzed·Jul 25, 2023

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.014

TL;DR

History of Bally Attack From Mars (1995) and CGC's 2017 remake variants

Summary

Article reviewing Kevin Carrington's YouTube video on the history of Attack From Mars, a classic 1995 Bally pinball game designed by Brian Eddy that sold 3,450 units. Discusses original design concepts (moving UFO prototype), the game's Epilepsy Warning (first pinball machine to include one due to Strobe Multiball), voice work by Tim Kitzrow, and Chicago Gaming Company's 2017 officially-licensed remakes in three variants.

Key Claims

Bally sold 3,450 units of Attack From Mars in 1995
high confidence · Direct factual statement from article based on Kevin Carrington video
AFM was the first pinball machine to come with an Epilepsy Warning due to Strobe Multiball
high confidence · Stated as fact from video content
A prototype moving UFO mechanism was created during development and supposedly still exists
medium confidence · Article states 'supposedly' twice, indicating uncertain verification
Tim Kitzrow (NBA Jam voice actor) did voice work for AFM
high confidence · Presented as documented fact with specific attribution
Chicago Gaming Company released officially-licensed AFM remakes in 2017 in three variants
high confidence · Direct factual statement with specific year and variant count

Notable Quotes

“People love it so much that in 2017 Chicago Gaming Company built a significant number of officially-licensed remakes of Attack From Mars.”
Article author (Knapp Arcade) — Establishes market demand and longevity of AFM as franchise
“The UFO in the center of the game originally was supposed to be on a pivoting telescopic rod with a target hanging from it, so that it could move around the front of the playfield and the player could try to hit it.”
Kevin Carrington video (quoted by article) — Reveals significant original design concept that was not implemented in final version

Entities

Attack from Marsgame Brian Eddyperson Chicago Gaming CompanycompanyKevin CarringtonpersonTim KitzrowpersonRock FantasyorganizationWMS IndustriescompanyStrobe Multiballproduct

Signals

?
product_strategy: Chicago Gaming Company's 2017 AFM remakes offered three tier variants (Classic, Special, Limited Edition), mirroring modern manufacturer tiering strategy
high · The CGC version came in three variants, Classic Edition, Special Edition and Limited Edition

Topics

Attack From Mars history and designprimaryOriginal prototype/scrapped mechanicsprimaryChicago Gaming Company remakesprimaryPinball machine epilepsy warningssecondaryVoice acting in pinballsecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— Article is celebratory of AFM's legacy and highly positive about Kevin Carrington's video content. Uses enthusiastic language ('uber-popular,' 'awesome,' 'fantastic'). No criticisms present.

Transcript

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A couple of days ago, YouTuber Kevin Carrington published a new video for his awesome series on the history of pinball. This one is about the uber-popular 1995 Bally classic Attack From Mars. Bally sold 3,450 units of this Brian Eddy-designed classic back in the day. People love it so much that in 2017 Chicago Gaming Company built a significant number of officially-licensed remakes of Attack From Mars. The CGC version came in three variants, Classic Edition, Special Edition and Limited Edition. Here's a few interesting facts from the video: The UFO in the center of the game originally was supposed to be on a pivoting telescopic rod with a target hanging from it, so that it could move around the front of the playfield and the player could try to hit it. The development team made one prototype with the moving UFO that supposedly sort of worked that supposedly still exists today. Because of the mystery award "Strobe Multiball" AFM was the first pinball machine to come with an Epilepsy Warning on it. WMS Industries released an Attack From Mars slot machine for casinos Tim Tim Kitzrow of NBA Jam fame did a number of the voices in the game (though not the aliens). The theme has absolutely nothing to do with the movie Mars Attacks. The game's often massive bonus multiplier maxes out at a whopping 250X Below are pictures that I took of the Chicago Gaming Company Attack From Mars Limited Edition at Middletown, New York's iconic Rock Fantasy pinball arcade and the games' flyers. I also have embedded the history video. Kevin's videos are always fantastic and worth a watch. Enjoy! Chicago Gaming Company Attack From Mars Remake Limited Edition as seen at Rock Fantasy: The original Bally Attack From Mars flyer: The Chicago Gaming Company Attack From Mars Remake Flyer: