The Lure And Lore Of PinballYesterday and Today (NAPSA)—Evenafter its first appearance more than 70 years ago, people still flip over pinball. And whether they “play by intuition” or “play by sense of smell,” like the pinball wizard immortalized by The Who in Tommy, the latest generation of fans can enjoy the classic elements of the game either in the arcade or at home. is ‘ ") vA GA ~~ Then Pinball machines appeared in the early 1930s as countertop machines without legs; the two most popular games were “Bingo” made by the Bingo Novelty Company and “Bally Hoo” made by the Bally Corporation. “Bally Hoo” was the first coin-operated pinball game. However, the term “pinball” was not used until 1936. The tilt mechanism was one of the first additions to pinball games, invented in 1934 as an answer to the problem of players lifting and shaking the machines. The pinball bumper was invented in 1937. One of the darkest days in pinball history came on January 21, 1942: Pinball was banned in New York City because it was viewed as a game of luck—making it a form of gambling—instead of a game of skill. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia smashed a numberof machines in front of a largely supportive crowd. The ban lasted until 1976. The flipper was invented in 1947 and introduced in a pinball gamecalled “Humpty Dumpty.” Early pinball machines used separate lights to show the scores. By the late 1950s, a digital scor- A recent milestone in the development of the game of pinball is the popularity of pinball simulations on video game systems. ing system was invented. Now Pinball has come a long way in the last 20 years or so, particularly in complexity. Today, pinball games are available for PCs, home video game systems and portable hand-held systems, such as Game Boy Advance from Nintendo. For example, one new game— Pokmon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire —offers the Game Boy Advance player a fast-paced game combined with an ever-changing pinball board. Both fun and complex, the game combines fast flipper action with a unique way to catch your favorite Pokmon characters. This gameallows players to enjoy the latest version of the gameof skill that has captivated players for nearly 80 years—pinball. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.nintendo.com and www.pokemon-games.com.
