From: knudsen@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (michael.j.knudsen)
Subject: Re: Cue Ball Wizard Rules sheet request
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 23:35:46 GMT

In article <1992Nov15.001722.8247@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov>, Stephen Jonke <jonke@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov> writes:

| >Lots of drop targets. That typical slow Gottlieb feel [...]

> There's something to be said for this approach.  In a market in which most
> most manufacturers are producing gimmick loaded and overloaded machines that
> keep getting faster, Gotleib takes a retro approach.  In the past I've never
> liked Gotleib, but I think now they have their place in the grand scheme of
> things.  I have to admit I've come to kind of like Cactus Jacks and wish that
> I could find a Cue Ball Wizard.  In some ways the more modern machines are
> restrictive and the retro approach that Gotleib takes is more open to your own
> style.

Yes, I've always felt this way.  I liked playing CBW a lot -- it wasn't
nearly as frantic as I thought it would be to someone used to High SPeed.
Even in multiball I found myself doing some pretty good things once I
calmed down.

I got to talk to Jon Norris, CBW's young designer, quite a bit at the
auction.  He collects classic '60s pins of all makes, and draws
inspiration from them.  It shows, in positive ways.

On CBW you can keep looping the ramp a la Williams, hammer at the
close-n cue ball and white targets like a Bally, or bank up ijnto
the saucers and drops for Gottlieb style.  And the sounds and voices
are first-rate.

My only complaint about CBW is that with the ball on the left flipper,
if neither the Ramp nor anything on the Cue Ball is lit, then your
only shot is into the Bank SHot area (or up the ramp to light it
for next shot?).  But that bank shot is *fun*, with those "sinkholes"
and all those Pinball Pool drop targets that you "gunch" the ball
onto.

Yes, let's hear it for bringing back a Gottlieb feature -- pin tables
you use Body English on to do the work.  If you just let the sinkhole
saucer kick your ball out, it will maybe get one drop target as it
rolls down.  But a little sidways shaking will let you knock down one
after another.  You can even walk the ball upwards and clear the whole
bank!  Just watch out for the Tilt warning, which sounds like one
of those anti-mugger whistlers.  Whatever happened to "elephant farts"
and spoken warnings?

Jon Norris was also my instructor at the Thursday afternoon how-to-play
session.  He tought us shaking and other tricks.  Almost like he was
teaching us how to play his new game.

>  Being slower they are nice when you want to play a less tense game
> (after, say, a nerve racking session of Fish Tails -- sort of a come down period).

Expo's tournament was weird, in that the serious players used
CBWs to get into the finals, then had to play Fish Tales in the
Grand Championship.  THere were some pretty fast drains on FT.

>  Plus, I've always liked drop targets and Gotleib seems to be the
> only manufacturer using them.  It's nice to have some variety.

Right.  The WIlliams booth at Expo had sheets where you could vote for
your favorite features.  I said "drop targets" just to ask Wms to use
them more often.  Actually my fave features are long lanes and Magna-Save,
but why tell Wms that?  Well, actually I should have voted for Magna-Save,
since it's a shame Wms doesn't put out an M-S pin more than every few yearss.

Woo-haw!  Mul-tee-ball!
-- 
	"I don't think so, Al"
  Programmers Do It on paper.  So do puppies.
	knudsen@iexist.att.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball