Abstract:
The present invention provides a pinball game that simulates a professional or collegiate sport, such as, for example, football and basketball. The games have playing surfaces containing indicia of the regulation game as well as targets that correspond to events that would take place during the game, such as, field goals and 3-points shots. Similarly, scoring would be along regulation sport scoring.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to pinball games and, more particularly, to pinball games that more accurately simulate professional or collegiate sports.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Pinball arcade games have been popular for sometime. Most of these games include bumpers, lights, rebounders, and the like. Players use paddles to cause a pinball to move around the playing field to hit the bumpers, lights, rebounders, and the like to score points in some arbitrary manner.  
         [0003]     Certain professional and collegiate sports also have been popular for sometime. Many of these games include special features and scoring, such as passing and field goals in football, 3-point shots and 2-point shots in basketball, and the like.  
         [0004]     Frequently, pinball games title themselves after particular sports, including professional and collegiate sports. But other than the titles, these games have little resemblance to the actual sport being simulated. Moreover, the score and special effects of the game are based largely on conventional pinball score systems and conventional pinball designs rather than the simulated sport.  
         [0005]     Two sport games that have been reasonably well simulated by pinball games include baseball simulations and golf simulations, such as those developed by Old Century Classics, Inc. These games include fields of play similar to the sport being simulated in a pinball setting. However, even these sport pinball games use classic holes or ball drops to simulate the game and do not sport specific types of targets, such as, for example, foul poles in baseball, golf hole cups and flags, basketball hoops and backboards, and the like.  
         [0006]     Thus, it would be desirable to produce a pinball game having visual effects, targets, and scoring that simulated the visual effects, targets, and scoring of the simulated sport.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     To attain the advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a pinball game simulation of football is provided. The simulation comprises a pinball game having a pinball surface, a goal post, ramps, and targets. The ramps simulate passes and kicks (kickoffs, field goals, and punts). The targets represent yardage and touchdowns obtained by running and passing. Some of the targets are penalty targets, such as interception, and holding.  
         [0008]     The present invention further provides a pinball game simulation of basketball. The basketball simulation contains a pinball surface, ramps, and targets. The ramps may simulate shots or possibly a tip off, the target may represent a basketball hoop, offensive plays, defensive plays, or penalties.  
         [0009]     The foregoing and other features, utilities and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0010]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles thereof. Like items in the drawings are referred to using the same numerical reference.  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a pinball football game consistent with the present invention; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a pinball basketball game consistent with the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]     The present invention will be further explained with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Referring first to  FIG. 1 , a football simulation pinball game  100  is shown. Pinball game  100  includes a playing surface  102  surrounded by a sidewall  104 . As pinball game  100  exemplifies a football simulation, playing surface  102  incorporates traditional football markings, including yard lines  120 , an end zone  130  with goal posts  132 , sidelines  140  (which in this example are simply where the playing surface  102  and sidewall  104  abut), and a generic stadium  150 . Generic stadium  150  could be team specific, such as, for example, a stadium indicative of the football stadium for the Washington Redskins or the like. Stadium  150  could be removed, but provides a catch for aerial targets that are missed during game play, aerial targets are explained further below.  
         [0014]     Sidelines  140  could include figure representative of football players, coaches, and cheerleaders (not shown). Sidelines  140  could also include a yardage marker  142 . Possible uses for yardage marker  142  are explained below, including a use for scoring.  
         [0015]     Strategically placed about playing surface  102  are a plurality of targets  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112 . While targets can be a number of devices, in this example, targets  106  includes holes or bumpers representative of offensive events that take place in the game, such as, targets  106   r  may be a running play, target  106   t  is a passing play, target  106   s  is a score, target  106   p  may be a penalty, such as holding or pass interference, target  106   c  may be a change of possession, and the like. Targets may have multiple functions, for example target  106   t  also indicates a score. Targets  106  may indicate yardage gains or losses, such as, for example, a +5 yard running play, a −10 yard holding penalty, or the like.  
         [0016]     Targets  108  include ramps  108   r  to simulate the aerial action of the ball, including for example, a passing play to touchdown reception in target  134  or a field goal through goal posts  132 .  
         [0017]     Targets  110  may be defensive plays, such as tackles, sacks, pass defenses, and interceptions. Targets  110  may indicate yardage gains or losses, such as, for example, a −12 yard sack, a ±10 yard pass defense, or the like.  
         [0018]     Targets  112  may, for example, be more traditional pinball targets. For example targets  112  may be, as shown, bumpers or rebounders.  
         [0019]     Scoring would be similar to traditional football games as well. For example, if a player hit ramp  108   r  such that the pinball goes through goal posts  132 , 3 points maybe awarded. If the player hits ramp  114  with the pinball such that the pinball goes through end zone target  134 , 7 points maybe awarded. If the player hits targets (for passing, running, and penalties) to accumulate sufficient yardage on yardage marker  142  to score a touchdown, 7 points maybe awarded. Plays having yardage gains and losses (such as from targets  106  and  110 ) could be automatically or manually tracked by yardage market  142 , which is shown as an analog slide, but could be digital.  
         [0020]     Playing pinball game would be similar to playing a conventional pinball game, but with the added benefit of football specific activities. Such activities include passing, penalties, change of possession, touchdowns, and field goals.  
         [0021]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a basketball simulation pinball game  200  is shown. Basketball simulation pinball game  200  include a court  202  and stands  204  surround the court  202 . A number of ramps  206 , basketball hoops  208 , and backboards  210  are strategically positioned around the court to simulate various types of shots. For example, ramp  200   m  which projects a pinball towards basketball hoop  208   m  (being the middle ramp and hoop) may simulate a two point shot, while side ramps  206   s  which projects a pinball towards basketball hoops  206   s  may simulate a three point shot. Other features of a basketball game, including shot clock violations, backcourt violations, penalties and the like would be represented by traditional pinball targets such as holes, bumpers, rebounders, and the like similar to those described in accordance with  FIG. 1 .  
         [0022]     Court  202  further would have indicia indicative of regulation basketball. For example, court  202  may have a key  212 , a three point shot line  214 , and a foul line  216 .  
         [0023]     One aspect of basketball not captured by pinball games is the unique one on one play potential. To capture this feature, basketball pinball game  200  is designed as a two player version, thus another court  250  is attached to the first court  202 . Court  250  includes stands, which may be separate or a continuation of stands  204  as desired, and would have ramps  254 , basketball hoops  256 , and backboards  258  similar to court  202 . Moreover, other traditional basketball features could be simulated by traditional pinball devices.  
         [0024]     Using the one on one aspect, the player on court  202  may miss a basket or other target causing his ball to land in court  250 . This would provide the player on court  250  an extra ball to use for scooting and scoring. This feature would be akin to a steal leading to an extra score for a regulation basketball game.  
         [0025]     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to particular embodiment(s) thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.