Orbitor One is a kick ass pinball game

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

http://www.flippers.be/goo.html

This game can be compared to Q*Bert's Quest.. It has a very weird playfield and low production run. It's not very popular (or even known) among the general public, although people like it once they play the game and serious pinball collectors are interested in it.

Orbitor 1 is a unique game. Almost everything about this game makes it stand out in a row of pinball games. It has 2 backglasses: the inner one is a 3d moulded plastic with planets, and in front of that one there's a clear plexi which has a large bulge in it. The game has a wide body, very impressive and heavy. Because of the special playfield the plunger is much lower on the cabinet than on a regular game. And the playfield is the most special thing about this game. It's not made of wood.. it's even not flat !

The playfield also consists of 2 plastic layers.. The bottom one is a molded 3D plastic and represents a moon surface. Above this is a clear curved plexi bowl on which the ball rolls. It can best be compared to a plastic bath tub with some curves in it..

There are 2 red spinning bumpers in the middle of the playfield, which bounce the ball away and give it a lot of spin. In good conditions (semi-dark room, well cleaned plastic) you can hardly see the clear plastic on which the ball rolls, and you probably won't notice the bumpers spin around. So when you play the game, it really looks as if the pinball is orbiting the bumpers and flying above a 3D moon-surface.

So I hope you now have an idea what makes this game so unique. People who played it at my home were all very positive about it, they were happy to play such a different pinball game.

[Vitriola]

There is alot of spin. You can aftually save your ball if it goes down the chute, and I spent the entire time thinking it was magnetic. Cool game. I took pics, which I hope Robb will post.

[AArdvark]

Remember you heard it from me first!

NAME UNKNOWN

I can’t remember the name. The weirdest pinball game I have ever played. I can’t find it anywhere on the internet so maybe I was dreaming the whole thing. Of course my buddy Kevin had to be dreaming it too because we were both playing it. OK you have none of the ordinary pinball stuff in the game. The entire surface of the table is rather bowl shaped. There are a number of electro magnets trying to pull the ball into a hole that’s sort of in the middle of the table. You have flippers but they are all alone in front of the hole. The ball rolls like it’s in a bathtub. There are two circular bumpers placed rather randomly on the table They have a rotating magnet underneath causing the ball to orbit around and around faster and faster until it breaks free and rolls towards the hole. The machine is rather orange-brown in color. If anyone can give me info on this machine I would appreciate it.

EDIT:
After a lengthy search, including registering to the Pinball dataBase, the game is called: ORBITER 1
Descriptions are mostly accurate.

I just downloaded the video of someone playing this game. Pretty cool stuff.

THE
DIFFERENT
AARDVARK

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

The guy at the arcade is selling it. God DAMN it. This is a horrible time for me because I just got the Tempest. The worst part is, if he sells it then we can't go over there and play it any longer.

By the way, for what it is worth, there was a Tempest available within 36 hours of me making the decision to get one. I said, "I will own an Orbitor 1 someday" to Dayna right before we walked in and noticed it was for sale on Saturday. And then Dayna said, possibly joking, "You should get a Joust" two nights ago and then this showed up.

This can't be a coincidence. I know I am just remembering the "hits." But Jesus.

[AArdvark]

Buy all of them and just have random people over to play them. They will pay for themselves after a while.


THE
ARCADE
AARDVARK

[AArdvark]

On a distantly related pinball note; my brother has offered to GIVE me his 1974 Bon Voyage machine. Citing a lack of time and ambition to work on it and knowing that I will give it the love and care it needs, he has asked if I want 'that thing'. He needs to get it out of his house before one of his kids puts a hockey puck through the backglass or his wife makes him sell it. The machine neesa a good cleaning and some minor work on all the myriad of contacts inside. Of course all this puts me in quite a quandry. Hell yes do I want the machine but where am I to put it? My basement is unsuitable for any pinball-like equipment and there's no way it's going in the living room, dining room or upstairs bathroom. I COULD put it in the computer room but that will make for a very cramped area, as the room itself is about 10' X 12'. I'm not really looking for answers here, just comiserating replies. Face it, I need a house with a finished basement.

THE
2000 SQUARE FOOT
IN MY DREAMS
AARDVARK

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Well, friends. This is one of the worst days since we started this base. The Orbitor 1 machine has been removed. Sold, presumably. I'll ask the guy when I head over there this weekend.

It stinks because even if I couldn't buy it (and I would have loved to) it was nice to be able to play it.

This is depressing, and I will have a drink and raise a glass in its memory. Maybe I'll try to get PinMAME going and see if there is a reasonable emulator available for it. Maybe I'll just so drunk I can't see any longer. Because I certainly can't see me now ever being able to play this pin again.

(Is this appropriately morose? I can't blame field conditions for this one.)

[Vitriola]

I do not think there would be an adequate emulator for this game. It's beauty was in it's structural design. Unless, of course, someone wanted to emulate it by building another one. Kinda like if you go fuck some chick that looks like your ex when your ex has just left you. Not the same, but, in the short term, it is.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I can't conceive of building a normal pinball machine, much less one with that goofy-ass magnetic hurlzing of feces that Orbitor 1 does to the pinball. Rather than attempt to build one myself what I'll do is get an empty pinball deck, an air compressor and a loaded handgun and just sort of throw them all in there together. The skill comes from dodging - and counting! - the bullets. 50 cents gets you three pinballs, but because I won't have a cover to the pinball housing you can just chuck the pinballs at the game like you would in skee ball.

I'll call this version Orbitor 2.

[AArdvark]

Another small piece of history slips away forever.



THE
DAMN SHAME
AARDVARK

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Another small piece of history slips away forever.



THE
DAMN SHAME
AARDVARK

Well, wait a sec, I mean, it could have gone to a very good home. Now I'm all expecting that the owner will just casually type Orbitor 1 into Google and see this thread like so many Gord Ashes. It looks like I pronounced the new owner no better than death. He's probably much better than death.

That being said, I am saving up so I'm ready if the guy ever decides to get rid of his Discs of Tron. If you ever see ten ads a page on here rather than one at the bottom, well, there's your answer. The elves were playing to crush!

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

UPDATE: I went to the Lyons Arcade yesterday with Vitriola and Jason Scott. Kevin, the owner of the arcades, is an amazingly cool and nice guy. I mean, you would have to be to have that many pinball and arcade games available to the public, but even on top of that. Like having a monte cristo sandwich which is all well and good, but then someone gives you that hot jam for it. Excellent.

The owner has another Orbitor 1 and I do believe he will eventually be moving it into the arcade. Aces!