The solution amusement manufacturers came up with was to upgrade electro-mechanical pinball machines with solid state electronics. Pinball needed to do something different if it wanted to stay relevant in the arcade world. Pinball’s bells and chimes that were once so charming were now coming across as antique next to the amazing electronic sounds coming from games like Space Invaders and Asteroids. The traditional electro-mechanical (EM for short) pinball machines that used to dominate the scene were suddenly looking quite “old” next to the latest videos. By 1979, video arcade games were all the rage. The late 70s were an exciting time in the arcade industry with the introduction of solid state electronics in pinball machines.
The Transition from Electro Mechanical to Solid Stateīefore we get into Joker Poker’s 5-ball rules, I would like to give you a bit of history to help you understand why there is a significant difference between 3 and 5 ball play. You asked, we listened! Our beautiful solid state Joker Poker pinball machine is now properly set to 5 balls – as it should be! Why should this game be set to 5-ball? Why wasn’t it set to 5-ball the whole time it’s been at Pinball Land? Read on to learn why, as well as some pinball history, the intricacies of Joker Poker’s rules as well as some idiosyncrasies of running a pinball arcade in the year 2022.
