1977 · Sonic
Butterfly
Known for Upper left saucer, Double Bonus return lanes, Upper left side lane and Star rollovers. Dark teal night sky with scattered small red and white light dots, flat yellow-green ground plane, grey racetrack or runway receding to a central vanishing point, small distant dark building silhouette on the horizon, pale gold worn wooden frame around the glass and clouding and reflection streaks across the glass surface.
- Year
- 1977
- Maker
- Sonic
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
- Players
- 4
Known for
- saucer
Upper left saucer
- Lane
Double Bonus return lanes
- Lane
Upper left side lane
- rollovers
Star rollovers
- Goal
Double Bonus
On the playfield
Hole 1
- Upper left saucer saucer
Lanes 5
- Double Bonus return lanes
- Upper left side lane
- Star rollovers rollovers
- Upper right side lane
- Near left in lane
On the backglass
Who and what
- other Large female butterfly humanoid filling the left half: orange-tan face, heavy red eye-shadow, red lips, blonde-orange swept hair, two red antennae with curled tips, green torso, huge green wings spangled with pink, blue and white eyespots, red-and-blue striped legs and feet, one arm raised toward the top edge
- other Smaller female butterfly humanoid in the top-right corner: orange face with red lips and red antennae, green body, wings fanning right as a column of orange eyespotted cells that frame the game over disc
- other Third butterfly figure lower-right in flight: orange-tan face, green body, red wings with blue and white eyespots, angled diagonally upward from the right edge
- animal Small black-and-white butterfly with pale spotted wings resting on the ground near the centre of the horizon line
Setting
- Dark teal night sky with scattered small red and white light dots
- Flat yellow-green ground plane
- Grey racetrack or runway receding to a central vanishing point
- Small distant dark building silhouette on the horizon
- Pale gold worn wooden frame around the glass
- Clouding and reflection streaks across the glass surface
Text on it
- SONIC
- BUTTERFLY
- 1UP
- 2UP
- 3UP
- 4UP
- 116400
- GAME OVER
- 1 to 4 CAN PLAY
- BALL IN PLAY
- 300
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
How it plays
-
Goals 1
- Double Bonus
Reference
Linked terms
- Upper left saucer also called Upper bonus saucer also called Top left saucer
- Double Bonus return lanes also called side return lanes also called Right return lane also called Outer-left return lane
- Upper left side lane also called left Extra Ball arc
- Near left in lane also called Inner left side return lane
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- red
- yellow
- cream
- teal
Fingerprint: Sonic, 3x3 grid of nine square drop targets each printed with red-and-white starburst-sun emblem at center, red white gold rocket-shaped stock car parked on right mid-field above fish-shaped saucer, triple of yellow-rimmed pop bumper caps in upper third, mustard-yellow lower field with black-white printed score ladders
A 3x3 grid of nine square drop targets, each printed with the same red-and-white starburst/sun emblem, sits dead centre and is the most memorable feature. Second is the red, white and gold rocket-shaped stock car parked on the right mid-playfield above a saucer outlined in a fish shape. Third is the triple of yellow-rimmed pop bumper caps in the upper third, backed by a densely painted red and teal upper arch full of pegs and a small row of clown or jester faces near the top-left. The lower playfield's mustard-yellow field with black-and-white printed score ladders (20000 to 100000) is also unusual and highly recognisable.
Setting
- Stylised race-track and grandstand scenery painted across the upper playfield in red, teal and gold
- Checkerboard and flag motif on the cabinet side art
- Cream-coloured backbox with red and blue racing flags and red flame graphics
Symbols
- Red-and-white sunburst/star emblems on nine drop targets
- Red arrow banners
- Checkerboard squares
- Racing flags
- Flame graphics
- Gold stars and pin-up sparkle marks
Notable shapes
- 3x3 grid of square drop targets with starburst emblems
- Fish-shaped saucer outline on the right
- Long black-and-white printed score ladders
- Rocket-shaped stock car as the central art motif
- Rectangular chrome-edged cash door in the backbox
Art motifs
- Starburst
- Arrows
- Speed lines
- Checkerboard
- Flames
- Sparkles
Themes
- Motor racing
- Stock car
- Pinball
- Electro-mechanical
Title on it
- Sonic
Text on it
- BUMPER
- 1000 POINTS WHEN LIT
- 4000 POINTS WHEN LIT
- 625 POINTS
- 1000
- 500
- DROP TARGET WHEN LIT
- GOLDEN TARGET WOBBLE WHEN LIT
- STOCK CAR WOBBLE WHEN LIT
- SPECIAL WHEN LIT
- SPECIAL
- GRAND RESORE
- BONUS COLLECTOR
- SPEED
- COLLECT BONUS
- FLIPPER BUTTON
- FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY
- Sonic
- PARIS-MADRID (SPAIN)
- BUTTERFLY
- For Amusement Only
- DO NOT SCORE 1 PLAYER
- PUSH SCORE TO START
- 5 BALLS PER GAME
- QUARTER
- CREDIT
- SHOOT AGAIN
- MATCH
- 70000
- 60000
- 50000
- 40000
- 30000
- 20000
- 10000
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Woman | Painted blonde pin-up in a white top and blue skirt, leaning forward at the lower left edge of the playfield, head turned outwards |
| Vehicle | Red, white and gold rocket-shaped stock car with a pointed nose, painted at mid-right on the playfield |
| Other | Small clown or jester faces and doll-like figures painted along the upper-left arch beside the pop bumpers |
Photograph of an electro-mechanical pinball playfield and its backbox in a cabinet. The field is dominated by a racing motif: a red, white and gold rocket-shaped stock car sits mid-right, a blonde pin-up woman in a white top and blue skirt is painted on the left apron edge, and a cluster of nine square drop targets in a 3x3 grid fills the centre, each carrying a red-and-white sunburst/star emblem. Above them, three yellow-rimmed round bumper caps labelled BUMPER sit under a top arch painted with red, teal and gold scenery, a cluster of small round bumpers and a row of pop-bumper-style pegs. Lower playfield is mustard yellow and red with vertical black score-value ladders (10000, 70000, 60000, 50000, 40000, 30000, 20000), two red rubber-tipped flippers, and red arrow banners reading FLIPPER BUTTON. The bottom apron is pale blue and white with a Sonic logo panel reading PARIS-MADRID (SPAIN), an instruction card reading 5 BALLS PER GAME, and a grey metal cash door. The backbox below has a cream side-art cabinet with red and blue flags, flame graphics, a black back panel with red-lit QUARTER and CREDIT windows, and a chrome plunger.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- green
- orange
- teal
- yellow
Fingerprint: Giant female butterfly pin-up character with orange face and blonde hair, green body and wings spangled with pink-blue-white eyespots, red-and-blue striped legs, smaller green-bodied butterfly top-right whose wings fan into orange eyespotted cells around game over disc
A giant female butterfly rendered as a pin-up character dominates the glass: orange-skinned face with red eye-shadow and lips, blonde hair, red antennae, a green body and green wings covered in pink, blue and white eyespots, with red-and-blue striped legs. She is echoed by a smaller green-bodied butterfly in the top-right corner whose wings form a fan of orange eyespotted cells around a GAME OVER disc. A third butterfly on a red-and-blue body flies in from the lower right. The title BUTTERFLY arches across the upper-left in orange block letters, with a small green SONIC logo tucked above it and a 1 to 4 CAN PLAY notice beside the numbered player circles.
Setting
- Dark teal night sky with scattered small red and white light dots
- Flat yellow-green ground plane
- Grey racetrack or runway receding to a central vanishing point
- Small distant dark building silhouette on the horizon
- Pale gold worn wooden frame around the glass
- Clouding and reflection streaks across the glass surface
Symbols
- Butterfly wings with eyespots
- Curled antennae
- Round game over disc
- Four stacked numbered player circles
- Red-and-blue striped limbs
- Small distant building silhouette
Lettering
- Large arched yellow-orange block capitals with red inner shading and blue drop shadow for the title; small italic green-and-yellow logo lettering for sonic; yellow block caps with black outline for the player notice; red block caps on a cream oval for game over
Themes
- Butterfly
- Insect
- Pin-up character
- Night scene
- Racetrack
- Video-game crossover
Title on it
- Butterfly
Text on it
- SONIC
- BUTTERFLY
- 1UP
- 2UP
- 3UP
- 4UP
- 116400
- GAME OVER
- 1 to 4 CAN PLAY
- BALL IN PLAY
- 300
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Large female butterfly humanoid filling the left half: orange-tan face, heavy red eye-shadow, red lips, blonde-orange swept hair, two red antennae with curled tips, green torso, huge green wings spangled with pink, blue and white eyespots, red-and-blue striped legs and feet, one arm raised toward the top edge |
| Other | Smaller female butterfly humanoid in the top-right corner: orange face with red lips and red antennae, green body, wings fanning right as a column of orange eyespotted cells that frame the game over disc |
| Other | Third butterfly figure lower-right in flight: orange-tan face, green body, red wings with blue and white eyespots, angled diagonally upward from the right edge |
| Animal | Small black-and-white butterfly with pale spotted wings resting on the ground near the centre of the horizon line |
A landscape-format backglass inside a worn pale-gold wooden frame, in a cartoon/comic style with heavy black outlines and flat bright colour. The centre-left carries a large arched title, BUTTERFLY, in yellow-to-orange block letters with red shading and a blue drop shadow. Above it at top-left is a small green-and-yellow italic SONIC logo, and a scoring window above the title reads 116400 with a black square 1UP panel to its left. Four rectangular digit windows run down the middle and lower right, each preceded by a black square 2UP, 3UP or 4UP panel in red, blue and orange. A huge female butterfly figure fills the left half: orange-tan face with heavy red eye-shadow, red lips, blonde-orange hair, two red antennae, green body and green wings spangled with pink, blue and white eyespots, and red-and-blue striped legs. A second, smaller female butterfly with a green body and red-orange wings occupies the top-right. Background shows a dark teal night sky over a yellow-green plain with a receding grey racetrack and a small distant structure; a small black-and-white butterfly sits on the ground mid-frame. On the right edge, stacked circles read 1, 2, 3 and 4 for player selection, with 1 to 4 CAN PLAY in yellow below a red GAME OVER disc. Condition shows clouding and reflection streaks on the glass and scuffed wood.
Backglass
- blue
- green
- yellow
- red
Fingerprint: butterfly: BUTTERFLY in white with red outline, oversized butterfly with mottled green-blue-black wings and yellow body angled across cyan sky, red starburst behind, four score reels stepped diagonally, tall grass blades and autumn leaves
A single oversized butterfly with mottled green, blue and black wings flying diagonally across a cyan sky, backed by a red-and-yellow starburst. The title BUTTERFLY in slanted white capitals with a thick red outline is laid over a rising diagonal line from lower left to upper right. Four separate score reels are stacked in a stepped diagonal cascade rather than a single aligned block, the lowest one offset far to the right. Tall fern and grass blades in yellow-green fill the lower left corner, with red maple-like leaves in the foreground.
Setting
- Open cyan-blue sky
- Yellow-green grass and fern undergrowth across the lower third
- Bright red starburst rays behind the butterfly
Symbols
- Score reels in black-outlined white windows
- Red starburst ray burst
- Maple-like leaves
- Small white circle emblem beside the 4th player label
- Fern fronds
Lettering
- Large italic slanted capitals with thick red outline and drop shadow, arched across the upper left; small black condensed sans-serif capitals for the instruction line
Themes
- Butterfly
- Insect
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Summer
Title on it
- Butterfly
Text on it
- BUTTERFLY
- CREDIT THE PLAY
- 4TH PLAYER
- 4 5 2 3 0 0
- 3 6 4 4 0 0
- 0 8 8 1 0 0
- 1 2 4 2 0 0
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Animal | One oversized butterfly, wings spread, angled diagonally up to the right; wings mottled green, teal-blue and black with pale spots, body and antennae yellow-green; no human figures present |
A landscape-format painted backglass, roughly square, with a bright cyan-blue sky filling most of the background and a large butterfly motif. The main title is the word BUTTERFLY in big italicised block capitals, slanted and arched across the upper-left to centre, lettered in white with a heavy red outline and a yellow inner shadow. Four horizontal score reels sit in a stepped vertical column: one at the top left showing 4 5 2 3 0 0, one below it showing 3 6 4 4 0 0, a third centred showing 0 8 8 1 0 0, and a fourth low down on the right showing 1 2 4 2 0 0; each reel window is a black-outlined white rectangle. A huge butterfly dominates the art, with green, blue and black patterned wings and a yellow-green body, angled diagonally across the upper right, with red starburst spikes radiating behind it. Lower left and centre are tall yellow-green grass blades and fern fronds, and there are red-orange autumn maple-style leaves in the mid-right foreground against a pale yellow-green wash. Small black text CREDIT THE PLAY sits at bottom centre, and 4TH PLAYER is lettered in black near the upper right beside a small white circle emblem. No people appear; the only figure is the insect.