1969 · Williams
Expo / Roto
Known for West Gate, Lamp Post, Mini Post and Backglass wheel. Flat mid-blue sky filling the upper half, hard-edged red diagonal wedge behind the title, salmon-pink floor across the lower third and purple and red triangular accent shapes under the title.
- Year
- 1969
- Maker
- Williams
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
- Players
- 2
Known for
- gate
West Gate
- post
Lamp Post
- post
Mini Post
- backglass wheel
Backglass wheel
2 games under this title
On the playfield
Targets 4
- Yellow standup targets
- Up Tiny Post
- Opens Gate
- Up Mini Post
Lanes 2
- Down Post rollover button
- Top rollover button rollover button
Posts and gates 4
- West Gate gate
- Lamp Post post
- Mini Post post
- Tiny Post post
Lights 1
- Triangle arrow insert
Backbox 1
- Backglass wheel backglass wheel
On the backglass
Who and what
- woman Left side, shoulder-length blond hair, green-and-white striped top, leaning forward, head and shoulders visible behind the man
- man Left side, bare shoulder, tan suit jacket, bent almost double at the waist with head thrown down and one arm hanging
- man Lower right, pink hair, white coat, seen from behind, arm raised holding a small cup
- woman Right side, dark bob haircut, purple top and blue skirt, arm raised pressing a small cup to her mouth, facing the man in white
- other Two very small dark-clothed figures perched on the upper rim of the right-hand tower, one appearing to climb or hang
- other A tiny figure in a red-and-white cap peering from the top of the right-hand tower
Setting
- Flat mid-blue sky filling the upper half
- Hard-edged red diagonal wedge behind the title
- Salmon-pink floor across the lower third
- Purple and red triangular accent shapes under the title
Text on it
- EXPO
- 1UP
- 1 PLAYER
- 2UP
- 2 PLAYER
- BALL IN PLAY
- GAME OVER
- 10
- 9
- 8
- 7
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 2
- 1
How it plays
-
Goals 1
- Select & Spin
Made by
- Design
- Norm Clark
- Art
- Christian Marche
Reference
Linked terms
- West Gate also called Gate
- Select & Spin also called Select also called Selected also called Selecting and Spinning
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass Expo
- blue
- red
- yellow
- green
Fingerprint: Giant yellow sunburst disc holding white-and-orange globe, ringed by green numbered band 1-10 with thick red radiating arrows and starburst accents, two tall stacked score towers styled as guns or cups with four blank windows each, word EXPO in lime-green capitals top center
A giant yellow sunburst disc with a white-and-orange globe in its middle, ringed by a green numbered band with black starbursts 1 through 10 and thick red arrows radiating out - the single most memorable element. Flanking it are two tall stacked score towers styled like guns or cups, a grey one with 1UP and 1 PLAYER and a pale blue one with 2UP and 2 PLAYER, each with four blank windows. A long grey rifle barrel runs across the very top left, an unexpected touch against the cheerful cartoon art. Tiny painted figures climb and perch on the right-hand tower. Two figures raising cups flank the disc at both sides. The word EXPO in lime-green block letters with a heavy drop shadow sits top centre.
Setting
- Flat mid-blue sky filling the upper half
- Hard-edged red diagonal wedge behind the title
- Salmon-pink floor across the lower third
- Purple and red triangular accent shapes under the title
Symbols
- Five-pointed stars (1up, 2up bursts and the number panels)
- White globe with orange-red continents
- Yellow segmented sunburst disc
- Thick red directional arrows radiating from the centre
- Rifle or cannon barrel
- Eight empty rectangular score windows in two banks of four
- Two small circular windows above game over
- Small rocket or dart shape on the right tower's spire
Lettering
- Thick geometric sans-serif display capitals; title in lime green with white and black drop shadow; player labels in cream capitals curved along a black band; status text ball in play and game over in small red condensed capitals
Themes
- World fair / exposition
- Numbered score wheel
- Toasting drinks
- Retro advertising art
Title on it
- Expo
Text on it
- EXPO
- 1UP
- 1 PLAYER
- 2UP
- 2 PLAYER
- BALL IN PLAY
- GAME OVER
- 10
- 9
- 8
- 7
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 2
- 1
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Woman | Left side, shoulder-length blond hair, green-and-white striped top, leaning forward, head and shoulders visible behind the man |
| Man | Left side, bare shoulder, tan suit jacket, bent almost double at the waist with head thrown down and one arm hanging |
| Man | Lower right, pink hair, white coat, seen from behind, arm raised holding a small cup |
| Woman | Right side, dark bob haircut, purple top and blue skirt, arm raised pressing a small cup to her mouth, facing the man in white |
| Other | Two very small dark-clothed figures perched on the upper rim of the right-hand tower, one appearing to climb or hang |
| Other | A tiny figure in a red-and-white cap peering from the top of the right-hand tower |
A brightly coloured cartoon-illustrated backglass built around one enormous central globe. The background is flat mid-blue sky at the top, split by a hard red diagonal wedge, with a pink/salmon foreground floor across the lower third. Across the upper left a long grey rifle barrel or cannon tube points rightward, and under it a black star burst carrying red block letters reads 1UP above a bank of four empty rectangular score windows, with 1 PLAYER curved in cream letters on a black band beneath. The main title EXPO sits top centre in huge lime-green block capitals with a white and black drop shadow, over a red and purple triangular accent. Top right a second, taller stacked structure mirrors it: a 2UP star, four more empty windows, and 2 PLAYER curved beneath. The centre of the glass is taken by a large yellow segmented disc (sunburst or dartboard-like) containing a white globe with orange-red continents, ringed by a lime-green band carrying black starburst number panels 1 to 10 and thick red arrows radiating outward. Two drawn figures flank the disc: at left a blond woman in a green-and-white striped top behind a bare-shouldered man in a tan suit bent sharply forwards, head down, one arm dangling; at right a pink-haired man in a white coat seen from behind raising a small cup, facing a bob-haired woman in a purple top and blue skirt who also lifts a cup to her mouth. Red text BALL IN PLAY sits lower left on the salmon floor and GAME OVER lower centre-right beneath two small round windows.
Backglass Roto
- green
- yellow
- red
- blue
Fingerprint: ruin - giant green many-pointed starburst with yellow sunburst and white globe with red continents at center ringed by numbers 1 through 12, pair of tall white cylindrical reel drums one per player capped by black starburst badge reading 1 UP and 2 UP, white rocket with red fins plunging head-down down right side, large green 3D block letters spelling title across upper left
The dominant feature is a giant green many-pointed starburst with a yellow sunburst and a white globe with red continents at its centre, ringed by the numbers 1 through 12. Second most memorable is the pair of tall white cylindrical reel drums, one per player, each capped by a black starburst badge reading 1 UP and 2 UP, flanking the green star. A white rocket with red fins plunges head-down down the right side, and large green 3D block letters with white faces and dark green shading form the title across the upper left.
Setting
- Open sky rendered as a flat blue-violet diagonal band across the top
- A plain orange-red ground or field in the lower half
- Rockets in flight at upper right and diving down the right edge
- A tan pier or platform at lower left
Symbols
- White globe with red continents
- Yellow and orange sunburst rays
- Green many-pointed star
- Black starburst badges
- Rectangular reel windows
- Rockets and stars
- Numerals 1-12 around the centre
Lettering
- Large angular 3d block capitals with light green faces, white bevel highlights and dark green side shading; player captions in mixed-case sans serif, purple-blue on the left and orange-red on the right; a white cursive script maker wordmark at top centre; small red sans serif capitals in the lower left corner.
Themes
- Rockets
- Space flight
- Globe
- Sunburst
- Number ring
- Reel drums
- Two player
- Diversion or amusement park
Title on it
- Ruin
Text on it
- RUIN
- Williams
- 1 UP
- 2 UP
- 1 PLAYER
- 2 PLAYER
- BALL IN PLAY
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | A pale-clad human figure in a white or cream outfit standing on a tan or yellow platform at the middle left, facing right, with a dark green vertical pole or pipe beside them. |
| Other | Just below that platform at the left edge, a small head with bright red or orange hair and a pale face, only partially visible, looking right. |
| Other | At the lower right, a small human figure in a blue outfit with a bright green head covering or hair, standing beside a rounded pinkish-red object with a dark window, resembling a small car or capsule. |
| Vehicle | A white rocket with red fins, nose pointing downwards, diving down the right side trailing a pale exhaust plume. |
| Vehicle | A pale rocket streaking leftwards along the blue-violet band at the top of the glass. |
A square, symmetrically organised backglass painted in flat, hard-edged cartoon style. The centrepiece is a white globe with red landmasses (the Americas facing the viewer) set in the middle of a yellow-and-orange sunburst disc, which in turn sits inside a large green many-pointed star shape. Black-outlined orange numerals 1 to 12 ring the green star evenly around its points. Two tall white cylindrical drum towers rise left and right of centre, each with a black band containing five small rectangular reel windows, each window a white box with a black digit. A black starburst badge on the left drum reads 1 UP, one on the right reads 2 UP; below the drums are captions on white bands, purple-blue 1 PLAYER on the left and orange-red 2 PLAYER on the right. Across the top a blue-violet diagonal band suggests sky or a trajectory, with a streaking rocket and a small red-and-white striped rocket at the upper right, plus a white starburst flare. Bottom right shows a white rocket with red fins diving downwards trailing flame, alongside small human figures and a rounded pinkish-red vehicle-like object. Bottom left has a pale-clad figure on a tan pier and small red text BALL IN PLAY. Dominant colours are green, yellow-orange, red and blue.