1976 · Sonic
Faces
Known for Top saucer, Red and green spinners, A and B targets and Faces buttons. Deep navy blue field with thin radiating pale-blue lines, gold and orange circle cluster in the top-left corner and compass-rose and starburst emblems scattered right and bottom.
- Year
- 1976
- Maker
- Sonic
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
- Players
- 4
Known for
- saucer
Top saucer
- Spinner
Red and green spinners
- Target
A and B targets
- rollovers
Faces buttons
On the playfield
- red
- yellow
- blue
- green
- 2 flippers
- 2 pop bumpers
- 1 target bank
- 2 slingshots
Hole 1
- Top saucer saucer
Spinner 1
- Red and green spinners
Targets 4
- A and B targets
- Green standup targets
- Red standup targets
- Eyes
Lanes 2
- Faces buttons rollovers
- Out lanes
Flipper 1
- Upper-left flipper
Post or gate 1
- Upper gate gate
On the backglass
Who and what
- other Large abstract stylised face on the left half, formed from concentric hot-pink and magenta swirl lines, with one big eye outlined by long dark lashes at the left margin and a suggestion of a brow above it
- other Yellow, teal and pink striped spiral fan or shell shape above the face
- other Small multicoloured pinwheel and compass-rose discs scattered across the blue field
Setting
- Deep navy blue field with thin radiating pale-blue lines
- Gold and orange circle cluster in the top-left corner
- Compass-rose and starburst emblems scattered right and bottom
Text on it
- FACES
- Sega
- 1 UP
- 2 UP
- 3 UP
- 4 UP
- BALL IN PLAY
- 1 TO 4 CAN PLAY
- 00000
- 000000
- 10
- 2
- 3
- 4
How it plays
-
Awards 1
- Double Bonus
Reference
Linked terms
- Top saucer also called Color-select top saucer
- Red and green spinners also called Left spinner also called Right spinner
- A and B targets also called Center standups
- Faces buttons also called FACES
- Upper gate also called Gate
- Upper-left flipper also called Third flipper
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- red
- yellow
- blue
- green
Fingerprint: Faces electro-mechanical, enormous stylized eye-mask with white almond eyes and radiating red blue cream stripes in center, faces spelled by five white drop targets on orange diamonds, two yellow domed bumpers at top reading one thousand, hard-edged geometric patchwork
The single most memorable feature is the enormous stylised eye-mask face in the centre of the playfield - two big white almond eyes with black pupils set in radiating red, blue and cream stripes, encircled by a multi-coloured sunburst of triangular wedges. Immediately around it the playfield spells out FACES in five separate white stand-up targets lettered F, A, C, E, S on orange diamonds. A pair of fat yellow domed pop bumpers, both reading 1000, sit shoulder to shoulder at the top of the field inside a yellow cage. Below, a large black arrow points down at the flippers and reads SCORES / SELECTED BONUS, and a small red-and-white maker's plate reads Sonic with PARLA-MADRID (SPAIN) beneath it.
Setting
- Abstract geometric patchwork of radiating triangular and diamond colour wedges
- Cream/white plastic lower deck and apron
- Wooden cabinet front with black coin door below the glass
- Plain white cut-out background surrounding the machine
Symbols
- Lettered targets f a c e s
- Rows of round white rollovers with printed point values 10,000 to 90,000
- Five parallel scoring lamps in a horizontal band
- Black downward arrow
- Yellow warning-triangle lane markings
- Green curved return lane on the upper right
- Red rubber-ringed posts and yellow lane rails
- Two round pop bumpers with concentric-ring yellow caps
- Starburst/tick-mark emblem on the yellow upper wedges
Notable shapes
- Five orange diamond-shaped target shields carrying the individual letters
- Large black downward arrow below the flippers
- Yellow tapered tower shape in the upper centre
- Green hook-shaped return lane on the upper right
- Red-white chevron flash graphics on both lower corners
- Tall pointed arch that frames the whole upper playfield
Art motifs
- Radiating sunburst of triangular colour wedges
- Concentric circles and rings
- Broad colour-blocked triangles
- Painted eye and iris shapes
- Vertical and diagonal stripe banding
Themes
- Geometric abstract
- Faces and masks
- Bonus ladders
- Solid state electro-mechanical
Title on it
- Faces
Text on it
- 1000
- SPIKE OPENS GATE
- TUNNEL
- CHANGES FACE SELECTION
- SAME BONUS
- SAME PLAYER SHOOT AGAIN
- DOUBLE BONUS W/1
- SELECTED BONUS W/1
- SCORES SELECTED BONUS
- 5,000 SPECIAL OPENS GATE
- EXTRA BALL W/1
- BALL SAVES W/1
- FLIPPER BUTTON
- FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY
- INSTRUCTIONS
- FACES
- 5 BALLS PER GAME
- 200,000 SCORES 1 EXTRA BALL
- 410,000 SCORES 1 EXTRA BALL
- 620,000 SCORES 1 EXTRA BALL
- 830,000 SCORES 1 EXTRA BALL
- For Amusement Only
- Ball in Play
- Sonic
- PARLA-MADRID (SPAIN)
- FLIPPER
- ALPHA
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Monster | A large stylised mask-like face filling the centre of the playfield, built from radiating sunburst wedges; two oversized white almond-shaped eyes with black pupils stare out from a banded blue, red and cream striped brow, no mouth or nose visible |
| Other | A tall yellow tapered lane/tower shape rising from the bumpers to the top of the field carrying a metal post cap at its peak |
Photograph of an electro-mechanical-style solid state playfield seen through the glass, with the cabinet front and coin door visible below. The playfield is a hard-edged geometric patchwork of large triangular and diamond wedges in crimson red, mustard yellow, teal blue, olive green, purple, black and white, radiating from a central starburst. Across the middle runs a row of five white stand-up targets mounted on orange diamond shields, each lettered in turn F, A, C, E and S, together spelling the word FACES, with a matching row of round white rollovers arcing above and below them and their point values printed alongside. The centre of the field carries a large stylised mask-like face made of striped blue, red and cream bands with two huge white eyes and orange sunburst wedges radiating outward. Two large round pop bumpers with yellow domed caps marked 1000 sit side by side at the top, flanked by yellow rails, red posts and a green curved lane on the right. A broad cream instruction card and a small red-and-white company logo plate occupy the lower deck, above which the two red-and-white flippers, two slingshots and a black down-arrow marked SCORES / SELECTED BONUS complete the layout.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- navy blue
- hot pink
- gold
- white
Fingerprint: Huge sharply slanted crimson-pink FACES wordmark capital F oversized flared like flag outlined thick white black, left-hand abstract face mass hot-pink magenta swirl contour lines with enormous dark-lashed eye at outer edge, four white score reels cream UP tabs stacked descending diagonal staircase upper left to lower right each framed different colour, gold bubble field top-left corner hiding row small lit digits
The single most memorable element is the huge, sharply slanted crimson-and-pink FACES wordmark, its capital F oversized and flared like a flag, outlined in thick white and black. Second is the left-hand abstract face: a mass of hot-pink and magenta swirl contour lines with one enormous dark-lashed eye at the outer edge. Third, four white score reels with cream UP tabs are stacked in a descending diagonal staircase from upper left to lower right, each framed in a different colour. Fourth, a gold bubble field in the top-left corner hides a row of small lit digits.
Setting
- Deep navy blue field with thin radiating pale-blue lines
- Gold and orange circle cluster in the top-left corner
- Compass-rose and starburst emblems scattered right and bottom
Symbols
- Compass roses
- Pinwheels
- Starbursts
- Reel digit wheels
- Coloured up player tabs
- Gold bubble cluster
Lettering
- Very large slanted sans-serif capitals, crimson fill with pink inner highlight, heavy white keyline and black drop outline; smaller white block caps and yellow sans caps for the instruction text
Themes
- Abstract faces
- Psychedelic swirls
- Score reels
- 1970s-80s electro-mechanical styling
Title on it
- Faces
Text on it
- FACES
- Sega
- 1 UP
- 2 UP
- 3 UP
- 4 UP
- BALL IN PLAY
- 1 TO 4 CAN PLAY
- 00000
- 000000
- 10
- 2
- 3
- 4
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Large abstract stylised face on the left half, formed from concentric hot-pink and magenta swirl lines, with one big eye outlined by long dark lashes at the left margin and a suggestion of a brow above it |
| Other | Yellow, teal and pink striped spiral fan or shell shape above the face |
| Other | Small multicoloured pinwheel and compass-rose discs scattered across the blue field |
Translucent backglass set in a cream-painted wooden frame with chipped and scuffed edges; strong glass reflections streak across the surface. Ground is deep navy blue with thin pale-blue radiating guide lines and small compass-rose and starburst emblems in orange, teal and cream. Four white score windows with pink and green trim run diagonally across the upper and right half, each with a cream number tab reading UP and rows of mechanical digit reels, all showing 0s. Dominating the left half is a large abstract face built from hot-pink and magenta swirling contour lines, with a single large eye outlined in dark lashes at the left edge; above it sits a yellow, teal and pink striped spiral fan and a small multicoloured pinwheel disc. A field of overlapping gold and orange circles fills the top-left corner, containing a horizontal strip of small illuminated digits. A broad yellow diagonal beam runs from upper left down to the right behind a small green-and-yellow Sega logo, above which floats the huge word FACES in slanted crimson letters with pink inner shading, thick white and black outlines, and an oversized F whose top stroke flares like a banner.