1980 · Williams & Taito
Firepower
Known for 1-6 targets, FIRE lanes, POWER targets and Eject holes. Outer space / starfield with an orange sunburst, an eclipsed sun, two planets and abstract painterly flame or cloud swirls in teal, blue, yellow and orange at the lower corners.
- Year
- 1980
- Maker
- Williams & Taito
- Type
- Solid state
- Display
- Alphanumeric
- Players
- 4
Known for
- Target
1-6 targets
- Lane
FIRE lanes
- Target
POWER targets
- Hole
Eject holes
- Kickback
Shield
- Multiball
Firepower Multiball
2 games under this title
On the playfield
On the backglass
Who and what
- vehicle Single angular rocket or spacecraft, nose pointing up, built from hard-edged triangular facets in blue, magenta, yellow and white with black outlines, a small green window panel and red gem-like inserts, a magenta grid panel on its right flank, and a solid yellow exhaust beam running vertically from its tail to the bottom edge of the glass
- other Large planet/sphere upper centre, densely stippled with tiny red, yellow, blue, white and green specks, lit from the left
- other Smaller grey cratered moon behind and to the right of the large planet
- other Eclipsed sun: solid black disc with a ragged bright yellow-white corona ring, upper left of the planet
- other Abstract flame or cloud swirls in teal, green, blue, cream and orange filling the lower right corner, and yellow-orange jagged rock or flame shapes at the left and right edges
Setting
- Outer space / starfield with an orange sunburst, an eclipsed sun, two planets and abstract painterly flame or cloud swirls in teal, blue, yellow and orange at the lower corners
Text on it
- Williams
- MULTI-BALL
- FIREP
- REPOWER
- HIGHEST SCORE
- 1st
- TILT
- 70800
- 00
- 00000
- 40
How it plays
-
Multiballs 1
- Firepower Multiball
-
Awards 1
- Lane Change
Made by
- Design
- Steve Ritchie
- Art
- Constantino Mitchell
- Art
- Jeanine Mitchell
- Mechanics
- John Jung
- Software & Sound
- Eugene Jarvis
Reference
Linked terms
- 1-6 targets also called Center 1-6
- FIRE lanes also called FIRE
- POWER targets also called POWER
- Eject holes also called Lock lanes also called saucers
- Jet bumpers also called Bumpers
- Bullseye target also called Top standup target
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield Standard
- grey
- red
- blue
- yellow
Fingerprint: Firepower: Vertical bank of ten numbered drop targets descending from 20 to 1 through silvery crowd-scene backdrop, flanked by four pop bumpers in diamond arrangement, chrome wireform ramps, red V-shaped rocket graphic, two comic-book male heads, yellow SHIP arrow pointing into blue return lane, four circular bumper medallions, densely detailed sci-fi moon-landing theme, red, yellow, green, black heavy outlines
The most identifying feature is the central V-shaped red rocket/arrow graphic with a vertical run of ten white numbered drop targets counting 20 down to 1. Below it, the whole lower playfield is filled with a dense glittery grey/silver background of tiny figures, giving a crowd-scene look. Two painted comic-book male heads flank the centre lane, one at the SHIELD DROP ramp entrance in an orange helmet. A bright yellow wedge arrow labelled SHIP points down into the blue-lit right return lane. The four FIREPOWER pop bumper caps in a diamond plus twin chrome wire ramps define the upper third.
Setting
- Outer space/starfield with a huge grey cratered moon surface across the lower half
- Dense crowd of tiny grey-suited figures printed over the moon surface
- Starry black sky at the top edge
Symbols
- Four circular white pop-bumper caps each with a black w inside a ring and firepower curved around the rim
- Large circular firepower emblem medallion on the lower deck: red w on yellow disc with red ring and radiating lines
- Williams script logo with circular w, gold on black, at lower left
- Ten white oval drop targets numbered 20 down to 1 in a vertical line
- Red v / rocket nose graphic pointing down the centre of the playfield
- Yellow wedge arrow marked ship pointing into the right return lane
- Blue arrow and chevron shapes
- Star field, crescent/comet swirls, red five-pointed star lower left
- Small numeric inserts and rectangles as targets across the upper field
Notable shapes
- Central red v / rocket-nose graphic dominating the mid-lower playfield
- Ten-target vertical numbered drop-target lane forming the spine of the layout
- Diamond arrangement of four pop bumpers
- Curved chrome wire ramp sweeping around the left edge
- Yellow wedge arrow into the right lane
- Sawtooth/zigzag pattern on the far-right lower-deck card
Art motifs
- Exploding starburst behind the upper bumpers
- Chromed wireform ramps and lane guides
- Heavy red/yellow/green translucent plastics on posts
- Concentric ring shockwaves around the central v graphic
- Diagonal speed stripes at lower left and right corners
Themes
- Space
- Military/hero
- Comic book
- Sci-fi
- Moon landing
Title on it
- Firepower
Text on it
- FIREPOWER
- Williams
- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60618
- INSTRUCTIONS
- For Amusement Only
- One To Four Players
- 410,000 SCORES 1 CREDIT
- 610,000 SCORES 1 CREDIT
- 3 BALLS PER GAME
- 1 PLAY - 1 QUARTER
- 4 PLAYS - 1 DOLLAR
- MAXIMUM CREDITS - 20
- LATE CHARGE
- RIGHT FLIPPER
- Advances FIRE Lane
- SHIELD DROP
- SPIN OUT
- SHIP
- 20
- 10
- 9
- 8
- 7
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 2
- 1
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Shouting open-mouthed adult man, orange/yellow helmet or hard hat, blue collar, printed in bold outline comic style on the left ramp entrance panel |
| Other | Shouting open-mouthed adult man, yellow/orange helmet with red crest, profile facing left, comic outline style on the right of the centre lane |
| Other | Dozens of small identical grey/white human silhouettes densely covering the lower-centre moon surface, too small for individual detail |
Full-length electro-mechanical pinball playfield photographed from above behind slightly dirty, scratched glass in a wooden cabinet. Upper third: four white pop-bumper caps in a diamond, each printed FIREPOWER around a circular W emblem, flanked by chrome wire ramps and posts with red, amber and green plastic sleeves. Mid-playfield: a large red V-shaped or rocket-nose graphic with a falling drop of white numbered targets 20, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 running down the centre, and a blue glowing lane on the right with a yellow arrow and SHIP reading. Lower half: two yellow flippers, chrome rails, two slingshots, and printed comic heads of a shouting man in an orange/yellow helmet at SHIELD DROP and SPIN OUT. Card-sized instruction and rules cards sit on the wooden lower deck, plus a large circular FIREPOWER W logo medallion.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass Standard
- black
- orange
- magenta
- blue
Fingerprint: Speckled confetti-textured planet looms behind blue-and-magenta arrowhead rocket with yellow exhaust beam dropping centre. Black eclipsed sun with bright corona at upper left, framed by enormous orange sunburst. Title "FIREPOWER" in gradient slab capitals. Deep black star-field. Four magenta instruction circles at bottom edge.
The most memorable feature is a great speckled, confetti-textured planet looming behind a blue-and-magenta arrowhead rocket whose yellow exhaust beam runs straight down the centre of the glass to the bottom rail. A black eclipsed sun with a bright corona burns to the upper left of the planet, framed by a huge orange sunburst that doubles as the background for the title. Four magenta instruction circles and a TILT legend sit in a strip along the bottom edge. The whole glass is heavily reflective, with strong room glare and a dark, scuffed wooden surround visible at the edges.
Setting
- Outer space / starfield with an orange sunburst, an eclipsed sun, two planets and abstract painterly flame or cloud swirls in teal, blue, yellow and orange at the lower corners
Symbols
- White star dots
- Orange sunburst rays
- Four magenta instruction circles each containing a small icon
- Playing-card-like coloured insert panels on the rocket
- Magenta circuit-like border lines running along the top and side edges
Lettering
- Large pink-to-yellow gradient slab capitals with heavy black outline and a slight downward slant across the sunburst, with a yellow script manufacturer wordmark above black block text
Themes
- Space
- Rocket
- Planets
- Eclipse
- Sunburst
- Explosion
Title on it
- Firep
Text on it
- Williams
- MULTI-BALL
- FIREP
- REPOWER
- HIGHEST SCORE
- 1st
- TILT
- 70800
- 00
- 00000
- 40
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | Single angular rocket or spacecraft, nose pointing up, built from hard-edged triangular facets in blue, magenta, yellow and white with black outlines, a small green window panel and red gem-like inserts, a magenta grid panel on its right flank, and a solid yellow exhaust beam running vertically from its tail to the bottom edge of the glass |
| Other | Large planet/sphere upper centre, densely stippled with tiny red, yellow, blue, white and green specks, lit from the left |
| Other | Smaller grey cratered moon behind and to the right of the large planet |
| Other | Eclipsed sun: solid black disc with a ragged bright yellow-white corona ring, upper left of the planet |
| Other | Abstract flame or cloud swirls in teal, green, blue, cream and orange filling the lower right corner, and yellow-orange jagged rock or flame shapes at the left and right edges |
A mirrored, glossy backglass with a space-explosion theme, framed by a dark worn wooden rail. The background is a black starfield speckled with white stars and a few blue nebula patches, over which a huge orange-and-yellow sunburst of straight rays fans upward from the centre. The word FIREPOWER is lettered across the sunburst in large pink-to-yellow gradient slab capitals with black outline. Two bodies hang in the sky: a black eclipsed disc (dark centre ringed by a bright yellow-white corona) at upper left of centre, and a huge mottled planet covered in tiny multicoloured confetti-like specks, with a smaller grey cratered sphere behind it at upper right. Dominating the foreground is a sharp-angled, arrowhead-shaped rocket/spacecraft in blue, magenta, yellow and white, nose pointing up, with a yellow tail beam dropping straight down to the bottom edge and small green and red inset panels. Score windows sit left and right in magenta-outlined panels, with a magenta border strip along the bottom carrying four small magenta instruction circles and TILT.
Backglass Standard
- black
- yellow
- red
- blue
Fingerprint: 'FIREPOWER' in enormous red block letters with yellow outline spanning width, silver delta-wing starfighter nose-on firing yellow exhaust beam downward, twin red engine flames, twin cratered moons behind sun ringed yellow with black disc, rainbow comet streaks, space combat style.
The single most memorable element is a colossal chrome-white jet fighter seen nose-on in the centre, filling the middle of the glass and firing a solid yellow beam straight downward, with twin red engine flames flanking its nose. Behind it sit two cratered pale moons eclipsing a black-disc yellow-ring sun, so the ship appears to be flying out of a planetary system. The word FIREPOWER is stretched across almost the full width in enormous red block letters outlined in yellow with heavy dark shadowing, dwarfing everything else. A second striking cue is the rainbow comet-streak background: orange and maroon slash marks on the lower left, cyan and blue streaks on the lower right. Finally, four red-framed black score windows labelled 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th run down both edges.
Setting
- Black starfield
- Two cratered pale blue-grey moons
- Yellow ring around a black sun disc
- Diagonal rainbow comet streaks
- Orange and white flame bursts in the lower corners
Symbols
- Triangular red gable with yellow speed lines above the title
- Yellow-ringed black sun
- Two cratered moons
- Red-outlined black score windows
- Dark red ball-in-play strip with white numerals 1 2 3 4
- Diagonal rainbow comet streaks
- Jagged flame bursts
Lettering
- Firepower in enormous condensed red block capitals with yellow inline outline and heavy black drop shadow, spanning the full width; multi-ball above it in smaller yellow outlined capitals with a red-and-yellow outline roof gable; player labels 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th in white condensed caps with red outline, highest score in small white caps.
Themes
- Space combat
- Starfighter
- Multi-ball
- Planets
- Exhaust beam
- Flames
Title on it
- Firepower
Text on it
- Williams
- MULTI-BALL
- FIREPOWER
- HIGHEST SCORE
- 1st
- 2nd
- 3rd
- 4th
- 1 2 3 4
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | Single silver-grey delta-wing starfighter viewed head-on, swept wings, twin underwing nacelles with red glowing flames, pale blue canopy with a dark helmeted pilot visible, four small red and white roundel details on the fuselage, firing a solid yellow exhaust beam downward |
| Other | Helmeted pilot silhouette seated behind the fighter's canopy glass, dark grey helmet with lighter face area |
| Other | Large yellow annulus sun behind the moons at upper centre-left, its centre a flat black disc |
| Other | Two cratered spherical moons, pale blue-grey with white and grey mottling, the larger one centre-left and a smaller one to its right |
A rectangular space-combat backglass dominated by a huge red-and-yellow FIREPOWER title across the top, with a smaller yellow MULTI-BALL logo above it inside a red triangular gable shape filled with yellow speed lines. A silver-grey delta-wing starfighter is painted head-on in the centre, twin engine nacelles glowing red, cockpit canopy pale blue with a helmeted pilot shape, and a solid yellow exhaust beam shooting straight down off the bottom edge. Behind it hang two pale blue-grey cratered moons and a large sun rendered as a yellow ring around a black disc. The background is a black starfield streaked with diagonal rainbow comet bands: orange and maroon stripes lower-left, cyan and blue bands lower-right. Left and right lower thirds are filled with jagged yellow, orange and white flame bursts. Six red-outlined black rectangular windows ring the artwork: four labelled 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and two small empty boxes near the bottom centre-left. A dark red ball-in-play strip along the very bottom carries the white numerals 1 2 3 4. 'HIGHEST SCORE' is printed in small white block capitals at top right.