1985 · Achille and Chalvignac
Nosferatu
Violet and magenta sunset sky, gothic castle with clustered spires on the right, second castle on a hill at upper left, black bat silhouette in flight, green grass with white and grey grave crosses, gothic tombstones at right and dark wooden coffin in the foreground.
- Year
- 1985
- Maker
- Achille and Chalvignac
- Type
- Solid state
- Display
- Alphanumeric
- Players
- 4
Made by
- Art
- Michele "Mike" Martinelli
Vision analysis
On the playfield
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- blue
- red
- yellow
- white
Fingerprint: special: Wide translucent pink ramp sweeps rainbow arc from top-left across top down right side, five star-emblem targets glowing red beneath cream castle orange turrets, yellow moon large, dense rainbow CRYSTAL CASTLE lettering mid-field, mirrored yellow advance bonus starbursts lower playfield
Most memorable is the wide translucent pink plastic ramp that sweeps in a big rainbow arc from the upper left over the top of the playfield and down the entire right side to the lower right corner. Second, the row of five star-emblem targets glowing hot red beneath a cream castle with orange turrets, set against a large yellow moon. Third, the dense rainbow CRYSTAL CASTLE lettering arched across the middle with LOVE and SPECIAL window text around it. Fourth, the mirrored pair of yellow advance bonus starbursts on the left and right lower playfield.
Setting
- Dark blue starry night sky
- Large mustard-yellow moon disc upper left
- Cream castle with orange conical turrets at top centre
- Green shrubbery and palm-like foliage along both side rails
- Red and gold confetti-like patterns in the corners
Symbols
- Five-pointed stars
- Star emblems on each red target
- Circular numbered inserts
- Yellow starburst bonus callouts
- Rainbow arc banner
- Playing-card-suit-like decorative marks in the corners
Notable shapes
- Large sweeping translucent ramp arc
- Yellow v apron
- Round cream disc with red star inset mid-left
- Red swirling path with numbered inserts 1-5
- Circular star-rimmed bumpers
Art motifs
- Airbrushed glow
- Chrome posts
- Star bursts
- Glowing lamps
- Swirling red path
Themes
- Fairytale castle
- Arcade prize
- Night sky
- Ramp
- Score values
Title on it
- Special
Text on it
- SUBTRACT BONUS
- Special
- LOVE
- EXTRA BALL
- advance bonus
- BONUS
- VALUE
- SPECIAL
- 1000
- 2000
- 3000
- 4000
- 5000
- 6000
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- MAZURKA
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | A witch-like figure in a long pink and white dress with a tall pointed headdress, standing on the diagonal subtract bonus banner at upper left |
| Creature | A green dragon or sea-horse-like figure with a long snout and spines, at mid-right below the targets |
| Other | A small green cartoon figure with a hat near the upper right ramp |
| Vehicle | No people visible; the artwork is populated by targets, posts and scenery only |
A tall electro-mechanical playfield photographed behind glass in its wooden cabinet, with a dark blue night sky, a large mustard-yellow moon disc in the upper left and a cream castle with orange conical turrets at the top centre. A broad translucent pink-and-grey plastic ramp arcs from the upper left across the top and down the right side to the lower right, held by chrome posts. Five red-glowing post targets sit in a row across the upper middle beneath the castle, each with a star emblem. Left of them a diagonal black-and-gold banner reads SUBTRACT BONUS in white and red capitals over a red star, and below it a gold starburst with the red script word Special. A round cream disc with a red rim and a red star in a ring sits mid-left, below the targets. The middle of the playfield is dense with chrome lanes, posts and star-burst scoring windows: curved yellow-outlined LOVE at mid-left, a rainbow-arc CRYSTAL CASTLE style multicolor title bar, and a yellow SPECIAL window with a starburst. Two symmetrical yellow starbursts read advance bonus, one on each lower flank. At the bottom centre, BONUS and VALUE in yellow capitals flank a red swirling path with numbered round inserts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, plus two cream-coloured flippers and a lit round centre lane guide. A yellow V apron graphic fills the lower deck between two white instruction cards.
On the backglass
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- purple
- gold
- green
- red
Fingerprint: Nosferatu title swirled red-yellow gothic lettering, lime-green-skinned vampire black suit yellow waistcoat red cape lunging forward clawed hand reaching over dark coffin, purple-magenta sunset sky spired gothic castle perched black crows tilted tombstones, witch riding broomstick lower left, five rectangular reel windows punched through art, horror-vampire scene saturated airbrushed
The single most memorable element is a lime-green-skinned vampire in a black suit, yellow waistcoat and swirled red-and-yellow gothic title lettering that fills the whole top third of the glass. He is posed lunging forward over a dark coffin lid, one long clawed hand reaching toward the viewer. Set behind him is a purple-magenta sunset sky with a spired gothic castle, perched black crows on tilted tombstones, and a small witch riding a broomstick at the lower left. Two round medallions flanking the title, one orange with a bat-winged motif and one dark blue with a black bird, plus five rectangular reel/score windows punched straight through the painted art, pin the layout down completely.
Setting
- Violet and magenta sunset sky
- Gothic castle with clustered spires on the right
- Second castle on a hill at upper left
- Black bat silhouette in flight
- Green grass with white and grey grave crosses
- Gothic tombstones at right
- Dark wooden coffin in the foreground
Symbols
- Two round title medallions, orange with a bat-wing motif on the left and dark blue with a black bird on the right
- Five rectangular display windows
- White and grey grave crosses
- Gothic castle spires
- Coffin
- Spreading bat
- Tombs
- Broomstick
Lettering
- Very large angular blackletter/gothic serif title in gold with red-orange inline and black outline, topped by gold wing-like flourishes; french age-restriction notice in plain condensed blue capitals on the silver top rail; tiny white condensed capitals for the bal in play and match labels; red cursive artist signature at bottom right
Themes
- Vampire
- Horror
- Gothic
- Graveyard
- Occult
- Night
- Undead
- Bats
- Crows
Title on it
- Nosferatu
Text on it
- INTERDIT AUX MOINS DE 16 ANS
- Nosferatu
- 8502530
- BAL IN PLAY
- MATCH
- Dan Kline
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Creature | Central vampire, adult male form, bright lime-green skin with heavy dark shadowing, bald domed head, pointed ear, jutting jaw, mouth open showing teeth, yellow slit eyes, hunched forward with one long arm reaching out and clawed hand extended, wearing a black tailcoat, stiff high white collar, bright yellow waistcoat and cravat, with a swirling red and orange cape flaring behind him |
| Woman | Small witch figure at lower left in a dark robe and pointed hat, riding side-saddle on a broomstick with straw bristles trailing |
| Animal | Several black crows in flight and perched on tilted grey tombstones at the right, wings spread |
| Animal | Large black bat with spread membranous wings silhouetted against the castle tower |
| Other | Dark pointed witch hat lying on the ground near the lower left |
Full-view pinball backglass in a heavy black wooden surround with a brushed-silver metal rail across the top carrying blue capital text reading INTERDIT AUX MOINS DE 16 ANS. The artwork is a horror/vampire scene painted in a smooth, saturated, airbrushed-illustrator style. Dominating the centre is a green-skinned vampire in a black tailcoat with high white collar, orange-red cape lining and yellow waistcoat, one arm flung forward and one back, leaning over a dark brown wooden coffin tipped diagonally across the lower centre foreground. Behind him a violet-and-magenta sunset sky hangs over a gothic castle with clustered spires on the right and a second castle on a hill at upper left. Black crows perch on grey and pale tombstones at the right, a witch on a broomstick rides in at the lower left, and a bat silhouette spreads over the castle tower. Green grass, white and grey crosses, a dark witch hat and scattered bones fill the lower band. Five rectangular windows are set into the glass: two reel windows upper right, one blue seven-segment score display mid-left reading 8502530, one reel window mid-right, and two reel windows along the bottom, flanked by tiny labels BAL IN PLAY and MATCH. A cursive signature Dan Kline sits bottom right.