1979 · Stern Electronics
Trident
Known for Upper-left drops, Upper-right standups and Top saucer. Underwater scene, open sea with kelp and rising air bubbles and distant dark city skyline silhouette at the waterline.
- Year
- 1979
- Maker
- Stern Electronics
- Type
- Solid state
- Display
- Alphanumeric
- Players
- 4
Known for
- Target
Upper-left drops
- Target
Upper-right standups
- saucer
Top saucer
On the playfield
Hole 1
- Top saucer saucer
Targets 2
- Upper-left drops
- Upper-right standups
Lanes 4
- Star rollover rollover
- Left in lane
- Right in lane
- Right out lane
Slingshot 1
- Upper slingshots
Post or gate 1
- Center post post
On the backglass
Who and what
- creature Enormous emerald-green bare-chested merman warrior, black beard, roaring open mouth, red crested helmet, beaded yellow collar, red spotted tentacle coiled across his chest, right arm raised, left hand holding a three-pronged golden trident, legs apart with one sandalled foot forward
- creature Large red octopus at lower right with a gaping beak mouth ringed in orange, one eye visible, thick arms covered in pale pink suckers spanning the lower half of the glass
- animal Grey shark head upper left, jaws open showing red mouth and teeth, marked 1st
- animal Grey shark head upper right, jaws open with red mouth, marked 2nd
- animal Grey shark head lower left, jaws open, marked 3rd
- animal Grey shark head lower right, jaws open, marked 4th
Setting
- Underwater scene
- Open sea with kelp and rising air bubbles
- Distant dark city skyline silhouette at the waterline
Text on it
- TRIDENT
- MYSTERY
- PLAYERS
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 1ST
- 2ND
- 3RD
- 4TH
- BALL IN PLAY
- GAME OVER
- 21
- 23
How it plays
-
Goals 3
- Repeatable Special
- Partial spinner build
- Flow spinner shot
Made by
- Design
- Mike Kubin
Reference
Linked terms
- Upper-left drops also called Ordered drop bank also called Drop targets
- Upper-right standups also called Upper right standup targets
- Star rollover also called Left orbit
- Left in lane also called Left return lane
- Right out lane also called Right outlane
- Flow spinner shot also called Flow
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- yellow
- red
- blue
- green
Fingerprint: Long red scaly serpent with yellow-orange head rearing up center coiled around green muscular humanoid creature, two yellow starburst-capped pop bumpers flanking center, green toothy monster head with open mouth and red dragon head with single eye, blue and yellow artwork with arcade styling
The most memorable element is a long red scaly serpent with a yellow-orange head rearing up the centre of the playfield, coiled around a green muscular humanoid creature. Two big yellow starburst-capped pop bumpers sit side by side in the upper centre, framed by yellow and red scrollwork. A green toothy monster head with a wide open mouth appears mid-left beside a red dragon head with a single yellow eye. The bottom apron is dominated by two blue FLIPPER BUTTON arrows pointing inwards at the flippers, with a yellow SHOOT AGAIN arrow between them. A KIDFORCE PINBALL logo in chunky red-and-yellow lettering occupies the lower right corner.
Setting
- Flat painted cartoon playfield background in yellow and orange with red scrollwork
- Deep blue field behind the lower centre creatures
- Yellow-orange upper playfield behind the pop bumpers
- White lower apron with red chevron bands
Symbols
- Yellow starburst circles (pop bumper caps)
- Blue downward-pointing chevron arrows on the right ramp
- Red-and-white striped ramp rails
- Circular bonus-value medallions running down the centre
- Round white posts with red rubber rings
- Blue arrow decals on the apron
- Red chevron stripes on the apron
- Numerals in circles (4, 5)
Notable shapes
- Yellow arrow-shaped shoot again insert with a circular hole
- Long coiling red serpent graphic running up the centre
- Curved red-and-white striped ramp rails
- Triangular slingshot areas
- Column of circular bonus inserts down the centre lane
Art motifs
- Thick black comic-book outlines
- Bright primary-colour flat fills with airbrushed shading
- Flame and scroll flourishes
- Yellow arrow-shaped inserts with black lettering
Themes
- Cartoons
- Monsters and dragons
- Serpents
- Arcade-style cartoon art
- Score-value inserts
Title on it
- Kidforce pinball
Text on it
- INSTRUCTIONS
- Post Bumper Scores 100
- FLIPPER BUTTON
- SHOOT AGAIN
- COLLECT
- FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY
- KIDFORCE PINBALL
- 3,000 & 3 BONUS ADVANCE
- SPECIAL
- SHOOT WHEN LIT
- ADVANCE
- POST
- 4
- 5
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Monster | Green muscular humanoid/frog-like creature at centre-left, bare green torso, arms raised and spread, head turned right, snarling |
| Animal | Long red scaly serpent or dragon with a segmented body, yellow-orange head and open jaw, rearing vertically up the centre-right of the playfield |
| Monster | Green toothy monster head with wide open pink mouth and sharp white teeth, mid-left |
| Animal | Red dinosaur or dragon head in profile with a single round yellow eye, painted along the left mid-playfield edge |
| Animal | Green alligator or crocodile head graphic near the right ramp area |
A full-length pinball playfield photographed from above under a glass, lit with many coloured insert lamps. The lower apron is white with red chevron stripes, two blue arrow decals reading FLIPPER BUTTON pointing inwards, COLLECT printed between the flippers, SHOOT AGAIN on a yellow arrow-shaped insert with a round hole, and FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY curving along the bottom edge. A red-and-yellow KIDFORCE PINBALL logo sits on the right of the apron and a small white INSTRUCTIONS card with several lines of black text is carded on the left. Above the apron the playfield is a riot of yellow, red, blue and green: two large yellow starburst pop-bumper caps in the upper centre, a bank of smaller round posts and inserts between them, two long red-and-white striped ramps and rails angling down from the top corners, and translucent plastics over the upper playfield. Painted artwork shows a green muscular frog or reptile creature, a long red scaly serpent with a yellow head rearing up the centre-right, a red dinosaur/dragon head with a yellow eye on the left, and a green toothy monster head. A column of circular bonus-value inserts runs down the middle and the right lane area carries blue downward chevron arrows and red/yellow score panels.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- blue
- green
- red
- gold
Fingerprint: "Trident" "Mystery" title in red-orange slanted capitals with yellow outline and orange script, enormous emerald-green bare-chested merman warrior with black beard roaring, holding aloft golden three-pronged trident, wrapped in coiling red octopus tentacles with pale pink suckers, huge red octopus with gaping orange-ringed beak mouth lower right, four grey shark heads in corners marked 1st-2nd-3rd-4th, deep blue-green underwater setting with kelp fronds and bubbles.
A giant emerald-green, black-bearded merman warrior roaring with a golden trident, wrapped all over in coiling red spotted octopus tentacles. A huge red octopus with a gaping orange-lined beak mouth fills the lower right corner. Four snarling grey shark heads in the corners each hold a 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th player marker. The top logo is a big slanted red-orange TRIDENT in yellow-outlined capitals, with the smaller orange word MYSTERY tucked under its right end.
Setting
- Underwater scene
- Open sea with kelp and rising air bubbles
- Distant dark city skyline silhouette at the waterline
Symbols
- Golden trident
- Octopus tentacles with suckers
- Grey shark heads
- Rising bubble clusters
- Kelp fronds
- Seven-segment red digit displays
- Gold-framed score windows
- Orange lightning bolt behind the trident
Lettering
- Large slanted italic sans-serif capitals, red-orange fill with thick yellow outline and white edge; small captions in plain condensed capitals; a smaller angled orange script word under the title
Themes
- Sea monster
- Underwater
- Octopus
- Sharks
- Trident
- Merman
- Fantasy adventure
Title on it
- Trident
Text on it
- TRIDENT
- MYSTERY
- PLAYERS
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 1ST
- 2ND
- 3RD
- 4TH
- BALL IN PLAY
- GAME OVER
- 21
- 23
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Creature | Enormous emerald-green bare-chested merman warrior, black beard, roaring open mouth, red crested helmet, beaded yellow collar, red spotted tentacle coiled across his chest, right arm raised, left hand holding a three-pronged golden trident, legs apart with one sandalled foot forward |
| Creature | Large red octopus at lower right with a gaping beak mouth ringed in orange, one eye visible, thick arms covered in pale pink suckers spanning the lower half of the glass |
| Animal | Grey shark head upper left, jaws open showing red mouth and teeth, marked 1st |
| Animal | Grey shark head upper right, jaws open with red mouth, marked 2nd |
| Animal | Grey shark head lower left, jaws open, marked 3rd |
| Animal | Grey shark head lower right, jaws open, marked 4th |
| Other | Golden three-pronged trident held upright at centre right, with lightning-bolt shape behind it |
A square backglass with a dark blue-grey moulded border and a painted underwater scene. A huge muscular green-skinned merman warrior dominates the centre: bare-chested, black-bearded, mouth open in a roar, wearing a red crested helmet, with a beaded yellow collar and a red spotted octopus tentacle coiled across his chest. He raises one arm holding a red tentacle and grips a three-pronged golden trident in the other, legs apart, one sandalled foot forward. Thick red octopus tentacles with pale pink suckers snake across the whole lower half, wrapping around a large red octopus head at lower right with a gaping orange-ringed beak mouth. Background is deep blue-green water with vertical kelp fronds, rising bubbles, and a distant dark skyline silhouette. Four grey shark heads with open red-mouthed jaws sit in the corners, each carrying a number: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th. Four rectangular score windows with gold bezels hold red seven-segment digit displays, two upper and two lower, plus two small black counter boxes reading 21 and 23. Lettering across the top reads TRIDENT in large slanted red-orange capitals with a thick yellow outline and white edge, with the smaller word MYSTERY in orange script tucked beneath the right of it. Small captions read BALL IN PLAY in green and GAME OVER in blue.
Backglass
- blue
- red
- white
- green
Fingerprint: Giant orange-bearded grey-skinned merman striding forward one arm raised silver trident, enormous red octopus tentacles coiling across lower half, four snarling sharks each corner circled numeral, green-blue water seaweed coral bubbles, pink-yellow spotted tentacled monster bottom right, TRIDENT red block title top, archaic sea-god composition, saturated colors
A giant orange-bearded, grey-skinned merman striding forward with one arm raised and a silver trident, completely entangled in enormous red octopus tentacles that coil across the whole lower half of the glass. Four snarling sharks circling the four corners, each numbered in a white circle and each paired with its own 335530 reel window. A ring of white air bubbles rising through green-blue water filled with seaweed and coral, with the red TRIDENT title arched across the top. A pink-and-yellow spotted tentacled monster looming at bottom right beside a BONUS ADVANCE row of four numbered gold circles.
Setting
- Underwater scene
- Turquoise and green open water
- Seaweed fronds
- Orange coral
- Rising air bubbles
- Dark blue painted border
Symbols
- Three-pronged trident
- Four circled numerals 1-4
- Four gold bonus circles numbered 1-4
- Octopus tentacles
- Sharks
- Air bubbles
- Seaweed
- Orange coral
- Four rectangular score windows with green and yellow borders
- Two small square digit windows
Lettering
- Arched title in tall condensed red block capitals with thick white keyline and heavy black drop shadow, slightly curved to follow the top of the glass; small bonus advance label in plain white capitals; numerals are white with dark outlines inside white circles and inside gold discs
Themes
- Ocean
- Underwater
- Sea monster
- Octopus
- Sharks
- Merman
- Trident
- Danger
- Seaweed
- Bubble
Title on it
- Trident
Text on it
- TRIDENT
- BONUS ADVANCE
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 335530
- 75
- 0
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Central colossal sea-god / merman figure: grey-white muscular bare-chested male body, thick orange beard and moustache, short orange hair, stern grimacing expression, bare legs and feet, one arm raised overhead gripping a three-pronged silver trident, other arm bent back at the hip, legs striding forward toward the viewer, wrapped and crossed by red octopus tentacles |
| Creature | Enormous red octopus tentacles with rows of pale yellow suckers, coiling across the entire lower half of the glass and wrapping the central figure's torso, arms, thighs and legs; several arms reach in from the left, right and bottom edges |
| Animal | Four blue-grey sharks with white bellies, black eyes and wide open toothy jaws, one in each corner angled inwards toward the central figure, each with a white circled number beside its head |
| Creature | Pink and yellow spotted tentacled monster at bottom right, rounded pink body covered in bright yellow spots with pale yellow-green legs or tentacles, mouth open |
| Creature | Yellow-green fish or reptile-like monster head at lower centre-right with a gaping tooth-lined mouth and a spiny yellow dorsal fin |
| Creature | Small blue and silver fish swimming among the seaweed at left and lower right |
Square backglass in a chrome/silver outer frame with a bright blue water border, dominated by a colossal muscular sea-god figure at centre: a grey-white skinned, bare-chested man with a thick orange beard, facing the viewer, one arm raised and holding a three-pronged silver trident, his legs striding forward. Huge red octopus tentacles with pale yellow suckers coil and wrap around his torso, arms and legs, filling the lower half of the glass. Four white-blue sharks with open jaws circle the corners, each paired with a green-bordered rectangular score window showing a mechanical numeric reel reading 335530; each shark carries a circled numeral, 1 at top left, 2 at top right, 3 at bottom left, 4 at bottom right. Near the centre-left sit two small square windows showing the digits 75 and 0. On the right, a small white label reading BONUS ADVANCE sits above four gold circles numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4. The background is turquoise and pale green water with rising air bubbles, dark purple and green seaweed fronds, orange coral, a pink-and-yellow spotted anemone, and a yellow-green fish-like monster. The arched title TRIDENT is centred at the top in tall red block capitals with heavy white and dark outlines.