The Fun Goes to 11:Why you need to take System 11’s name out ur f***in’ mouth
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from James Bond 60th and Pulp Fiction is that video screens are OPTIONAL. If there’s something ELSE we learned from this week’s announcement of the Godzilla topper, it’s that everyone besides us has too much money. Regardless of how you feel about this as an official topper, the thousand-dollar price tag is… intense.
But we’re not here to look into other people’s wallets. What we ARE here to do is give you alternatives if you have a thousand bucks earmarked for pinball. Will a thousand bucks get you a system 11 game? Not anymore, old friend. It won’t even get you halfway there on a decent game. But it WILL get you a lot closer than a topper.
System 11: The Solid State that Slaps
For those of you who aren’t huge pinball nerds, here’s what we mean by System 11. Back in the mid 80s, Bally Williams produced a series of games using a boardset that could produce more realistic sound, more complex rulesets, and more immersive gameplay. They were the forerunners to the deeper rulesets of the nineties, which in turn birthed the games of today. Woof on using the word ‘birthed’ non-ironically. So where are System 11 machines these days?
Well, these days System 11 machines are basically the butt of a lot of jokes.
System 11 rules now are seen as quaint and shallow. Their themes span a lot of pretty laughable content. Bad Cats, Grand Lizards, anything that would feel at home on a child’s cereal box or a bad acid trip.
But here’s the thing: from the lights, to the sculpts, to the sound, this era represents some of the most creative work in all of pinball. Why? Well you’re about to find out, genius. DUH.
The art fucking slaps
Everyone knows about our love of Big Guns. The insane artwork by the mad genius, Python Angelo is truly the “world under glass” that so many people cream their jeans over. But you know what? That’s far from an anomaly. I love the way that art has to tell the story on a System 11 machine. Why? The alphanumeric displays can’t integrate much in terms of storytelling. They can do text and numbers. That’s it. That forced a lot more story on the board. I mean, let’s look at the melty dreamscapes of fire. Which brings us to our next point: It’s ACTUALLY a world under glass.
It’s a true world under glass
I hate this phrase, but only because it takes something I really like and makes it a cliche. The “world under glass” of pinball is important to me. I love how some machines really feel like they nail the vibe of their world through art, music, and lights. It’s a unique experience to pinball. System 11 went all out. Sure, there are more complex mechs, but the sculpts and mechs that go into System 11 games integrate perfectly with the stories they are telling.
Like the titular “Big Guns” which rocket the ball back on wireforms to the lower playfield. Or again, this dreamscape of Fire, which just blows my mind in how it captures the field of a turn of the century Chicago. Like, give me those sculpts in another game, drive some ramps through them. make it Superman or Spiderman or whatever. It’s SO much more compelling to see a little 3D city than a bunch of plastic inserts.
You still get your damned Multiballs
Are the rulesets simple? Yeah, but they still HAVE rules. I have a game from this same era (though not a System 11 because it was made by real cool guys Data East) and people always say “aren’t you gonna get bored with it?” and I’m going to be honest with you: no. When I want to unwind, sometimes I love a simple game. It feels like when I used to go to the back yard to shoot free throws to calm down.
That’s what System 11 games are. You strip focus down to like one or TWO things. That’s dope. You’re gonna argue against Whirlwind? OK we get that. But that’s another thing: these games feel RIPE for some reprogrammed rulesets. Get the ROM crews on it.
Early Steve Ritchie, Bro
This era represented a really exciting time in pinball. It’s crazy to think that just six or seven years before, we were seeing the first meaningful change to solid state pinball machines. I mean, ramps still felt new. And we had some dope designers at the absolute top of their games. Steve Ritchie’s F-14 Tomcat is as fast and fun and demented as anything he’s ever done. From Pat Lawlor to Mark Ritchie to Barry Oursler – this was one of the first big renaissances in pinball talent.
They’re cheap and easy
And you know what? You can probably get your hands on one. So if you’re blanching at the price of new games, maybe look backwards? Or go to your fave arcade and spend an extra fifteen minutes with a classic before you play Foo for three hours. Find a Grand Lizard and get weird, you little freak. You’re gonna love it.
