History Pinball / TwilightZone

DescribeTopicHere...''in the Twilight Zone.''

* DevelopersForesight: If the ball exits the Powerfield undetected and doesn't hit any switch on the playfield before draining, a new ball is fed to the autolauncher to compensate.
--> '''Rod:''' "Things aren't what they first appear."

* ScoreMultiplier: A Jackpot scored in Multiball with the Powerball scores double its value - The display will point this out as it is awarded.

* SkillShot: A soft launch will send the ball into a colored zone (red, orange, or yellow), which lights one to three of the jet bumpers and awards points.

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: The Powerball. It's lighter than a standard pinball, making it riskier to handle, and because it's ceramic, it's unaffected by the magnets on the field. Get it for multiball, though, and you can use it to score a double jackpot.

* MusicalGag: The game's main background music is an instrumental version of the 1982 song "Twilight Zone", by Music/GoldenEarring.

!!Beyond this door is a dimension of tropes:

DescribeTopicHere--''in the Twilight Zone.''

!!This pinball demonstrates the following tropes:

* PowerUp: The Powerball, a ceramic sphere that's the same size as a pinball, but whose lighter mass makes it go faster and move somewhat more erratically as a result. It's also immune to the game's magnets. When it appears in-game, some shots have increased scoring, additional targets are lit, and returning it to the gumball machine starts Powerball Mania mode.

* CanonForeigner: The game's iconic gumball machine and 'fight the power' pyramid were created for this game, and are not references to any existing episodes.

* EvilLaugh: Done by The Power if you fail to defeat it before or after the ball drains after the timer expires.
* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: [[AppliedMathematics Powerball + Battle the Power = instant loss]]. Barring a failure of the carriage on the right ramp, this can only happen during Lost in the Zone.

* SwirlyEnergyThingy: The playfield spirals. Aside from being decorative, they can also temporarily trap a pinball on their magnets, which is helpful for making some of the shots.

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: The Powerball. It's lighter than a standard pinball making it riskier to handle, and because it's ceramic, it's unaffected by the magnets on the field. Get it for multiball, though, and you can use it to score a double jackpot.

* WizardMode: "Lost In The Zone", which is reached after collecting all of the door panels. In this mode, all six balls are launched onto the playfield, and the player has 45 seconds to rack up as many points as they can with nearly all of the door modes, along with Powerball Mania, running at once.

** When a player goes for the buy-in (i.e. puts in additional coins for an extra ball), a clip of Creator/RaulJulia's [[Pinball/TheAddamsFamily Gomez Addams]] saying "Grrreeeeeeed" will play. (Oddly, it's not heard when the ''mode'' named "Greed" is active.)

** 99 Hitchhikers

* RobotBuddy: Gather enough robots to light the Extra Ball or the Camera shot.

* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: [[AppliedMathematics Powerball + Battle the Power = instant loss]].

** Tim Kizrow, who does Rod Serling's voice, as [[JustifiedTrope the real Rod Serling died in 1975]].

* SkillShot: A soft launch will send the ball into a colored zone (red, orange, or yellow), which lights one to three of the jet bumpers.

* SwirlyEnergyThingy: The playfield spirals. Aside from being decorative, they can also temporarily trap a pinball, which is helpful for making some of the shots.

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: The Powerball. It's lighter than a standard pinball making it riskier to handle, and because it's ceramic, it's unaffected by the magnets on the field.

-->'''Voice:''' You want more.\\
'''Rod:''' There. See what Greed will get you?

** "The robots can help."
** Played with: at the start of multiball, "Don't touch the door!" is heard, getting higher and higher pitched everytime. See MadnessMantra below.

* ContinuityCameo[=/=]ReferenceOverdosed[=/=]ShoutOut: '''LOTS''', thanks to the license. A full list of the pinball's episode references can be found [[http://www.ipdb.org/rulesheets/2684/tz-tie-ins.htm here.]]

* DefeatEqualsExplosion: Defeating The Power causes it to explode.

* LicensedGame

* MachineMonotone: "The robots can help."

* MadeOfExplodium: Some of the extra balls you get explode.

* MusicalGag: The game's main background music is an instrumental version of the 1982 song "Twilight Zone", by Music/GoldenEarring. Which ties conveniently to...
* MythologyGag: The "Fast Lock" multiball, which starts with a radio playing clips from Lawlor's previous tables. Depending on when the player locks a ball, music from ''Pinball/TheAddamsFamily'', ''Pinball/FunHouse'', ''Pinball/{{Whirlwind}}'', ''Pinball/{{Earthshaker}}'', or ''Pinball/BanzaiRun'' will play until multiball play ends.
** CoverVersion: Chris Granner (the game's composer) covered ''Banzai Run''[='=]s main theme (originally performed by Brian Schmidt) for this game.
** Similarly, hitting the clock enough times during "Clock Chaos" will play a clip of Rudy (from ''Pinball/{{Funhouse}}'') yelling, "Quit playing with the clock!" Also, when a player goes for the buy-in (i.e. puts in additional coins for an extra ball), a clip from ''Pinball/TheAddamsFamily'' of Creator/RaulJulia's Gomez Addams saying "Grrreeeeeeed" will play. (Oddly, it's not heard when the ''mode'' named "Greed" is active.)

* NotQuiteStarring: Tim Kizrow, who does Rod Serling's voice, as [[JustifiedTrope the real Rod Serling died in 1975]].

* FortuneTeller: The Camera, which predicts the next award it awards.

* PowerUp: The Powerball, a ceramic sphere that's the same size as a pinball, but whose lighter mass makes it go faster and move somewhat more erratically as a result. It's also immune to the game's magnets. When it appears in-game, scores are doubled, additional targets are lit, and returning it to the gumball machine starts Powerball Mania mode.

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: The Powerball. You get more points for make shots with it, but it is lighter than a standard pinball and is riskier to handle as a result. And, because it's ceramic, it's unaffected by the magnets on the field.

* AuthorCatchphrase: Like in many other Pat Lawlor tables, "The Power" is mentioned here. This time, there's an adversary called the Power that you can fight on a mini-table. In addition, there's the Powerball, a special ceramic ball that doubles all points earned with it and is required to start a door mode.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/twilight-zone-pinball_5956.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:So ''this'' is where Rod retired to...]]

''The Twilight Zone'' is a {{Pinball}} game designed by Creator/PatLawlor and illustrated by Creator/JohnYoussi. Released in 1993 by Creator/WilliamsElectronics under their Bally label, it is based on the original ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'' television series, with dozens of cameos, [[{{ShoutOut}} shout outs]], and references to various episodes.

* BigNo: The Power does this when you enter the Powerfield during [[WizardMode "Lost in The Zone"]] or "Powerball Mania".

* NotQuiteStarring: Tim Kizrow, who does Rod Serling's voice, as [[JustifiedTrope the real Rod Serling had died in 1975]].

Due to the runaway success of ''The Addams Family'', Pat Lawlor was given ''carte blanche'' privileges in the game's design; the result is arguably one of the most complex pinballs ever, with more patent-pending features than any other table ever made and an impressively deep ruleset. It has been rated "Best Electronic Pinball Machine of All Time" on the Internet Pinball Machine Database. Despite this, in its initial release it didn't sell well -- the huge success of ''Pinball/TheAddamsFamily'' was [[ToughActToFollow tough to follow,]] though ''Zone'' has since been VindicatedByHistory.

* CreatorThumbprint: The Power.

A digital version of the game was formerly available as part of [=FarSight=] Studios' ''VideoGame/ThePinballArcade'' collection until the WMS license espired on July 1, 2018. Those who bought the table before then can still play, though.

A digital version of the game is available as part of [=FarSight=] Studios' ''VideoGame/ThePinballArcade'' collection.

** CoverVersion: Chris Granner (the game's composer) covered Banzai Run's main theme (originally performed by Brian Schmidt) for this game.