Pin*Bot is a 1986 pinball game designed by Python Anghelo and Barry Oursler, and released by Williams Electronics. It was later followed by The Machine: Bride of Pin*Bot in 1991, and by Jack*Bot in 1995, the latter of which uses the same playfield as Pin*Bot.
The Pin*Bot is a giant robot floating in space, with flippers for fingers and a face hidden behind a black visor. Lighting the lights on its chest will open the visor, revealing two empty eye sockets. Shoot a pinball into each socket to start multiball and a chance to score the jackpot. For even more points, advance through the Solar System, moving from Pluto all the way to the Sun.
With over 12,000 units made, this was Williams' second-most-popular game of 1986, behind High Speed. According to Barry Oursler, Pin*Bot was unique for the fact that it was designed around the artwork instead of the other way around; Python came up with the concept and artwork, while Oursler designed the game around Python's artwork.
A video game version for the Nintendo Entertainment System was developed by Rare Ltd. and published by Nintendo in 1988, notably standing as the first pinball video game to be based on a real table. It added various Video Game elements, such as monsters that eat your ball and force it into the outlanes and missiles that destroyed your flippers after two hitsnote The only consolation was that they only appeared after getting the jackpot.
Moviegoers might remember Pin*Bot as the pinball machine Tom Hanks's character buys for his loft in Big. It was one of the titles available in The Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection, and a digital version was once available for The Pinball Arcadenote.
This pinball demonstrates the following tropes:
- Character Title: The playing field is on top of the titular Pin*Bot.
- Computer Equals Flashing Lights: The lights on Pin*Bot's torso flash throughout the game.
- Early-Bird Cameo: The Fembot in the artwork looks like Pin*Bot's future bride, the Machine.
- Eyeless Face: Underneath the visor, this is what Pin*Bot has.
- The Faceless: Pin*Bot's face is covered by its visor. Even with it up, however, there's no face to be seen.
- Fembot: Seen on the backglass and on the mini-playfield.
- Humongous Mecha: The eponymous Pin*Bot.
- Interplanetary Voyage: The primary objective is to advance from Pluto to the Sun.
- Machine Monotone: Pin*Bot delivers all of his lines like this.
- Metal Eye: The player's pinballs serve as this for Pin*Bot."GIVE ME SIGHT, LOCK MY EYE BALLS" — Demo mode message
- Progressive Jackpot: The Solar Value.
- Robot Girl: One on the back-plate and one in the intro of the NES game.
- Score Multiplier: Scores during multiball are doubled. Additionally, there is a Vortex Multiplier (multiplies the value of the Skill Shot up to 10x) and bonus multiplier (up to 5x).
- Skill Shot: Shoot the ball up the spiral and land in one of the three scoring holes.
- Tin-Can Robot: Pin*Bot combines this with Humongous Mecha.
- Who Needs Their Whole Body?: Pin*Bot doesn't have a lower torso or legs, and apparently doesn't need them.
