Description

Haunted House, with its industry first of 3 playfields, is considered to be an iconic pinball game. Although Bally’s Elektra has 3 playfields and predates Haunted House, Elektra’s lower playfield was self-contained and uses its own captive ball for scoring. The lower playfield of Haunted House is accessible any time during the game, and the one ball travels between all three playfields. Each playfield is themed to be a part of a haunted house, the main level being the main floor, the lower level being the basement, and the upper level being the attic.


It has been called the perfect pinball package by some admirers. However, it is often criticized for the lack of both speech and multi-ball, which were left out due to cost saving measures. Other criticism stems from waning interest in its game play after a while, although, this is true with any other amusement device after time. The ball can only be lost from the main playfield, as the ball draining on the attic or cellar playfields will always be returned to another playfield for play to continue. Haunted House was designed by John Osborne, with artwork by Terry Doerzaph. It is part of Gottiieb’s “System 80” series of pinball machines.

Haunted House is one of 7 Gottlieb tables recreated in Microsoft's "Pinball Arcade

Microsoft Pinball Arcade

Microsoft Pinball Arcade is a pinball video game from Microsoft. It was released on December 15, 1998 for PC and in 2001 for the Game Boy Color. The game is a collection of seven real pinball tables licensed by Gottlieb...

" video game.

Features

3 Playfields (a mini underground playfield, a main playfield, and an upper playfield.)

8 Flippers, at unique angles

4 Pop Bumpers

2 Kick-out holes

Secret passage (false target that drops down after impact to allow entrance to cellar).

Trap door that opens for ball

Lightning animation in backglass.
Kicking bat targets

Sound effects

Haunted House employed segments of the well-known Bach

Bạch

Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...

 organ piece, Toccata and Fugue in D minor, during the game's start (the pronounced opening of the Toccata), during the game itself (a repeated playback of part of the Toccata where the tune alternates quickly between one fixed note and other notes within the D Minor key), and when the game ends, the famous ending of the Fugue is played.

Appearances in pop culture

Haunted House is one of three tables featured in the 1982 movie The Toy, starring Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor

Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...

 (the 2 other pins are Volcano and Mars God of War).

See also

• Arcade game
  Arcade game
  An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
  
  
• List of pinball machines
• Haunted House (arcade game)
  Haunted House (arcade game)
  Haunted House is an arcade game released in 1972 by Midway Manufacturing Company.-Features:*Four Targets**x2 Cats**x1 Witch**x1 Grave Robber*3 Dimensional Playfield*Backlight lighting*Gun Recoil*Adaptive Difficulty-Sound effects:...
  
  
• Black Hole (pinball game)
  Black Hole (pinball game)
  Black Hole is a pinball game released in 1981 by Gottlieb. It is notable for having two playfields: one on top with a conventional slope, and one mounted underneath, sloping away from the player. It has no connection with the 1979 film of the same name....