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The Addams Family


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The Addams Family / IPD No. 20 / March, 1992 / 4 Players
 
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Average Fun Rating: [ 8 stars - Click for comments ]    8.3/10  (545 ratings/325 comments)        [ Add Your Rating! ]
Manufacturer: Midway Manufacturing Company, a subsidiary of WMS Industries, Incorporated,
of Chicago, Illinois, USA (1988-1999) [Trade Name: Bally]
Date Of Manufacture: March, 1992
Model Number: 20017
Common Abbreviations: TAF
MPU: Williams WPC (Fliptronics 1)
Type: Solid State Electronic (SS) [?]
Production: 20,270 units   (confirmed)
Serial Number Database:View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net)  (External site)
Theme: Celebrities - Fictional - Licensed Theme
Notable Features: Flippers (4), Pop bumpers (5), Slingshots (2), Ramps (2), Kick-out holes (2), Dual left inlanes. One of the four flippers doubles as a game-controlled mini-flipper. First ever optical target bank (in the bookcase). Bookcase, when active, rotates to reveal a lock hole. Magnets under the lower playfield activate as "The Power", an earned feature during play to affect ball movement. 2- or 3-ball multiball. Upper right playfield has "Thing", a large plastic hand that comes out if its box to magnetically pick up the ball and take it below the playfield.

Actual measured weight: 255 lbs (includes legs).

Toys: 'Thing' hand - ball capture device.
'Electric chair'
Concept by: Pat Lawlor
Design by: Larry DeMar, Pat Lawlor
Art by: John Youssi
Dots/Animation by: Scott Slomiany
Mechanics by: John Krutsch
Music by: Chris Granner
Sound by: Chris Granner
Software by: Larry DeMar, Mike Boon
Notes: 'The Addams Family' has a flipper that not only is controlled by the player's flipper button but also is caused by the game programming to flip at certain points in game play. One earlier form of "auto-flipping" appears on Williams' 1953 'Palisades'.

This game broke all previous sales records for flipper games. Designer Pat Lawlor wanted to commemorate the actual record-breaking game from the production line and arranged to have it made in a gold cabinet. This change caused a number of games made subsequent in this original run to also have gold cabinets. At least their lower cabinets were gold, even if their backboxes were still made in blue. Included in this listing are pictures of one such example of this "Later Production" version having the mixed gold and blue. The legs, metal trim, and lockdown bar are not gold.

Then, in 1994, The Addams Family was put back in production with a special run of 'Gold Edition' machines to further commemorate this machine becoming the best selling flipper game of all time. These machines had many more Gold accents, such as the metal ramps, gold legs and bolts, gold lettering, the vault plastic, the bumper caps and Thing's box. Each "Gold" machine includes a certificate signed by the members of the design team and a gold plate on the lower right front of the machine containing the machine number.

Larry Demar talks about how Later Production games could exist with mixed gold and blue cabinet art:

The way our line worked, the cabinets and backboxes were created separately then joined later and this created a logistical problem for keeping gold with gold and blue with blue along with the likelihood that we had more spoilage in backboxes than cabinets (or the other way around) meant that a small number of games were mis-matched.


Pat Lawlor comments further on these Later Production games:

The record breaking game was #20,232. That game is the one we all had our picture taken in front of, and then on the cover of Replay. The inside of the game was signed by every worker on the line that day, and is in the possession of Gene Cunningham.

Larry, you are correct that the final few games were made with the Gold. That's because you do not just make 1 cabinet when you are doing screen print production, you make many. Once the change was made, they just kept making them. Yes, there are mis-matched cabinets out there, probably orphans on the "hospital" line at the factory. That's the area where games with problems were kept until the techs could get around to fixing them for shipment. Another possibility is that Odd parts were sometimes assembled to get the last few games of any run out the door.


Pictured in this listing is a plastic for the bookcase having text that is not seen on production games. Pat Lawlor explains why:

The art for the plastics had to be approved and sent for production 3 weeks before prototype games were built. During early play testing we noticed that people could not figure out how to open the vault. So we changed the art for later plastics, but in order to use the ones already in house we put the sticker on them. It happened all the time with changes from testing to production. It was a normal part of the business.

Marketing Slogans: "A pinball experience for the whole family!"
"Now there's some `thing' special in pinball!"
Photos in: Chicago Tribune April 5, 1992, pp. Sect. 5, p.1:2. pp. (Cabinet)
Compressed Air December 1995, pp. 14--18. pp. (Game, Backglass)
New York Times 143, January 28, 1994, pp. C1(L) col 1, continued on C26(L).
Smithsonian 23(10), January 1993, pp. 96-103. pp. (PF-very cool!)
Arcade TreasuresExternal Link, page 132
The Pinball Compendium 1982 to PresentExternal Link, page 150
The Complete Pinball BookExternal Link, page 90
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book A-F
Rule Sheets: The Addams Family Rulesheet Version 2.0 (Jan/27/1995), by Brian Dominy  
Owners List URL:http://www.chrisguk.somee.com/pinball/details.asp?table=taf  (External site)
Easter Eggs:Available at Cows and Easter Eggs  (External site)
Additional Media:Promotional Video (at YouTube)  (External site)
ROMs: 204 KB ZIP Revision H-4 Game ROM [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
  193 KB ZIP Revision L-1 Game ROM [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
  481 KB ZIP Revision L-1 Sound ROM [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
  195 KB ZIP Revision L-2 Game ROM [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
  194 KB ZIP Revision L-3 Game ROM [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
  194 KB ZIP Revision L-4 Game ROM [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
  212 KB ZIP Revision L-5 Game ROM [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
  209 KB ZIP Revision L-6 Game ROM [Unofficial]
  207 KB ZIP Revision L-7 Game ROM [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
  187 KB ZIP Revision P-2 Game ROM [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
  481 KB ZIP Revision P-2 Sound ROM [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
Documentation: 4 KB TXT Game ROM History
  10 MB PDF Instructions Manual (French, undated) [Midway Mfg. Co.]
  11 MB PDF Operations Manual (January 1992, includes schematics, OCR searchable) [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
  1 MB PDF Operator's Handbook (January 1991, OCR searchable, has lamp and switch matrices) [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
  198 KB TXT Parts List
  2 MB PDF Setting and Operating Instructions (German, undated, OCR searchable, pages 1&3 state this is add'l info to original manual) [NOVA Apparate GMBH & Co.]
  3 MB PDF WPC Schematic Manual (January 1992, OCR searchable) [Midway Manufacturing Co.]
Images:
(click to zoom)
Image # 15: The Addams Family Lit Playfield
Lit Playfield

547x745
 
Image # 17: The Addams Family Backglass
Backglass

900x624
[Christopher Wolf]
Image # 4095: The Addams Family Flyer, Front
Flyer, Front

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Image # 4096: The Addams Family Flyer, Back
Flyer, Back

887x1153
 
Image # 9380: The Addams Family Cabinet - Full View
Cabinet - Full View

550x862
[Allen Shope]
Image # 9381: The Addams Family Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left

500x489
[Allen Shope]
Image # 9382: The Addams Family Cabinet - Right
Cabinet - Right

500x521
[Allen Shope]
Image # 9383: The Addams Family Cabinet - Front
Cabinet - Front

500x317
[Allen Shope]
Image # 9384: The Addams Family BackBox
BackBox

500x640
[Allen Shope]
Image # 9386: The Addams Family Under Playfield - Detail
Under Playfield - Detail

500x667
[Allen Shope]
Image # 9387: The Addams Family Inside Backbox
Inside Backbox

500x667
[Allen Shope]
Image # 9388: The Addams Family Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail

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[Allen Shope]
Image # 9390: The Addams Family Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail

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[Allen Shope]
Image # 9391: The Addams Family Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail

350x467
[Allen Shope]
Image # 9392: The Addams Family Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail

350x467
[Allen Shope]
Image # 9393: The Addams Family Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail

500x375
[Allen Shope]
Image # 9395: The Addams Family Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail

350x467
[Allen Shope]
Image # 9396: The Addams Family Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail

350x467
[Allen Shope]
Image # 9397: The Addams Family Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail

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[Allen Shope]
Image # 16740: The Addams Family Blank Playfield - Bottom
Blank Playfield - Bottom

1024x768
[Mark Clayton]
Image # 16741: The Addams Family Blank Playfield - Middle
Blank Playfield - Middle

1024x768
[Mark Clayton]
Image # 16742: The Addams Family Blank Playfield - Top
Blank Playfield - Top

1024x768
[Mark Clayton]
Image # 25284: The Addams Family Bally Award For High Volume TAF Resellers
Bally Award For High Volume TAF Resellers

450x600
[Jan Van Den Munckhof]
Image # 25285: The Addams Family Bally Award For High Volume TAF Resellers
Bally Award For High Volume TAF Resellers

246x336
[Jan Van Den Munckhof]
Image # 25286: The Addams Family Bally Award For High Volume TAF Resellers
Bally Award For High Volume TAF Resellers

450x600
[Jan Van Den Munckhof]
Image # 32208: The Addams Family Light Shields
Light Shields

1024x1062
[Ian F. McKinnon]
Image # 32209: The Addams Family Light Shields
Light Shields

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[Ian F. McKinnon]
Image # 32210: The Addams Family Light Shields
Light Shields

1024x930
[Ian F. McKinnon]
Image # 32946: The Addams Family Illuminated Backbox Insert
Illuminated Backbox Insert

653x600
[Paolo Alippi]
Image # 32947: The Addams Family Playfield - Ball View
Playfield - Ball View

800x600
[Paolo Alippi]
Image # 32948: The Addams Family Pop Bumpers
Pop Bumpers

800x600
[Paolo Alippi]
Image # 32949: The Addams Family Thing
"Thing"

800x600
[Paolo Alippi]
Image # 32950: The Addams Family Under Upper Playfield
Under Upper Playfield

600x800
[Paolo Alippi]
Image # 38586: The Addams Family Later Production - Backbox 
(Serial number 20017 064453.)
Later Production - Backbox*

435x480
[Gerard Bolduc]
Image # 38587: The Addams Family Later Production - Playfield 
(Serial number 20017 064453.)
Later Production - Playfield*

480x640
[Gerard Bolduc]
Image # 38588: The Addams Family Later Production - Cabinet - Left 
(Serial number 20017 064453.)
Later Production - Cabinet - Left*

534x480
[Gerard Bolduc]
Image # 38589: The Addams Family Later Production - Cabinet - Left 
(Serial number 20017 064453.)
Later Production - Cabinet - Left*

640x480
[Gerard Bolduc]
Image # 38590: The Addams Family Later Production - Cabinet - Right 
(Serial number 20017 064453.)
Later Production - Cabinet - Right*

527x480
[Gerard Bolduc]
Image # 38591: The Addams Family Later Production - Cabinet - Right 
(Serial number 20017 064453.)
Later Production - Cabinet - Right*

640x480
[Gerard Bolduc]
Image # 38592: The Addams Family Later Production - Cabinet - Front 
(Serial number 20017 064453.)
Later Production - Cabinet - Front*

640x480
[Gerard Bolduc]
Image # 38593: The Addams Family Later Production - Front View 
(Serial number 20017 064453.)
Later Production - Front View*

287x640
[Gerard Bolduc]
Image # 38594: The Addams Family Later Production - Cabinet - Back 
(Serial number 20017 064453.)
Later Production - Cabinet - Back*

385x640
[Gerard Bolduc]
Image # 38595: The Addams Family Later Production - Serial Number 
(Serial number 20017 064453.)
Later Production - Serial Number*

1024x768
[Gerard Bolduc]
Image # 39427: The Addams Family Advertising Flyer
Advertising Flyer

550x575
[Tim Ferrante]
Image # 59867: The Addams Family Test Game Bookcase Plastic 
(This plastic was later covered with a sticker to provide the player different instructions than what is shown here.)
Test Game Bookcase Plastic*

1200x1019
[Frik Barnard]
Image # 59868: The Addams Family Early Production Game Bookcase Plastic with Sticker 
(A sticker with new instructions has been applied to the plastic until new plastics with this printing arrived at the production line.)
Early Production Game Bookcase Plastic with Sticker*

1200x919
[Frik Barnard]
Image # 73225: The Addams Family Illuminated Backglass
Illuminated Backglass

900x1200
[Oscar van Driel]
Image # 73226: The Addams Family Illiminated Playfield
Illiminated Playfield

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[Oscar van Driel]
Image # 73227: The Addams Family Illuminated Upper Playfield
Illuminated Upper Playfield

900x1200
[Oscar van Driel]
Image # 73228: The Addams Family Illuminated Lower Playfield
Illuminated Lower Playfield

900x1200
[Oscar van Driel]
Image # 73229: The Addams Family 3-Slot Coin Door
3-Slot Coin Door

1200x900
[Oscar van Driel]
Image # 73230: The Addams Family Inside Coin Door
Inside Coin Door

1200x900
[Oscar van Driel]
Image # 82047: The Addams Family Promotional Mug 
(Designer Pat Lawlor had these mugs made after the game broke the sales record and they were distributed to every employee at the company. A 500 Lire coin is included here to help indicate size. 500 Lire was also the price of 1 Play in Italy at the time of this game.)
Promotional Mug*

1200x718
[Federico Croci]
Image # 83832: The Addams Family Model Number and Serial Number 
(Serial number 20017 063959.)
Model Number and Serial Number*

1200x1411
 
Image # 83833: The Addams Family Date of Manufacture 
(From the game with serial number 20017 063959.)
Date of Manufacture*

1200x783
 
 
Source: Flyer [?]

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