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Blackout

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Blackout / IPD No. 317 / June, 1980 / 4 Players
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Average Fun Rating: [ 8 stars - Click for comments ]    7.6/10  (44 ratings/35 comments)        [ Add Your Rating! ]
Manufacturer: Williams Electronics, Incorporated (1967-1985) [Trade Name: Williams]
Date Of Manufacture: June, 1980
Model Number: 495
MPU: Williams System 6
Type: Solid State Electronic (SS) [?]
Production: 7,050 units   (confirmed)
Serial Number Database:View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net)  (External site)
Theme: Outer Space - Space Fantasy
Notable Features: Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (3), Slingshots (2), Standup targets (6), 3-bank drop targets (2), Spinning targets (3), Kick-out hole (1). Lane change.
Design by: Claude Fernandez
Art by: Constantino Mitchell, Jeanine Mitchell
Sound by: Paul Dussault
Software by: Paul Dussault
Notes: For several Williams games (especially before 1987), Speech Processing was a separate task than Software Programming and may have been done by a different person than whom we list as having done the Software. Paul Dussault did the French Speech Processing for this game.

This playfield layout was also used on Rowamet's 'Heavy Metal' and Taito do Brasil's 1983 'Vortex'. A nearly identical layout was used on Williams' 1982 'Warlok'.

The first game designed and produced with Lane Change was Williams' 1980 'Firepower'.

Blackout was the first Williams pin game to have computer-controlled general illumination, used for the "BLACKOUT" sequence. This was accomplished using a relay mounted to the backbox floor, called the G.I. Relay, which cut power to all playfield lamps. An earlier game that has this feature is Stern's 1980 'Galaxy' which came out a few months before.

Prior to "Blackout", all solid state games from this manufacturer used four bolts to attach the backbox to the cabinet. With "Blackout" and later games, Williams used only two bolts even if the steel was still stamped for four holes.

Compare the backglass artwork to the front cover page of the November 1968 issue of the Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. comic book.

Artist Constantino Mitchell told us the following information about the original backglass artwork (shown in this listing):

I want Ed Paschke to get credit for Blackout backglass design. He did the original art concept. Ed Paschke was my teacher and mentor at the Art Institute of Chicago. His usage of color influenced me for the rest of my life. Upper management didn't like the artwork and had me redo it in my style.

Photos in: Silver Knight pp. June/July 1995
Flip! Flash! Pinball Art, Items 61 and 62
The Complete Pinball BookExternal Link, page 159
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book A-F
Pinball (Ciuffo), page 134
Owners List URL:http://www.mbsoundworks.com/blackout.html#owners  (External site)
ROMs: 66 KB ZIP French Speech Romset [Williams Electronics, Inc.]
  21 KB ZIP ROM L-1 [Williams Electronics, Inc.]
Documentation: 30 MB PDF Manual (with paginated schematics) [Williams Electronics, Inc.]
  1 MB PDF Operators Handbook [Williams Electronics, Inc.]
  21 MB PDF Schematics (pages 7 through 22 of manual, bleached) [Williams Electronics, Inc.]
Images:
(click to zoom)
Image # 4587: Blackout Flyer, Front
Flyer, Front
879x1128
 		 Image # 4588: Blackout Flyer, Page 2
Flyer, Page 2
879x1141
 		 Image # 4589: Blackout Flyer, Page 3
Flyer, Page 3
879x1141
 		 Image # 4590: Blackout Flyer, Back
Flyer, Back
879x1141
 		 Image # 5232: Blackout Backglass
Backglass
872x712
 
Image # 5233: Blackout Front View
Front View
600x1219
 		 Image # 5234: Blackout Playfield
Playfield
1071x1074
 		 Image # 16465: Blackout Upper Playfield
Upper Playfield
800x600
 		 Image # 16466: Blackout Lower Playfield
Lower Playfield
800x600
 		 Image # 16467: Blackout Full View
Full View
597x596
 
Image # 17036: Blackout Backglass - Reverse
Backglass - Reverse
400x300
 		 Image # 34591: Blackout Inside Backbox
Inside Backbox
856x740
[Federico Ravagnati]		 Image # 47420: Blackout Under Playfield
Under Playfield
1200x1600
[Kim Mitchell]		 Image # 47421: Blackout Inside Cabinet
Inside Cabinet
1200x1600
[Kim Mitchell]		 Image # 59969: Blackout Drop Target Decal (This is a scanned image of the actual decal, unretouched.)
Drop Target Decal*
300x425
[Tom Moore]
Image # 59970: Blackout Standup Target Decal (This is a scanned image of the actual decal, unretouched.)
Standup Target Decal*
325x325
[Tom Moore]		 Image # 68156: Blackout Original Backglass Artwork (Original art concept by Ed Paschke.Artist is Ed Paschke.Acrylic paint on illustration board.Dimensions 30 inches by 40 inches.)
Original Backglass Artwork*
1038x872
[Constantino Mitchell]		 Image # 68964: Blackout Playfield - Oblique View
Playfield - Oblique View
1200x900
[Dave Brocky]		 Image # 68965: Blackout Lower Playfield (The German language cards may not be original to this game.)
Lower Playfield*
1200x900
[Dave Brocky]		 Image # 68966: Blackout Pop Bumpers
Pop Bumpers
1200x900
[Dave Brocky]
Image # 68967: Blackout Drop Targets
Drop Targets
1200x900
[Dave Brocky]		 Image # 68968: Blackout Standup Targets
Standup Targets
1200x900
[Dave Brocky]		 Image # 74326: Blackout Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left
712x1200
[David Hall]		  
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