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Average Fun Rating: | 8.0/10 (143 ratings/98 comments) [ Add Your Rating! ] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manufacturer: | Williams Electronics Games, Incorporated, a subsidiary of WMS Ind., Incorporated (1985-1999) [Trade Name: Williams] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date Of Manufacture: | August 31, 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Model Number: | 553 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MPU: | Williams System 11B | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type: | Solid State Electronic (SS) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Production: | 7,300 units (confirmed) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Serial Number Database: | View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net) (External site) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Theme: | Automobiles - Transportation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notable Features: | Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (3), Slingshots (2), Kick-out holes (2), 3-bank drop targets (2), Standup target (1). A left-side catapult propels the ball airborne into a habitrail. A plunger lane skill shot shoots the ball into the "Spin-Out" whirlpool to score up to 100,000 points. Actual measured weight: 245 lbs (includes legs). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Concept by: | Python Anghelo, Mark Ritchie | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Design by: | Mark Ritchie | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Art by: | Python Anghelo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mechanics by: | Craig Fitpold, Tony Kraemer, Mark Kim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Music by: | Chris Granner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sound by: | Chris Granner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Software by: | Ed Boon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes: | First Williams game to display four-player scores using only two alpha-numeric 16-character displays. The first games in production were made with a blonde 'Marilyn' taxi passenger, a likeness of Marilyn Monroe. This was changed during production to be a darker-haired 'Lola', ostensibly a likeness of no one famous. We asked Roger Sharpe about the reason for this change. He replies: Suffice it to say that we did have some limited run of machines featuring a 'blonde Marilyn' — and I don’t know if these were for international only. However, we were informed that there were rights that needed to be secured in order to use Marilyn and the decision was made to just alter the artwork so that the female character was renamed ‘Lola’ for the main production run. If memory serves, and I can’t say with certainty—there might be games that were manufactured with a brunette Lola and then a redheaded Lola. The changes needed to introduce 'Lola' include backglass art, playfield art, game software, and instruction card. According to Mark Ritchie, as explained in the book The Pinball Compendium 1982 to Present, at least 200 sample games were in the process of being shipped with 'Marilyn' before the change had to be made. He also explained the name 'Lola' was taken from a 1970s song about a transvestite, chosen to befit her muscular arms as depicted on the backglass. Marilyn's face appears twice on the playfield: directly below the center drop target bank and also as an illuminating insert further down. We have seen one instance of the Lola playfield where she was still blonde near the drop targets but was a brunette in the insert. We don't know how many playfields were made this way. Production Run Records for Taxi: Production Start Date: Aug-31-1988 Production End Date: Dec-14-1988 Production Run Quantity: 7300 First ship date: Aug-31-1988 Last ship date: Feb-13-1989 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marketing Slogans: |
"The one taxi Marilyn, Gorbie, Santa, Dracula... and Operators Everywhere are Hailing!" "The one taxi Lola, Gorbie, Santa, Dracula... and Operators Everywhere are Hailing!" "Get ready for the taxi everyone's going to be lining up for!" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Photos in: |
Chicago Tribune December 31, 1989, pp. Sect. 10, p. 14-19. Newsweek 112, December 5, 1988, pp. 76+. Pinball Art, page 100 (Lola) Pinball Trader, Vol 3 No. 1, Sept-Oct 1988, page 31 (Marilyn) The Complete Pinball Book, pages 180, 181, and 234 (Marilyn) Pinball Machines, page 131 (Marilyn) Arcade Treasures, page 125 (Marilyn) The Pinball Compendium 1982 to Present, page 102 (Marilyn, Lola) Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book S-Z (Marilyn, Lola) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rule Sheets: |
Taxi Rulesheet, by Mark Valentine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Easter Eggs: | Available at Cows and Easter Eggs (External site) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ROMs: | 179 KB | ZIP | Game ROM L-3 (Marilyn) | [Williams Electronic Games] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
179 KB | ZIP | Game ROM L-4 (Lola) | [Williams Electronic Games] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Documentation: | 45 KB | Cover Letter to Operator for Preliminary Operations Manual (August 1988) | [Williams Electronic Games, Inc.] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 MB | English Operations Manual (September 1988, page 8 is illegible) | [Williams Electronic Games] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
353 KB | Preliminary Operations Manual (August 1988, no schematics) | [Williams Electronic Games, Inc.] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 MB | Reference Diagrams and Schematics (paginated) | [Williams Electronic Games] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service Bulletins: | 1 MB | Service Bulletin Book 1989 (includes Taxi SS54, SS55) | [Williams/Bally/Midway] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Files: | 49 KB | TIF | Instruction Card | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 KB | Reproduction Instruction Card (Lola) | [Per Martinson] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
96 KB | Reproduction Instruction Card (Marilyn) | [Per Martinson] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Images: (click to zoom) |
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