Conversion - Williams System 7
Players - 1 or 2 players
Type - Flipper-less Pinball
Stages - 12+ Waves
Monitor - None
Sound - Separate board and amp
Inputs - 2 start, 2 triggers, 1 button
Year - 1982
Made by - Williams

Description:

Hyperball is a pinball/video game hybrid. It is a video game played as a flipper-less pinball game that is reminiscent of antique shooting games. I guess you could say it is the pinball version of "Space Invaders" or "Missile Command." Rather than the traditional "pin" this game uses a semi-automatic pinball gun to shoot the balls at targets along the edge of the playfield.

Technical:

The game needed constant maintenance on location due to the shooting system. Due to neglect this "next generation" of arcade games was unfortunately short lived and this is the only game of its type to make it into production. The PCB version is Williams System 7. I have had the pinball shooter stop working after an hour+ of continuous play, I think it is a built in safety mechanism to protect the solenoid.

About My Game:

I bought this game January 16, 2007 from eBay. There is some damage to the head, it looks like it may have been broken off of the base at some point. Otherwise the cabinet is in great shape. The backglass does have a few noticeable scratches though. My game is currently leaking a few hyperballs from somewhere, I think it may be from the hole in the back where the playfield wires enter. It seems like this is one of the later versions of this game since it has an "alternate" coin panel paint job but I am not sure of what its production date or number are. The game is missing one of its coin mechs but since it is on free play I have not started looking for a replacement. I am looking for an original manual and the "ABC" plastic because mine is broken.

Repair Log:

01-24-07
The game was picked up and set up for the first time.
01-27-07
I took the game apart to replace a few lights, clean the playfield, and investigate where the leaking hyperballs were coming from. When I removed the playfield I found that the tray that catches the balls had some tape on it near where the ball lift mech is. I removed the tape and the plastic piece that was spliced in but I could tell why it was needed. This would help the balls from getting stuck on the tape and actually helped the "leak" but it did not go away entirely. The playfield and plastics had some dirt but cleaned up nicely. I replaced the bulbs that appeared to be out but it turns out that the contacts were just a little dirty. I did find out that a fuse was out that controlled the 24v lights and I need a replacement. After reassembly some other lights went out and I have not investigated further. The trigger/aimer was also cleaned. It was also discovered that there was a problem with the "O" switch but I did not take it back apart to fix it, yet.