8 replies to this topic

[tiltjlp]

Whiz Bowler



Version: 3
Category: VP 9.x Recreations

Author(s): tiltjlp

Description:
A counter Top game, measuring 18'' x 12'' x 9'', Binks 1945 Whiz Bowler was made by a former game designer at Chicago Coin. Now you can bowl in your pajamas in the cozy comfort of your home. Nudging might be needed for a perfect ga

Since the game is 10 balls for a penny, rather than up to 22 balls in actual bowling, the scoring is slightly different. Strikes are worth 30 points, spares 20, and a blow, or miss, is worth 10 points. So yes, the highest score is still only 300.

As Whiz Bowler is a simple counter top game, I have not added my usual adjustable speed launch system, and I have lowered the force of nudging. Without adding a velocity meter to the plunger, which I decided against doing, it wasn’t hard to make perfect or near perfect scores each game. To avoid this, I took the liberty of adding two extra pins near the top Strikes. Still, Whiz Bowler is a fun and simple game.

Counter top games became popular since they were more involved and often better made than trade Stimulators, which often were either geared to promote a business or product, or simply to take your money. Many old-time pinball manufacturers also made counter top games, most notably Chicago Coin.

Others, such as Keeney and Bally, made slot machines and other gambling devices, such as Bingo games. OD Jennings, and some lesser-known companies instead made gambling pinball machines, known as Pay Out games. Many of these Pay Out games were 1 ball games, which gave the player even less of a chance to win.

While most pinball and counter top games displayed a sign stating For Amusement Only, No Gambling Or Wagering, a payout could be agreed upon by the business owner and the player, if the player was a regular customer. While a senior in high school, I played Bingo games for soft drinks and snacks at a local fishing lake and tavern.

Thanks for druadic for testing, and for his ongoing help and suggestions. Slowly, I think he’s making me a better author, and that’s no simple chore.

View File

Submitted by tiltjlp, on Mar 9 2011, 03:28 PM

Edited by tiltjlp, 14 March 2011 - 09:18 AM.

[Sabbat]

Thank you!

[faralos]

Woohoo! What a fun game! I always loved bowling being on a youth team in my teens! This is a shot of my first game! I like nudging on your flipperless's. ( flipperli!? ). Because of my crappy reflexes any pin (including my own!) I can never nudge and work the flippers at the same time. But with yours now finally I can try my hand at nudging the ball all the way across the table if need be! (and look I am posting a comment on your release, something mentioned over at PN) So, yeah I love it, also that new bb one that just came out too. I always liked tables that carry a special not often seen theme, and yours certainly pull up some past history, both good and themes that covered things not so pleasant (like that 'kill Hitler' table! Now, that one was fun but some may question the taste involved. I personally love it and still play it weekly) so thanks for another great old timer table, not only keeping history alive, but teaching us a little bit about it in your write-ups! So, the heck with the lack of posts or downloads, some of us do love them and will continue to download and post on them too!

Attached Files

•  my_first_game_.JPG   80.15KB   9 downloads

Edited by faralos, 11 March 2011 - 08:54 PM.

[Sabbat]

As seen in the pic below...I managed to get my ball stuck, I had to nudge like a mofo to get it out of there. Didn't think It was gonna let me at first, might want to take a look at it. Also you forgot to make the trigger on the bottom 10 lane invisible, though you can't tell from the screenshot tiltjlp submitted (i'm guessing its a screenshot from vp8 because i know the graphics are much sharper and it looks better on my screen)

Edited by Sabbat, 13 March 2011 - 02:36 PM.

[tiltjlp]

As seen in the pic below...I managed to get my ball stuck, I had to nudge like a mofo to get it out of there. Didn't think It was gonna let me at first, might want to take a look at it. Also you forgot to make the trigger on the bottom 10 lane invisible, though you can't tell from the screenshot tiltjlp submitted (i'm guessing its a screenshot from vp8 because i know the graphics are much sharper and it looks better on my screen)

Thanks, I'll check it out, and release a fixed update soon. No, the SS is from VP 9.09. I seldom use VP8 at all, and never to build a table.

Woohoo! What a fun game! I always loved bowling being on a youth team in my teens! This is a shot of my first game! I like nudging on your flipperless's. ( flipperli!? ). Because of my crappy reflexes any pin (including my own!) I can never nudge and work the flippers at the same time. But with yours now finally I can try my hand at nudging the ball all the way across the table if need be! (and look I am posting a comment on your release, something mentioned over at PN) So, yeah I love it, also that new bb one that just came out too. I always liked tables that carry a special not often seen theme, and yours certainly pull up some past history, both good and themes that covered things not so pleasant (like that 'kill Hitler' table! Now, that one was fun but some may question the taste involved. I personally love it and still play it weekly) so thanks for another great old timer table, not only keeping history alive, but teaching us a little bit about it in your write-ups! So, the heck with the lack of posts or downloads, some of us do love them and will continue to download and post on them too!

Thanks for the post, and for the pat on the back. I really like counter top games, and the more unusual or out of the ordinary, the better. And yes, one advantage of my flipperless games is that those flipper keys are used for nudging. 250 isn't a bad score, and I do much better with Whiz Bowler than I once did in league play. I think you'll really enjoy my next few games, one which doesn't even have balls.

[tiltjlp]

An updated version 2 is now available. I adjusted several pin placements to assure the ball wouldn't get hung any longer.

[tiltjlp]

Thanks to Neo for noticing I forgot to add the code to reset the EM Reels to zero. I don't use EM Reels that often, and plum forgot to edit my script. Besides fixing that, I added a Global Difficulty Level of 0.25 to make the game less predictable. I need to pay closer attention to detail and not let March Madness distract me. I’ve just uploaded the new fixed version. My apologies.

[Sabbat]

Thanks for the update again Tiltjlp. Redownloading now cuz i'm not sure if i got the latest

[tiltjlp]

Thanks for the update again Tiltjlp. Redownloading now cuz i'm not sure if i got the latest

You're welcome. You might not want to thank me after you've played it, since I toughened the game up some. I had someone e-mail me about an error he had encountered, so I downloaded the table again, since the version on my hard drive didn't show the error. Neither did the fresh download, so I think somehow his copy became corrupted. Anyway, if anyone has problems with Whiz Bowler, look at the script where the rules are coded, and if you see any wayward scripting to the right of the rules block of text. delete that one line of text, and then save the table, and that will solve the issue.

Edited by tiltjlp, 23 March 2011 - 05:38 PM.