 "The World's First Pinball With Atomic Tic-Tac-Toe" |
Time Line is a great example of the game-within-a-game concept, with the player having to try to beat the game at Tic-Tac-Toe (aka Xs & Os or noughts & crosses!). Completing various and numerous rollovers, spot and drop-targets gives the player an X in the matrix which the machine counters with an O. The more lines of 3 Xs a player makes to win, the higher the value of the awards, up to extra balls and special. Time Line is a real game of strategy therefore. No strategy and no chance to hear the gong that rings to indicate a replay. As with the pencil and paper version of the game, getting the X in the centre spot is vital to success, and on Time Line, this chance comes with the start of each ball, which is played on a separate mini-playfield for a fixed time period. (The concept of time-based pinball play was invented by Allen Edwall and patented by Gottlieb, US patent # 4'363'485.) Rather unusually, Time Line gives the player the chance to get the ball back to the shooter lane, and by 2 routes: a return gate from the right side and, very unusually, a direct shot up the middle to a curve leading back to the top arch. The game depicted in the promotional flyer has a royal blue cabinet paint-scheme, however in production this was changed to black. Time Line features some pretty nifty artwork, with some futuristic warrior babes with swords and daggers and skimpy costumes that wouldn't protect them much from the atomic radiation of the game's theme. But, as ever, that's pinball! |
PROMOTIONAL FLYERTECH.INFO.
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PROMO GAMESHEETTIME LINE PAGESGERMAN FLYER | 
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