Attack from Mars is a 1995 pinball game designed by Brian Eddy, and released by Midway (under the Bally label).
 | |
| Manufacturer | Midway |
|---|---|
| Release date | December 1995 |
| System | Midway WPC-95 |
| Design | Brian Eddy |
| Programming | Lyman F. Sheats Jr. |
| Artwork | Doug Watson |
| Mechanics | Robert C. Friesl |
| Music | Dan Forden |
| Sound | Dan Forden |
| Production run | 3,450 |
In this game, the player must fend off an alien invasion from the planet Mars by defending the world's major cities, destroying the invasion fleet, and conquering Mars itself.
Notable features on the playfield include four mechanized Martian figures, a strobe light (for Strobe Multiball), and several flying saucers mounted above the ramps/loops. The largest of these, placed above a set of targets at the top center of the playfield, can shake and flash in time with the player's success in defeating Martian forces.
Six objectives must be completed in order to qualify for the Rule the Universe wizard mode, as follows:
"Martian Bombs" can be earned during play, and are used during Martian Attack by pressing the ball launch button. Each bomb will destroy one of the four Martians.
Once all six objectives are met, the player can shoot the "Stroke of Luck" scoop to begin Rule the Universe. This is a four-ball multiball, with every playfield shot and target lit for maximum scoring. If the player scores at least 5 billion points without losing every ball, the playfield briefly goes dead and a further 5 billion points are awarded before play resumes.
The game includes five multiball modes, the four described above as well as Strobe Multiball (three balls), which can only be started as a random "Stroke of Luck" award. The stand-up target bank rises to block access to the saucer; repeated hits to these targets score points and give awards.
If the player starts either regular multiball or Total Annihilation while Martian Attack is in progress and then destroys all four Martians, Martian Multiball will begin as well. If the player starts Martian Multiball and completes all four ramps/loops, Total Annihilation will begin as well, with a total of four balls in play and a new ball saver.
Attack From Mars was followed up with Revenge From Mars, released in 1999. It was designed by George Gomez, and it featured most of the original AFM design team. It was the first game to run on Williams' Pinball 2000 platform. WMS Industries introduced slot machines in 2011 called Attack from Mars and Revenge from Mars.[1]
Attack from Mars is available as a licensed table of Pinball FX 3 for several platforms and formerly available for The Pinball Arcade. Attack from Mars was also included in the arcade game UltraPin. In 2019 ZenStudio released Williams Pinball on IOS and Android and included Attack from Mars. Unlicensed recreations of the game are available for Visual Pinball.
In 2017, the Chicago Gaming Company released three new editions of the classic Williams title: Attack From Mars Classic, Attack From Mars Special Edition, and Attack From Mars Limited Edition.[2][3][4] Each edition has some cosmetic differences, including different options for cabinet trim, a large color display with HD graphics, lighting effects on the speakers, and an animated topper on the backbox.