Game Gallery Amusements

The first details of Stern's latest game have just emerged and as expected it's based on the Nascar theme.
The game is designed by Pat Lawlor but it is an unusual design for him with the main feature of the game being a variant on an old Steve Ritchie device - an overgrown super charger.
Running around the outer edge of the playfield is a racetrack. The ball can enter this loop and is propelled (Getaway-style) by a couple of magnets mounted on the bottom left of the playfield.
Presumably in the finished version there will be a cover over these magnets but their positioning does produce a problem for the outhole. If the track runs around the outer edge, the outhole has to be moved forward to just behind the flippers and infront of the track loop.
The layout of this game is quite unusual for a Pat Lawlor design with it appearing to be a fan of eight possible shots and no cross-playfield shots from an upper flipper. There look to be ten features to complete, circling the car on the playfield and the ramps are clear plastic rather than the steel used recently.
The backglass and cabinet feature three themed teams from the Nascar series - the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford driven by Ricky Rudd of Wood Brothers Racing, the No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet driven by Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge driven by Rusty Wallace of Penske Racing South.
Inclusion of specific teams is always dangerous ground and never more so than in Nascar where team loyalty approaches fanaticism and a game featuring opposing teams could be an instant turn-off.
When the Nascar theme was first announced, there was much concern from non-US sellers about the relative obscurity of the brand outside North America, where Formula 1 is the dominant motor sport. In an attempt to address this, the game will be sold under the "Grand Prix" name in these markets. This is the first time Stern has taken this step and follows previous themes such as Ripleys Believe It Or Not which underperformed due to lack of brand recognition - one of the key benefits of licensed themes. Call The Game Gallery 1-800-966-9873 and put your order in now, before there all gone.