Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure
Quick Overview
Ancient temples, a golden idol and a boulder on your tail! Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure is a pinball machine released by Williams in August 1993, bringing scenes from the first three Indiana Jones films to the playfield. The machine was designed by Mark Ritchie and Doug Watson and is a widebody entry in Williams' SuperPin line. It was the first pinball machine to use Williams' DCS (Digital Compression System) sound system, and some of its callouts are spoken by Sallah's actor, John Rhys-Davies.
Basics
- ReleaseAugust 1993
- ManufacturerWilliams
- DesignersMark Ritchie, Doug Watson
- ArtDoug Watson
- SoftwareBrian Eddy
- MechanicsJack Skalon
- MusicChris Granner
- SoundRich Karstens
- AnimationScott Slomiany, Eugene Geer
- GenrePinball
- ThemeIndiana Jones films (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade)
- Players1–4
- FormatWidebody (SuperPin)
- SystemWilliams WPC (DCS sound)
- Units produced12,716
Characters & Creators
Standout features:
Play It Live!
Put on the hat and grab the whip! Try Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure, complete the twelve missions, and try to reach the Eternal Life wizard mode at Arcade Museum Budapest!
Get My Ticket!Game Objective
The game is built around twelve main missions that recall scenes from the first three Indiana Jones films. Missions are started by aiming at the center-left scoop, they follow one another at random, and every completed mission unlocks the next. Examples include Get the Idol, Streets of Cairo, Well of Souls, Steal the Stones, Castle Grunwald, Tank Chase, The 3 Challenges and Choose Wisely. Alongside the missions, three video modes await: "Gunfight at the Raven Bar", a shooting gallery; "Escape in the Mine Cart", a side-scrolling avoidance game; and "Choose Wisely", which recalls the Holy Grail scene. The high point is the Eternal Life wizard mode, reached by completing numerous objectives.
Fun Facts
- It is based on scenes from the first three Indiana Jones films.
- It was the first pinball machine with Williams' DCS sound system.
- Sallah's actor, John Rhys-Davies, can be heard in the machine.
- It is the second entry in Williams' SuperPin line, with a widebody cabinet.
- The upper-left of the playfield holds a tiltable mini playfield, the Path of Adventure.
- The rotating golden idol traps balls and releases them during multiball.
- The ball launcher imitates the grip of a revolver.
- During Quick Multiball, a "Fish of Tayles" jackpot references Mark Ritchie's earlier machine, Fish Tales.
- Early production units have steel side rails on the mini playfield, while later ones have red plastic.
- Thanks to the DCS sound system, the machine uses reworked audio from the films.
- Its redesigned ball trough allows six-ball multiball.
- Zen Studios released a digital version in March 2022 (Pinball FX3, Williams Pinball), with Lucasfilm Games involved. It was the 100th table in the Pinball FX3 library.
- Pinball Mag's 2021 list ranks it 4th among the best pinball machines ever made.
- 12,716 units were produced in total.
Why Is It Special?
Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure is a Williams pinball machine praised in the pinball press. One of its biggest ideas is the Path of Adventure: a mini playfield in the upper left that the player tilts with the flipper buttons so the ball makes it to the end. Another spectacular feature is the rotating golden idol, which traps balls and then releases them during multiball. The ball launcher is not a conventional plunger: it imitates the grip of a revolver. It was the first pinball machine to use the Williams DCS sound system. DCS was originally planned to debut on Twilight Zone, but the system was still in development. Mark Ritchie also designed Diner and Fish Tales, and Indiana Jones is his best-known licensed work. A "Fish of Tayles" jackpot referencing Fish Tales is hidden in it during Quick Multiball. In total, 12,716 units were built.