Sequel Games, Pt 3
High Speed 2 - The Getaway.
It is 1992 and peak pinball. The golden age for the game has arrived and arguably the 3 greatest pinball designers in the industry, made 3 legendary games. Pat Lawlor with the Addams Family and brothers Mark and Steve Ritchie with Fish Tales and Getaway respectively.
Today I am focusing on The Getaway. The second and (so far) last of the High Speed concept.
In 1986 there was a big leap forward in pinball game design with the release of the first incarnation of High Speed.
Several innovations came about with this title:
A new operating system for Williams, known as the System 11.
Alpha-numeric score displays, which could spell words as well as numbers.
Auto-percentaging, which was a boon for operators in that they could set the frequency of replays awarded, based on the average skill of the player at that location.
A jackpot feature that can build and carry over from game to game.
Coupled with a game that also was a first in concept; it was a machine that told a story.
We are not seeing a simple “shoot the flashing shot” type game. There is a narrative, and one that everyone is familiar with - as common as car chase scenes in movies: Get away from the cops!
This story is an oft told anecdote by it’s creator, Steve Ritchie.
He is test driving a Porsche 928 on the I-5 motorway between Sacramento and San Jose. He’d clocked 142 m/ph. The police pulled him over, and after some discussion let him off with a warning. Steve said earlier he’d got the car up to 162 m/ph. The concept for the game design was born.
The machine depicts a red sports car that appears to be a Lambhorgini Countach, and Mr Ritchie also has a young female friend in the passenger seat.
It captured the imagination of players the world over. Over 17,000 units were sold.
Despite the fact that so many units were made of this title it is quite hard to find today, especially in good condition. It was a well played machine.
The playfields are often beaten and the cabinet planked from weathering. I am sure many of these games would have been dumped in favour of newer models.
The fine example pictured here I imported from a dealer in Melbourne, and prior to that it had been imported from Europe. I found a greek coin in the back of the cabinet.
In 1992, the theme was reprised in The Getaway, High Speed II.
The shot map, artwork and rules are very similar, but it’s High Speed on steroids.
The addition of the super-charger adds some exciting ball manipulation, whereby one, two or three balls might race around the track awarding a cool million on each loop.
The genius of this machine is that although a good player might see the end game rewards, such as red-line mania and super jackpots, it is also rewarding for the casual player. They understand the concept, and a very basic shot off the right flipper sends the ball in to that super-charger for a great visual thrill and points pay off.
The game makes good use of the then newly introduced dot matrix display, and some programming flourishes, with a video mode and easter eggs (hidden modes).
High Speed 2 - The Getaway sold over 13,000 units.
It is more prevalent than its predecessor in collections today because it is newer, and the diamond plate clearcoat did well to protect the playfield. This was used on all Wms/Bally games from 1991 onwards.
In 2019 the police were finally able to arrest this wreckless pinball designer in Brisbane (pic by John Cosson).
Both machines are currently available to play at Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe. They have been restored and finely tuned to modern day standards, with LED’s for extra brightness.
At the end of July 2024, I am hoping to feature a High Speed related pinball event. This will feature twelve of the beloved title (both HS1 & HS2) for a unique tournament, much like the Fish Tales Symphony in 2020.
Along with The Steve Ritchie Hall Of Fame featuring all of his pinball designs since 1978, you should mark your calendars :-) It’s been years in the planning. Still have some logistics to work out, but as they say: “watch this space”.
