Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
Today for your viewing "pleasure" we have a 1978 Atari Space Riders pinball machine in action.
Now, Atari is well-known for video arcade games and home gaming consoles in the 80's, but many people don't realize they also dabbled in pinball for a very brief period in the late-70's and very early 80's. All of their games were widebodies. Atari didn't really follow conventional practices for building pinball machines and their quirks are some of the reason that their pinball machines aren't exactly popular with the collecting community. Also, the games generally aren't that fun to play either. The ball has a tendency to float around without hitting much and takes half an hour to get back to the flippers.
However, Atari was where famous pinball designer Steve Ritchie and software/sound developer Eugene Jarvis, both of whom went on to have illustrious careers in the pinball and video gaming industry, go their start.
Anyway, Space Riders is a pretty ho-hum game with typical Atari action. The playfield is big, the shots are "okay" and the rules are extremely basic. Hit the targets and the captive balls behind them. Hit the saucers to score extra balls and specials when lit. You know the drill.
The artwork, I'll admit, is pretty cool and very nostalgic for those of us who grew up staring at Atari 2600 game cartridge artwork. And the sounds aren't terrible, but they're nothing to write home about either.
Overall, a big, somewhat uninteresting game from Atari.
Space Riders was designed by Gary Slater with sound and software by the great Eugene Jarvis. Artwork was done by Gialt Vanderwyk and George Opperman (who also designed the original Atari logo).
For more information on this game, see here:
ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=2258
Special thanks to my friend Julia Massey for allowing me to use her music for my outro. Check out her band Warren Dunes here:
warrendunesband.com
------
Do you need your pinball machine serviced in Southern Ontario? Send us a message via londonpinball.ca
Follow London Pinball on Instagram and Facebook:
instagram.com/cooke_pinball
facebook.com/londonpinballcanada
Visit the London Pinball Parlour at Forked River Brewing Company!
45 Pacific Court, Unit #4 in London, Ontario.
forkedriverbrewing.com
Visit Speed City Records:
speedcityrecords.com
Subscribe to the Pinball Shenanigans Youtube channel:
youtube.com/@UCEplPElLI9WWWd6xUmjAObw
Today for your viewing "pleasure" we have a 1978 Atari Space Riders pinball machine in action.
Now, Atari is well-known for video arcade games and home gaming consoles in the 80's, but many people don't realize they also dabbled in pinball for a very brief period in the late-70's and very early 80's. All of their games were widebodies. Atari didn't really follow conventional practices for building pinball machines and their quirks are some of the reason that their pinball machines aren't exactly popular with the collecting community. Also, the games generally aren't that fun to play either. The ball has a tendency to float around without hitting much and takes half an hour to get back to the flippers.
However, Atari was where famous pinball designer Steve Ritchie and software/sound developer Eugene Jarvis, both of whom went on to have illustrious careers in the pinball and video gaming industry, go their start.
Anyway, Space Riders is a pretty ho-hum game with typical Atari action. The playfield is big, the shots are "okay" and the rules are extremely basic. Hit the targets and the captive balls behind them. Hit the saucers to score extra balls and specials when lit. You know the drill.
The artwork, I'll admit, is pretty cool and very nostalgic for those of us who grew up staring at Atari 2600 game cartridge artwork. And the sounds aren't terrible, but they're nothing to write home about either.
Overall, a big, somewhat uninteresting game from Atari.
Space Riders was designed by Gary Slater with sound and software by the great Eugene Jarvis. Artwork was done by Gialt Vanderwyk and George Opperman (who also designed the original Atari logo).
For more information on this game, see here:
ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=2258
Special thanks to my friend Julia Massey for allowing me to use her music for my outro. Check out her band Warren Dunes here:
warrendunesband.com
------
Do you need your pinball machine serviced in Southern Ontario? Send us a message via londonpinball.ca
Follow London Pinball on Instagram and Facebook:
instagram.com/cooke_pinball
facebook.com/londonpinballcanada
Visit the London Pinball Parlour at Forked River Brewing Company!
45 Pacific Court, Unit #4 in London, Ontario.
forkedriverbrewing.com
Visit Speed City Records:
speedcityrecords.com
Subscribe to the Pinball Shenanigans Youtube channel:
youtube.com/@UCEplPElLI9WWWd6xUmjAObw
