 |
THE HOBBIT: |
| Date: 7th August, 2013 Hot on the heels of the update just eight days ago, another section of the playfield design from The Hobbit has been revealed, leaving just the top left quadrant a mystery. The latest update fills in the central playfield area and the bottom right corner, to give us this overall layout.
So we have a four-flippered game - all full size - with what appear to be four pop-up 'trolls' - as in Medieval Madness - indicated by the rectangular flaps and arrow inserts. The fourth of these flaps is not shown here but can be surmised from the insert arrangements. A new feature is shown over the left outlane, where a rotating deflector cam adjusts the aim of the kickback lane in a similar way to the launch lane angle adjuster found on games such as Millionaire. It also has the effect of changing the dynamics of the outlane by varying the width but also changing the angles and the chances of saving the ball.
The picture above also shows what appears to be a wireform feeding the lane, suggesting the kickback is going to be more than just a ball save and more an integrated part of the playfield action. Further down the playfield, the size and position of the circle between the flippers suggests an pop-up post could be fitted here, like the one in Family Guy.
Meanwhile, two three-banks of drop targets sit below the two upper flippers, with the possibility of stand-up targets behind which are only revealed when the drop targets are hit. With the top left quadrant the only area yet to be revealed, it is likely to contain the most interesting features in the game. We can already see an under-playfield tunnel leading from that area to the up-kicker on the right, but will there be a mini-playfield for the central ramp to feed? Will there be a side-ramp for the upper-right flipper to shoot? Which shot is the missing fourth 'troll' blocking? All will be revealed by the end of this month, and we'll bring you all the latest news about The Hobbit right here at Pinball News.
© Pinball News 2013 |
