Not everyone is aware that FLASH is an absolute milestone.
With 19,505 Units built it's the most successful machine under the Williams-Sign and the 3rd most successful Flipper-Game of all time. But if you keep in mind that there were some licensed versions for the south-american and italian market, see below, PLUS that Steve Ritchie himself confirmed that Williams stopped production at 19.505 units because "they wanted to leave the market wanting" it's only fair to admit that FLASH stands equal on top together with THE ADDAMS FAMILY (20.230) and EIGHT BALL (20.130)
Anybody who sniffes about the sound, please compare it to the crude "Bally-Tunes" from early 1979 ... anybody who sniffes about the artwork, do not forget this was the first machine in "Black" since decades. This alone made it stand out.
There were at least 4 similar but separate versions around the globe produced by other manufacturers - Zeus, Super-Zeus, Storm and Shock with identical artwork and the same playfield-design, sometimes missing some features.
Test-Models got on their way in October 78, Presentation and start of Serial-Production in February 1979.
1st machine designed by Steve Ritchie for Williams after his first 2 designs for Atari.
1st machine featuring a dynamic Background-sound, increasing in pitch and indicating the player's skill to anyone.
1st machine using FLASH-Lights, which got their name therefore.
1st machine with newly designed, smooth and much faster Flipper-Lanes.
1st machine with new-style translucent lane-guide-plastics.
1st machine since decades with a black cabinet, which became soon standard for each manufacturer.
With 19,505 Units built it's the most successful machine under the Williams-Sign and the 3rd most successful Flipper-Game of all time.
There were at least 4 similar but separate versions around the globe produced by other manufacturers - Zeus, Super-Zeus, Storm and Shock with identical artwork and the same playfield-design, sometimes missing some features.
Williams experimented at an early stage with black, red and blue models.
Steve Ritchie originally wanted a strobe-light on the backbox but Williams refused. This idea was realized in another way 7 years later on High-Speed.
Another first were the translucent lane-guide-plastics in blue. Some units from the later production-runs were fitted with red ones, and red posts too, likely because Williams couldn't keep up with the high demand and the blue ones run out of stock. The machines were factory-fitted exclusively with white flippers and white flipper-rubbers instead of the usual red or yellow ones. This different look gave the 3 totally white flippers the appeal of bright lightnings in a dark sky.
In the backbox there also originally where 5 flashing GE-455-bulbs behind the 5 "lightning-bundles"
It was one of the first designs for pinball-artist Constantino Mitchell. French artist Christian Marche, who designed the artwork for ca. 185 machines since 1965, most of them for Williams, left the USA in 1978 and Constantino was the new guy in town.
